30 Day Challenge - Day 30

30 Day Challenge - Day 30

A picture of someone you miss.

 

 

I miss Tyler!

Tyler is currently living in the fine (well, I assume fine... I've never actually been there) town of Olive Branch, Mississippi. He's in grad school there, learning about how to be a super-fantastic youth minister. But goodness, i sure do miss having that kid around.

When I first met Tyler... I wasn't really a fan. He was my friend Erin's younger brother, and I thought he was (for lack of a better word), well... mean. Turns out Ty just has a super dry sense of humor and when combined with his awkward younger years... well, he just came off as a jerk. Great news though, Tyler isn't a jerk, he's actually pretty hilarious.

After basically hanging around us all the time, eventually he just became one of our friends. Weird how that happens. I've had many-a-memorable moment with Tyler, and miss him being around so that those happen more frequently.

The last time Ty was in town, we ended up sitting at Starbucks for like... 4-6 hours. (Where I knocked over a display... shattering glass, the whole nine.) and then still ended up going out to dinner and talking even more. It turns out when you get past the ironic tshirts, the glasses, the moustache and the hilarity... he also happens to be pretty passionate when he starts talking about youth ministry and middle schoolers.

 

I got pretty spoiled seeing Tyler every day for about a year when he worked for me at the Y, so not having him around when it seems like he's ALWAYS been there has had some rough patches. I feel like I speak for a lot of people when I have moments hanging out with folks and it seems odd he isn't around.  I mean, who else are we going to feed the garlic pancakes to?

30 Day Challenge - Day 29

30 Day Challenge - Day 29

A picture that can always make you smile.

 

 

Bert & Ernie!

This picture definitely makes me smile, i think it's pretty much perfect.

 

I loooove camp skits, and this one was pretty epic. Not only did I get to put together most of the Sesame Street costumes (including putting Ebruce in this AMAZING outfit everyday), but the skit was pretty funny as well.

Here's a full Sesame Street cast photo:

 

Zach (Big Bird), Chris, Michael (Cookie Monster), Sean (Elmo), Ben (Oscar), Meredith (Ernie), Elizabeth (Bert), Joel (Snuffalufagus), Jenna, Sara, Christine (Teletubbies)... and I think Matt was there as the emcee of the talent show that night. 

 

Second favorite skit: THE LUNCHBOTS.

 The Lunchbots... the camp transformers. Table-or, Garbatron, ..., Duvetga.
I can't remember 1)the Transformer name for the stoplight 2) why the stoplight was even relevant. Making these costumes was also fun, as was tipping Cameron over in the trashcan so he couldn't get up without help.

The Lunchbots in Picnic Formation:

Here's the thing about skits... Sometimes, they just make the counselors laugh because the jokes just go way over the kids heads. And while the comedic brilliance of skits is sometimes lost of the kids... we still laugh a lot.

30 Day Challenge - Day 28

30 Day Challenge - Day 28

A picture of something you're afraid of.

 I find scary movies absolutely terrifying. 

Watching them for me is almost sadistic, because of the repercussions that come afterward. Some of them, I swear, someone must have sold their soul to come up with things that sick and twisted. I just don't even understand the appeal, yet for a really long time I'd still watch them. I don't even watch previews anymore. 

And here is why: because my runaway imagination makes me think those things will actually happen to me. As well, I scare pretty easily. Like full on jump and scream, and once the flood of adrenaline subsides, I just get angry/tearful towards whatever caused it. Some people think this is funny (Tim) and often run the risk of getting hit.

Some defining moments:

Ernest Scared Stupid: I saw it at my neighbors house when I was like ten, and it gave me nightmares. The scene where a character rolls over and there is a troll in the bed, in particular. I remember not wanting to open my eyes if i woke up in the middle of the night for fear that a figure would be there.

Psycho: I bought a shower curtain that had clear vinyl holes at eye level. No one was going to sneak up and kill me while I was in the shower. Also happened to be good for staying on the lookout for gremlins.

Scream: Made me terrified to be at home alone in my house in high school. The entire backside of my house was essentially glass with all the sliding doors that faced the woods. Way to easy to be spied upon and stalked.

13 Ghosts: I only saw the first 15 minutes of this movie with Dan, who upon seeing me cower the entire time, walked us out and into Kate & Leopold instead. I remember feeling really thankful and impressed with his chivalry.

The Ring: Christie and I saw it at the dollar fifty theater... late at night... and were the only ones in the theater. I think that was really the one that put me over the edge. I still can't deal with it. Static on the TV is a thing to be avoided- and thankfully with DVR I can now do so. But just last week I had to turn off my TV manually, and I FREAKED MYSELF OUT thinking about someone crawling through the TV. No ma'am... worst thing ever.

My coping mechanism at this point when I'm forced into watching a scary movie with friends (ahem, Christie, James, Andrew... I'm looking at you) I simply close my eyes and go to sleep. I've successfully slept through The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Amityville Horror, and Saw, among others. Any my life is way better just generally avoiding anything remotely scary.

(Note: I didn't put the picture in until the very last minute of this post, so I didn't have to look at it.)

30 Day Challenge - Day 27

30 Day Challenge - Day 27

A picture of yourself and a family member.

I love this picture. It's probably my favorite of the four of us.

(Again, I'm totally cheating... this is three family members.)

This is a lame blog post.

30 Day Challenge - Day 26

30 Day Challenge - Day 26

A picture of something that means a lot to you.

 My FRIENDS!

This was a birthday card I made for Christie.. gah... I don't even know. A while ago. I've made variations of this, but I think it's my favorite because we're kinda gangsta. (Left to Right: Cameron, Joel, me, Laura, Dom, James, Andrew, Tyler, Erin, Jeremy). This isn't necessarily the whole crew, but a decent number.

But goodness gracious, I have some awesome people in my life. Who knew that the Y would be SO integral in the circle of people I'm proud to call my best friends? It's ridiculous. I had no idea that I'd meet people at 17 that would still be my friends over a decade later.

It's awesome to know that I have SUCH an amazing support system, unlike so many people.


That and I think we're just pretty awesome.

30 Day Challenge - Day 25

30 Day Challenge - Day 25

A picture of your day.

Mountain of SHOES!

It meant staying at the Y until 11pm, but goodness, was it worth it! It started with a vision... Laura and I were trying to figure out a way to collect all the shoes lining the hallways of the branch and get them to a central location to load them onto the bus. We realized a mountain of shoes would do the trick AND show the members just how much they came through for us with their donations! When the rain thwarted our plan to build the mountain at the front of the building, we went and begged Tony, our branch director, to let us build it in the lobby. 

It took a LOT of man-power from the teens of Leaders Club, a lot of tying, a lot of rubber bands and a lot of laundry carts... but in a few hours we completely changed the landscape of the Finley lobby.

Sometimes, the charitableness of people can be completely overwhelming. And here's the thing... there really weren't a lot of stinky shoes... in fact, we found a LOT that were brand new. Members leaving the Y tonight were stopping and taking pictures of what we were doing. They had conversations about SHOES. 

I felt really thankful tonight for where I work... That I work for an organization that CARES about being socially responsible and wants to make a difference. And that I get to be a part of that every day with like minded people. It's pretty awesome.

30 Day Challenge - Day 24

30 Day Challenge - Day 24

A picture of something you wish you could change.

I think about money way more often that I'd like to. I think, in general, people think about money more than they should. It divides those that have it from those that don't. It causes guilt and tension and arguments and wars.  It brings out the worst in people- deception, theft, greed... It creates idols in our life when we lust after the things we can't have and envy what others possess.

I'd wash my hands of it if I could.

I find myself worrying constantly about bills and how to pay them. I pray that something bad doesn't happen because I won't have the savings to cover it. I work at a job that I love and find fulfilling but often find that my bank account argues otherwise.

But I am so lucky. I am so blessed. I have so much more than hundreds, thousands, millions of other people.

Call me a socialist, but I wish the scales didn't tip so drastically. That there weren't billionaires that couldn't spend all their fortune in a single lifetime, while others sit starving on dirt floors in third world countries. 

I'd choose to be provided for modestly. That my wants were more in line with my needs, and I didn't confuse the two. That myself, or anyone, wouldn't have to feel like "less than" by asking for help. That the playing field was a little more even. 

What would life be like then, if money or provisions were no longer an issue?
If we all had only what we needed, even if that's actually less than what we have now?
Would it be worth the change?

30 Day Challenge - Day 23

30 Day Challenge - Day 23

A picture of your favorite book.

 I'm no scholar. There are plenty of authors I'd recommend to friends (Top Three: Dave Eggars, David Sedaris, Jonathan Safran Foer.) But here's the thing- sometimes, I just want to get lost in Harry Potter. And sometimes, I like pictures and poignant, simple messages.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is just plain truth.

That some days just suck, everything goes wrong, no one has any sympathy and all you want to do is grumble and complain... or you can just realize some days are like that. 

It's one of my favorite books to read to kids, but the lesson is simple and applicable to all ages.

Even to people in Australia.

30 Day Challenge - Day 22

30 Day Challenge - Day 22

A picture of something you wish you were better at.

 I wish I was a better artist.

I'm sure that's probably the last thing people would expect me to say. But here's the thing, there are a million things I wish I was better at. I wish I was more musically gifted- that I could sing or play an instrument as well as the artists I love so much. I wish I danced better or was at least as confident as Erin or Christie. I wish I was better at balancing my life and emotions like Dom. I wish I was a better athlete, that I didn't have to try so hard to be coordinated or could run for miles like Tim without breaking a sweat. I wish I was better at staying organized like Randi. I wish I was a better writer. I wish I was better at letting go of people and things. 

I wish I was better at a lot of things that I have no grasp on whatsoever. But I wasn't really meant to be those things, and if I was those things... I might not appreciate those talents in others as much. 

And I'd rather be really, really good at one thing than just decent at a lot of things.

So I choose to be a better artist. Because I can't throw centered pottery on a wheel to save my life. I draw realistic people poorly. I hate using charcoal. I'm not eccentric enough to sell my work. There are so many people far better than me... I could use some improvement. But I figure there are people out there that wish they could do what I do already, so I might as well embrace it! 

Time to go sign up for a class! 

30 Day Challenge - Day 21

30 Day Challenge - Day 21

A picture of something you wish you could forget.

 This is a picture of my completely mangled car after an accident I had when I was 16.

I truly believe that all the bad stuff we experience helps to shape us into the people that we're supposed to be, so while I wouldn't take anything back from my life... there are some parts I wish were a little more blurry. And this is one of those.

I was 16, a sophomore, and had only had my license for a few months. My best friend Allison and I had decided to go shopping that day out in Cary, venturing out to the closest Old Navy near Raleigh. We were on our way back home, and Allison was helping me to navigate back to the highway. In a blur of misunderstood directions and bad judgement, I turned left and was almost immediately struck by an oncoming car.

What I remember is a sense of panic, a gasp... and then I blacked out while my car was pushed almost 20 feet. I woke up with Allison's head on my shoulder and someone running towards my car- i remember screaming hysterically for them to leave me alone and to help my friend because she wasn't waking up. I remember watching them cutting her out of the car, as I walked around the scene, not realizing that my flip flops had been thrown off and I was walking on broken glass. I remember us going to the hospital. I remember seeing Allison's parents and being so scared they were going to be mad at me and feeling guilty when they gave me a hug instead.

With some divine intervention Allison survived the accident, but with a multitude of pretty serious injuries. She went to governor's school in a wheelchair and on crutches. I had to have the surgery that left the pin in my finger left a cast on my arm for the summer. I had a lot of guilt for a really long time about almost killing myself, my best friend and the people in the other car.

To this day, I'll never claim to be a good driver, because I'm not. I sometimes get really nervous driving other people around, especially my little brother and sister. And I still get really, really anxious when I don't know where I'm going or I get lost. To the point where I avoid volunteering to drive anywhere. 

So yes, I'd choose to forget that. 

Drive safe, everybody.

30 Day Challenge - Day 20

30 Day Challenge - Day 20

A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.

Benvenuto in Italia!

I already wrote about New Zealand, so Italy is next on the list of places to travel.

I actually studied Latin for four years of high school. I can't remember why in the world i thought LATIN would be a good choice, because I retained very, very little.

"Agricola est in villa." 

The farmer is in the farmhouse. 

Who can recite obsolete phrases in dead languages? This girl.

But what I actually DO remember is studying the roman empire. We translated roman mythology and learned things like if you were a gladiator that got a thumbs-up in the Coliseum... the crowd wanted you dead. (Doh.) So actually seeing the ancient architecture and ruins would be pretty amazing.

I also spent a LOT of time in college nerding-out in art history classes. Caravaggio, Mantegna, Botticelli... all four ninja turtles- Leonardo Di Vinci, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael... all famous Italian painters. It'd be nice to just hang out in a place with so much history and culture that stemmed from the arts.

My mom has said that she'd like to take my sister and I to Rome someday. I think that would be extra special considering how integral Italy was to our family's history. My grandmother and my grandfather actually met in Italy and were married there during WWII. My ninety-four year old grandmother will still tell amazingly vivid stories about her time there serving as a red cross nurse. 

So those are my, hopefully, out-of-the-norm reasons for wanting to go visit Italy.

(What? Wine? Ok. That too.)

30 Day Challenge - Day 19

30 Day Challenge - Day 19

A picture of you when you were little.

 Bam. There it is.

Now let's break down why this picture is AWESOME.

1. That couch is the SAME COUCH currently in my living room (only with a slip cover) and i can STILL sleep all night on that bad boy and not regret it in the morning. It's the jam. And weighs 8 million pounds... because it has a bed in it.

2. I look pretty punk-rock wearing every hairclip, bangle bracelet and ring i had in my caboodle. 

And if you don't know what a caboodle is, you clearly didn't grow up in the 80's. Or you were a boy. So here:

3. Bangs. That start in the middle of my head. That is all.

4. That look in my eye that says, "WHAT Mom? I look awesome, don't hate."

5. And perhaps the most obvious reason this is awesome: I'm not really wearing clothes. I AM wearing an undershirt tucked into my underwear. How can I tell? Because when I was little I ALWAYS tucked my undershirt into my underwear. And it would hang out like little ruffles out of the leg holes. Why? Because I didn't like how the elastic on my underwear felt. Or how socks felt unless I turned them inside out so that the sewn part didn't bother my toes. Or how tags felt. Or really how clothes felt on my body in general, which is why i stripped down to this particular outfit so often.

[It turns out there's a name for it (Sensory defensiveness) and that there are even clothing websites devoted to kids that are ultra-sensitive to such things (http://www.softclothing.net/) The internet is great for making you feel like you're not completely crazy!]

I'm more or less over this particular quirk. But I still wear tank tops under most everything, I still cut tags out of clothing, and I absolutely LOATHE the feeling of shoes on plush carpet.

I was definitely an peculiar child. Perhaps not much has changed. 

30 Day Challenge - Day 18

30 Day Challenge  - Day 18

 A picture of your biggest insecurity.

 30 Day Challenge isn't messing around with this one. It seems so cliche, but it seems to be the driving force behind everything else that our inner-critic beats us up over: I'm scared of being alone.

And as you well know, not "alone" in an "eek! it's dark and scary in this house" alone... but the kind where you really seriously wonder if there is anyone out there that will love you despite your faults and flaws and maybe even love you more BECAUSE of them. Call it just being a girl, or a romantic, or even attribute it to a biological clock but regardless- but it's more real than any of my other insecurities. Because the "you're alone" insecurity, for me, fuels the questions that seems to haunt my gender... "am i not pretty enough?"... "am i not talented enough?"..."am i not skinny enough?"... "am i not smart enough?"... "am I not good enough?"

It's a pretty vicious cycle. And the cognitive, rational me knows that I'm not alone. Knows that I need to tell my inner critic to shut up. Knows that our creator does think I'm perfect because He's forgiven my faults and flaws. But dang, that's hard... so I'm just being honest.

30 Day Challenge - Day 17

30 Day Challenge - Day 17

A picture of someone that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

In 2007, I had no idea what I was in for when I first started working for Tim Townsend.
I certainly had no idea that by 2011, he'd know me better than basically anyone.  

I've never really had a boy best friend before Tim. But I know I'm really lucky to have him around- I think he's seen me at my best and my worst, and won't let me get away with being anything less than 100% honest with myself. He drives me absolutely insane sometimes but can make me completely forget why in the same instant by making me laugh. He's ridiculous and can make me laugh until my side hurt. He's trustworthy and someone that knows my secrets. He's fiercely loyal and likewise passionate. He teases me relentlessly like a brother and is wise to both my talents and faults. He knows me better than I sometimes know myself and can read me like a book. He worries about me more than he lets on, and pushes to try and make me a better person. And if you don't have someone like that in your life you can call your best friend, you are far less fortunate than I.

Technically I altered this blog post... it was supposed to be "A picture of someTHING that has made a huge impact on my life recently." So to honor that- that thing is Colorado (and just so happens to be where the above picture was taken).

In 40 days, I'm losing my best friend to Colorado. I've known for a while he was going to go. I know that he needs to go. And I'm proud of him for going. But while he's off on his big adventure, I'll still be here trying to figure out exactly how to resume life when there is a Tim sized hole left behind. Instead of walking 30 feet to his office next door, he'll be 1,700 miles away. That's going to be a pretty significant impact.

To say that I'm going to miss him incredibly would be the understatement of the year.

"You can kiss your family and friends goodbye and put miles between you, 

but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach... 

because you do not just live in a world, but a world lives in you." 

-Frederick Buechner

  

30 Day Challenge - Day 16

30 Day Challenge - Day 16

A picture of someone who inspires you.

  "Life's like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending. " -Jim Henson

I don't know about you, but the things Jim Henson created basically defined my childhood. I grew up with Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and the muppet movies. He managed to dream entire worlds of friendly monsters that somehow taught us life lessons along the way...

He was kind of a crazy hippie that played with puppets. But I think that's awesome. He was one of those adults that managed to keep his inner child alive by creating something that appeals to both children and adults. His work had meaning and a message, and it came from characters that had emotional depth- and they were made of cloth. I think that's just amazing.

"When I was young, 
my ambition was to be one of the people
who made a difference in this world. 
My hope is to leave the world 
a little better for having been there."
-Jim Henson

 (Me too.) 

30 Day Challenge - Day 15

30 Day Challenge - Day 15

 A picture of something you want to do before you die.

Visit New Zealand with my friends.

I wrote about this in my first post... but seriously, I really want to go. The conversation started I think between James and myself. I wanted to go after having a professor from New Zealand, and I think James wanted to go post- Lord of the Rings. I think we gradually just got everyone else on board. At the time, we aimed for 2010. Thinking that by then we'd have jobs and be established.... bahahahaha. Oh, the time lines we set for ourselves.

But seriously why would you NOT want to go to New Zealand?

The hardest part about this post was my inner debate of "hm, what ABSOLUTELY BREATHTAKING photo do I pick?!" I want to go somewhere where I can just be in awe of what God's created, and how most everything pales in comparison. If I can be in awe of a photo, I simply can't imagine what it would be like to be sitting there completely surrounded with all the sounds and smells that go with it.

There are three things in nature I am super impressed by: mountains, the ocean, and the sky. All basically for the same reasons- their overwhelming massive size and how small you feel relative to it all. It makes my day to day worries seem so insignificant in comparison to the universe... and I think that'd be a terrifying thought for someone without faith, but for me, it's a solid reminder that if my God can manage all this... I'm pretty simple by comparison.

But here's the thing for me... I'd never move to New Zealand. Or anywhere near the mountains or the sea. I'd be so disappointed if I just got used to it, it simply became the background of my life and I wasn't repeatedly stopped dead in my tracks to just be absolutely amazed.

So yes. New Zealand before I die... maybe before 2020 :)

30 Day Challenge - Day 14

30 Day Challenge - Day 14

A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

My dad.

I guess the most frightening part about with this one is that it's actually a reality... there will be, at some point, a time when I won't have my dad around. A reality that, frankly, has been a little too close for comfort recently.

Past: There was a time when I really, truly thought that I'd never speak to my dad again. That he'd hurt me enough and I didn't want to have anything to do with him ever again. I remember distinctly being the most heartbroken because I felt that he'd given up his chance to be the one to walk me down the aisle. But hearts change, people change, God intervenes and we find that we're able to forgive someone that means the world to us...

Our childhood heroes aren't always who we build them up to be. 

Our parents turn out to be human and make mistakes. 

The scars and bruises left behind by others and our own decisions shape who we become. 

And it turns out that it's okay... if we don't let it ruin us.

It turned out that within a mess, I got a pretty amazing brother and sister. They make my life better by just having them around. I can't picture not having them in my life either... which is why my life just wouldn't be the same without my dad being my dad- and everything that comes with it.

Present: My dad is sick. He has myleodysplastic disorder, which is basically the front-runner to leukemia. The clinical nature of it all makes me feel sort of numb every time I say it. But it means that despite having a 94 year old grandmother, I probably won't get to keep him that long. It means that while I think myself independent, I'm realizing how often I call him when something is broken, how often I need help and guidance with so much, how much advice I get in our conversations, and how much I still need to hear him say that he loves me and he's proud of me. 

I'm not ready yet. 

Future: I want him to walk me down the aisle. I want him to be a grandfather. I want him to see the twins graduate from high school, so I don't have to be the one to remind them of what a great man he was. And maybe, just maybe, when it is time for him to go- he'll know what I know.

30 Day Challenge - Day 13

30 Day Challenge - Day 13

  A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Thrice. You've probably never heard of them, but that's okay.

It's hard to pick just one*, so I tried to pick one a little less obvious. I don't know if I'd even claim them as my current favorite artist, but they were for a pretty significant amount of time. (My musical tastes have mellowed out a bit... I used to love nothing more being front and center at a show, squished by sweaty strangers, singing along and trying to maintain my balance... but times change.) The above picture was taken at the Warped Tour with my friend Julie, but i've been able to meet/see them preform a number of times. 

The title of this blog was actually taken from a lyric of their song "Subtle Dagger"

"our souls they speak of something more,
but we can't look beyond ourselves.
we implore empty skies because
our hearts hold room for no one else"

[ *Honorable Mentions: Damien Rice, Weezer, Regina Spektor, Ben Folds & The Beatles. ]

30 Day Challenge - Day 12

30 Day Challenge  - Day 12

A picture of something you love

I <3 the 80's

I do. While I wasn't exactly coherent enough during the ACTUAL 80's to remember much, my pseudo-nostalgia is still pretty strong. The absolutely horrendous fashion, the synthesized pop-music, the cheesy-yet-poignant movies characterizing adolescence... it's such a hot mess it somehow folds in on itself to become awesome. 

This picture was taken at Meredith's themed birthday party- 1985. Christie and I made a sweet Pac-Man cake! I gave Cameron flock of seagulls hair! I took Polaroids! We played twister!

love, McFly*

30 Day Challenge - Day 11

30 Day Challenge - Day 11

A picture of something you hate.

Glitter.

"The thing about glitter is, if you get it on you, be prepared to have it on you forever
because glitter is the herpes of craft supplies."
-Demetri Martin

I dislike the phrase "arts & crafts" in general because I have very little appreciation for "crafts," especially ones that allow for no creativity or imagination whatsoever. Of popsicle sticks, cotton balls, sequins, pipe cleaners, pom-poms... glitter is by far the most obnoxious.

 I also made this awesome picture for you all, to show you how I also feel about bananas. But most people know about my theory about bananas being the Bully Fruit because they make EVERYTHING taste like banana. Nasty-town. (In my head, the dialogue for the above is some variation of the "give me your lunch money" scenario but instead banana declares all smoothies to be "HIS territory now")

30 Day Challenge - Day 10

30 Day Challenge - Day 10

A picture of the person you do the most messed up things with.

Here's the thing, I think it's just in Cameron's NATURE to do things that are kinda messed up. I just happen to be around, and don't discourage him from doing such things. I happen to think Cameron's antics are hilarious, as a fan of all things ridiculous. However, aside from a semi-annual haircut on my porch, there has been a severe lack of Cameron in my life. Thumbs down.

30 Day Challenge - Day 9

30 Day Challenge - Day 9

A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

This one was really hard, because I have quite a number of amazing friends that have helped me go through a lot. But, in looking at the seasons of my life and when I've struggled the most... it was, without a doubt, my senior year of high school and my freshman year of college. In which case, Danielle wins by a landslide.  

I was more or less a train wreck of a person. She saw my family fall apart and helped hold together the pieces of my mostly shattered spirit. We had boy troubles and caused some trouble. While I look back at that time with mixed feelings, I'm glad that I had Danielle there to experience it with me. She moved to Texas to be near her family not long after that.

I am thankful that I got to spend time with Jane, her mother, and got to know what a warm, compassionate person she was. And I remember the exact moment, alone in a ceramics studio, when Danielle called me to tell me when her mom's battle with leukemia was finally over... and crying and hating that Danielle was so far away and I couldn't be there for her like she was for me.

We don't talk or see each other as often as we once did- I suppose as a result of growing up and over a thousand miles distance to blame. But she's an amazing person and one whom I was so blessed to have had in my life especially at that time.

[The picture was taken when I went to see Danielle in Texas, and we were at the wild cat reserve where she worked. And we're just not going to talk about the bangs I'm sporting.]

30 Day Challenge - Day 8

30 Day Challenge - Day 8 

A picture that makes you laugh.

Tyler Smither can make me laugh purely by existing. Anything beyond that just leads to hilarity. This was some sort of dress up day at camp... I don't remember what the theme was, but what I do know is that we put Tyler in a child-sized ninja turtle costume, then I modified the shell into a dragon/dinosaur head. Tyler then proceeded to run (in the very distinct style that is Tyler) around camp being chased by children. He also had a theme song of the day that went like this:

"Trogdor was a man/ I mean, he was a dragon man/ Or maybe he was just a dragon/
But he was still Trogdor!/ Burninating the countryside/ Burninating the peasants/
Burninating all the peoples/ And their thatched-roof cottages!"

The Jungle Room saw an extraordinary number of ridiculous moments that summer. This is just one.

30 Day Challenge - Day 7

30 Day Challenge - Day 7

A picture of your most treasured item.

Meet "Favorite Bear."

Yep. That's his name. When I got him around three years old, apparently that was as clever as names got, so it stuck. I've hauled this little guy everywhere (right along side ol' blankie), and would be pretty devastated if anything ever happened to him.

I'm not exactly sure who gave him to me, but the t-shirt was a later addition by my dad. The shirt itself is pretty miraculous- not only because it fit, but because throughout my childhood I was on an endless quest to find things with my name on them because they were impossible to find... Mary, Melissa, Melanie... never Meredith. OR, even worse, it was some horrendous spelling like Merideth. No one ACTUALLY spells it that way novelty-item-production-workers!

[Sidenote: It wasn't until I moved to North Carolina that I ever met another Meredith or realized that Meredith College even existed.]

Anyways, Favorite Bear's fur is a little less matted under the shirt, which testifies just how well loved he actually was... as is his slightly crooked nose, I believe from a toddler-sized Meredith chewing on it. Whoops. 

Regardless, Favorite Bear has proved to be aptly named as he is still my most favorite bear!

30 Day Challenge - Day 6

30 Day Challenge - Day 6

A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

Liv Tyler's character (Corey) in Empire Records.

Brooke decided she would want to be Ferris Bueller- a pretty brilliant answer. Which got me thinking about movies that take place in one day... and realized that one of my all-time-favorite-movies-since-I-was-fifteen was one such movie: Empire Records. Liv Tyler's character is kind of a hot mess (so that might not be a huge stretch for me) but she has a pretty sweet job at a record store with a bunch or quirky individuals. Gambling, shoplifting, in-store dance parties, pop-stars, mock funerals, sweet 90's music, rooftop concerts, best friend turned love interest... I think it'd be a good day- sign me up!

30 Day Challenge - Day 5

30 Day Challenge - Day 5

A picture of your favorite memory.

It's hard to pick just ONE memory- but going to Disney with the twins is pretty high on the list.

While no family vacation is ever flawless, this one was really great. We went in the fall of 2008 when it wasn't crowded but was all decked out for Christmas, and the weather was Goldilocks' dream- not too hot and not too cold!

It was Ren and Marie's first time going to Disney, so it was awesome seeing their reaction to the magic of Disney. I think it was cool for my Dad to have all his kids there- I think both my dad and I will always tend to be kids at heart, and Disney can definitely bring that out even more. Margaret also came down for most of the trip, and we had some really fun times together as well- including taking pictures of ourselves in hats from (almost) every country in Epcot.

[a few favorites below: Norway, Canada, Japan, China, Morocco, Italy]

30 Day Challenge - Day 4

30 Day Challenge - Day 4

 A picture of your night.

I spend pretty much every Wednesday night volunteering with Finley's Leaders Club... it's a pretty sweet gig and I get to spend time with some awesome teens. Tonight at Leaders Club we started preparing for the One Day Without Shoes event, and I was in charge of the station where we made this sweet TOMS flag out of footprints! The Y is partnering with TOMS shoes on April 5th to raise awareness about all the kids in Ethiopia that are severely impacted merely by not having shoes!

Check out this video:

You can help! Participate in the walk, donate gently used shoes, or buy a pair of TOMS (for every pair you buy, a pair goes to a child in need!).

30 Day Challenge - Day 3

30 Day Challenge - Day 3

A picture of the cast from your favorite show

I have a lot of shows I like, but Modern Family never lets me down. 

I started watching this show a few episodes in, and haven't stopped watching (or quoting it) since.
I'm not sure if I could pick a favorite character if I tried [Four-and-a-Half-Way-Tie between Phil, Gloria, Luke and Cam/Mitch... I think.]The characters on this show seem to be a funny mix of people I know (including myself) and people I really, really wish I knew. Por exemplo:

Luke: Here's something I didn't know about mannequins: They don't have a wiener.

Luke: I brought you some soda, but I couldn't find any straws, so you'll have to drink it like cats.

Cam: Really, Mitchell? The worst Halloween ever? You had squeaky thighs, I lost a childhood!

Phil: Sad face emoticon! I can feel the hurt through the phone!

Gloria: You scared the baby-cheeses out of me!

Cam: Disabled inter-racial lesbians with an African-American kicker?
Mitchell: I did not see that coming.

Mitchell: It's Cameron's turn to be out in the world interacting with other grown-ups... while I get to stay at home and plot the death of Dora the Explorer.

Cam: You cheated on me with choreography, and that's the worst kind!

Phil: You never want your kids to see you scared. You want to be the rock that they grab a hold of in a stormy sea. Actually, a rock would sink... so a floating rock.

Gloria: We can't get Luke a crossbow- he pokes himself in the eye every time he uses a straw!

 

Cam: It would be like Lewis telling Clark that he didn’t like to walk. Sidenote: We’re very good friends with a couple named Lewis and Clark. Clark bought a big sparkly belt in New Orleans that he calls his Louisiana Purchase.

If you don't watch this show already, you are seriously missing out.

30 Day Challenge - Day 2

30 Day Challenge - Day 2

 A picture of you and a person you have been close with for awhile.

Ok... so technically I'm cheating by putting both Erin and Christie. But seeing as THEY have been inseparable since elementary school, I think they can count as one person... right?

I've known both these girls for well over 10 years, after working together at camp for more summers than I can count. We've laughed, we've cried, we've fought like sisters- and they have been such a huge part of my support system for a really, really, really long time.

Erin has a charm and a charisma that attracts everyone she meets and she could carry on a conversation with a meatball sub if she wanted to. She's bold and brave and passionate... and those are just some of the qualities I admire most about Erin. And she also has an amazing, loving family that over the years I've absorbed as my own.

Christie has a warmth that permeates a room and you can't help but just feel good when you're around her. She's a supportive and loyal friend, and so many of my adventures have been those we've done together. We've laughed to the point of tears many, many times and she has always been a bright spot in every memory.

As our circle of friends has grown throughout the years, I still feel as though we were the magic trio that started it out, and for that I am so thankful!

30 Day Challenge - Day 1:
A picture of yourself with 15 facts

1. This picture was taken at Bryant Park, which I was excited to visit after watching many a season of Project Runway.

2. I'm a little embarrassed about the previous posts on my blog- it seems like an entirely different person that wrote them.

3. My fingers are the only bones that i've ever broken. Once catching a football, once catching a basketball, and other in a car accident (I have a metal pin going through my bone from that one!)

4. I have one tattoo: a red star on my foot. The Bible uses stars as a point of guidance, God guides my life, and my feet physically guide me- so it's a daily reminder to follow God faithfully.

5. On kitchens: I dislike cabinet doors left open and inefficiently loaded dishwashers.

6. I spend a pretty considerable part of my job being ridiculous, playing and getting hugs.

7. My sophomore-senior year I lived with the same three girls in an apartment at State. I found Dana, Emily and Tera through an ad with Campus Crusade and they were SUCH a huge part of my college experience that I am so thankful for.

8. One of my favorite art studios in college was Ceramics making sculptural things out of clay.

9. My middle name is Anne, and partially due to this, I related heavily to the character in Anne of Green Gables in middle school.

10. Some of my favorite things have been bought at flea markets.

11. One day, I'd like to illustrate a children's book.

12. Years ago, my friends decided that we all wanted to go to New Zealand in 2010- because by then we'd all have job and could afford to go. Didn't quite happen... perhaps 2020?

13. I will pretty much watch any movie once- no matter how horrible. I will only buy movies that I think are fantastic.

14. Signature "Fun Fact": I can write backwards in cursive

15. Meredith likes.... pirates, robots, monsters, fish, and flowers.