A Recent & Profound Observation

Let's take a moment to discuss how communication works

between me and basically any other person ever in my life...

Because it really is interesting.

Almost amusing.

We are never on the same page.

In fact, we're not even reading the same chapter.

Or book.

We're reading two different genres of novels.

And they're written in two different languages.

One is written in the Roman alphabet,

the other in ancient symbols.

And one of us is holding our book upside-down.

And I'm on a spinny ride. 

So no, don't ever ask me what is going on with anyone in my life.

Just assume the opposite of whatever "seems" to be happening.

And prepare for an emotional outburst of some kind. 

Because it's inevitable and it's coming.

And that's what I've learned about myself in relationships thus far in life.

#neveronthesamepage

#donthateonhashtags

Blessings from Disappointment

I can't even express to you the truth of this statement!

Feeling a little overwhelmed with blessings lately...

I am not accustomed to disappointment. I have been super blessed in my life

with incredible opportunities, support, all the necessities of life and then some.

That's not to say everything has been handed to me; I have also been blessed with

the drive and determination to accomplish my goals and get things done.

In a nutshell, I nearly always get what I want, whether I earn it or it is

somehow bestowed upon me. I have a pretty awesome life!

But, SPOILER ALERT, things don't always go according to plan...

This past semester was by far the most challenging of my life! (Let's get real,

I probably say that about every semester, consecutively, but really, this one was every

flavor of rough!) In multiple areas of my life, things didn’t work out how I wanted or expected them to.

People let me down. Situations seemed unfair. I didn't get what I wanted or felt like I deserved.

Disappointment hit in so many ways! It is true what "they" say, When it rains, it pours.

And then because I'm me, the world's most infamous self-critic, I looked

for ways I could have altered the outcomes of these situations. I tried desperately to

identify specific areas I must have fallen short. And then, when I couldn't clearly see what

it was I had done wrong, I concluded that I simply wasn't good enough. I blamed

myself for not being in control of situations I actually had no control over. 

 [Not a healthy place to put yourself in, folks! This whole "dealing

with disappointment" thing is a learning process for me, I get it!]

It was such a test to handle those situations with class and the faith that

everything happens for a reason. For the record, I used to hate that saying because

by my flawed logic, sometimes things happen just because they happen and you get to deal

with it, no reason attached. However, a few years ago I tried altering my outlook and have since lived

with the optimism that there are reasons behind every happening--AND IT'S WORKING!

Time and time again, the Lord proves to me that He is watching over me and is very mindful

of my little life problems. Because doors have closed, better doors have been opened

that I may not have previously recognized or imagined I would want to step through.

With patience and faith, prayers are answered, and I am yet again reminded that...

God knows me better than I know myself.

I always think I’m right, but I am not, and sometimes I need to learn that lesson 724 times.

Today I am so thankful for the humbling experiences in my life that remind me who

is truly in charge and for the new, incredible opportunities that now lie ahead! :)

SO MUCH HAPPINESS.

When you do what is right, good things come your way.

And here are some inspirational quotes on that subject, compliments of Pinterest:

Lovebirds Live Forever

My great grandmother's funeral was today.

Tears were definitely shed, but

it was anything but a bleak affair.

We know we will see her again soon.

Laughter and smiles were shared by all as we

caught up with aunts, uncles, cousins, and distant

relatives with four more kids than anybody

remembered them having last time, while

feasting from the giant bowl of chocolates

at the welcome table in the mortuary.

We shared funny memories of Grandma

and her delicious peanut butter fudge,

impeccable garden, and secret love for 

CHUCK NORRIS.

(Who knew?!)

Naturally, several people asked me if

I'm getting married anytime soon and what

my plans are for after I graduate.

"You're studying dance...? Huh... And what...?"

Marriage + Performing Aspirations = Awkward Conversation

Not awkward for me--I know what I want.

Just awkward to sit and observe while they try to

assure me it's alright that I'm not married and

have no definite plan after college. 

I'm okay with the way I'm
living my life, thank you.

The most touching part of the day for me

was learning about how my great grandparents met.

Grandma grew up on a ranch in Wyoming,

one of the youngest children in her family.

Grandpa was 8 years older than her. EIGHT YEARS.

He met her once when he went up to Wyoming for work

and was introduced to her family. He thought she

was the cutest little girl. But she really was

just that--a little girl.

So he waited for her to grow up and then went back up to marry her.

Apparently, before he died, he told this to my dad:

"She was the best and I knew it! I went up

to get her because I just had to have her!"

Isn't that just precious?!

Yeah, I cried.

And now they are together again as sweethearts in heaven!

I want my husband to be like my great grandpa.

I want to be as loving a wife as my great grandma.

I want my love to be like theirs.

Sometimes the cutest love stories aren't 

in the movies--they're in your own family.

And now I'm curious about everyone

else's love stories. I'm going to 

start asking around!

LOVE IS BEAUTIFUL.

And it's out there.

<3

Bored on Break

I've decided breaks from school are good thing but also bad

because breaks means boredom. And when you are bored you

do things like watch every available episode of Nashville on Hulu and 

create that Pinterest wedding board you said you'd never create 

and spend wayyy too much time on Facebook chat.

And then you write rambling blog posts

with no apparent subject or theme.

For the record, this year's Thanksgiving dinner was the
MOST delicious EVER! Did I feel guilty filling plate after plate with food?
Nope. Did I eat three pieces of pie? Yep. Will I have gained 17 pounds by the
end of December? Probably. I should go back to the gym. But
let's all take a minute and truly appreciate the yumminess we stuffed
in our bellies without feeling guilty. It was so worth it!

Every time I make the 3.5 hour (3 hours 17 minutes is also possible at certain
speeds) drive between my home home and my college home, I always make a new playlist

for the ride. Red licorice and singing are what keep me awake on those long desert
stretches, and SANTA'S PANTS, you are all missing out on my car karaoke! Anyway, it's
fun to look back at these playlists and see what song/artist/genre phases I've been through. There's
quite a variety, but I can't stop laughing because I just realized that without fail Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" has made it onto EVERY. SINGLE. PLAYLIST. I'm not sure what the connection
is between that song and my soul... The only conclusion I can come to is I guess I just really
like all the dance moves I can do while singing, "To the left, to the left."

In other news, I went to the movies alone today!

Don't cry.

It's something I like to do every now and again.

It makes me feel like a free woman! And also very, very single,

but clearly I am down with that. So, there's me sitting six rows in front

of everyone else and their friends, just scream-laughing at all the

wrong parts like always! Am I the only person

in the world who does this? Please say no.

Oh! Funny roommate story... Tiana decided to make
us quiche for breakfast last Sunday. This involved chopping and
frying onions for most of the morning while the rest of us primped and
got ready for church. Well, I don't know why I bothered putting on mascara
because I was in a fit of onion tears until midday, as were my three roommates.
We walked into church with our eyes bloodshot and streaming and then sobbed
for the entire meeting, occasionally laughing which probably just looked like
more heaving sobs. The bishop and everyone around us must have thought
we had experienced some Sunday morning tragedy or roommate fall
out. It was hysterical. And now we know not to cook with onions
on Sunday mornings. It's not pretty. At all. 

And if any dudes out there ever want to talk about the political
hysterics in the 1970s sitcom All in the Family, I'll be so impressed
I might just kiss you on the spot! NOBODY KNOWS THAT SHOW.
I am so thankful I grew up in a household where Chris Farley SNL skits,
Mr. Bean, All in the Family, and The Far Side comics were introduced
to me at such a young age. This is why I'm funny, folks.

In Denial

I'M NOT SICK, I'M NOT SICK, I'M NOT SICK...

(If only repeating this mantra would make it true!)

I have no time for sickness in my life, especially these next three weeks.

If I had a normal person's life with a normal person's major and a normal person's

daily schedule, a little bug and some aches wouldn't be so bad. I could sit through

lectures and come home in the evenings and rest while watching chick

flicks and sipping soup. Doesn't that sound delightful? 

The exciting thing about being a dance major, however, is

my ENTIRE school schedule and daily routine from sun up 'til way

past sun down is physically demanding, aerobic exercise. Sometimes

for 12 hours straight without any breaks. And I can't very well

dance around with Kleenex stuffed down my leotard all day!

Is it normal to get sick at the beginning of every school year?

What the heck, body, I was counting on you! Does physically

exhausting yourself for weeks on end and not getting

enough sleep have ANYTHING to do with health?

OOPS!

Well, I am ready to battle WHATEVER this is with boxes upon boxes

of Kleenex with aloe, echinacea, vitamin C, bananas, and orange juice. 

And maybe a little more sleep...

Hope you're feeling fit as a fiddle! 

                  

                                                           ...whatever that means.

Lazy Weekend with My Ladies

There's nothing better than a lazy weekend with

your roommates, when they're as awesome as mine. 

Saturday wasn't much of break, considering we woke up early and

spent six hours in a stuffy dance studio at an audition, but it was a great time!

Until that night, when we aggravated our joints even more by partying

it up at the campus paint dance. WORTH IT. Behold, the aftermath...

I definitely went to church Sunday

morning with paint around my ankles.

We had the girliest of girls nights last night, complete with

boy gossip, pop songs, nail polish, some Zac Efron, and glue. 

Tiana and I got a little crafty and transformed average pill

containers into exciting, colorful treasure boxes fit to inspire the

most negligent vitamin taker to take her vitamins, all the while

transforming our living room into a complete and total MESS.

What would my life be like without mod podge and rhinestones?

The thought is too frightening to entertain!

Then Heather and I stayed up chatting until the wee hours of the morning,

(I love me some pillow talk!), which meant we slept in until nearly noon.

I, of course, woke up singing the best hits of Marilyn Monroe, then went

downstairs to make banana pancakes! You know Jack Johnson was on repeat

for a solid hour. By 1:00, we were eating breakfast--the most delicious

breakfast I've ever consumed in this country! I'll do you a solid and share the

tantalizing banana pancake recipe with you. I recommend topping them with

syrup and brown sugar. Consider it a Labor Day gift from yours truly!

Hope you're all enjoying the long weekend as

much as I am! It's back to the books tomorrow!

...or dance studio, in some cases. ;) 

Today in a Nutshell

HAPPY

ONE CLASS

LEOPARD PRINT

NAP TIME

(Such a blessing after such an exhausting week!)

RAIN STORM

DANCE REHEARSAL

(China, here I come!)

NEW TAP SHOES

(I can hardly contain my excitement!)

LEMON CUSTARD

(My FAVE!)

NO SHOWER

RED LIPSTICK

(The quickest cure for a sweat-washed dancer on the run!)

GREEN SHOW PERFORMANCE

MARRIAGE PROPOSAL

(Not mine, but tears were definitely shed!

Congrats to Katelin!)

CHOCOLATE CAKE

SAD

MASSIVE CALORIC CONSUMPTION

(See "lemon custard" and "chocolate cake.")

TRIPPED UP THE STAIRS

(Concrete steps, actually... Skinned my knee,

bruised my arm, whacked my chin, and

bloodied my toe! I am so talented.)

DOWNSTAIRS NEIGHBORS

(Make me feel really cruel/guilty for

tap dancing on our 1970s kitchen tile.)

In a nutshell, life is pretty smashing right now!

And I survived the first week of school.

And look at this fantastic picture:

HAPPY TAPPING, EVERYONE!