summer bliss.

The other day I was considering all of the things I would miss about summer. While I find myself excited for the beauty of fall, there are just certain smells and places and events that are deeply embedded in memories of those few, short summer months. Here is my list:

1. The smell of bonfires and barbecues

2. Flip flops and open-toed sandals

3. Losing track of the date

4. Sitting out at the pool any, and every, day of the week

5. Spending nights on the boat with Kyle's family

6. Redbox (my second summer home)

7. Frozen yogurt and popsicles

8. Baseball

9. Vacations and trips

10. Bright colors and whites

11. Leisure reading, and more reading

12. Jumping into a pool

13. Fresh fruit

14. Re-runs

15. Oh yeah, a break from high school students

The list could go on and while it is easy to miss and long for those sweet sweet summer months, what keeps me moving forward is the fact that I could make a list for every season. There are things we love and live for throughout life. Things that are important to us, things that bring forth memories, and these things come from all places, all seasons, and all persons. I am thankful to have so many things I love, and I am anticipating a fall full of a different list of indulgences. There is always something to look forward to.

friday night lights.

There are certain things that take us back. Things that take us back to times when we weren't paying bills and our biggest concern wasn't whether or not our checks cleared. Things that remind us of how we got to the places we are today.

As I sat in the bleachers at Wheeler High School, watching Kyle's football team tear up the field, I was taken back to the packed Mustang stadium. I'll never forget seeing the lights, cramming into the bleachers, standing in line for hot chocolate, and screaming the school song at the top of my lungs. These memories, however, became even more clear to me as I found myself in a similar environment Friday night. The differences did surface as I realized I didn't have a crush on any of the players, the colors that enveloped the fans were not the familiar blue and gold, and the cheerleaders could not take their eyes off of Kyle, or should I say, Coach Becich. While a part of me longed for my days in the student section, I couldn't help but smile and realize how happy I am to be where I am at in my life.

I'll still sit under the friday night lights, I'll still cheer for those hardworking high schoolers, I'll still face inclement weather, but I'll do it as a teacher, and (cringe) as an adult.

While the thought of being an adult is overwhelming and somewhat dissatisfying, something about it does excite me. I enjoyed watching Kyle in action, seeing the benefit of his hard work. I am proud of him, just as I expect to be proud the young men I teach, when I make it to a game to support them. It's a new emotion that can be added to excitement, and I like it.

The excitement and pride of the friday night lights is something that I plan to treasure for a long time, and I'm happy I have the opportunity to do just that.

love. happiness. friendship.

How do you put into words happiness?

Is there a way to capture just how much your heart smiles to see one of your closest friends embrace her happiness with such grace and beauty?

I'm struggling to come up with the words to properly describe just how much joy I felt seeing Libby on that beach, saying those vows, while holding the hands of Alex, the man she's been in love with since before high school. For those that do not believe in love, or who have given up on love, or who are so frustrated by love that they struggle to find happiness, all it takes is seeing someone so deeply connected to someone else, to realize that love is indeed worth fighting, waiting and hoping for.

Friendship is of a similar breed. There is nothing more important to the human existence than the relationships we build. They shape who we are, whether we want them to or not. While friendships can seem invincible, we cannot assume that they will not take work, like everything else in life. However, it is this work, this toil, that makes those bonds stronger. The best friends, are those that did not always get along, but were always able to find one another in the end.

I love that my closest friends, despite the distance and the different points we are at in our lives, are still able to take a long weekend, travel down the Florida, and celebrate one of the happiest moments of Libby's life. It is only fitting that love would bring us together.

Love always wins.

hey mama.

It is difficult to put into words the thanks I feel for my mother on this Mother's Day, so in an effort to commemorate her, and the relationship that has developed between us over the years, I want to share some of my favorite memories.

1. It was my 13th birthday. I was in seventh grade, and my mom was working in the lunch room. It was always a treat when one of your parents worked in the lunch room because it meant that you got free "seconds" on anything that was for lunch, as well as free ice cream if you wanted it. I was waiting for my mom to come find me and ask for my seconds preference, when she came out of the kitchen carrying a HUGE cake, all my best friends by her side, and the cafeteria sang "Happy Birthday" to me. It is still my favorite birthday.

2. When Kathleen and I were little, it was always a treat when my mom would wash our hair in the kitchen sink. We were small enough to lay on the kitchen counter, with our heads over the sink, and she would rub our scalps, while singing "Winnie the Pooh". I can still picture it in my mind so clearly, as if I were six years old yesterday.

3. When my dad would travel, my mom would let Kathleen and I sleep in her bed with her. I remember one time specifically, Kathleen had fallen asleep right as her head hit the pillow, but I was struggling to fall asleep. I missed my dad, and I was on the opposite side of the bed as my mom (Kathleen was between us). My mom, with her unmatched motherly instincts, slipped her hand under Kathleen's pillow, and held mine. A simple gesture, but I will never forget it.

4. When I was in fourth or fifth grade, I had a friend who found it entertaining to make fun of me. Nothing traumatizing, but just the type of stuff that happens between girls who are uncomfortable in their own skin, and therefore like to tease out of the flaws of their "friends". Anyways, I came home every night upset and not wanting to go to bed, because that meant I would have to get up and go to school the next day. My mom wasn't going to let this stand. She confronted the mother of the other girl, who told my mom that her daughter came home just as upset as I was. Instead of yelling at this women and accusing her, my mom sat me down and told me that my friend felt just as bad about the things I said to her. I take that lesson seriously, and have ever since.

5. As a little girl, I was impossible when it came to doing my hair. If I could spot a single "bump" in my hair, I made sure my mom knew about it. What did she do? She fixed it EVERY time, until I was happy. And boy, did I look cute.

6. My senior year of high school, my mom took me to Mexico for my spring break. It was a mother-daughter trip that I will remember forever. What I will remember most, is how freaked out we were when our taxi was taking us through random, not-so-safe streets, and how she caught random guys talking about how I could have their babies. We spent that vacation sunbathing, reading, eating, shopping, and laughing.

7. I was really good friends with this boy named Andrew when I was younger. Our parents were good friends too. One day, Andrew had come over to play at my house and when his dad came to pick Andrew up to go home, he asked his dad if I could spend the night, to which his father answered "Maybe when your older." My mom simply looked at him and they both broke out into laughter. I enjoy hearing my mom tell this story to this day.

I could honestly add so many more memories to this list about the times my mom was there for me when I felt like no one else was, or the times she would yell at Kathleen and I to "GO TO BED" because we kept everyone up giggling late into the night, or the hours she spent piecing together the perfect Christmas photo, or how she would cart me to all of my sporting events and end up being the team mom for just about every team I found myself on.

Our moms are such a significant part of who we are. We are so deeply connected to them, in ways that are beyond simple comprehension, but make complete sense. I will forever be indebted to my mom, who has given so much to be what I need her to be.

I love you mom. Happy Mother's Day!