Gnat In My Lipgloss

I am so almost done with this semester of school. I only have two weeks left, and that's counting finals week. For some reason, even though it is so close to being over, it all still seems impossible! I should do fine in all my classes. I have an 85% in my DHY class and I'm worried about that one. I have to have a 75% to pass, cause OTC forgets that they're just a community college, so I'm worried about bombing the final and failing!!! For some reason, it just hasn't hit me that it's almost over, so I'm not even excited yet. I think I'm just so focused on getting through the entire program, that this little break seems insignificant. I need to snap out of this little mood I've been in!

You know you're in a bad mood when you are going through the Taco Bell drive-through and realize you're memorizing the complaint phone number and store number because the drive-through operator started the conversation with "Hi. How are you?" instead of "How may I help you?"

This blog is for my best friend, Ashley, who is turning 24 today. Ashley and I met when we were in high school. She was a freshman and I was a senior. We both played on the volleyball team, and became great friends right away. When the team decided to start a big sister program, I immediately chose Ashley to be my lil sis. We had a ton of fun that year.

After I graduated we were always together with our little group of friends. I've always loved spending time with Ashley. She is such a fun person. She is also one of the most caring people I've even known. I can tell her anything and her opinion of me never changes. She just helps me think through the situation and find my true feelings on the matter. I've cried on her shoulder many times throughout the years. Once, we met for breakfast at Panera and I cried through the whole meal! She just sat and listened to everything that was troubling me, which was exactly what I needed at the time. She is one of the best friends I've ever had.

Ashley is the most honest person I've ever met; and unlike most, she also applies this honesty in her own life too. I think this is a very rare quality to find in a person these days, and this is one of the aspects of her personality that I love. I always know that I will get an honest answer from her. That is a true friend, one that will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

Ashley and I got married within 3 months of each other. We had a ton of fun dreaming and planning our weddings together. We were both bridesmaids in each other's weddings too. I was very glad to have her at my side for such an important time in my life, and I was honored that she would ask me to be at her side for her special day.

Some of the best times we had together was when we lived in apartments right across the hall from each other. Both of our husbands were working in Columbia, MO at the time, so we had a lot of time to hang out. I loved having her so close. I could always open my door and be at her doorstep in just a few seconds. We would make trips to Wal-Mart, Target and, of course, Sonic, all the time. We had 6 great months of this arrangment before, sadly, she moved to Columbia. I miss her all the time!

So, Ashley, I hope you have a great birthday and a wonderful year! Thank-you so much for your friendship- it means more to me than I can say! I miss you, and can't wait for the day when you move back to Springfield! Love ya girl!

Today is the 4 year anniversary of my Papa's death. April 9th was the date he was born and the date he died. Papa was an amazing person. He never met a stranger. He had unconditional love for us. Papa was never a healthy person, so he was in and out of hospitals all the time, but he always had a good attitude. He would make jokes to keep everyone from worrying about him. Sometimes I think he would lay awake at night just thinking of the next joke to tell. I still miss him. Sometimes I can't believe he's been gone for four years already. It makes me sad to think of all that he has missed. I know he would have loved to be at my wedding and he would absolutely have fallen in love with Anna. I wish she could have known him. I have so many great memories of Papa. I will always cherish those memories of him. Today I'm going out to place some flowers on his grave and to just remember my grandpa.