The Beginning.

18 years ago in a small military hospital in Aurora, Colorado, a teen mom gave birth to a bald, big-headed, blue-eyed baby girl. The odds were stacked against them with little money, no parent approval, and no college education. Look at us now. My family has changed drastically and often negatively over the years, but I don't wish any different. I'm thankful my mother is a strong, beautiful woman and has set such an example for me. I'm thankful for moving away from Georgia to grow up in an extremely diverse area rather then an area plagued with traces of prejudice and racism. I'm thankful for a big brother who stepped up and helped raise me. I'm thankful for not having a lot of money, because growing up in a poor family taught me that love is enough and money is a nice luxury. I'm thankful for that girl who threw the basketball at my head in the 4th grade and made me cry because I'm stronger for it. I'm thankful for teachers who believed in me, listened to me, and occasionally made me cry or cried alongside me. I'm thankful for Sunnyside beach visits, Tacoma Parks, Lakewood Towne Center movies, and James Sales swings. I'm thankful for McDonald's on 2 hour delay snow days, my numerous visits to St. Francis, Tacoma mall, and sunny, grass filled days. I'm thankful for frilly dresses, ruby red shoes, and my grandma's knitted scarves. I'm thankful for friends, whether I still call them that or not. I'm thankful for knowing Jesus and having faith that He's got it all worked out.

I'm thankful for my childhood and I'm ready for adulthood.

Don't expect me to be too mature though. I still plan to swing, and play baseball, and roll in the grass, and laugh til my tummy hurts and have my mom hold me while I cry.

I'll always have some kid left in me.

I'm thankful for life.

Hello (Again) World.

New Adventures.

I really enjoy traveling. Here are a few of my ideas for the next 9 months or so:

Pocatello, Idaho

with:

This guy.

Bellingham, Washington

with:

With many more unplanned adventures in between, and then, if dreams do come true and I return to the land I love, Here:

Auburn, Alabama

or extremely close to it.<3



Patriot Crew

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

-Eleanor Roosevelt

I fell off a 6 foot log into the arms of ten people I now claim to love. Then, they lifted me over a 20 foot wall. They also helped me down the other side of the wall with me screaming "YOU BETTER HAVE MY FEET!". It was a good weekend.

"Strong trees don't grow with ease. The stronger the wind, the stronger the trees." 

We've faced hurricanes and we've come out better, stronger, lovelier for it.

I love you guys.

Personal Day

I took a personal day, which could also be called a sick day.

Mostly a personal day, though.

It's nice to have a little bit of time to get my life in order.

Mostly, I didn't want to go to school and be kicked out of my classes once again for not having my homework done.

It's already happened twice this year!

So, I'm taking a day to catch up, chill out, and apply for colleges.

Yay for senior year.

It's crazy stressful.

Confession.

I thought you were beautiful.



BEAMING.

:)

It's getting easier.

These changes.

These deaths.

These frustrations.

I'm not smiling because I'm over any of it. My friend died. My family fell apart. I lost multiple friends. But, I am smiling, because through it, I've grown. I am a flower, not a weed. The rain and the sun both help me grow. Surely, I cannot live in a fantasy where everything is perfect for long. Trials are necessary. Death is a sad truth to life. Marriage doesn't always work out. People are going to rub it in your face how much better, more charming, smarter, talented, and accomplished they are, but one day, you will change the world. Maybe you already have? I refuse to let my current challenges hold me back from what God has in store for my life. Therefore, the haters can hate, the papers can be signed delcaring divorce, and I can close my eyes, picture your face, and smile, because you lived and I loved you and I still do.

Life goes on.

And it won't be this hard always.

Loss.

One time, I went to a party.

Everyone got high, except me.

Somehow or another, I ended up next to him as he ever so sweetly offered me some.

I politely declined, then told him his eyes were much prettier when he was high.

I also mentioned how much sweeter he was.

He then apologized for his rudeness and we hugged it out.

He said something along the lines of having a tendency to be rude to beautiful girls.

Every day after that, he said something nice.

He ate his chocolate covered peanut at the same time as me, cause I was always afraid I'd choke on stage.

He promised me he'd save me if I did.

Death is rough.

Especially, when it's you.

I close my eyes and all I see is his face, with his big brown eyes that I had to look up to.



Give me a future.

"You'll be a world-class journalist."
"and..."
"Micah, this is serious."
"No, I'm being serious. You'll write about starvation in third world countries."
I read a book about that once.
It was a christian romance novel.
That sounds really heesy, but it was a fantastic book.
All I know is I want to help people.
That's all I've got.
Take me somewhere with that God.

The a is for and.

I don't know why it offends me so much.
No one's drawn my attention to it in quite a while, and so maybe that's where the anger rose up from; surprise.
"Marriage, Marriage, Marriage.
Casey loves marriage."
So while I drove from old to new and unloaded boxes, I thought about why I seem to get so frustrated when people get on to me for being marriage-minded.
For the record, this is baring my heart in a rather scary way.
....
I desperately want to feel wanted.
I want to have the feeling that the person across from me is the only one I want to spend the rest of my life.
I don't want a hookup in a car in Sprinker's parking lot or a boy to hold my hand for a week only to give up on my indecisive freshmen self.
I want someone to love me; to wait for me; to be there for me; to change the world alongside me.
I don't want a stupid relationship that consists of hooking up and being with someone simply for the sake of not being alone.
I want love songs to relate to my life.
I want to be in love.
There, I said it.
I realize Hollywood has glammed it up more then it actually is, but maybe I'm just one of those hopeless people who will always believe love is the greatest, and most wonderful in its purest form.
Maybe I'm just crazy.
Either way, I will continue to dream about the man I'll one day wake up next to with a cheesy grin on my face.
Then, we'll go out and change the world.
So you can run and tell that.

You+Passion=Unknown

I was innocently making my name brick, which I've done every year for the past 3 years, when it hit me.
What do I love?
Well, that's easy, I have lots of different interests.
Like....
Oh gosh, what do I like?
Well, I think I'd like to do missions and travel.
Yeah, but what do you love?
I.... Love....
.....
I don't know what I love.
I don't. 
Let me rephrase that. I know what I love.
I just don't think I'm good enough at it, because something in me will always compare myself to someone better.
So here's a list of all the things I love.
I love:
-walking by babies in grocery stores and getting them to smile when their parents aren't looking.
-taking pictures of people, places, things.
-feeling intelligent
-having friends that understand me and love me
-plane rides going somewhere. Not so much coming back.
-Airports
-Food
-Georgia
-Hugs that are not awkward
-Sunsets
-Trees
-The idea of being set apart to do great works for He that is holy.
-my future husband who I don't know and haven't spent much time pondering as of lately
-Laughing 'til my stomach hurts
-Jumping on trampolines
-Music that takes you to a better place.
-Helping people, Loving on them, Knowing I'm making a difference.
I think I know what I love a little bit more now.
Blogspot saves the day yet again.

I like you.

A LOT.

Not for anything that you're not or anything that you're claiming to be that isn't evident.

I like you for the fact that you let me be a complete wierdo and don't make too much fun of me for it.

I like our silly nicknames.

I like how much you love people.

This list could go one for miles because you've taught me so much about the world and God and sacrifice in these few short weeks.

You've made me laugh 'til tears well up in my eyes and my abs hurt.

Even if I never see you again after tomorrow, I thank God for meeting someone like you.

Inspiration.

Action.

Although, I do really hope to see you again.

I really do.

spu?