Colorado Love

I’ve done the unimaginable – I moved to a city, and like it!! My sister lives in Colorado Springs and it is beautiful here! But she lives in a big house with a huge backyard and even though a shopping center is around the corner it doesn’t seem like it. It’s great. Don’t get me wrong I miss my middle of nowhere solitude but I love being 10 minutes from work and within walking distance to church (not that I actually walk because that would require me getting up earlier). Also I LOVE being close to my nephews!

The One Where I'm Always Missing You.

I’m familiar with the void of the people I love not being in my everyday life, or even my every week. I can’t remember a time I didn’t miss someone. I mean it’s not like I was unhappy or walked around moping. It’s just that there has always been someone or rather multiple people, who weren’t involved in my life that should have been. And I feel left out when I’m not involved in their lives, I don’t get to share in the everyday moments, even if it’s just ranting about an awful day or laughing because your pants caught on a hook and ripped and an old guy hit on you … or was that just me? I think some of my favorite bonding is done over rants of bad days – however I am especially good at improving bad days – unless it’s my own.

Long distance relationships (as in friendships and family relationships) are especially hard for me, which is probably attributed to my memory. I am incredibly forgetful it’s awful (and I’ll have to tell you about it in another post) and I’m a terrible person to talk to on the phone, actually I’m a terrible person to talk to in general. I can answer questions but unless it’s a direct question I don’t offer up information voluntarily. Which my memory is a contributing factor, I forget what’s happened in my life that you might want to hear about. I’m better at writing … so I might start writing my missing pieces – and I’ll try to keep you updated on my blog … but it’s not happening well.

But another cool thing is once you’re my good friend, you’re my friend for life. Even if I don’t talk to you for say 4 years the second we meet up again it’s like we never left.

This is my life - Update.

I wish I wasn’t such a horrible blogger – but eh what can you do?

So I guess I should do the update spiel – my summer was awesome. I’ve written multiple summer posts but never posted them, blog fail.
I finished touring with Camfel at the beginning of June, after having multiple trips from the DC area up to New England and back multiple times (within the span of a week), I returned to Virginia for a hot summer with no real plans except a job application fiesta.

It was completely different from last summer, but equally as awesome. I slept in late, stayed up really late, ran a lot, swam a lot, was sick a lot, entertained the dog, and visited family. I was also able to work at Camp Concord about every other week which was AWESOME!!! And a Best Friend got married!!!! :D

Last summer I was constantly busy, this summer I was completely free. I wish I had spent more time with some friends, but they happened to be busy.
Fast forward through the summer months (which was basically how it was anyways) and Fall hits. Currently I am sitting in my sister’s living room in Colorado Springs. I love it here!! So much so that my parents left today and I stayed. I’m ready to start a new adventure here, and it’s gonna be great.

The One Where We Went to Gettysburg (part 1,2, & 3)

As I’ve said we’ve been through Pennsylvania quite a bit, and while we still haven’t toured Pittsburg (despite being there a lot) we have been to Gettysburg three times. We love it.

The first time we went, we were in the next town over or two towns over. I hadn’t used any personal miles because we spent the weekend with friends and they’d drive us places, or I’d walk, or stop on the way and it was the end of the month (our miles don’t roll over). My exact words were “I want to use up some personal miles so I don’t look boring”. After our show, we decided to go. We ended up taking the auto tour and it was a blast.

We walked through this field – just because – it was a beautiful day and I got a little bit sunburnt. After taking a million pictures of fields (a large amount of the same few fields but at a different angle :P) we were tired and ate some dinner at friendlys.




The next time we went we stayed in the wyndhym right next to the theater and we decided to do the town tour. So we walked up and down the shops – it was a Tuesday and most of the museums were closed – as were the books stores. So we went in a bunch of antique and thrift stores but didn’t find anything worth buying. But we did find this cute little shop that sold guns and jewelry and bought some cameo earrings. Then went to a field of course.

And we watched the hunger games! … again :P

Then we stayed for another weekend and there seemed to be a greyhound convention at the days inn. But we walked around the town, hit up some book stores, antique shops, and went back to the jewelry store for more treasures. And Reeb bought a sword. The Museum of History was finally open (we always seemed to go when it was closed) so that was interesting. The owner is a private collector with a wide selection of artifacts, like locks of hair, Lincoln’s opera glasses, a small patch of bloodstained limousine upholstery from JRK’s assassination, and the flag that flew during the attack on Pearl Harbor. He opens the exhibits free of charge and if you’re ever in town I highly recommend it. Then to finish of the weekend we played freebie on a battlefield.

Gettysburg is probably one of my favorite tiny cities.

The One Where We Stayed at the Steamboat Inn, Lancaster PA

So apparently I never share the tales of my adventures – that’s because what you call adventure I call everyday life! :P just kidding, I don’t have many adventures and if I do they are brief and probably only exciting to me – but to appease my readers I will divulge on my everyday life :P

I’ve traveled the state of Pennsylvania quite a bit this semester and every time we drive through Lancaster we see the Fulton Steamboat Inn and want to stay. But Reeb has some friends in Lancaster so when we have a show near there we usually stay with them. However, this past Monday we left Holly’s and stayed at the Steamboat Inn for a night!

We lugged all our stuff in and then went exploring. And by exploring I mean we walked the halls taking pictures like creepers.

You can see Reeb creeping on the left

Never Ending Hallway of Doom

My favorite was the free cookies in the lobby – I grabbed one every time I walked by so I ate like four cookies – and I wanted some for dessert but when we went out for dinner they were gone :/

There was a rubber duck living in the bathroom – so of course, I stole him and he now lives with his friends on the dashboard.

To complete the night we walked across the street to Olive Garden and feasted on chicken alfredo and breadsticks. Then went back to the room and watched Star Trek. Yes, I embarrassingly watched Star Trek, and liked it – I feel like a complete dork.

And this is my life. :P

The Happy Mother's Day Post

Well my dad got a post so I figured my mom should too – and as the Father’s day post was early it’s fitting that this is late.

This is my mom, and the handsome guy holding on to her is the dad. :)

My mom is … a mom. I feel like that should be a professional title – and it shouldn’t be applied to all mothers but my mom is definitely a professional mom (except the being paid for it – unless hugs are a form of payment?). Even a lot of the people she works with call her mom.

If I thought it was hard to describe my dad my mom is even worse – at least with Dad you get can get a picture (big intimidating military guy with gray hair who grunts and seems scary but is actually a friendly giant). But mom can be even more complicated than dad.

My mom is a pretty amazing woman. I know she has her faults and no mom is perfect but she’s my mom and I wouldn’t trade her for anything. Even people who aren’t family or really friends love her. … unless you’re a boyfriend/girlfriend/ or”bad influence” of one of her kids you’d agree that she is super sweet, kind, and … amazing.

In my recent travels I’ve had the opportunity of staying at the house of one my mom’s friends. As we were talking one night during dinner she said to me “one of the things that’s so great about your mother is she’s a true Christian. I’ve come into contact with a lot of fake Christians but not your mom, she’s real.” Which is an accurate depiction. She truly loves people, even if she doesn’t agree with them or if they’re getting on her nerves or even like them, still she loves them. And she’s full of second chances (and third and fourths). Probably stemming from dealing with eleven frustrating kids. It was one of the coolest things to hear.

I wish I knew her before she was ‘the mom’ – I’m betting she was pretty wild, she’d almost have to be to marry my dad! Just kidding, … but not really. I know she sought adventure and lived for the thrill of life, still does but her idea of adventure and thrill has significantly changed. Hmm I’ll have to think of ways to divulge her high school/ navy / dating dad, escapades.
Anyways my mom is kind.
She hates saying no and usually avoids it by saying ‘I don’t KNOW about that’ or “hmm maybe” or ‘we’ll have to see’ or ‘go ask your dad’ or ‘I’m not so sure that’s a good idea’ or ‘ how about this instead’ or by claiming to not hear the question or remember that the conversation ever took place. And if you put enough pressure or give enough quality reasons she’ll usually cave. Unless it’s something ridiculous like buying me a car when I got my drivers license (I was quite persistent though).
If you’re in need she will give you the shirt off her back, figuratively because she’s usually got a change of clothes in her car so if you needed a shirt she’d give you that one. She’ll always say ‘ok but just this once’ or claim that she’ll ‘never again’ help someone that’s used her – but she does. She’s always helping out.
Her car is always a mess. She is a pack rat. She never throws anything away and is always collecting more stuff. She will talk to anyone about anything! She is an awesome cook. And I’m picky. (sometimes she even makes a separate dish for me without gross stuff.) She is a workaholic. She loves games. She loves her shows. It takes her forever to read a book! She dances in the kitchen. If you call that dancing :P She gives the best hugs. (ask anybody). She lets me mess up her hair. She laughs a lot. She loves talking on the phone – and does it loudly. She loves talking. She’ll agree to do something to help out even if she really doesn’t want to. She’s funny. She’s silly. Her favorite gift is an afghan – so if you got married or had a baby and you didn’t get a gift it’s because she’s still making it (she’s quite a few blankets behind). She’s a procrastinator. A night owl. She is a dysfunctional organizer (meaning she loves to organize and be organized but her desk and room is always a mess.) She’s honest – even when she loses out when correcting the mistake. She is a coffee fiend.
She is one of a kind. Be jealous.

Lazy Days of ... Life.

I will be the first to admit that I am lazy. I love this job because I don’t have anything to do. I mean sure, I have to set up shows and drive and take care of van issues and call ins and monthlies but compared to being swamped with homework and paperwork I’m all, “I have no reason to wake up.” This is both a good thing and a bad thing. A good thing because my life is stress free, bad because I waste my days away. It’s Saturday, I have no reason to roll out of bed, no reason to get dressed, no reason to not spend hours online, no reason to put the book down, and no reason to exhort effort. We’ve been staying with one of my mom’s friends quite a bit lately and she’s in her 50s I believe, and she is super busy. She always has plans and dates, she’s always saying “You girls are on your own tonight, I’m going to a concert.” Or going to NYC, or whatever she happens to be doing, “what do you have planned?” And Rebekah and I look at each other, both sitting on the couch with our computers watching a movie and surfing the web, “this is about it.” I like the quiet life and simplicity of it all. Don’t get me wrong I like to go out and do things – but I like lounging about as well. I like not HAVING to do stuff.