What would I do without my dad?

I know there is a huge list of reasons I could share for why I love my dad, but one is his willingness and availability to be there when you need him....even if it's for the most ridiculous thing.

For example, tonight I spent some time at my parents' hearing about Jess's trip to Latvia and watching the Olympics. I come home to take a shower and get ready for bed and as I enter the kitchen to get some water, I see a GI-NORMOUS bug just chillin' on the wall below my air conditioner. It's one of those long black centipede-type bugs with lots of long thick legs, legs so long it looks like it's almost floating away from the wall. The kind that are fast if you miss them. I've killed about 4 or 5 since I've moved in - they're so nasty that one even kind of stained the carpet in my bedroom from squishing it. I'm getting the heeby-jeebies just thinking about it.

So anyway, I grab the flyswatter, 2 napkins (because one will just not be enough) and put on my flip flops. I enter the kitchen and the stand-off begins. I pray - Lord, this is just a bug, don't let my fear rule over me. But my fear continues to increase, as does my heart rate and anxiousness. I take a few deep breaths and just can't do it. So....I called my dad.

Yes, his first response was to laugh, but as I break down into tears, he says he's on his way. And 10 minutes later I opened the door (I was standing in my living room keeping an eye on it to make sure it didn't scurry away - flyswatter in hand, tears flowing down my cheeks as I'm still letting my fears get to me) and there is my dad - my hero of the night, his own flyswatter in hand :) "Lindsay, it's okay, remember it's just a bug. He's more afraid of you than you are of him." Ah, the flashbacks to the same lesson I was taught when I was seven.

Dad goes into the kitchen, moves the shelving away from the wall (which I was too nervous to do for fear the bug would beeline it and I'd lose him, he'd be wandering around, hidden and emerge again sometime to stir up these crazy fears all over again). I think Dad got him on the 2nd swat. Crisis ended. My heart was still pounding, cheeks still wet from tears.

Dad, I know it's stupid. But thanks for loving your little girl, your 24 year old daughter who is still afraid to kill the bugs. Tonight you rescued me and loved me and were there for me when I needed you even when you knew I could probably take care of the situation myself if you'd refused to come. But I'm truly thankful and grateful you understood and came to my apartment and killed the ugly bug. I love you Dad!

I'm going to D.C.!!

In 4 weeks from today, I will board a plane to go visit my good friend Christie.She's been working in D.C. for the last few months and we're going to reunionize for a few days. She'll show me the ropes around town and is trying to hook us up with the inside access to the Capitol, where she works, and maybe even the West Wing & Oval Office :) Can't wait!!

Christie is one of those people who just became an instant friend. Somehow we bonded over Gilmore Girls and homemade frozen drinks :) Christie wears her heart on her sleeve, always has a smile on her face, and is someone I can be myself with and know she'll always love and never judge.
Love you friend, can't wait to see you!

Colorado Road Trip

In March AO, Juliana and I took a weekend road trip to Denver. We stayed with family friends of the O'Rourkes - the Fricke's. They were wonderful, super hospitable. AO's brother Sean drove up from Phoenix for the weekend to join us as well. It was so much fun - played some Euchre, went swing dancing in downtown Denver, and went skiing (my first time ever!) in Loveland.

Swing dancing was an adventure. I would have been just fine sitting on the sidelines, observing. But a few young gents were kind enough to ask me to dance, and I actually ended up enjoying myself! Can't say I was any good, but it was fun none the less.

Skiing was crazy! I felt like a little toddler on the skis, learning how to walk again. It took all my energy just to get myself to the lift! It's a really odd feeling to try to make my body, joints, and muscles move in ways they never have before. The sad thing is there were young kids who owned the mountain, they put me to shame :) I took 2 pretty big spills right off the bat, the second of which found me flying down the mountain face first in a puff of snow. Afterward, AO told me she didn't want to admit it, but it actually scared her a little. Thankfully, nothing was hurt. I did whip my arm around when my pole got stuck in the snow and my body kept going, but the only effect from my ski adventure was that my entire body was sore the next day. I don't think I'll become a ski bum, but it was still a lot of fun.

AO, Sean, Lindsay, Juliana, Sheryl, & Glen

Whaa....2 posts in the same day?

So, many of you probably know I've moved back to Boone. And I know, it might be a little lame, or not that exciting, but I wanted to share my new place with you. This is the first time I've ever lived on my own. The first time to buy "grown up" things like furniture, dishes; be responsible to put the rent check in the mail :) I've always had roommates before, it's my first time doing these things. So here's a tour of my new place.

The gift Mom got for my new place - the welcome mat:

The view across the living room from the front door, looking into my bedroom - yep, I still have some unpacking to do:

My bedroom - still in need of some organization, and some decoration on the walls:

You have to go through my bedroom to get to my bathroom. I hung a sheet as a makeshift "door". But the nice thing about living alone is I don't have to worry so much about keeping the door closed! I hung this mostly for privacy for friends and family who visit.

The previous tenant left the shower curtain and there is a cute little cubby in the wall - perfect access to the early morning necessities :)

The view from my bedroom to the other side of the living room (front door to the right):

Through the door to the left of the living room is my lovely, spacious kitchen.

As you can see, still more unpacking to do...

This might be weird, but look at all the great garage sale/Goodwill finds! 2 full sets of dishes, coffee mugs, glasses from Walmart, pans and Tupperware:

I love the little alcove for my kitchen table - which came from The Furniture Zone in Boone that I didn't even know existed - so many great deals. The table came with 2 leaves and 2 extra chairs......which I keep in my storage closet! I can't believe how much space I have in this apartment. Now I just need to get organized and figure out the "place" for everything. I'm not a super neat or clean person, but I do like things to have their own place, or pile :)

I am using the front closet for my clothes. During Floods of '08, my bedroom closet had some leaking from the chimney above it, so this was going to be a temporary thing. But as you can see, I completely fill BOTH rows of the closet! So I'm thinking this might stay permanently.And of course, there are still a few things to be unpacked and organized:Now, this might not come as a surprise to many of you, but I HATE sweating in the summer - so Joel was so great to put in a BRAND NEW AIR CONDITIONER!! Woo-woo!

Well, guess that's it for now, give me a call if you're ever nearby and I'll have you over!!

A new post...that should have been added a while ago!

I'm not so good at keeping up w/ this blog thing, but life has been changing a lot in the last couple of months, so there is a lot to update on.

The first is my good friends Katie and Eli were married in March and it was a sweet and needed reunion w/ some of the people I love the most. It was beautiful to watch Katie & Eli's ceremony and have watched their relationship grow over the last couple of years and see how Eli earned her trust and love and chose to love her well - so thanks Eli; and Katie - love and miss you and think of you often!

Kelly, Meller, AO, Nox, Andrea, it was so much fun to catch up with each of you, see your beautiful faces. Miss you girls tons.

And Drew, what a great guy you are. I love your heart and the way you have loved Kelly, it's a true blessing to have lived w/ Kelly and gotten to know you as part of the "family" of Ellis. Miss you guys.

I am truly blessed with friends, laughter, memories, and life lessons from these beautiful women. Miss you girls, praying for you often!

Grace of God
Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days or never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace. ~ Jerry Bridges