Kaetlyn

So this weekend was spent in Chattanooga at a funeral. I've lost three grandparents and yall know how horrible any death feels and what a toll it takes on your heart, body, and mind. It was a horrible, "part of me gone" type feeling every time I lost a grandparent. And while we are never ever programed to be "ready" for someone to die, and I hope this doesn't sound harsh, it does ease some of the pain knowing they had a long happy life full of memories and experiences. But when someone young that hasn't even tasted what life has to offer dies, it's a feeling all together different. I have never lost anyone like Kaetlyn before. She was 17.

She stayed with us at our house during Memphis in May and the memories of her there are still so fresh and real to me. (She's in the group shot of my Music Fest post from May 14th)She was obsessed with this black and gold sparkle eyeliner I had and she used it every day of music fest. There were questions about which outfit to wear, if she could borrow a belt, if we drink coffee in the mornings, how it was to be out on our own..... We stayed up late talking about boys, crushes, makeup and other very obviously "girl" talk. And I remember talking with her thinking, "This girl is really cool. I feel drawn to her. She is a really 'wise for her age' soul." It was the first time Tina and I had actually gotten to spend real time around her when she was no longer a little girl with what seemed to be a greater gap in age between us. I remember her being here so perfectly. And now she is just.....gone. I've read the thank you card she sent us over and over. I can't imagine how her parents must feel. They have her room, all the little things around the house that she used, meeting books that she studied, clothes that still smell like her, things she left on her floor, makeup on her dresser she had put on the morning of the accident, and just tons of reminders that she was just there, things that she will no longer touch, hold or use. What do you do with it all? Do you leave it the way she did?

It just all seems so surreal........

Aaron Always Said,"Embrace Your Inner Nerd."

Ok, I have a billion things to say. First of all, most of you know about the new man in my life. I'm becoming quite attached. His name is Fizgig, Lil' Peanut, Biscuit Head, My Sweet Lil' Man, Mr. Brister and whatever else happens to pop in my head when I see him, but mainly the first two. I'll include his picture when I get a chance. I'm trying desperately to house train him. Yeesh. Not. Fun. He is mostly Rhodesian Ridgeback and has this sweet very pronounced mohawk running down his back. He is going to be utterly huge I'm afraid. When I got him, he was a little over ten pounds. I weighed him this morning and he's now a whopping 21.4! He's a sweet little man though. Ok, I just weighed him again yesterday and he is now 26.4. Whoa nelly!

I went to Missouri recently for Omar and Rheanna's going to Bethel party. It was fun. We danced and danced and danced....... And once the crowd thinned out, Rheanna's brother got the mic and said some parting words to O and Rhe and then asked his girlfriend to come over, after which he dropped on one knee and asked her to marry him. Whoa nelly. She said, "Yes." Everyone cried. I've never seen anyone get proposed to before in real life. It was crazy. Heather convinced me to stay until Monday and I'm glad I did, but then there came the time when I had to say "bye" to O and Rhe and that was r.o.u.g.h. I was totally fine and dandy the whole time I was over at their house, but then, out of nowhere, the floodgates opened. And boy do I mean opened. Doh! :( Looks like I'll be planning a trip to New York soon! Seriously love those guys. I even wrote a dorky poem for them.

I have once again developed the horrible desire that hits me every single summer and I realized it the other day. It's the need to go swimming always. I can hardly concentrate on working when it's this hot because all I want to do is run for the nearest pool. The other day was seriously bad. I was so thankful when it finally poured down rain like crazy.

"The Nerd, Geek, Dork Test" - shafted openly from Ashley's blog :)

Your Score - Pure Nerd
52 % Nerd, 43% Geek, 30% Dork

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.


You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd.

The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful.

Congratulations! Wow- who knew??

My Life's Soundtrack According To My iMoose

Story of My Life...according to Apple's iPod!
The Soundtrack of Your Life: Here's how it works: Open your computer music files, ipod etc and set to 'shuffle'. Whatever song plays first goes in the first slot (no cheating!). When you go to a new question, hit the 'next' button' and continue doing so until all blanks are filled.

Here ya go Ashley... :)

1. Opening Credits: "Right For Me" - Justin Timberlake featuring Bubba Sparkx (I forsee an odd future)

2. Birth: "Cast No Shadow" - Oasis (ahh! I can see the head.. looks like....it's a.......groundhog!)

3. First Day At School: "Afraid Not Scared" - Ryan Adams ( I like it!!)

4.Falling In Love: "Not Only Numb " - Gin Blossoms

5. Fight Song: "Sparkling Diamonds " - Nicole Kidman from Moulin Rouge (um, wow! what a toughie!...."the French are glad to die for love....a kiss on the hand may be quite continental.....nice one iPod-jeesh)

6. Breaking Up: "Basement " - Puddle of Mudd (sweeeeeet)

7. Prom: "Don't Make Me Dream About You" - Chris Isaak

8. Life: "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" - Elvis ( You don't have to, but I like it when you do...arfarf)

9. Mental Breakdown: "Over It" - Katherine McPhee (apparently it's quick and painless?? Stop laughing at me because I have Katherine Mcphee on my iPod..)

10. Driving: "Somebody's Crying" - Chris Isaak (ooooh good one!)

11. Flashback: "Buttons" - The Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop (whoa nelly!)

12. Wedding: "Wait For You" - Nelly Furtado

13. Birth of a Child: "Bad Magick" - Godsmack (oh dear-apparently some sort of child of the corn or something)

14. Final Battle: "Green Eyes" - Coldplay (YES! I can think of no other song that would get me in a fighting/battling mood. Uh huh....)

15. Death Scene: "The Trouble With Never" - Tim McGraw

16. Funeral: "Crash Into Me" - Dave Matthews Band

17. Ending Credits: "Things Go Wrong" - Chris Isaak ( nothing like a life well lived?.... :( harsh! )



Ok, here is what I would choose for my soundtrack if it wasn't up to iPod.

1. Opening Credits:Hips Don't Lie - Shakira I'm not quite sure why...but it just felt right. :)

2. Birth:Green Eyes - Coldplay

3. First Day At School:"83" - John Mayer "These days I wish I was 6 again. Oh make me a red cape. I wanna be superman."

4.Falling In Love: "Slow Dancing In A Burning Room" - John Mayer "We're goin down and you can see it too. We're goin down and you know that we're doomed. My dear we're slow dancing in a burning room."

5. Fight Song: "Whatever" - Godsmack "And I wander day to day. I don't like you anyway. I don't need your crap today. You're pathetic in your own way."

6. Breaking Up: "Stars and Boulevards" - Augustana "Late nights won't do me justice cuz when I drink I just get so ....depressed and it not's like I ain't trying to get over you."or "Forever Blue" - Chris Isaak. "Nobody ever warns you or tells you what to do. She walks away. Your left to stay alone,forever blue." Lord knows, I could have more than one break up song in my soundtrack.

7. Prom: "Hold Me Now" - Thompson Twins uh just cuz I'm a nerd and love this song

8. Life: "Both Sides Now" - Joni Mitchell "I've looked at life from both sides now....it's life's illusions I recall. I really don't know life..at all."

9. Mental Breakdown:"The Sickness" - Disturbed just a good gone nuts song

10. Driving: "Song 32"- Blur - Just absolutely LOVE this song to drive to - don't know why, just do. :) At least it's some number. I think it's 32. Ya'll know the one I'm talking about.

11. Flashback:"Someday" - The Strokes "In many ways, they'll miss the good ol' days....someday, someday.......When we was young, oh man did we have fun, always, always.."

12. Wedding: "Crazy For You" - Griffin House

13. Birth of a Child: "My Precious One" - Celine Dion Sorry if that's horrendously cheesy.... Can't help it. LOVE this song. "Just bow your head and give your cares to me. Just close your eyes and fall in to the sweetest dream cuz in my loving arms, your safe as you will ever be so hush my dear and sleep."

14. Final Battle:"Doperide" - Saliva

15. Death Scene: "Overcome" - Live

16. Funeral: "The Scientist" - Coldplay "Nobody said it was easy, it's such a shame for us to part. Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard."

17. Ending Credits:"Rain" - Breaking Benjamin