Family and Friends - Life is Good

I can't believe I didn't even write a blog in September!  I've been so insanely busy that I completely forgot about it! 

Holding baby Millie

Last night, Ryan was putting up blinds and a curtain rod in his guest bedroom and he said, "If you're bored, you can go do something else."  (I was reading on my Kindle).  I looked up and said, "I'm never bored."  And when I started to think about it, it's absolutely true.  There is never one second of any day that I am at a loss for something to do.  In fact, it's almost always the contrary - I'm frantically trying to fit everything into every second I can find.  Looking back, I honestly can't remember the last time I said, "I'm bored."  I'm sure I said it upon occasion in elementary school...but to be perfectly honest, I don't actually remember ever feeling bored.  If I didn't have set plans, then I'd read or watch a movie.  How can one be bored when there are books around?  I have a bad feeling that whenever I have kids, I will be terribly impatient if they ever complain about being bored.  I'm pretty sure I'll hand them a mop. lol

Making pasta with Uncle Tom.

Anyway, I guess the rest of August went by in it's usual blur with work and parties and the like.  At the end of the month I went to Maryland to visit Aunt Coleen and her whole gang.  Meg and John came for the long weekend (Labor Day) with baby Millie.  She is absolutely precious!  Aunt Coleen asked the night I arrived what I wanted to do while I was there, and I said, "Hold the baby."  That was pretty much it. haha  She is such a perfect, precious, good little baby.  I also got to see Erin and her kids - who are all very sweet and growing up way to fast.  Addie and I had a great time playing in the country club pool on Labor Day.  Uncle Tom got home from Ireland with Chris, so Aunt Coleen and I went to go pick him up from Chris' house in Delaware.  I got to see Molly and Quin briefly - and I can't believe how fast they've grown as well! 

Uncle Tom and I made lunch the day I left - homemade pasta and sauce.  It was delicious!

I always love visiting in Maryland because it's so peaceful and lovely out in Bel Air.  I feel a sense of calm when I'm up there and I actually got to read several chapters of a book.  :)

Blue Heron at Duke Gardens.

In September I went to Chapel Hill for a brief visit with my old roommate Krystle and to see Professor Gless.  He's the one who has myelodysplastic syndrome - where his bone marrow (as a result of his chemotherapy after cancer) has stopped producing blood products in the amounts needed.  He's currently receiving frequent blood and platelet transfusions to sustain him, and undergoing a targeted, mild chemo treatment that aims at triggering the bone marrow to do its job properly.  So far, it has not worked.  It was very hard to hear how quickly the disease has been progressing, and I just pray that this treatment will work.  Either way, I plan to see him as frequently as I can.  He's been a huge influence on my life and is a wonderful mentor.  His wife, Frederike, was also there this time and I got to visit with her too.  She was the head of the study abroad program I went on senior year, so we were acquainted previously. 

With Krystle in Chapel Hill

Krystle did our usual stroll through campus - invoking memories and the hint of tears - then we went to Duke Gardens, as I'd only been there once in college.  They were very beautiful and we even got to observe a blue heron spear and eat a fish right in front of us.  Pretty cool. :)

I also performed silk aerial outdoors at Freedom Park during "Festival in the Park" - it was a lot of fun and I had a girl come up to me on Sunday after church to say she'd seen me perform.  I'm still taking classes on Thursdays in silks, along with a dance class.  I also play ultimate Frisbee on Tuesday nights, have Bible study on Wednesday and go to the gym on Mondays.  

performing at Freedom Park

Last weekend I went to my friend Caroline's wedding.  She and I went to high school together (along with my other friends Tiffany and Kelby).  Caroline also went to Chapel Hill and worked at the Observer when I worked there.  She married Ely, another Observer reporter and friend of mine.  Tiffany, Kelby and I have all been to each others weddings, so I'm the last one.  It was a beautiful wedding on the Queens University campus in Charlotte.  I drove Tiff and Mitch and they stayed with me that night, as they had to catch a very early flight in the morning. 

That was my fourth wedding of the season, and I'm ready for a break until next summer. 

Me, Caroline, Tiffany and Kelby at Caroline's wedding.

This weekend Ryan and I are going to the Renaissance Festival - I'm SO excited. It's one of my favorite things in the fall!  

My new roomie, Caroline (who isn't so new anymore), is working out very well.  She made a habit of coming to Ryan's hockey games with me and met one of Ryan's friends (Ben) there. They are now dating, so I don't see her a whole lot. lol  She and Ben took my first roommate Alissa to a party one night and introduced her to a guy named Cory, and now he and Alissa are dating.  So, a house full of single girls now has 3 not-so-single girls.  Atecia is still unattached (as far as I know), but we'll see how long that lasts. 

Alissa, Caroline, me and Atecia - the four roomies.

The four of us gals get along quite well, and we try to do things all together about every month.  Atecia is a great seamstress, so she has been working on a lot of clothes for me.  Alissa and I watch shows and movies together if we have the time, and Caroline and I go to hockey games and other random events together.  (I now know more about hockey than any other sport - and thankfully, it's not too boring! :)).  

This is getting incredibly long, so I'll wrap up by saying that my job is going fantastic - they paid for me to take a Photoshop class which I loved, and will be paying for me to take more classes in other graphic design arts over the next few weeks.  

Life is good. :)

Grandma and Grandpa's wedding photo - I colorized in Photoshop.

Tiffany's bridal party - worked on in Photoshop.