Storage Keys

Because I am the most responsible freshman. I get to practice early, set up the nets, fill up the water, and count the balls. I thought this went unnoticed to everyone on my team except for the coaches but I was wrong because today I was given the storage keys. That unlock the storage room that holds all our equipment. This is quite an honor but my teammate who held this responsibility since her sophomore feels that I am up for the job. As a freshman this is a huge compliment. And this morning after weight we had a passing of the keys ceremony and she also read this adorable poem.

Who has the storage keys?

Can one person just have them, please?

They are left in the gym, sometimes can't be found

Leaving our court empty and without a sound

Having possession of these keys can be a lot of work

But in the end, there are oh so many perks

Who has the storage keys?

Can one person just have them, please?

The keys hold the power of our accessibility

The one that possesses them has a lot of responsibility

If lost, these keys are really expensive to replace

Hopefully this won't happen so Abby doesn't have to punch someone in the face.

Who has the storage keys?

Can one person just have them, please?

There is hope for this to be a freshman duty

However, most freshies we have to kick in the booty

It takes a lot to pass this test

Dedication, commitment-there is no time to rest.

Who has the storage keys?

Can one person just have them, please?

Then came along a girl, they call her "Big Red"

She seems to have it going on inside her head

She's always early and willing to help

But if you hit a ball at her, she'll be sure to yelp

Who has the storage keys?

Can one person just have them, please?

The location of these keys can no longer be postponed

A home has officially been set in stone

When waiting to play volleyball, you should turn to one paw

The beholder of these keys is Meredith Lynn Crenshaw

Ally Powell

It was so sweet. I love Ally. I am glad someone noticed my hard work and now time to have a serious responsibility.

Goodbye&Hello

Today is the mark of a new beginning. Leaving the house that has been my home for sixteen years. It has been such a special place to live, so many family moments. It is amazing how much we have molded this house to be our own.

From making a room made out of a tough shed, painting a door green, painting a tree in a fort, placing bird houses all over our yard.

I would show pictures of the inside but the memories that each and everyone of us have are better than photographs. And all the comfy, cozy furniture will be in the new house.

Goodbye Yorba Linda you have been good to me. I will miss you.

Hello Santa Barbara nice to meet you. You seem like my style and I love the new the place.

You are so my style!

Yet Again

Silly me. I slept in my contacts and my eye looks horrible again. I am crying constantly, sensitive to the light. But good thing I got new glasses over break. New prescription too! So everything is really clear and in focus. I can see the blades of grass swaying in the breeze. My mother's beautiful laugh lines. Sorry mom, she did not like when I told her that. So the new glasses aren't making the sensitivity any easier.

But I did have fun this weekend.

Wow, I make myself laugh.

I want to inform everyone of this new artist that I have discovered. His name is Tryone Wells. He is from Spokane, but is surprisingly very popular. My friend Kate and Ashley told me to come to a free concert with them. And I did. Life changing for sure. For those of you who want to experience his amazingness I will tell you my favorite songs so that you can find them for yourself or if I am in a good mood I will send them to you. That is TYRONE WELLS.

These are my new INTELLIGENT GLASSES and my new piercings

The Cutest Parents I Have Ever Seen.

Thanks Mom and Dad for everything. And have fun unpacking that BIG-RIG! Wish I was there. Love you.

laughter is the best medicine

Even though I do not have a unique laugh, laughing is the my favorite thing to do.
Both Brittany and I copy other people's form of laughter. We can't help it. But it is quite entertaining to watch my mom look at me and say, "Man, Mere who's laugh is that. That is awful." But I seriously can't help it.
Over break Brit and I decided that our true form of laughter makes no sound. So that is why we copy others because we are jealous of their uniqueness.
But we are unique because when we laugh we giggle softly and smiley so big. Our eyes squint, our cheeks grow tighter with every heave of laughter and know I have acquired a snort. But Mom I swear I am not coping anyone this time.
Any-who I LOVE LAUGHTER!
Here are some moments that made me laugh!

My Happy Place

I have yet to find that place that makes me feel safe and at peace. My mom has been telling over the past five months to find this place so I could escape from the uncomfortable and run away to a place of familiar. I have thought alot about this and where I would choose. And now that I am back at school after a three week break. I feel I must decide in order to make it through the last eighteen weeks left of my freshman year.
After much thought I have decided that my place, my get-away, my mind paradise is going to be the middle cushion on my family's red leather sofa. With a giant blanket and a good movie on and my mom and my sisters surrounding me. With the sound of my brother and dad in the background.
By simply taking myself to this place it makes all the homesickness go away and the days till I go home seem less than the number of fingers on my hands. Making it easier for me to make it through.
I am excited for what the future is bringing. Happy day!

the transition

Most college students leave school to go home to relax, but not me! I came home to the most frustrating part of the moving process. The mountains of boxes, the five runs-a-day to Home Depot because we need more boxes or packing tape, the moving of all my mothers potted plants. And for those of you who know my mother, you can only imagine the amount of plants that women has put in pots over the last fifteen years. That also includes all of our out door furniture. I have been giving my mom a hard time about all the things/stuff the make up the clutter of our home but I have come to realize that that clutter is the stuff that makes our house a home. Because without those things our home would be boring, plain, lifeless. I love our stuff! It is this stuff that gives my mom her creative juice to create. I love the way our Yorba Linda house was full of life and color. I am so excited to see what she does to our new HOME.
It has not hit me yet that I am leaving my home of fifteen years. But when it does I will be very sad to see it go, but it was an amazing place to grow up and would not change it for anything. It holds so many memories and I can't wait to start to make new memories. I love Yorba Linda and it will always be my home.

Here comes the Crenshaw's, watch out Santa Barbara.
Now that my Aunt Steph and her family have left I will miss them terribly. Even though I didn't get to experience them living so close again because I was away at school. But being home this winter it was like it used to be. And it was amazing. I am going to miss them terribly especially my cousin Ari, she is like the fourth sister. I wish I could steal her away but that would not be fair to her family. I am excited for them and I will be visiting often.

Today we made of first of many trips to SB this week. This trip was the pet trip. Our three cats, one bird, and two turtles. It was quite exciting! Well to begin I must first explain the loading of all our animals. In the suburban was myself (driver), my mother (holder of Brit's ceramic creation), Camille (our bird), Toby (our 16 yr old cat), Birdie (cat), and Holland (protector of the animal cages). In Brit's car was of course Brit (driver), Ari (riding shot gun), Jack Black (our third cat), and our two desert tortoises.
To begin our journey we start out down Imperial Hwy, a block down from our house, when Holland squealed, "a cat pooped!"
Mom, "What??!! Which one?!!?" Holland, "I don't know!" Mom, "Well maybe it is just a fart." Holland, " No it is not a fart smell!'
We finally made our way to the gas station were my mother took charge and cleaned up the mess. I would explain this part but instead I video taped it.
Happy New Year!!!
We also celebrated Holland's sweet sixteen and her departure from Yorba Linda with a big party! It was alot of fun. I danced the night away and Holland enjoyed her last get together with her friends. It is weird to think that Holland is 16, in my mind I think that she is eight. She is no longer my little sister but my YOUNGER sister because she it almost a full inch taller than me.