annoy, stress, and HAPPY!

After the first day of the week I already hate the week.  During practice Monday I got hit directly in the eye and was sent to the eye doctor to get checked out.  Because I am so darn cool this is the second time that this has occurred.  You would think that in this awesome sport getting hit with the ball in the eye would happen alot, but nope its pretty rare.  And me of all people has had the pleasure of doing it twice.  Anyway because of the velocity the ball was traveling at when it hit me in my left eye, same eye both twice by the way, the gut and juices of my eye ball got all shaken up.  To put it in little kids terms.  But I sat out practice and hopefully will get cleared tomorrow but as I sit here praying to the eye gods on this lovely Tuesday night.  I have the image of me playing against USF on Thursday and I am wearing the most badass athletic protective eye wear you have ever seen.  Not that doesn't sound like the coolest thing ever but...

As a girl who has struggled with confidence and feeling comfortable in her own body, and being able to say, "I am beautiful" and believe it.  This did not happen over night.  It took me up until last year to truly appreciate all of my attributes.  As a tall, curly redheaded, twin, with quite dominate calves I didn't quite blend in with all the petite, straight, blonde or brunette...anyway you get the picture growing up sucks!  The point I want to make is that volleyball is my happy/safe place, where I feel comfortable.  Not only in my mental state but physical.  I feel most at home in body, as silly as this sounds, in my spandex and loose fitted shirt, with my knee pads and sweaty slicked back hair.  I feel strong, beautiful, tall and lean, unstoppable, confident, you name it I can be it when I am dressed in my volleyball attire.  And it has been this way since I was twelve and now Leanne is telling me to take this GODDESS appearance and put goggles on it!?!?! Oh hell no!

Dilated eye:

But what can a girl do.....serious eye issues or badass dominance on the volleyball court? We shall see...will be keeping you updated!

But on to the exciting news....my dear friends KELSEY BASHAW has asked me to be one of her bridesmaids!  I am so touched that she has asked and honored! Wow and she did it in the most adorable way ever! She was so sneaky and went into my room and conspired with Kate my roommate and took my life-sized cardboard cut out of Jacob from Twilight  and put a bridesmaids dress on it with a picture of her and I on his face.  And a little sign that said, "WILL YOU BE MY BRIDESMAID?!" I screamed bloody murdered and then cried when I walked into the room and Jacob standing there.  It was the sweetest thing and I will never forget it!  Thanks for asking me Kels it means the world to me :) Love you!

all i needed

Seeing my mom and younger sister was the exact thing I needed to get me over the hump that has had me trapped in my very own personal ditch. And let me tell you my ditch was deep, dark and damp no place that a young lady wants to be spending her time at the most exciting and adventurous time of her life.  I have built myself a latter now and have begun the slow process of getting out.
My mother is the funniest person I know, I would like to think I get the majority of my humor from her and my "social butterfly-ness" from my father.  Oh yes I am the girl striking up conversations with the cashier at the local Safeway! Thanks Dad! Back to my gorgeous mother, she is strong and passionate about life and I only hope to at least half the human being she is.  Love you mom.  Or Meammm.  And my sweet teenager of a sister, who is so in high school.  The maturity level is absolutely ridiculous that I had a hard time keeping a conversation with her, but what laughs she brings.  Miss her so much, she is growing into such an amazing young lady and I not around to witness it everyday.
Having struggled so badly with homesickness last year I was under the impression that it was out of my system, little did I know that it will probably never fully go away just become less often and less painful.  My family is my rock, they are my tribe.  I am so grateful to know that at such an early age.  Not many people ever understand that but I have and know that I need to see them more often then every three to four months.  That is too long!  So if you are my family, and have some extra cash lying around please do purchase yourself a ticket to Spokane or any of the fabulous towns that my team plays in and come see me because God knows you need a little vacation but more selfishly I need my people.

Here are some pictures of the year so far.  Of me being me for once in my life in front of people who are "my people", mushroom hair cut and all! Waiting for my hair to grow out!

This is Mere the Bear signing out and saying it really hard growing up! That wasn't in the instruction manual.  Love to all.

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom to know the difference.

when things get easy, they get challenging again

As if last year wasn't hard enough for me God yet again thinks I need a challenge.  I am, of course, always up for it. My team is the bottom of the giant ditch and there is only one way out.  Fours year of an uphill run, here I come. I know we can do it, together.

Please send any and all good vibes, thoughts, messages, and voicemails my way I need so encouragement. Sorry I haven't updated my "venting space" in a while I have been quite busy with this fabulous thing we call life.

Side note, I miss my little sister and brother.  I hate missing out on Holland's high school volleyball career and her becoming a beautiful young woman.  Oh and my precious bradha! The little baby is now in 4th grade....I think?  In my mind he is still 3 years old.  I hate not seeing him grow up everyday, each morning see how much he grew over night.  Makes me cry! Especially when I had to explain to him that I probably won't live in the same house as him when I am done with school.

Miss you Holland Sterling and Morgan Anthony.

the beginning of a new year.

This summer I did a lot of thinking and never really had solution to all of the problems and situations inside my head. And don't even ask me what those were. This year is a huge step up from the last. I have a whole year of discovery ahead of me and have decided right now that that is the word to describe this year.

Discovery of myself; who I am as a person and be confident with who that person is, school; what am I majoring in, career; who am I going be when I grow up, volleyball; how bad do I want it? I want it bad! and finally to discover the friendly side and meet more people. Work on the whole Mere DEATH STARE!

Well there is my list of things to do and sorry its been awhile. I have been dealing with some internal conflict that I am working on resolving.

Life is school with little or no recesses!- Stacy Lynn

love to all.

fate

in life things happen for a reason.

thanks grandma for this quote today:

Tough times never last, but tough people do.

~ Robert Schuller

America's Funniest Home Video

This is what happens when three sisters are left alone with a computer on a Saturday night. Please enjoy and feel free to make fun.

Please comment your reaction to the little film :)

sorry it is the shorten version, for full please skype me!

my spanish sister

After a long and stressful two weeks at school working little kids camps. I have learned that at this point in my life I do not see myself being a volleyball coach. Expecting a nice and relaxing three weeks off before I drive back up to school I come home to a new arrival to the Crenshaw Hotel.

Lucia Garofano is from a little town just 45 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Madrid. She is 19 years old and she was visiting America with 13 other European Volleyball players. She is a libero for her club and University team. Lucia was assigned to us to be her host family and let me just say that she was the best fit! She is hilarious even with a little bit of a language barrier you could see her sense of humor shine through. She loves to dance, hang out with friends and family and of course play VOLLEYBALL. So she fit in perfectly except for the whole being as tall as my nine year old brother, olive complexion, and the thick accent.

We had so much fun! We laughed, we danced, we played volleyball. It was quite the experience. We also got the chance to meet all the other girls that were on the trip.

There was five Spaniards, four Italians, and four Slovenians. I loved getting to know them and interact and hear their languages. It is a week that I will never forget and I am so grateful for the experience and hope that someday some I will go and visit all the girls that I met this week.

Hotel, B & B, Hostel, Landing Pad, Safety Net

Since the Crenshaws manifested their Santa Barbara home with its terraces, gardens, sprawling floor plan, four full bathrooms, and tiny kitchen, they have had more visitors, house guests, drop-ins, passers through than Mom and I combined. Maybe you have been one of them? Maybe you have felt the loving atmosphere? The coffee in the morning while watching the rising sun in the east? Perhaps you have taken walks on the beach or strolled downtown with your Crenshaw escorts? Wine and pu-pu's on ht terrace in the cool afternoon shade? Most guests get the elegant dining experience at the Neches house, where G. Kitty makes a gourmet meal and PT pontificates and discusses any and all things from his armchair. If you are a Crenshaw, you know this magic. You hunger for it, because it seems like there is never enough time. Just remember to sink in and soak while you are home, doing all the things you love, being fully emersed in the present, knowing that your home is a magical, special place where visitors get their cups filled and you help do the pouring.

I Have Done it Again!

Hi All! It's Aunt Shelley. I am comandeering Mere's blog because I have grown bored of that old Alabama "Vacation That I Will Never Forget, Ever" post, and I'll bet you have too. Here's the report, as I see it, of the summer. Mere, you can add the pics.

Brittany returned to CO in late June. Ouch, that hurt! She will be back for a home break this weekend, though. Her heart and muscles are stronger than the rest of ours because she works out in altitude. Oh, and she eats a lot of fresh beef. Britt lives in an apartment now. She is fully versed in the language of roommate life. Maybe we will catch some good stories when she gets home.

Mere spent two weeks back at Gonzaga running the Volleyball summer camps. Her baby sister, Holland Sterling was an attendee. Was Mere proud of her sis? I am assuming she was. Speaking of proud, Mere's coach, Allen Allen said the Mere was looking GOOD as far as keeping in shape over the summer. We won't tell Al about the two good humor ice cream bars you chased your enchilada dinner with last night.

Holland now has her driver's permit and has taken her first behind the wheel training lesson with the Steve Morris School of Defensive Driving. I saw her peel out of Grandma Kitty's driveway last night with her mom and Morgan as passengers. I predict a new Crenshaw license by the Holidays.

Morgan has been spending a lot of time with his cousins, Kieran and Aidan. When together, they often go to magical places. Just the other day I arose from my nap to find a wizard, an explorer and a dragon rider in my living room. He and Poppy Tom just recently returned from a trip to the Kaminski house in Alabama, where they had a blast in the heat with their favorite southerners.

Grandma Kitty has healed beautifully from her neck lift. We can't really remember what she used to look like, only that she looks positively gorgeous in a choker and a v neck blouse. You hot G Kitty!

Poppy Tom is as fabulous as ever. Not much more to be said about that. He will be starting his new blog soon, or I will start it for him. He can start with book and movie reviews.

Stacy and Tony (Mom and Dad) are in heaven settling in to their new routines. Mom is busy ALL THE TIME, buzzing like a bee from one flower to another. She is either in her garden, volunteering at ceramics, working for Cathy and Summerland Mercantile, painting, sewing, designing, washing dishes in her tiny kitchen sink, driving to or from Grandma Kitty's or her favorite thing, walking on the beach. Dad has been moving fence posts around, suspending bird feeders and erecting birdhouse skyscrapers, shopping at costco, swimming, and surfing. Life is very good.

Mere says she loves doing nothing and that nothing is worth doing. She's become wise with her passing years. What can I say. I must be rubbing off on her.

Love, Aunt Shell