Vacation that I will never forget...

After too many years I got the opportunity to go on a little trip, not just any trip. Because normally in this family when you say trip it means volleyball. Not this time! I was so fortunate to be able to slip into my mother's ticket to visit my aunt, uncle and beautiful cousins at their new home in Spanish Fort, Alabama. This is located about 10 minutes from Mobile and an hour from the Gulf Coast. I was very optimistic and excited about this new location. I love the south and always have, aside from Houston, from the many volleyball tournaments.

My Aunt Steph has got quite the home, it is spacious and gorgeous. She has standards, if she is going to live in Bama then she was going to have a nice home. hahaha. But any who, she thought that Grandma Kitty and I wanted to site see and that was not the case for me. I have just spent a year away from home and was perfectly content spending the entire six days on her large and comfy sofa. We did venture away and visited the coast and shopped a bit. They did have to drag my large behind with them to the local TJ-Max but I tired to channel my inner Brit. It worked for a second or two but other than that I had a sour attitude, sorry GKitty and Steph about my poopy attitude. I have decided my ideal shopping mood occurs at the hours of 6pm to 8pm take it or leave it.

My favorite part of the trip was just torturing Steph's youngest children Indiana Michelle and Alexander Theodore. They have it easy as far as I am concerned. Ari can be mean but not as mean as me! So I to advantage gave them a taste of what Brit, Holland, and Morgan endure. It was fun. But my favorite was when I kicked Alex for being a little punk and he of course started to cry and moan, acting as if he was needed to be rushed to the hospital. I called him on his horrible acting and asked if he would like his Oscar now or would he like it at a later time. He eventually got up and was planning his dramatic exit, when he slipped on his hat and fell. I do love some good karma, and then he started laughing and couldn't even argue with me.

Indy is fun to antagonize too, but it is necessary to take a different approach because she wanted to be attached to my hip. But she quite the little athlete, I got to watch her play softball on Saturday. She is so precious.

I really do miss my Aunt though, I had so much fun laughing and joking around with her. I love her humor. She such a loving and caring person. I can't wait to back and spend more time there with her and her biggest little punk Arianna.

Ari is so strong and brave, I look up to her. She has gone through alot and I am so proud of her. I can't wait to see her grow up, she is going to be quite the young lady, well she quite the young lady. She made my trip.

Happy Birthday my girlie. Hope you have an amazing day! Take a million pictures in NH and have so much fun. I hope you enjoy every second of this summer and rock the socks off of the volleyballers in Alabama. Skype me soon!

My uncle Ted also took me on a little spin in the lake behind their house. It is so gorgeous, I love the green. As soon as we got further from the house he says to me, "Okay, we are going to switch places." Let me make this mental picture for you, little boat two swivel seats, large girl, shallow murky water, and this is after the discussion we had about water moccasins. AKA poisonous snakes. Not to mention I am not down with swimming with the fish or squishy, yucky water. Safe to say it was a quick and dry transition, but thank you Uncle Ted for stomach ache and heart rate increase. Everyone needs alittle adrenaline rush.

I would like to take this time to thank Poppy Tom for the trip with his free miles. For future reference I advice those of you who plan on taking this trip to mentally prepare yourself for the travel day from hell. But it was SO worth it I would do it again in heart beat minus Grandma's large carry-on bag. Thanks for all the laughs Grandma.

And I wish I was there to watch my "I HATE to sweat" aunt endure the long summer months of Alabama. Did I mention 100% humidity! Oh how I love my aunt! "I just don't like my hair touching my neck, you know." Or the saying of the week, "I'm just sayin'." hahahaha

Love you all and thanks for the memories!

the end is growing near

god bless summer that is all i have to say. this year of hell has been the most draining, most emotion, hair pulling year of my nineteen year-old life. my daddy gets here on wednesday at 10pm and let me say it could not come any sooner, i will be out of the dorm and into the hotel. and yes roomie that does mean i am taking my gorgeous flat screen to storage to sleep away all of the horrible shows you watched. unfortunately i have acquired an obnoxious amount of shit since i have been here. i have two large plastic tubs already full and along with 4-5 card board boxes that will be going into storage. that includes all my winter protection, pillows and dorm decorations. now i have moved onto my attire that will be making its way home to sb with me and let me just say that not all of the clothes will be traveling by plane. oh well apparently i need to down size....but seriously i will be donating to the less fortunate in sb for sure.

i need it to be saturday now!!! somebody save me please, but since no one can save me, the beautiful melodies of pandora.com online radio will get me though the next two days...oldies are the soundtrack of my life

dead week = library

So I have heard that during dead week you are to go to the library to do studious things like study, write papers, and well be studious. HA! That is what I say to that. Yesterday I went to the library because I only had one class. Thinking that this would be the most responsible way to use my time. Well I was "dead" wrong. I ended up sitting on my computer listening to music, fiddling with my photos, taking photos of my self and facebook stalking. Never again will I go to the library unless I go without my computer.

As you can see I had difficulty. I think I might have caught ADHD from my beloved Aunt Steph, what do you think? That or I just have too much fun with my computer. Who knows. All I know is that I cannot focus on anything but being home in less then 9 days! I can't wait, or maybe I can because I can't leave until next Saturday, maybe I can just start walking home or my mommy can come and pick me up and then we can swoop by and pick-up Brit-Dawg!

Doubt it. But today I have the same dilemma, one class and stuff to do. I plan to sit here and do my facebook stalking while listening to some classic oldies but goodies! And then once it's out of my system.

BUt now I sing for you, " It takes two baby, it takes two baby, just me and you!"

Love, the Super Focused Weirdy

P.S. Doesn't my hair look amazing? Just thought I would point that out.

final art projects

Now that I am done with those I can start working on the yucky homework! Poop, now I have serious stuff to do!! TWO WEEKS!! love to all

Dear Brittany Anne,

I never would have imagined us separating for college. But it happened and now I can't even picture us together. It has been bitter sweet. Not being able to relay my entire day to you because you weren't there. I have no idea where you sleep, eat, go to class, and play. Not knowing your friends and you not knowing mine.

Being away from you has been the most difficult thing I have ever done. The first semester was stressful and sad. Because we had two polar opposite situations. You loved your roommate, traveled with your team, and bonded with your team. While I redshirted, didn't know my teammates very well, and I was not happy with the rooming situation. But looking back I am so proud of us for getting through the hard times because look how strong we are now. I am so grateful for this past year and all the opportunities it has brought us and all the love that surrounds us. We are so lucky to not only have each other but a large family who are there to support us. I love you like I love M&Ms, bike rides, beach days, and photos.

May our life, correction, our lives continue to teach us lessons, give us laughs, make us cry, and bring us together.

No one understands our bond, our connection, our sisterhood. It is special and I cherish it, I am truly blessed and I thank God everyday for giving me my best friend who looks just like me and accepts me for me, and loves me for me.

Love you Brit.

Dear Shelley,

Today was the first time in ten months that I had played in a competitive volleyball match. For those of you who know me, know that volleyball is my life. It's what got me to college, it's what makes me happy, it's what makes me want to be better at everything, it's what makes me want to be a good role model, and most importantly it's my outlet. But anyway it felt amazing, sure I have been playing in practice but it is not the same. The team on the other side has to be your opponent (or as I like to think enemy!) and in practice you can't get super serious when playing because I don't want to ripe off the heads of my teammates even though I have done it almost twice to Ally. What can I say I am my mother's daughter.

The official count down to my freshman year has commenced. Let me tell you that it has honestly been the most difficult time of my life. Even though when I was fourteen and my parents left me to go to Hawaii for their anniversary during HELL MONTH, I thought my life was over as I knew it. But those are the times when you are truly defined and I don't mean to toot my own horn but "TOOT!". I am so proud of myself and so grateful for my supportive family. And especially m y incredible parents for sitting with my on the phone for hours every weekend sobbing. I love you all.

Love Mere

P.S. I miss you aunt shell!

Dear Ari,

Well, I shouldn't sound surprised because you are your mothers daughter. But again with the pushing. I am sorry that I haven't written a new blog senorita poopy pants. I have been really busy meeting my new baby cousin, Kaleb. He is officially my new best friend. I feel so fortunate to be related to him, he has such a huge personality and he is so full of life. I can't wait to see him grow. And after having such an amazing Easter with Heather and Terry, I have decided to go back every year for Easter and some long weekends too. I will need a Kaleb fix.

Even after a relaxing four days with my family, I was packed and unwilling to go back to school. I made it all the way to the gate when my flight was cancelled, not mentioning that the flight was at 8:30 am Monday morning. Meaning I got up at 5:30 am, the butt-crack-o-dawn! Anyway I re-scheduled my flight for the next day same time. I had no school Monday so it wasn't like I was missing anything. So I spent the day with my good friend Brittney, I was so grateful that her family let me stay the night.

The next morning I got a text at 5:00 am saying that my flight was cancelled again! So I had several conversations with my parents will half asleep and finally found a flight at 1 that went all the way to San Fran before heading up to Spokane. The longest two days of my life and so stressful. Now I only have four weeks left until I am done with my freshman year and let me tell you it has been a long one. It was rocky and very hard at times but I made. Next year is going to be amazing, I will be playing and I will live with my friends, I will have a car! It will just be an all around better year I can just feel it.

I just received some very exciting news! I will be visiting my little baby ARI!! and of course Steph, Ted, Alex, and Indy! May 11-18 and I can't wait! What a way to start the summer!

Are you happy now Ari! Love you,

Mere

Dear Aunt Steph,

Well....since you are so impatient. Last week was my spring break and my first time to my new house. And words can't describe how much my family fits so perfectly into that home and that town. I love how doing nothing but daily routines with my family is so entertaining to me. I got to rip out carpet, decorate my new room, and bond with my new puppy. It was a blast and went way to fast.

Coming back to school was hard and it takes me a week to get over my intense homesickness. So this week I have been a wreck, not completely but just when I think about home or my family I get a little teary eyed. But good news! I made it into the resident community that I applied for! I will officially be living in Coughlin, on the Bind, Body and Spirit Community with all my friends and my roommate will be KATE. And let me just say that this is the best news of the year. Now I just need to make it through the next seven weeks and I am home free.

Some things to look forward to between now and then are some road markers....Like me going to visit Heather and Terry in Portland for Easter. But most importantly to meet my new baby cousin Caleb. Then the last two weeks of school I get a break from volleyball. Which will be much needed and then my amazing Daddy will come to rescue me!! The first week of May and help me move out and get a storage unit. And then we will enjoy a lovely flight back to my new home town of Santa Barbara baby! And that is mad cute little story! The end.

Man O' Man life is good! Happy Late St. Pats Day!! Love to ALL and to ALL a Good night!!

Love, Meredith Lynn

P.S. Auntie Steph please don't be so pushy next time. Blogging is like a work of art it is not to be pushed. And everyone can thank you for the misspellings and run-on sentences. Love you even though you are so darn pushy.

funny how things work.

I have been on a dry spell. I haven't written in a week. I want to be able to update my blog as often as I can, but I never seem to have time or feel that what I am doing is even exciting. But those not valid excuses, what it really is....

...I am happy here. No longer do I need to write to vent and release any emotion. It is not necessary for me to write every time I feel even an ounce of homesickness, because if I were to be completely honest I am homesick all the time. But now I am just more comfortable, my mom would tell me that I need to tell myself that I could come home at anytime, but I have just have to decided to be here. And if I were to say that three months ago I would have been lying. Not today! I am content. I love my friends, my team, my school, and pretty much everything about this place minus one thing. But as of nine weeks from now I will not have to encounter that thing ever again if I don't want to, and I don't want to (best of luck to you, as you drive away!).

But anywho my next to-do is my major. What am I going to study? That is going to help drive my future career and life. Wow, that is so exciting to think about. But I am a one-day-at-a-time kind of girl. So....tomorrow home!!!

Life is a gift, let's unwrap it!

One word...initiation. I was safe and was smart, I promise and I had fun.

One midterm down, three to go!

How you like? It took me an hour and thirty minutes! I was expecting it to take a day or two. Eight days till home!