13 by 2013 *Sixth* Update

13 Goals to Reach by 2013.

1. Attend a mind-blowing concert!
Done and done! ZBB&BP

2. Lose at least 35 pounds.
*dumb blonde voice* whats a scale?

3. Save at least $2000.
getting there..

4. Buy a new pair of TOMS.
they're still beautiful!

5. Get a tattoo.
&

6. 3.2 GPA
Fall semester?

7. Buy a car.
in the shop... but I do own it. so it counts.

8. Run 3 miles straight.
Working on it.

9. Learn sign Language.
On the waiting list.

10. Participate in and finish the COLOR RUN 5K in San Francisco on July 14, 2012.
it was amazinggg!

11. Spoil my little <3
it's getting so close!!

12. Live, LAUGH, Love, Forgive more.
of course!

13. Live every day to it's fullest.
every day!

<3

It's been FOREVER!

Wow. I don't deserve to be called a blogger. I'm absolutely terrible at updating this thing regularly... Let's see, I guess I kind of have to write about the whole summer since I never said anything about my life during that time.. Alright. Here we go.

1. I roadtripped home with Mom, Zac and Papa. 
1. We went to Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon, Twin Falls, Shoshone Falls, Boise (briefly, just to drop Z off at the airport), and finally made it home on day 4 or 5.
2. I visited Evanne up at Davis for a day.
1. We rode bikes around her campus and the cute little city of Davis, saw the Avengers, and ate some fro-yo. It was a nice little day trip.
3. I went to Arizona with my dad.
1. We went hiking up at Squaw Peak, went to the zoo, saw Men in Black 3, and ate a lot of really good food. It was a short trip, but it's always nice to visit my big brother!
4. I started work.
1. The girls and I did a bunch of Pinterest activities and crafts. We went swimming all the time, but mainly because I couldn't keep the two of them occupied all day. We went to Gilroy Gardens about 5 times over the whole summer, so it was pretty decent.
5. I went to Arizona again, but "by myself."
1. I say "by myself" because my big came down to meet me because she got to go to Grand Convention down in Tuscan, so I got to visit with my big brother and my big sister. It was a blast!
6. I started watching Webb.
1. Gah! What a cutie!! He was about 9 1/2 months when I started watching him, but turned 1 on 8-14-12. So cute!
7. I bought my Jeep!
1. 'nuff said! ;P
8. Grandma had her hip replaced...
1. ...which meant a lot of driving Grandpa up to see her, and a lot of trips to the hospital/rehab center. But she's almost all recovered now, so thats good.
9. I turned 19!
1. I kept my birthday pretty low-key this year; Mom and I went to San Francisco to do a ton of shopping, ride the cable car, walk around Union Square, eat on the Wharf, etc etc; Dad took me to dinner at Olive Garden; and the girls and I just hung out and had a sleepover, like usual.
10. The girls and I hung out a ton!
1. We went hiking at the Pinnacles once, Nisene Marks once (12.5 miles, bitchesss!), and many times around 10th St and the outlets. :D
2. We went to the Color Run and the Brad Paisley concert, and had a bunch of sleepovers!
3. And we only went to the beach once.. 
11. I did the Color Run!
12. And saw Brad Paisley!
13. And The Zac Brown Band!
14. :D!
15. And finally, I was finished with work, and playing with my friends, and driving around San Juan, Hollister, Gilroy and Monterey. 
16. I was finally roadtripping back to Montana! :)
1. Dad and I left bright and early on Monday morning, drove 13 hours to Twin Falls, ID, slept, drove 6 hours to Jackson, WY the next day, stayed at a Dude Ranch for 3 days, hiked 8 miles at Grand Teton National Park, went whitewater rafting, went to the Jackson Rodeo, and saw The Bourne Legacy. We left on Thursday for Yellowstone, hiked down 380 steps to the incredible view of the Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, and drove a little further to Mammoth Hot Springs. That one wasn't as mind-blowing as I had hoped, but it was still pretty cool. We spent the night in Gardiner, MT and finally started driving to Missoula on Saturday. Eighty miles south of the zoo, just past Deer Lodge, my car broke down. We got towed, and its been in the shop ever since. Good times. :|
17. Buttttt.... to make up for the crappiness of my car breaking down, I finally got to move into THETAAA!!!! :D
1. Im rooming with Shanna Banana and we're in the Sunrise room. :) Bunkbeds, too much furniture for one room, and two redheads living together. This will be funnnn! :D I am so stoked for this year!

Until next time, be the best version of yourself that you can be. 

                                                          (-KJ McNamara, Phired Up)

I don't have much time..

...right now. It's late and I need to be getting to sleep soon. But i figured i haven't posted anything in a while and i attribute that mostly to a broken computer (wrong damn wifi password). ill be posting a more detailed description of my life since my last post later, but right now, i just wanted to share something that i found on UrbanDictionary that i knew would make you smile. (: Heres the "definition" of my name:

Emily: 

From the very first moment you meet Emily, the way she looks at you will make you feel as if you've been friends with her your whole life. Emily is the only girl of your dreams who will come true. She will show up in your life disguised as the muse Serendipity or, "happy accident" and as convincing as she may be, Emily herself is no accident. At times, she may not always know exactly what she's doing. Nevertheless, Emily's actions will always be intentional and deliberate. It's easy to be fooled. She has the power to tear ANY man apart is she so chooses to, but if your love for Emily is true, you will be able to gaze deeply into her endless blue eyes and see underneath her clever camouflage to discover that deep down, Emily is a diamond. Perfect and flawless. Her soul is as free as a newborn baby and feels as soft and cool, but she is no pushover. She'll always do as she pleases even though you may not approve. It is wise to never ask Emily "why?". Doing so will make you go insane. If you happen to be lucky enough to have a friend named Emily, then you are blessed with infinite inspiration and endless imagination. It is because of Emily that mankind has dared venture into outer space.

Until i get a chance to post again, keep smiling. :D

13 by 2013 *Fifth* Update!

13 Goals to Reach by 2013.

1. Attend a mind-blowing concert!
Zac Brown Band ~ July 19th ~ Mid-State Fair (NEXT THURSDAY!)
Brad Paisley ~ July 27th ~ Shoreline Amphitheater (TWO WEEKS FROM FRIDAY!)

2. Lose at least 35 pounds.
18 down, 17 to go. MORE THAN HALFWAY!

3. Save at least $2000.
just over $500, but I've gotta make my car payment.

4. Buy a new pair of TOMS.
Love them!

5. Get a tattoo.
&

6. 3.2 GPA
Fall semester?

7. Buy a car.
As of July 3, 2012, i am officially the owner of my very first car!!

8. Run 3 miles straight.
Working on it.

9. Learn sign Language.
On the waiting list.

10. Participate in and finish the COLOR RUN 5K in San Francisco on July 14, 2012.
SATURDAY! (4 days!!)
11. Spoil my little <3
so stoked for recruitment!!

12. Live, LAUGH, Love, Forgive more.
Working on this one every day.

13. Live every day to it's fullest.
if i can stay sane long enough..

<3

13 by 2013 *Fourth* Update

13 Goals to Reach by 2013.

1. Attend a mind-blowing concert!
Zac Brown Band ~ July 19th ~ Mid-State Fair
Brad Paisley ~ July 27th ~ Shoreline Ampitheatre

2. Lose at least 35 pounds.
Working on it! The desserts that the girls and I made last night sure aren't helping though!!

3. Save at least $2000.
Working on it.. Getting paid again tomorrow!

4. Buy a new pair of TOMS.
Done and done! (: lovers my Tyler Ramsey artsy ones!

5. Get a tattoo.
&

6. 3.2 GPA
2.8 spring GPA. Not quite there. We'll see how fall semester goes..

7. Buy a car.
Buying grandma's jeep(;

8. Run 3 miles straight.
Working on it.

9. Learn sign Language.
On the waiting list.

10. Participate in and finish the COLOR RUN 5K in San Francisco on July 14, 2012.
It's almost time!!

11. Spoil my little <3
Getting closer and closer to recruitment every day!!!

12. Live, LAUGH, Love, Forgive more.
Working on this one every day.

13. Live every day to it's fullest.
Doin good, doin good.. (:

<3

First day of summer;

Best one yet! The summer solstice, June 20, longest day of the year, and I spent the whole day with my best friends in the whole world. Evanne, Elyse and I went to rio del mar beach for a few hours in the morning, and went swimming after the fog cleared up; we also went to the bagelry (TWICE!!) (: after the beach, we went back to San Juan and picked up Steph and headed back to my place. We made rice and beans for dinner with all the fixins' and made hocus locus rolls (crescent rolls with disappearing marshmallows in the middle) and cookie/Oreo/brownie bars! (: we also watched so you think you can dance and when all the dessert was finished baking, we went over to fans to spend the night with the dogs. We watch part of Thor before we all crashed for the night! It was such a great day! I got ridiculously sunburnt but it was all totally worth it!! (: I love my girls <3

First three days down,,

...only thirty days left. So far this summer, the girls and I have tried the following that we found on pinterest: laser beam streamers, pb&j sushi, frozen yogurt drops, hair chalking, sand pudding, soap in the microwave, fort in the living room, and lots and lots of swimming! All of it was a great success except the microwave soap. That just burned and stunk up the house!! I cannot wait to continue making things and creating fun stuff that we find!! (:

It's been a while...

...since I posted anything. So, since my last post, I finally arrived home; I was an exhibition judge at Anzar; I've hung out with friends; I drove up to Davis; I've watched the girls; I went to arizona; I got my wisdom teeth out (again.); and I babysat a cutie named Webb. (: it has been a very busy few weeks. Hopefully I'll be a little better at blogging my summer than I have been lately. The Internet is not working on my laptop so I haven't been able to do this on there..

Until next time, <3

Snaffu in the Plan

So this morning was a bit of a disaster. Mom called Joan just to say hi and we figured out that Papa thought the trip was NEXT WEEK instead of this week. Therefore, his flight and all the reservations he made were for next week. He managed to change his flight to tomorrow so he'll still get here *almost* on time (midnight instead of noon), but we wanted to get to Yellowstone before we had to get Zac to Boise on Tuesday night, so we took off today and we'll drive back to Missoula tomorrow to pick up Papa.

Therefore, we are in Yellowstone tonight and tomorrow.

We didn't make it all the way out to Old Faithful tonight, but we did make it to some steam pots which was very cool! And we were very up close and personal to some bison which was a bit sketchy, but still very interesting. I don't think I've ever seen a bison that close up before.

The other parts of Yellowstone that we saw today were also very incredible. We saw boiling mud and "mini" geysers (apparently Old Faithful is MUCH bigger). And before we got to the park, we passed Hebgen Lake, which was absolutely breathtaking. It was so gorgeous!

i love the part of the world i chose to live in. <3

13 by 2013 *Third* Update

13 Goals to Reach by 2013.

1. Attend a mind-blowing concert!
Zac Brown Band ~ July 19th
Brad Paisley ~ July 27th

2. Lose at least 35 pounds.
haven't checked lately, but I don't think I gained any back. Signing up for a gym membership for this summer. (:

3. Save at least $2000.
*cricket cricket*

4. Buy a new pair of TOMS.
still waiting... (:

5. Get a tattoo.
&

6. 3.2 GPA
a in developmental psych, b in science, c in history, questionmark? yeahhhh.. we'll see when grades come out. I don't think i hit it this semester..

7. Buy a car.
grandma is asking $5000 for her jeep. I'm thinking about it..

8. Run 3 miles straight.
workin on it.

9. Learn sign Language.
one year.

10. Participate in and finish the COLOR RUN 5K in San Francisco on July 14, 2012.
july 14th!

11. Spoil my little <3
getting closer and closer to recruitment every day!

12. Live, LAUGH, Love, Forgive more.
saw the Avengers today (laughed a lot), was with family (loved a lot), and walked around missoula (lived a lot). didn't need to forgive anyone today(:

13. Live every day to it's fullest.
living every second like it's my last<3

 <3

Last day...

Wow. It's kinda been a while since i posted anything. But don't worry. I'll hopefully be posting every day this week because guess what; I'M DONE WITH FRESHMAN YEAR AND OUT FOR SUMMER!!!! If you couldn't tell, i'm a little excited. (: Mom and Zac got to town last night and we packed up and moved me out of Miller 316 for good. We spent the day in Zoo Town, walking around, saw the Avengers, ate at el cazador and got my last big dipper ice cream until next semester. We'll leave Missoula on Sunday after Papa gets here but after that, we will road trip our way back to California. We plan to stop at Yellowstone, Craters of the Moon, Twin Falls Idaho and possibly Reno. It will be a nice trip, and a nice end to a good semester.

Let's reflect a little bit on the last few weeks.

Everything with Theta is very good. Initiation was a few weeks ago, then we had our Senior Games/Senior Function and finally our final meeting. Kate Akin, my grand big, was sworn into office as president. I am so so proud of her. I know she has wanted this position forever and was very upset at the beginning of the semester when she did not get voted in. However, this goes to show that things that are meant to be will be. Unfortunately, we are losing a number of girls after this semester. :( Nine I believe. There has been a large conflict with room contacts and such, causing about 5 girls to be terminated from their memberships. Additionally, we have 3 girls transferring and 1 that can no longer afford it. :( It's very upsetting because a lot of it was unnecessary and I will miss the girls very much, but there really wasn't anything I could do about it so I'm not stressing too much. I will especially miss the girls that are transferring because I won't get to see them during the year unless they come to visit. We also have seven seniors either graduating or going into alumni status. I'm sure the ones that will still be in school will still be around the house often, but those that are graduating tomorrow will be off living the next chapter of their lives. I am so proud of all of them. At the wills during senior week, Erika B. willed me a mirror with a lion on it for the lion family, Katie M. willed me a "Greek is Good" travel coffee mug, and Trina S. willed me her 2011 recruitment letters. :D Also, during cookie shine, Jenny M. was expressing her pride in pc '11 and saying how she sees so much potential in us, which already warmed my heart, but then she proceeded to explain that she is most proud of Shanna and I because she can see how much we embody Theta in our lives and how much we represent it. I think I actually cried. It meant so much to me that someone noticed how much I really do love Theta and how much further it has brought me this year. Without Theta, my freshman year definitely would have been different and I have absolutely no idea what I would do without it.

The last few weeks of school were tough, but I made it through!! I got a job for next semester at the Think Tank so that will be very fun and interesting. I've never made coffee and I'm very excited to learn how. I spent my whole last week in the library and that was probably harder than the finals themselves! I have never spent that much time in there and I really hope I never do again (even though I know that's how all finals weeks will be:)) I think (HOPE) i got an A in developmental psych, a B in science and probably a C in history. And no credit in math, but that doesn't really count. :) But I'm done and that's all that matters.

Freshman year, you were great. I will never see you again, but I'm okay with that. I may or may not write and keep in touch. Probably not though.. I hope you don't miss me too much. (:

Until next time, love with all your heart and don't let anything stand in your way. <3

13 by 2013 *Second* Update

13 Goals to Reach by 2013.1. Attend a mind-blowing concert! Decided last night that I am going to try my hardest to get tickets to Brad Paisley on July 27th at the Shoreline Amphitheater(:2. Lose at least 35 pounds.Still down 10 pounds, haven't lost anymore, haven't gained any back. But I did walk 10 miles at Relay for Life last night, so I'm sure that did some damage..3. Save at least $2000.Not goin' so great. We'll see how it is at the end of the summer..4. Buy a new pair of TOMS.Once I get the money, it's happening.5. Get a tattoo.Loving it more every day <36. 3.2 GPAJust worked out my grades today, and I should end up with an A in Developmental Psych, and B's in Science and History. That puts me at a 3.2!!!!!7. Buy a car.Not so much...8. Run 3 miles straight.eh, haven't tested this in a while..9. Learn sign Language.On the waiting list.10. Participate in and finish the COLOR RUN 5K in San Francisco on July 14, 2012.REGISTERED!!!!! (: July 14th, here I come!!!11. Spoil my little <3Don't have one yet. Can't wait though!!12. Live, LAUGH, Love, Forgive more.Working on this one every day.13. Live every day to it's fullest.Doin good, doin good.. (:<3

In Light of my New Tattoo...

I made this(:

Theta Love

...goes a long way. The last week and a half have been some of the best days I've experienced. I went through my very first theta initiation for our new girls, Lynsee, Lauren, Betsy and Caroline, and it was so incredibly special. I loved being with my sisters and hearing the love that we share for each other. If you're not a part of the Greek community, and/or aren't part of a group like it, initiation doesn't mean much to you. You might be having flashbacks of the first time you watched American Pie or the Van Wilder movie, but trust me, there are no crazy tattoos, piercings or brandings that happen during our ritual. I can't say much about it, but as a whole, ritual means so much! Every single member of Kappa Alpha Theta has gone through the same initiation ceremony as we perform out here in good ol' Montanaland. For me, as a legacy, it means so much to me that I share this connection with my grandma. That's something that most girls don't get or will ever understand. its such a special bond that you get to share with your sisters, and if you're a legacy, then with that family member.

Without Theta, I don't know where I would be at this point in my life. I owe most of my college experiences thus far to my sisters. And for that, I thank them.

Theta Love and Mine <3

Dear SeaTac Airport,

It's nice to see you again. It's been a while. We are going to be very good friends by the end of today.

Right now, I am sitting in the Seattle airport food court for the second hour in a row. I have t- three more hours until my plane takes off for Missoula. My layover was a total of five hours today and it actually hasn't been too bad so far. I ate lunch at Qdoba, a nice family of four came and sat at my table and had lunch with me, and I finished watching we bought a zoo on my iPad. My flight into SeaTac was very relaxing, read less than a page of the book I need to finish by Tuesday, and watched the first half of the movie. I sat behind the cutest baby EVER, who was surprisingly quiet for an infant on an airplane. The drive to the San Jose airport and the whole visit there was very easy. Zac and I needed to stop for gas an d we were a little bit worried about traffic, so we left an hour and a half early instead of just an hour, but there was no line at the gas station, no traffic, no need to check in, pring boarding passes or check bags, no line at security and no line at Starbucks. So therefore I was sitting at the gate for the entire hour they say you need to get through the airport and to your gate on time. I thought it was pretty funny. (:

So, spring break... It was a pretty good time even though it was so short..
Monday: spent the day with elyse in Monterey, ate noodle bar for lunch, met her friends, went shopping and had dinner on the wharf with mom. Spent the night with Emma.
Tuesday: woke up late, went to see Emma's horse, drove to Monterey and got coffee and went shopping with mom, then made stuffed bell peppers for dinner and waked make it or break it until late.
Wednesday: drove to San Jose to pick zac up at the airport, made fajitas for lunch, hung out for the day and went to dinner at la hacienda with Keith, Kari, jack, Sophie and grandma. Then watched extremely loud and incredibly close at home.
Thursday: woke up early and got coffee with Ian at vertigo, went bowling with mom and zac, visited with grandma and grandpa, went for a run, and went to BJ's Brewhouse in salinas for dinner with dad.
Friday: woke up early and went to the airport. And now here we are.

It was a very eventful week, but good nonetheless.

Now I'm headed back to zoo town, getting a ride home from Ashley and her dad, then I'm going to have a thrilling weekend of laundry and rearranging my room. (: it's gonna be a party! (:

"all you need is 20 seconds of incredible courage and I promise something good will come out of it. " <3

My Series of Emotions on The Flight HOME!

1. Very very excited to finally get out of my dorm room when Kate came to pick me up for my flight.
2. Excited when i ran into alison (kappa) and chloe (former dg) at the Missoula airport because they were both on my flight to denver.
3. Disappointed because the movie I was going to watch on the flight didn't upload onto my iPad. :(
4. Shocked when I saw courtney delgado's uncle at the Denver airport because he happens to be on my flight home to San Jose (can you say the wierdest thing ever??!?)
5. Annoyed when the people behind me on the plane started arguing about healthcare in the US before I could even listen to my iPod and block them out.. (I had to resist the urge to turn around and tell them that while I appreciate their opinion, to please keep it to themselves until we can listen to music, probably a good thing I didn't do that... Lol)
6. Appreciative that I downloaded new music last week (I'm enjoying it thoroughly).
7. Not as annoyed as I thought I would be with the new book I have to read for American history (stride toward freedom by Martin Luther King, Jr.)
8. Annoyed at United airlines for charging so much for their food ($7.50 for a mini snack box!!!) I'm hungry, but not that hungry..
9. Inquisitive about whether I should keep reading the book required for school or if I should start the third hunger games book...
10. Overall, VERY EXCITED to be going home, even if it's only for a few days. (:
(:

YAY for SUMMER!!!!

I am so so so excited about this summer!! At first, I was hesitant to accept the job offer to watch my girls Emma and Alexis again this summer, but mainly because I ran out of ideas of what to do with them so quickly last summer! But now, since I know so far in advance (and since I'm now best friends with Pinterest, which I didn't know existed last summer), I have been pinning my life away and I am so excited!

I also have a lot more ideas on my own than I did last summer.

I have already sent each of the kids a letter asking them to create a Summer Bucket List of their own so they have ideas of what THEY want to do. One of our biggest set-backs last year was that no one knew what they wanted to do every day so we would sit at the kitchen table every morning and try to figure it out. And once we did, we usually didn't have the supplies or resources. This way, we'll be better prepared every day. (:

Another idea that I have is for each of the kids to set goals for themselves. I know that each of them has something or other that they would like to accomplish (i.e. read 20 books, learn sign language, get better at counting change, etc...) and I'd like to help them do so.

And finally, my last idea is to celebrate every holiday of the year in the three months that I'll be with the girls. My theory behind this is that I always find holiday themed crafts on Pinterest and can never do them because the only holidays in June, July and August are Father's Day, Fourth of July and my birthday. (: However, when I start watching the girls in June, We can kick of the summer with a mini New Year's party! and we can end the summer, in August, with a Christmas themed day. I haven't talked to the girls about it yet, but I'm sure they'll love it.

I seriously cannot wait until this summer starts! I am sooooo prepared!!

(:

Some Creativity on My Part

My first crayon art piece. :)


One of my favorites, inspired by my best friends <3


Another one of my favorites, inspired by my sisters at Kappa Alpha Theta <3


Went from a mistake to a masterpiece.


For one of my favorite little girls, Alexis.


LOVE the black canvas, can't wait to do another!


Also love the splatter paint. <3


I found the idea for the crayon art on Pinterest and fell in love. I started dabbling a bit and apparently, everyone else fell in love as well. (: I've gotten many requests and sold lots of pieces. I've loved making every piece and love the idea that I've helped people decorate their walls.

<3

13 by 2013 *First* Update

13 Goals to Reach by 2013.

1. Attend a mind-blowing concert!
Still working on choosing the right one

2. Lose at least 35 pounds.
I'm down 10 pounds since the beginning of the semester.

3. Save at least $2000.
I'm up to $125...

4. Buy a new pair of TOMS.
Once I get the money, it's happening.

5. Get a tattoo.
DONE AND DONE!!


6. 3.2 GPA
We'll see at the end of the semester.

7. Buy a car.
Like I said, I'm only a little bit past $100. Not so close to this one..

8. Run 3 miles straight.
Last I checked, I'm still under a mile. We'll see next week..

9. Learn sign Language.
On the waiting list.

10. Participate in and finish the COLOR RUN 5K in San Francisco on July 28, 2012.
Registration hasn't come around yet.

11. Spoil my little <3
Don't have one yet.

12. Live, LAUGH, Love, Forgive more.
Working on this one every day.

13. Live every day to it's fullest.
Well, I got a freakin tattoo today. If that's not taking the opportunity by the neck, I don't know what is..

<3

New Traditions

I just discovered this new idea on a friend of mine's blog and i've decided that I want to start up one of my own. This year, I'm going to start making a number of goals to accomplish before the New Year. The number will depend on what the next year is, i.e. 13 goals for 2013, 14 goals for 2014, etc.. And I'll also post updates on how my goals are coming along every few weeks(:

My goals to complete before next year are:

1. Attend a mind-blowing concert!

2. Lose at least 35 pounds.

3. Save at least $2000.

4. Buy a new pair of TOMS.



5. Get a tattoo.



6. 3.2 GPA

7. Buy a car.

8. Run 3 miles straight.

9. Learn sign Language.

10. Participate in and finish the COLOR RUN 5K in San Francisco on July 28, 2012.



11. Spoil my little <3

12. Live, LAUGH, Love, Forgive more.



13. Live every day to it's fullest.



And I put each of these goals somewhere where I would always see them. <3

On This Day in History...

my daddy was born. (: I figured that since today is a pretty big day, I'd post a little thing about my dad. He's definitely one of the best people I know and I have never stopped loving him, even through some of the stuff we've been through together. Since I was born, he tried to be around as much as he could, but the Marine Crops hindered that ability a little bit. Since we moved to California when I was 7, he was assigned two tour in Iraq and was gone about one weekend a month for training, but for the most part, he was around and he was a great dad. For the last six years, since him and my mom have been divorced, I don't see him as much as I would like, but let's be real, I'd like to see him all the time so it's a little hard to make that happen. When I lived at home, I usually saw him once or twice a week and he was always around for the important things. He came to the awards show at school when I got four scholarships for college, he came to my exhibitions and watched me ring the bell after my PG/SL, he came to graduation and he was always around for my birthday. Since I've been at school, we talk about once a week or more if something important is going on. He always does things for my best interest and helps me with anything I need him for. He always tells me that he worries about me all the way out here in the boondocks, but knows that i can take care of myself and that's really all i want, for someone to be there when I want them but to also trust my better judgement.

My father is a great man and I can't wait to see what shenanigans he gets himself into in the future.



I found this blog post on Pinterest and it definitely made me think of him. He epitomizes this list and i love him for that.

http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters
(copy and paste URL to see original blog post, all credit to Michael Mitchell)

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.

10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.

23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.

34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.

40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.

41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.



<3 you daddy!

A Piece of My Mind

Someone is definitely getting one tomorrow. I hate that it's only my second post and it's already a rant. As I mentioned in my last post, I was an Elementary Education major last semester and I recently switched to Speech Pathology. This basically meant that I was now in harder classes, but also that I would get paid more and have a better career path under my belt in the future. However, I was disappointed that my classes last semester had been a waste of time since I had taken mostly education classes, including Math 135, which I called "Third Grade Math" because we literally talked about adding, subtracting, fractions and percentages and played with blocks all semester. Now, this semester, because it's a requirement for my new major, I've been getting my ass kicked in Math 115 (linear equations and probability). However, tonight, I found out that Math 135 now works for my general math credit. I am sooo annoyed that they changed this requirement for the Speech Pathology major after i've wasted half of my semester in it when i didn't need to!! I could have filled that time with an actual requirement for my major or something that didn't kick my ass. :/

i have a meeting with my advisor tomorrow and i'm going to see what she says about taking it credit/no credit and if i can do that, i think i'll just stop going to class and doing homework and such. stuff like that..

bottom line, I'm really annoyed right now.

:/

New Beginnings

So, this is the first blog I've done that doesn't have a specific purpose, so I'm just going to jump into it. This is a place where I want to be able to post my thoughts on various topics, post pictures (and possibly instructions on how to make) of my artwork and random little crafts that I do, and possibly post neat stuff that I find on Pinterest and in a way, want to double repin! Boy, do I love Pinterest! my Pinterest addiction (which started halfway trough last semester) has definitely curbed my Facebook addiction (which I've had for coming on four years now...)


So, in case people I don't know in person start following this (which I definitely DO NOT mind! I'm not all Stranger Danger on here[: ), I guess I 'ought to introduce myself. I'm Emily. I am a freshman (almost a sophomore (holy crap!)) at University of Montana (GO GRIZ!!) in Missoula. I am a member of the Alpha Nu chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta and I love every single moment of it. Home is not Montana, but in a far away land called California. Central Coast to be as exact as I can and people still know what I'm talking about. I moved to Montana with two girls that I've known since grade 2, and am roommates with one of them. It's been great having them here since I didn't know anyone else when I got here. I have one other roommate. She is from Montana (Helena, 2 hours away from Missoula) and goes home about every other to every three weekends and I usually miss her. Carly (the one from home), Emilyn (the one from here), and I make up our little pod in Miller Hall. It's a pretty great combination; Emilyn is the determined pre-med major, Carly is the ambitious Wildlife biologist and lil' ol' me is the street-smart Pre-Elementary Education turned SPEECH PATHOLOGY major that hopes she passes American History and Math 115 (linear equations and probability, bleck!).

Since I've moved here, I've met some people that I KNOW will be lifetime friends and cannot wait to live in a house with them all next semester. They are my friends, and my sisters. There's my big sister, Ashley and her big sister (my grandbig), Kate. I think I love them best, but mostly because they're my direct line. Ashley is an English Education major and basically has the same life as me. We have so much in common that I'm never surprised when people ask if we really ARE sisters, and not just sorority sisters. I love her to death. Kate is a health and human performance major and can't wait to start her life as a health consultant? i actually have no idea what she plans on doing with her major. And of course, there are other amazing girls in my house that I love to death. There's Shanna, Renee (<-- they're roomies and its the cutest thing ever), Hunter and Meghan (my pansy pals), Lynsee, Lauren, Betsey and Caroine (our newest members), and honestly, wayyy too many people to even list. There are 62 girls in the house, do you really blame me?

Also, I have a biological family, almost forgot, whoops. (: just kidding, i love them. My Mom and Dad (i'll just call them mom and dad.) have been divorced since I was like, 12? I think. It's been too long, I can't even remember anymore. Dad is remarried and has been for about the same time as he's been divorced, so like, 6 years. Karen is his wife and she has two kids, Kayla (22) and Ben (10). Mom has been dating Mike for about 4 or 5 years now and he has two boys, Andrew (17) and Alex (14?). They're all pretty nice, I've definitey gotten used to them being around. But there's always Zac. He's my big brother and I absolutely adore him. h is my role model, my best friend, my hero and the rock I lean on when shit hits the fan. He recently turned 22 and is preparing for his turn at the Basic School for the United States Marine Corps. He will graduate from Arizona State University in May and I honestly couldn't be more proud of him. He takes after my dad with the whole Marine thing. Dad was a Marine from the time before I was born until June 2010, totaling out to be 26 years. He retired as a colonel and had racked up time in Iraq (2 tours for the current/most recent war and one tour back in 1993 when I was born for Desert Storm). I'll never know what he did over there because every time I ask, he tells me that if he told me, he'd have to kill me and that he's grown too fond of me to do that. (: Now that he's retired, he works for a company that prints state standardized tests and textbooks, so as a student, i tell people that he works for the enemy. i usually get a chuckle out of that one. Mom, on the other hand, has never been into the whole military business. when i was a kid, she was a Creative Memories consultant and since then, she has been a paralegal, and then after a few years of schooling and a round or two of colon cancer, she is a massage therapist and a retail specialist (they like to make it sound important) at a homeopathic pharmacy back home. The three of them are definitely the best family I could ask for. Sure, we have had our ups and downs, but honestly, who hasn't? They are all the strongest people I know and even with all the stuff we've been through, we always stick together and work through it as a team.

I also have friends back home. They are the best people I know and I couldn't have asked for better friends to have in high school. Evanne has been one of my best friends since freshman year when we were in geometry together and I really wanted to meet the chick that wore the bright yellow skirt to school and literally laughed at all my dumb jokes. She has been a friend, a sister, a rock, a dinosaur, some dirt, a chef, oh wait. I'm just listing random things. but really. she is my best friend. Miss Elyse is one of my other best friends. we also met freshman year and i'm pretty sure i met her through evanne because they were in the same advisory. she is the one that keeps me sane and calms me down when I'm overreacting about something. and at the same time, if I'm not overreacting, then she stands by me and has my back. she has been the one i go to to vent and to have fun all at the same time. Emma is one of the strongest, most imaginative people I know. We also met through evanne freshman year, but they had known each other since 6th grade. she's always up for talking and I can always count on her to answer her phone when i'm walking home from the theta house late at night. and stephanie. i have known stephanie since grade 2 and she's been the most awkward, most hilarious, and best friend I've had for that long. i can always count on stephanie to make a planned half hour Skype date into a two hour one because we can't literally talk about anything. Evanne is at UC Davis studying wildlife biology, Elyse is at CSU Monterey Bay studying marine biology, stephanie is at UCLA studying business management and Emma is the only one of us that stayed home to work on her relationship and their future together.


You see, I have a great family and a great group of friends back home that i left behind to come to the boondocks of the US, montana. people never understand why i left all of that and the seemingly great life that i had back in california behind to come here. "why would you leave the sand and surf?" they ask me. "why would you leave your friends and family?" they ask me. what no one understands until they come to montana to visit is that this place is beautiful. i am surrounded by mountains and boy, they don't call this place Big Sky country for nothing. it is legitimately the best place i have ever lived in and i don't think i could picture myself anywhere else. i don't now what ill do or where i'll go after graduation, but for now, and for the next three years, i am positively content right where i am. sure, i left biological family and high school friends behind, but i also gained my theta family and my college friends here. and i won't leave it for anything. [except maybe spring break, which is next week and i absolutely cannot wait to go home for a few days!]

<3