Hail to the Ps and Q

     It is National Princess Week. I don't know the origin of this, but in festival world it is an excuse to post a picture on Facebook from the year you were a princess for your community festival or ambassador program. I like to think of it as a reminder of how lucky I am to have had my princess Leah and queen Carly (she wore a crown so I am thinking of her this week too) by my side last year. Not only do I think of those two but also I think of all the incredible women I have met in the Past Aquatennial Princess Association and across the state of Minnesota. 

       The relationship between Leah and I started at our candidate orientation. Our mothers were the ones that actually started it because they were sitting between the two of us so we really couldn't talk. Plus they had so much to chat about; working in elementary schools, sewing, homemade jam, the list could seriously go on forever. 

       I was really nervous going into the orientation because I didn't know anyone, but when I finally did get to talk to Leah, those fears left me; I knew right then and there that we clicked.  Instantly she calmed my nerves, she still does this for me today. She doesn't know it but there were times last year that I would get nervous to speak at a coronation and just by talking to her for a minute I was fine. 

      Throughout our candidate experience we talked some, but not a whole lot. It was so hard to do when there were 44 other girls to get to know. What I do remember is that our parents talked at all of the events and my parents guessed that she would be selected. Like many others, they quickly saw how special Leah is. 

       On our bus ride to the coronation, Leah and I sat next to each other. I remember being sad that we hadn't talked more during the week. Little did I know that just a few hours later we would be selected as the team of princesses, which has connected us for life. 

      Throughout our year together with our fabulous Queen Carly, the three of us became great friends.  It is amazing how quickly we connected. We had and still have a dynamic that I can't even describe; we just work well together. I will forever cherish the memories we made last year and will continue to make as we continue our friendships in the years to come.

Your welcome Captain Sharolyn.

Aquatennial Torchlight Parade. Our last parade.
We were talking about not crying and being happy. :) 

My crown momma and crown baby. I love these two!

Fabulous past princesses. I am so excited to be part of this amazing group of women. 

Hallway Traffic Violations

     I don't care where you go to school, if it's high school or college, or where you work; we are all guilty of a hallway traffic violation at some point in our lives. In this post, I am going to use SMSU as an example, because it is where I see it day after day. 

       At a college with 3,600 students, we have all most likely heard of one another, seen each other at a sporting event, in the student center at lunch, or walking through the halls. Knowing this many people, wouldn't you think it would be normal to see everyone greeting each other in the hall with a simple hello, wave, or smile? This is not always the case.  

       When I walk to my classes I usually see a handful of friends, maybe a co-worker or two, professors, people from my hometown, a super friendly janitor*, numerous acquaintances, and then people I do not know at all. While I would like to greet everyone in some way, I don't. I sometimes dread walking to class knowing I am going to have to walk by several people who will do everything in their power not to look at me, and at times I will do the same. Let me give you the top 4 scenarios:

1. "Oh, I have phone call. I should pick it up and talk to the ghost on the other side instead of saying hi to the person I do not know walking past me." *It's so much easier having a fake conversation I guess.

2. "Hmmm, what is on the floor (sometimes ceiling) today?" *Wouldn’t you rather look at a face?

3. "Maybe if I walk fast and look straight ahead I can get away with not saying anything." *You can't.

4. "Oh no she just smiled at me. Look away and just ignore, she won't notice." *Would smiling back kill you?"

     I have been on both sides of this, and neither is fun, especially being on the receiving end. Something I think we all need to remember is that we don’t know what people are going through in their lives and a smile can make a huge difference. I can think of several times I have walked through the halls of SMSU, was greeted, and it made me feel so much better. A kind acknowledgement can go a long way. We may never know how much it will mean, but that shouldn’t stop us from doing it anyway.

     I challenge all of you reading this to say hello to a stranger in the halls of SMSU, at work, the grocery store, the bike trail, wherever you go. You never know who you will meet, or the impact you will have. I believe we can make the world a bit brighter and happier place by doing this each and everyday. 

Footnote:

*The members of the SMSU cleaning and maintenance staff are some of the friendliest people you will meet. They greet everyone with a cheery hello and smile. We could all learn from these amazing people. 

A Little Love for the Birthday Boy...Man

      "It's a boy!" Eighteen years ago today my four-year old self cried to this news because I wanted another sister. While I was upset, the crazy sister I do have was the opposite. She was excited and asked my parents if we could name him Ken, after the Barbie Doll of course. I think the two of us girls actually thought he was a doll because we asked Mom if we could put him in our play crib, which we did once with parental supervision of course. My sheer disappointment quickly left me when I saw him for the first time. I have vague memories of holding him and being in awe of the little guy who quickly became the center of attention, which came from both Amy and I and still does to this day.

      Many times being the youngest, people feel like they have to live up to what their siblings did before them. David (my parents didn't take Amy's advice, thank God!) hasn't ever had to think of that because he has blazed his own trail. He is so funny, incredibly talented, and is kind to everyone. 

     David's sense of humor started at a young age. I remember the two of us had a tendency to dress up in whatever we could find: hats, mittens, grandma's old jewelry, the ball pit tunnel...don't ask. We didn't realize how often we did this until we found an assortment of pictures when we were planning my graduation party. David gets me to laugh in so many ways. One of his favorite things to do is turn off all the lights in the basement and to chase me around as I try to turn them back on. Yes, I am afraid of the dark, especially when he is lurking behind the couch. Another way David gets my whole family to laugh is by the things he says. He can be so blunt and sassy sometimes, that you burst into laughter out of disbelief of what he just said.

      Along with being one of the funniest guys I know, he is also one of the most talented. My favorite thing to do in the fall is watch him play football, this season especially. He has played varsity football since his freshman year but being a junior this past season, he was on the field a lot. David is one of the running backs and he is meant for this position. The second you think he is going down he gains other 5+ yards. This past season he broke the school record for most rushing yards in a season with 1,300 in 216 carries, and tied the record for most rushing touchdowns in a season with 13. Watching this happen was a family bonding experience. Everyone gets so worked up at his games: Mom holds her breath every time he has the ball; Dad has to get there super early and then walks all over the place to take pictures (or because he can't stand to be in just one spot); and Amy and I scream as loud as we can and usually are holding hands at some point during the game. I am so proud of everything David has accomplished in sports but I am more proud of the way he carries himself.  Being an incredible athlete, he receives a lot of recognition and praise, but instead of boasting, he extends that praise onto his teammates. 

      Outside of sports, he is a leader by demonstrating love, respect, and humility for those around him. Knowing my brother for his entire life, I have watched him grow into the respectable young man he is today.  David has brought fun, love, happiness, and a lot of laughter into my life. He probably doesn’t realize how much of an inspiration is to me as well as others. Even though he is younger than I am, he has taught me so much about life and faith. Through his words and actions of kindness and empathy towards others, I am inspired to do the same.

Happy Birthday, David! 
I love you!         

Thanks for being supportive of the "princess".
I know community coronations were the last place you wanted to be. 

Lanesboro trip: In the Garden Room...the same room
 our family stays every time. I believe we were watching
SpongeBob after a bike ride to the store to get treats. We
have a reenacted picture of this somewhere.

Eating "soup soups" (Froot Loops) out of a china bowl. 

Quick stop at Lake Michigan. 

Another dress up day. This time
with Grandma Soups old jewelry. 

One of our dress up days with
 mittens on our feet. 

The Inseparable Trio

"To the outside world, we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time." -- Clara Ortega

      I am finding this blog post incredibly difficult to write because I desperately want to find the best words to show my love and appreciation for my two best friends, my brother and sister. The relationship between Amy, David, and I is something I treasure deeply. We are all relatively close in age, which granted us with great times growing up together. Looking back at my childhood I am greeted with the warmest memories; Christmases, bobble-head days at Twins games, trips to grandma's house in Wisconsin, biking up and down Maple Street, the backyard swing set, baseball in the backyard, American Girl and Boy dolls (the boy part didn't last long), and many more great memories.

       Something that I have noticed more since going to college is how quirky the three of us are together. Seriously, get us together and you don't know what will happen… I can’t even share what happens because it can't be put into words. You have to witness it yourself. What I can put into words is that we are usually laughing at each other, at an inside joke, and anything and everything else. It is a rare thing to have the three of us together without a laugh.  Amy and David are the two people that make me laugh and smile the most.

      As the three of us are growing into young adulthood, our relationship has grown stronger and deeper, especially within the past month. With the recent tragedy in Sleepy Eye, I have found a deeper appreciation for my siblings that I never thought was possible. I have always been thankful for them, but now that I have been painfully reminded that someone can be gone at anytime I cherish every hug, conversation, or time spent with either of them more than ever.  I am thankful for everyday that I have had with them and I look forward to many more laughs, and years with these two incredible people.

This picture sums up our
relationship really well. 

We are David's biggest fans not only in football,
but in everything he does. He is such a talented young man. 

We like to ride escalators for fun. Can
you say, "Small town kids?!"