An anniversary people shouldn't have to have

Today is the 6 year anniversary of my Uncle Don's death.

And still, like it was yesterday, I remember every detail.

From sitting in a girl down the hall's dorm room, getting ready for a fun Saturday night out on the town.

From calling my boyfriend, and my friends.

From trying to figure out how I was going to get home.

From missing a week of school.

From wishing more than anything I could not go back to school.

From standing with my sisters and my cousin at the casket at the end of calling hours, in silence, with tears running down our faces because we couldn't go up alone.

From wishing I could take the pain that my mom, her parents, and my cousins had to face.

From praying that I would wake up and it would all be a dream.

From knowing that the last time I spoke to him, he ended the conversation with "Da-Niece, have a great time at college, and don't get into more trouble than I would."

From realizing that our family dynamic had forever changed.

And on this day, I remember the laughter, the Budweiser, the crazy water gun fights, the memories, the vegetable dip on my hands, the serious talks and threats at my graduation party, the trips to get thrown into pools, lakes and whatever other body of water was around.

And I wish more than anything, I was able to tell him one more time how much he meant to me.

*photo taken courtesy of Sarah at Love has many Flavors

Pour Your Heart Out: Get up and Live

Every time I go to write a Pour Your Heart Out post with Shell I go from thinking I should write about my family, or my job, or what's going on in my life. Something interesting, something that people will like to hear or read about. And then I start writing, and sometimes it meshes, and sometimes it doesn't. This is kind of rambly. Bare with me.

or don't, but hey, your choice! :)

Over the past couple of days, I have, as I wrote last week, spent a lot of time in Rochester. I have tan lines because I sat at the pool (!!!!!) and it's great. But I also came to the realization.

As I get older I have come to realize how much my family can mean to me. Whether it's hearing the same stories from Grandpa "Crunchy" and trying to correct his political incorrectness (which I have given up on, unless it's really bothersome, because seriously, at 80 I am just not going to be able to influence him at this point) or going to pick up Gramps and visiting all of my now "Over 90 club" favorites at his retirement facility, 2 of which were in his wedding party almost 70 years ago, or meeting my cousin's son for the first time (even though he's 18 months old), or giving up the fight while getting thrown in the pool, it was a great way to spend 5 days. It was a much needed reminder of how much going back and seeing my family can do for me mentally and physically. I am refreshed (post pool toss of course) and I'm ready to go.

Especially because I found out that one of my aunt's actually reads my blog! And thinks I'm good at this whole "writing" thing. It was nice to hear, and it was kind of surprising to find out that she reads this, but hey, I'm all about people reading and following and commenting, so what the heck, I'll take it :)

So thanks, to my family, to my friends, to my blogging friends for making the past 6.5 months something fun, and opening up a creative and fun aspect of my life. This isn't like my other PYHO posts, but I thought I needed it today.

Time to go and apply some more after sun lotion to keep this tan a bit longer.... ahhh, summer.

PS. I started training for my 5K in September. Couch to 5K program. I am seriously out of shape, but if I can't devote 25 minutes 3 times a week to this, I have massive problems.

Cuz seriously, I just spent 25 minutes writing and editing this. While sitting. And thinking about how it's been 6 months in this year and this is the first time I actually took a step towards accomplishing one of my new years resolutions. It's no half marathon, but a 5k is still a good step.

Sheeshka.

Oh, and ps go check out Tessica, who has this AWESOME feature on her blog called 26 before 26 because seriously, it's great, and well... almost like a bucket list of things to do before a certain point in your life... In her case, before the age of 26. Who doesn't like a fun "Life List"?! It reminds you to get up and LIVE. Which is the most important anyways.

A little bit of a Woman's Intuition.

This may or may not be the greatest post I have ever read in my life.

Like, seriously.

This woman has totally hit life on the head.

Except, let's clear some things up for those who may be confused.

1) I am not pregnant. (Nor, Mom, am I trying to get pregnant, because well... just because "Fertility" is in the name of the practice of my lady parts doctor, doesn't mean I'm making use of their services.)

2) I don't know what this could be, except for teh fact I find it fabulously interesting and intriguing. See, JM, I am not the only one.

and 3) I am so sucked into this whole blog world, that it may just have to become a new way of life for me. Just saying. Look for that post still to come. But seriously, how cool??

Ahhhh, those girls.

I wonder if it ever comes around for them...