Mid-life update.

I kind of went on a blog hiatus for a month and a half.  Whoops.  I love the writing that comes with blogging, which is probably why my blog has lots of wordy posts.  And since I'm kind of playing catch-up right now, I think today's post needs to have bullets...too much going on in my head right now to write about each thing, so we'll go for an overview!

• At the end of August, my brother flew to Oklahoma.  He still had a lot of his childhood things at my parent's casa and since he has his own house in New Hampshire, it was time that his immense video game collection and Star Wars items find their way to that house :)  So, he and I rented a minivan {packed to the brim} and made the 1800 mile trek to New Hampshire.  

• While in New Hampshire, I got to see Jill before she moved from Boston to Austin.  We spent a day on the lake kayaking using my bro and SIL's kayaks!  Thanks J & T :)

• Also in New Hampshire, Tina and I got to play with decorating their house :)  I think of it as playing...Tina probably thinks of it as work.  The pic on the left {below} is the winter-y look. The pic on the right {below} is for spring!  Much more light and airy.  

• The new house is coming along...slowly but surely!  When I got back from New Hampshire, I found a GIANT surprise: Mom removed all of the popcorn ceilings throughout the entire house. I was completely and utterly shocked/ecstatic.  What this has ended up meaning is, other projects got added to the to-do list because of the popcorn being gone.  In layman's terms, we're pretty much gutting the whole house.  One of the bigger projects includes raising the floor in the sunken living room {which was one of the things dating the house the most}.  

before

during {bye bye columns}

after!

• Don't worry, there's still more work to show you, but that's just to give a few teaser pics of the house :)  more Doma Diaries posts to come in the near future!  
• My old iphone 3gs was on it's last leg a few weeks ago.  It served me well for 3+ years, but when the new iphone came out, I preordered mine immediately.  I never thought that I'd be able to keep an iphone working, but they make them pretty dang tough--I dropped mine in the OCEAN and it barely blinked an eye.  

one last picture from my old iphone :)

• After I got home from New Hampshire, my brother asked me if I wanted to start an app called Couch to 5k.  I had been meaning to start working out again, but never found the motivation. So, 6 weeks ago, we started the program together.  And today, I ran for 20 minutes {although the last 5 minutes of the run was barely a jog} for the first time since January and before getting sick in Ukraine. It wasn't pretty, but I did it!  A few weekends ago, it got realllllly chilly in Norman {in the 40's} but I still had to do my run.  So, I broke out the only leggings I had around. 

• This past weekend was one of the best weekends of the year: OU/Saxet.  Pretty sure that it was my favorite OU/Texas game to date.  Words can't explain how excited the crowd was after every touchdown we scored on them.  

Pops, Mom, and Lydia at the game. 

• I recently chopped off my bangs.  Again.  It usually happens at a very random time {this time it was 11:30 pm last Wednesday night}--like this time, when I had been painting all day.  

That's all for now.  I'll leave you with two different Oklahoma sunsets that made my heart happy.  

Boomer. Sooner.

Way-Back-Wednesday #23: Happy Birthday, Jilly!

So, I had this post all written and prepared for yesterday.  BUT, no internet at my apartment.  Wah, wah.  That means I have to do it today, even though it's Thursday.  It does make a bit more sense because today is someone's birthday...which is what the post is for!

Meet Jill.

You might remember her from a few different posts {here, here, or here to name a few}.  As much as I love/hate the story of how we met, I'll go ahead and tell it.  Jill's probably laughing now as she reads this and remembers that day.  I met Jill my freshman year of college.  To be exact, the first day that we moved in to the dorms of OU's beautiful campus.  Jill and I went to high school together.  This is where the story gets awkward and embarrassing for me.

Jill knew me in high school.

I did not her.

I knew her name and her face, but didn't know they went together.  This has been a legendary story brought up ANYTIME Jill finds the time to make me feel bad :)  But, I love her all the same.

So, we were new freshmen in the dorm.  My roomie, Karen, and I were ordering pizza that night for supper.  I always {ALWAYS} eat ranch dressing with my pizza.  Jill stuck her head in our room and asked if we needed anything from the store; I asked if she would mind getting me a ranch dressing :)  we exchanged phone numbers then and I put her name in my phone as "Jill Ranch." To this day, she is  in my phone as Jill Ranch. Sometimes, I try to type that into facebook to search for her, but that's not her real name.  Enough with the chit chat though; let's take a walk down memory lane!

Jill has one of the most fun-loving personalities of anyone I've ever known . She never says no to any idea.

Road trip?  Sure!

Sledding?  Why not!

Move to Boston after college?  Done!

Rafting trip?  Duh!

I admire so much about Jill--her free spirit, contagious laughter and smile, and her willingness to leap when someone says "jump!"  I have a bajillion pictures of us together from 2005 on, so, without further ado..

dorm activities...

our hands were SO dirty with newsprint.

the dorms.

freshman year of college, 2005--Lydia, Ashlee, Jill

sledding adventures of freshman year!

anytime it snowed in Norman, a trip to Tecumseh and I-35 was in order...and Jill was always the ring leader of this activity :)

Jilly...

at Big Event--2006

the only time in my life I've ever made a human pyramid!

the last day in the dorms!

First OU game of 2007--Jill wore a green shirt and our opponent's team colors just happened to be green as well.  Smooth move... :)

This is "The Jill" face.  I could have posted a LOT of these, but I opted for others.  This one was at OU/Texas!  Our first time to go!

Boomer Sooner...

Tacky Christmas Party 2007

Tacky Christmas Party 2008--Jill sewed a stocking to her sweatshirt and gave out candy canes all night :)

If you would like to read more about the story of this picture, you can click here...

best of friends.

a very young Lydia, Jill, and Mitchell

and a very old Mitchell, Lydia, and Jill!

typical.

Allison, Lydia, Jill, and Bert--at a super warm game!

and Allison, Lydia, and Jill at a VERY cold game...

OU/Texas 2007

OU/Texas 2009

Halloween...no comment.

group timer pic.

Snow pics!  

Rafting adventures :)

fun at the OK State Fair :)

I'm the albino, Jill is the brown one.

Jill is always 10 shades darker than I am...

first time skiing!!

love you Jilly :) hope you have a blessed birthday!

My extra room...

Today, I decided to bite the bullet and put up my heavy winter coat, smartwool socks, winter snow boots, gloves, hats, heavy winter blanket, etc.  Now, it will be probably be freezing in a few days just because I did that, but I've never understood the idea {and excitement} that comes with putting up your winter gear.  

I get it now.

I did laundry today too and washed my long undies and flannel sheets (thanks, Julia!) that will also be put away as soon as they're dry :)  And since I don't think I've ever shown y'all my extra bedroom/dining room/laundry room/closet, I thought I'd snap a few pics so you could see it in all its glory.  This room is located at the back of my apartment and I honestly don't use it very often.  When I first moved into this apartment, this room was filled with dirty, old, nasty junk.  After a few months of living here, my landlady cleaned it out and allowed me to use the room.  It's nice for hosting a big meal, storing my clothes/shoes, and drying laundry.  Other than that, it rarely gets used.  

The view from the door

some of today's laundry drying...and my Christmas decorations in the window. I don't have anywhere else to put them!

my bookshelf--complete with Russian language books that I haven't opened since last June and the magazines I've collected over the past year.  I only let myself read a new one when I'm having a bad day or need a pick-me-up. 

How I dry sheets :) hung over a chair, bench, and suitcase standing up.  The wood unit behind the sheet is my closet.  The entry to the room is on the right side of this pic.

Inside the wardrobe! The winter boots are now in bags in the bag and I haven't decided yet what I'll do with my sweaters.  This is the only hanging space I have in the apartment.

"Let's get some shoes..." :) the heels Mitchell brought over when he lugged an extra suitcase here and I have yet to wear them.  Sad day.  

Scarf collection

The random assortment of hangers drives my OCD up the wall, but hangers are really expensive here for some reason.  So, gotta make do! :)

The left side of the wardrobe--sheets/pillowcase storage, random make-up bags, make-up, etc.

So, that's all!  I am supposed to a video for Peace Corps showing different people's apartments and living situations here in Ukraine.  Once I do it, I'll of course post it here.  

Gotta end today's post with a double-birthday shout-out to Mr. Parker John Pilkington and Mr. Edward Clay Faison (or Edward Clue Faison, which is how it was announced at high school graduation).  I've known these boys since I moved to Oklahoma in 2001...and I only wish I had some of those pics here with me in Ukraine.  BUT, I did manage to scrounge up a few old ones.  Happy Birthday Parker and Clay!  You only turn a quarter of a century old once, so enjoy it!  

My senior prom date--2005!  Clay doesn't normally smile like that.  He was tired of taking pictures.  However, this does capture the true essence of Clay :)

See, I wasn't kidding.  Lydia, Rose, Nan, Amy, and Clay...who was already done with Baccalaureate and out of his cap and gown!

Lydia, Parker, Rosebud--bbq at Parker's in 2006 

Clay and Lydia--tacky Christmas party 2007

Parker and Lydia at OU/Sexat 2008

Most of the gang at Blake's wedding

Amy, Lydia, Anna, Rose

Parker, Andrew, Bert, Marty, Andy, Clay, Nic, Jarred, Will

Parker and Lydia--Jacey's wedding in 2010

 Happy birthday boys :)  hope it's a great day!