We're All Growing Up So Fast

I think I'm at that point in my life where I'm finally starting to realize how much time has flown these past few years. Yesterday, my little brother posted a picture on Facebook showing how his school picture frame is finally filled up with the addition on his senior picture. It just hit me, my little brother is all grown up! I'm getting old! Haha. All of these senior things he is going through right now too. This Saturday I'll be heading home to watch most likely the last hockey game I'll watch him play, and it's also senior night for the team. My mom had to make a poster of him and it's funny just looking at how little he was when he first started hockey and now he's down to his last games.

In a few months, I'll be graduating college and he'll be graduating from high school. The three of us were perfectly spaced: Kristi and I are 4 years apart, then Sam and I are 4 years apart (good one mom! haha). We'll have Sam's grad party, which means I'll be busy putting together his video of old pictures and family videos. I love going through all those pictures and home videos. Absolutely love it. It brings back memories I may have forgotten. We went on a lot of vacations growing up. Disney World, Las Vegas, Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Hawaii, the Black Hills, Smokey Mountains, you name it! That's a lot of pictures and videos to go through! Haha.

It all seems like yesterday, but at the same time a distant memory. Sam is the baby, and will be venturing on with his own life. I know he wants to go into the Marines or Army....I'll be honest....that makes me nervous. Not that I have anything against someone choosing that path, I just never thought it'd be my own baby brother. I know people who currently serve in the armed forces and what it's like for their families. Honestly, if he ever got deployed, I'd be a nervous wreck everyday trying to drag his butt home. I know it's something he wants to do, serve his country. I guess I just wish he would get his education first. I want him to have something to fall back on. Even if its just an associates degree. Of course, he never listens to me. He just thinks I'm nagging him.

I look back at those pictures though, and you see things you didn't at the time of picture. Like, how Sam was always cuddled up to Kristi over me (because I guess Kristi was his protector...from me. lol). Or how if there is a picture of me with cake...yeah...I'm not looking at the camera, I'm staring at the cake. Mmmmmmmm, I like me some cake! Watching family videos, Sam had this obsession with doing peace signs all the time. And boy that SQUEEEEAKY high voice he had, with his BRIGHT blonde hair. Like no joke, he looked like he had white hair. Haha. And Kristi with her bicycle shorts, and me with my crop tops. I for sure couldn't wear anything like that today! Lol.

But now, it's all we have to remember. With Kristi down in Texas and seeing her only like twice a year, and with me graduating and hopefully staying in Winona, and Sam doing God knows what, will things change? I will say, I probably became closer to my family when I went to college, and especially recently. I speak to my parents on a daily basis, and even though we still fight, Sam and I are closer I feel. Kristi can be a little hard to get in touch with at times but I still keep in contact with her. Lol. So going through all this grad party prep for Sam now is exciting but sad at the same time.

We all grew up so fast. And at times, I feel glad to be grown up, but there are still times I wish we could go back to those Black Hills family trips practically every summer. For the longest time, that's where we went every year, but it never bothered us. We loved going out there. I still find myself saying the Black Hills when Nicholas asks where I'd like to go on family vacations someday. It brought so many good memories. So, going through pictures and videos kind of puts a freeze in time, even if momentarily. Mom and I have gotten some good laughs going through all of them too. Like no joke, we've cried from laughing so hard. We were an entertaining family, I will say that. Haha. Still are. We may fight and bicker at times, but we still love each other. I wish we could have another Black Hills trip together. Unfortunately, schedules never work anymore. The last trip out there I took was with Mom and Kristi after my high school graduation, and that brought some funny memories. Lol. I just miss those moments.

When did we all grow up so fast?...it's not cool. I'm so glad though we do have those pictures and videos though. No matter where we all go with our lives, we still will have each other and those memories. So, to my siblings, just know I love you both very very very much and I wish I could spend more time with you. Even if at times it may not seem like it. I don't want to end up those siblings that never speak to each other. Let's not get like that. Distance is only measured in miles, not emotions. We all grew up so fast, but that doesn't mean we can't still be those 3 kids sitting in the backseat of the van, fighting over which movie we're going to watch next, only for Grandma to say "I think I'll cut an apple" just to get us to shut up. Those memories live forever.

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day <3 A day that I used to absolutely hate! Watching all these other people be all lovey and stuff....I think it made me more sad that I DIDN'T have someone to spend it with. Now a days, I wouldn't say I go over the top with the holiday, but it's definitely nice now to have Nicholas to spend it with.

I read an article a few days ago that said on average, people spend $130 on Valentine's Day. That's INSANE!!!! I have never felt like you should have to shell out that much cash just to show someone you love them. Shouldn't you be doing that on a daily basis? Showing them that you love them? I think it's ok to put a little more effort into Valentine's Day.

That's why Nicholas and I don't go as all out as most. I always tell him not to even think about spending his money buying me roses that prices are jacked up for the holiday. We get each other cards and stuff, but to me, I love just being able to spend the day with him. That's why on Valentine's Day, we make it an effort to stay in together and cook and watch movies and cuddle. Every year, we switch off who's going to cook. It was my turn this year! :D

I was so excited too! I have probably looked at Pintrest for ideas for over a month now! I got a little obsessed trying to decide the route I wanted to go. Plus, I had received a muffin/cupcake pan for Christmas that I could finally use to try some baking. I watch cooking shows ALL the time! I love them! I will say, I'm a pretty picky eater, but I love watching people cook on those shows! It inspires me to cook and bake! So I looked and pinned recipes and finally decided on a meal.

I wanted to try chicken. I've messed up chicken a couple of times because I didn't ever really know when it was fully cooked and other things. I found this recipe for called Italian Chicken Cordon Bleu. It's basically chicken cordon bleu except instead of ham, I used pepperoni. Then, for dessert, I wanted to make cupcakes. Now, I'm a vanilla cupcake person myself, however, Nicholas only likes chocolate or marble. Since I wasn't sure I could do marble on my first try, I decided to try chocolate cupcakes. I found a basic recipe and a chocolate buttercream frosting and gave it a try. Oh my lord, they turned out so great! I was so proud of myself! I couldn't believe it! For my personal touch, I added some chocolate chips as garnish. So it was like a chocolate overload cupcake. 

Nicholas LOVED them! I was so happy he did! He loved the whole meal! I didn't allow him to step foot in the kitchen all day or know what I was cooking. I wanted it to be a surprise! And it was! There's been times where I cook something and I know he didn't like it, so I'm so happy he liked this! It made it a successful Valentine's Day dinner! 

I've always believed that you don't have to go out and do something for Valentine's Day. For me, we can go out to dinner and a movie any night of the week. And since this is the busiest night of the year for that, I think we have a good plan at just staying home and having a special day to ourselves. It's just as romantic as anything else, plus we don't have to worry about spending all this money. I love just these precious moments we get to ourselves! I'm also happy that I got to try out some new recipes and building my confidence in my cooking skills! :) Happy Valentine's Day everyone! <3 I posted a few pictures below of the meal I cooked! It was yummy!!!!

What Happened to the Multi-Sport Athlete???

So, for those of you who don't know this, my boyfriend Nicholas is a baseball coach at Cotter High School. It's a great opportunity for him and he very much enjoys it. I like to tag along to practices and game because it's fun to be involved and for the boys to know who I am. They all like to call me their "Den Mother." Haha. I guess I have to smile at that.

One thing I've started to notice though when I hear these boys talk, is while many of them play multiple high school sports, they basically are only committed to one sport. Today, while hanging out at the batting cages while some of the boys hit, Nicholas asked one of the boys if he had a basketball game tonight. The boy responded that he did, and it confused us. The bus had already left for the game, since JV and Varsity have to ride together. He looked at us and went "but baseball is more important." I sat there shocked. This boy came to the batting cages before heading to work for like an hour and then was going to drive to the game only shortly before it started. Like what!?!? How in the world does the coach allow this?

This kid literally made it so obvious that he only really cared about baseball and the other sports are just there to keep him in shape. Heck, last fall I asked a parent about their football team and their response was, "we're not a football school. Everyone is just here to keep busy until baseball." I just couldn't believe it. The fact that today's kids aren't really as well-rounded and as everyone thinks...

What happened to three-sport athletes? Like true three-sport athletes! The one that put his heart and soul into every sport, and coaches understood their needed to be balance. Today, if you aren't 150% dedicated to one sport, you'll never make it. Sport seasons overlap way too much today. I remember when I was in high school, if you had another sport during off-season for another, you had to choose. It was horrible. And if you didn't choose right, forget it, you were never making varsity. I grew up in a very big school though and it's the unfortunate culture of sports today. In the school like Cotter though? Not very big and should be the display of three-sport athletes. But no.

It's just sad. It made me look at Nicholas and told him that if one day he got to a school district that doesn't support multiple-sport athletes and he would fall into that trend, I would set him straight. A high school should not be a "football school" or "basketball school", etc. When I think of that, I think of Hopkins. They suck at practically every sport, but basketball. Of course, that's a whole other topic (*cough cough* recruitment*). lol. It shouldn't be happening in a community like Winona.

Cotter's football team....they sucked this year. Like...horrible! I think I'm starting to see why though. These kids aren't committed. They're hiring a new coach this year and Nicholas is hoping to get on the staff next season and we just have talks about how they need to get these kids back into the passion of football, because a couple years ago, Cotter had a good program. Nicholas played Cotter his senior year and almost got beat by them. So, I'm hoping they'll bring in a coach that will get these kids in the weight room and working hard to improve their team.

The culture of today that a student can only focus hardcore on one sport is ridiculous. I can understand if a student just only likes to play one sport, but the ones who play other sports but don't really care...you're not helping your team or your school.

What happened to the multi-sport athlete?....society that's what.

Don't Censor Me!

It's come to my attention that some people don't exactly like my blog and some earlier postings that I had and are trying to censor my writing. I get it, not everyone will always like your writing or your topics, but that's all apart of the game. People seem to forget that I started this blog to freely express myself, and to communicate feelings of mine to people I find difficult to really get to and reach.

I found out that some people are trying to give me some "friendly advice" about my blog. That I need to be careful about what I post because they "care about my public profile for future employers." Trust me, I've already thought about that. You do have to be careful about what you put on the internet these days, but how will writing a blog about my feelings affect me? I don't swear in here, I don't purposefully attack people. and if they do feel attacked, it's not my intention. It is my purpose to write this as professionally as possible while also discussing my personal feelings. These same people though won't actually speak to me about it...they have other people tell me. They aren't worried about my professional profile, they're concerned about me airing out issues for everyone to see. Afraid that now people will see the other side of something when all they've heard is the one side. So, yes, I feel a need to express my perceptions of things.

Before I started writing this blog, I kept my writing to personal journals and notebooks that whenever inspiration hit or something happened, I could write and yes, rant. I still write in those journals, but I also use this as a way to communicate to other people what I'm feeling. How is it my fault that someone can't understand or see what I'm saying? I got told that I need to leave my personal life for those notebooks and not bring up past incidences to the public eye. Why not? These "past incidence" people claim are resolved, really aren't. How can an issue be resolved when the two parties involved don't discuss and agree it's been resolved? It puzzles me. I just get appalled when people tell me what to do.

Why must people feel like they can censor MY writing? My purpose is to never just come on here and rant and rave about something that makes me angry. I may write about a topic that DOES anger me, but I do it in a way that I express those feelings in an artistic writing sense. Or at least try to.

Most people have been supportive of this blog and I've greatly appreciated it. I was scared to start this whole thing because I was afraid of how people would react. My family has been super supportive of my writing. So, just because a couple people don't like what I'm writing, doesn't mean I'm going to stop. I just think to myself, "if you don't want me to write about you, then don't do something to make me feeling like I have to in the first place." Haha. I'm just saying. There's always two sides to every story, and if I feel like people are only hearing one side, then why can't I express myself so it 1) opens peoples' perspective and 2) makes me feel better.

That's what writing does for me. It makes me feel better. I think I'm pretty good at writing too. It's just something I've always enjoyed doing and want to continue. Heck, I'm a marketing student, we constantly are writing! Haha.

So don't censor me! I'm not on here to purposefully hurt anyone or attack. I'm just expressing myself. I try to do it in the most tasteful and respectful way. Am I perfect? No. I can let feelings get the best of me, but maybe if people read what I'm truly feeling, they can understand and then come to me and discuss things. To those of you who have been so supportive of my writing, I do thank you. It's really helped me even in these first few weeks. I feel like I can start letting certain things off my chest that I have kept hidden and private in the past. I let things build and then I blow, so I feel this has been better for me. I've been able to connect more with some people and open that conversation up with people I may have been afraid to in the past.

I plan to continue writing frequently and honestly. I hope people continue to read, but if you can't handle hearing MY truth and MY opinion, then I guess you don't have to read it. Just don't go and try and tell me how I should write about my own blog. It's those people who are trying to censor me are the ones I'm trying to reach the most.

Because Brother Told Me So

Well, my little brother told me that I needed to write a blog all about him, so here you go Sam, I'm writing about you.

Just maybe not exactly what you had in mind though...

Don't click on the X button quite yet there though. This is something I think everyone could relate to. It may be hard to hear but its something that needs to be said.

My brother is at a important moment in his life. High school will soon come to an end and the rest of his life begins. Four years ago, I was in the same position. I'm in that type of situation right now with college ending for me soon. It's scary to think about the future, which I think has made him not want to.

Today, at his hockey game, my brother got into a fight. And not just a typical fight...I mean, he came in swinging at a kid with punches. Normally, I would cheer for him when he stood up for himself in a game, but this went too far. He claims he was defending his teammate but this just wasn't the way to go about it. Sorry Sam, it wasn't. You may roll your eyes at mom and I, but believe it or not, you took it too far. And to be honest, recently, you've taken a lot of things too far.

It seems like teenagers have so much attitude today. I know, I know, pot calling the kettle black. Trust me, I was no angel. I could cuss like a sailor and have an attitude to match. I never had the anger I see today. My brother, he's angry at everything. He doesn't care about anything. Honestly....I worry about him.

He believes I don't want him to succeed and I don't care where he goes in life...he's absolutely wrong. Not that he would believe that....

I was the middle child. Equal years apart from both my younger and older sibling. Growing up, I've have to say, I was the one who supported the others the most. I have been to practically all my siblings sports games over the years. Even when I went to college, I tried to make it to as many games of my brothers as possible. I took pictures of him, made team videos, and will prepare not only his grad party invites, but his grad party video as well. Hours of work, but worth it for him. I have and always have been both of their #1 fans. Looking back though...neither of my siblings ever came to my stuff. Like ever. Sorry guys, you didn't.

So, back on track, I think my brother thinks everyone is just out to get him. We're not. I've noticed over the past few months, he's just gotten so resistant to anyone and everyone, maybe except him friends. I know, that's being a teenager, but this is different. It's like he doesn't even care about what's ahead. He tries to excuse himself by just saying he's not as smart as Kristi or I, but that's not true. We applied ourselves to succeed, and if he did too, he could...no WOULD succeed. I want him to. I just want him to realize that when we are telling him something, we're not doing it to be jerks.

So today, I was disappointed. It's one thing to stand up for a friend....it's another to turn a simple situation into a brawl because you can. Life isn't a hockey game...you don't just get a 2:00 penalty, you get 2 years jail. High school may be fun and all, but it's time to grow up. We all have to do it. I'll be here to support you, just don't push me away. I may not be your favorite sister (that belongs to the other one. lol), but I am the one who's been there for you every step of the way, even if your memory doesn't quite remember that. I hope you're reading this and realize that yes, we may yell at you sometimes, but we're not evil or just picking on you. I know you can do more for yourself, and I just want to see that. Believe in yourself like I believe in you. I don't give you excuses, I never have and never will, but I always believe in you.

Don't be that guy that was out on the ice tonight. Be better than that. I know you can. The puck is in your zone...what are you going to do with it?

Hard Work Pays Off

Yesterday was a momentous occasion. Nearly 6 months after his surgery, with 5 of those months spent in physical therapy, Nicholas is finally done. So much work and commitment has been put into this. It's weird to think that a year ago, we were only TALKING about getting the surgery done.

Back in high school, he tore his labrum in his right shoulder and he was constantly in pain. It was hard to watch him because at certain times, if he even moved the wrong way, he'd have shooting pain in his shoulder. The surgery was put off nearly a year later than it should have, but when he finally had it scheduled, it was a relief. We knew it was going to be a good thing.

Surgery day came and everything went well. Except maybe putting his IV in...that was probably the hardest part for his nurses. Haha. It was a long day though. We were there a good 8 hours at least that day.

The surgery overall went well though and he was doing good. That was until all the drugs wore off and the pain kicked in. Back spasms galore and just the pain from having surgery. It was hard to watch him suffering like that. Obviously as time went on, it got better, but those first few days were hard. Plus keeping track of all his meds was the trick, which meant waking up practically every hour to give him something new or changing out his ice.

Then he started physical therapy, and that first day seemed like it'd take him forever to recover. He could barely move his arm and just was nowhere near where they thought he'd be. He continued to work hard though, going twice a week. I have to give it to the people at Sport & Spine Physical Therapy. They were so great with him, and me too. I kind of became a fixture at the place when I went to therapy with him. They'd all come over and chat with me and everything. It was nice to be there too. I got to witness his progress and learn too about what he should be doing at home.

As the months went on, his flexibility increased and his strength began to come back. He worked hard, and was just happy to not have that pain he had only a few months prior. Finally, February 2nd marked his last day. Nearly 6 months after his surgery and his shoulder is back to proper shape. All that pain and struggle he faced during that time paid off. Now, he can do what he wants without fear of pain.

It was the main reason he did this. As he would state, "I wanted this done so some day I could lift up my kids." Most people thought it was because of baseball and I won't deny that has something to do with it. Lol. He can't help himself. Heck, part of his therapy involved throwing in a baseball motion. We look back now though and are so grateful he was able to have this done. It was probably one of the best decisions he ever made. I am so proud of all his hard work and am so happy I got to be with him through this journey. Hard work does pay off. It may suck in the beginning, but you eventually get to that day where you can look back and be thankful you did it.

Family Ties

Today is the 9th birthday of my boyfriend's little brother, David. 9 years old and has the energy of a lifetime. Obviously since both Nicholas and I are down at school, we don't get to see him, but we still make sure he knows we're thinking of him. It's hard ya know? I have one older sibling and a brother who's in his senior year of high school. We all grew up together and got to see each other's big moments. It's not a big deal when we miss certain things now a days because that's what distance and age does. Then there's Nicholas...he's also has a brother who's a senior in high school and then there's little David. A good 12 years younger than Nicholas. It's made it hard for us to make sure he knows that we'll be there for him as well, because as he grows up, we're not going to always physically be there.

It makes me think about the connection of families. I'm pretty close to my family (pictured). I talk to my mom practically every day and communicate frequently with everyone else as much as I can. Except maybe my brother. Haha, whenever I come home it's always "ugh, you again." I'll just say it's the teenage grumpiness that dictates that. Lol. On the other side though, I wouldn't say I'm as close to Nicholas's family. To be perfectly honest, I've always felt like they aren't too fond of me. Yes, they tolerate me and are nice to me, but they never really let me get too close. It's hard because I try really hard to make sure we are close to both sets of parents. And since Nicholas does have such a younger brother, I want to make sure Nicholas is there for his life events too. The thing is though...yes, they want him there...me? Not so much I think. 

From the moment we started dating, it's just felt awkward with me and them. I've always gotten the sense that they feel like I'm taking their oldest son away. When Nicholas moved down here for school, he has become more independent and not afraid to speak his mind. Is that partly because of me? Probably. I'm very outspoken and loud (if you ask my mother. Lol.) and have been out on my own a little longer. I never meant for them to feel like I was the enemy. But I am. 

I became the enemy because I wasn't afraid of them. I barely listened to my own parents, why would I let someone else's tell me what I can and can't do? When it comes to our relationship, Nicholas and I are the only ones that get to make decisions. There has been blow up moments between me and them, and all out WW3 sometimes. It's expanded to involve people that it shouldn't and things now seem tarnished. For a lot of people reading this, you know what happened, so I don't really have to explain. For those who don't, that's ok, I'd prefer if you didn't. 

So why write about this then? Well...honestly, because I'm tired of being silent about it. I know most people go through troubles with in-laws. Heck, most of my co-workers could tell me hours of stories. It helped hearing them too. Knowing I wasn't crazy for standing up for myself. 

The thing though....is I don't know if they realized how much it's tarnishing their relationship with their own son. Don't get me wrong, he still loves his family to death, but every time they do or say something to me, it only makes him not want to be around them. If they are reading this, this isn't me threatening you, it's me telling you what's going on. I don't want it to be someday where I can't be around them, but parents on both sides need to start realizing that we are not 13 anymore. We may still be young but we aren't dumb. We know what we want and what's best for us. Yes, I still have to call my mom or dad for advice, but it doesn't make me a child because I do so. We're growing up...let us. We don't need rules or conditions. Just let us grow. 

My parents brought me up to be a very independent person and not allow people to walk all over me...and I don't. I may still need my mom sometimes, but she also understands that I need to go out and figure things out for myself. I thank her for that. My dad may lecture me all the time, and sometimes I need it, sometimes I don't. But at the end of the day, he still let's me be me. 

So today I think about (despite the fact it's a weekday), would we be there celebrating this occasion? I want him to be there for everyone, but he doesn't want to be there if I don't feel welcome. And for me, honestly, I feel like they need to get used to us not ALWAYS being there because in the future when we have our own jobs and family, we might not always be able to. It's a complicated topic and we're still figuring it out. I want good relationships between us and both of our families, I do. I think people believe I don't try but I do. I try all the time.

Goals and Dreams

Goals and dreams...something everyone has in their life. Some change as time goes on, some stay with you forever. And then there those that have changed for you, but to others, believe are still there. 

When I was about 14 years old, I stated that my ultimate goal in life was to buy the New York Yankees, just so I could run them into the ground. It's something a lot of people have gotten a good laugh out of over the years. So, obviously, as I got older, people have always TOLD me that my goal is to work in sports. I mean, yes, sure, that it my dream. I would love to work in sports some day. Absolutely. However, is it my #1 priority as of right now? No. 

When I came to college, I started off as an accounting major, wanting to become a CPA someday. Man, was I wrong. I wasn't really any good at my accounting classes, and honestly, I had no passion for it. I ended up switching my major to marketing about half way through school. Thankfully, a lot of the core business classes were the same, so I'm happily graduating on time this Spring. So, now I'm in the process of that dreadful job search...

"We're looking for someone with experience." The same line I've heard over and over from HR people. I just keep thinking to myself, "how am I suppose to get experience if no one will give me experience???" It's frustrating and kind of defeating at times. And then, it gets even more difficult trying to defend my choices to other people. I'm looking to stick around Winona to stay close to my boyfriend, Nicholas. He has a few more years left in school. 

Automatically when I tell people that, people automatically assume I'm giving up everything for a man and he's forcing me to stay. It's quite the opposite. He's the one constantly telling me that if I needed to leave for work, then he would support me and following me in a few years. However...staying here is MY choice. We did the long distance thing at the beginning of our relationship. I HATED it. So, why is staying around Winona so bad? It's a good town, and I have access of other surrounding cities I can work in. I need that experience anyways right? That's what I can do down here. Get experience so when he does graduate and we might have to move, I have experience to get a job more towards what I want. To be honest, I don't really know what kind of job I want right now. I'm still learning about myself. Your first job isn't always the perfect one anyways. 

To be perfect honest too...the perfect job isn't my #1 goal. Want to know what is? Being a mom. I may be years away from that, but down the line, that's what I want to be. I've always wanted to be a mom, have a big family, and be that sports family. Haha. There are things I know need to be done before thinking about kids, but don't be fooled. I would choose my family over any job. 

Then, there's the opposite side of the spectrum. There are a lot of people out there that believe I am holding Nicholas back. When he chose Winona State, everyone assumed it was only because of me. WRONG! People didn't want to believe that though because he didn't chose a school they wanted just so he could play football (even though both of those school's teams aren't very good fyi). He had a bad shoulder though. A torn labrum. He was constantly in pain. Now, he has it fixed and it's been so amazing for him. However, the best part of him coming here? His education. He's received so many opportunities while being down here. Working in elementary schools, coaching, you name it. So many good things for him. But people only see what they want to see. 

Everyone believes we hold each other back, when in reality, we are each other's biggest supporters. We work hard at school to prove to those who told us our grades would slip. We each have our own things going for us, and are always there to encourage each other. This job hunt for me is stressful, and some days I just cry because I'm afraid I won't find something. He's right there telling me he believes in me and that it will all work out. That I just have to be patient. He's been offered some coaching jobs, and I'm right there pushing him to do it. It's what he wants to do: coach. Whether its high school, college, or professional. Wherever we have to go, that's what we'll do.
We will work as a team to accomplish BOTH of our goals. We're a team. We always will be. 

People say we are too young to be too serious. I don't think people want to believe that we can do this together. But I know we can. We push each other to accomplish our goals and dreams, no matter how many we have or even when they change every other day. We're there for each other. I hope others will see that and decide that instead of fighting our choices, they support them and cheer us on along the way. We will continue on no matter what people say or think, so it doesn't help them to bring us down.