Sisters...sisters...everywhere

In college I had the amazing good fortune of being apart of a sorority.  The relationships formed with my sisters have always been something that I have cherished most about college. 

I have amazing sisters, ones that I went to college with, ones that I meant after college and ones that I am still getting to know today!

When the opportunity came to go to dinner with some of my sisters, I was so excited to get out and spend time with some of my sisters!  First and foremost because I missed them and hadn't seen them in awhile and secondly because it is always nice to hang out with people my own age (working with people older than me...it's always a hazard....it's getting better now that we've hired younger staff members).



It was so great to hang out with these great women!  That is the best thing about the holidays...great food, great times and the company of great friends!

It was definitely a night to remember!

The next day Andrew, Rachel and I went on an apartment hunting adventure (for Rachel) and went to Bru Burger for what was seriously the best food I've had ever!  The salad was to die for and the Bourbon burger was amazing and juicy and melted in my mouth.  Oh my goodness it was amazing!  


Andrew is close to getting his license so we thought that he should start to learn how to put gas in the Acura...so Rachel and Andrew got out of the car and put gas in the car while I stayed warm and took pictures of them!

So to round out the fun filled two days...I finally was able to catch up with one of my dearest friends, loving called Sandwich!  She recently moved to St. Louis but came back for the holiday!  After almost 3 hours of talking and catching up it was like nothing changed.  That is the best part about great, long time friends...we can be miles apart but sit down and start talking like nothing has changed!

My bank account certainly doesn't need to be off for two weeks but my heart and my soul is loving this time off to spend with friends and family and all of my sisters!

With Love Always,

Alex

A Merry Christmas to All...and to all...Oh wait it's already morning!

So this was my first Christmas not living at home...we are not talking like when I was at college and I still had a place to sleep at home but that this year I have no bed, clothes or anything at my parents' house.  It was quite an adjustment for everyone.

For the first time we had to coordinate what time we would arrive at church, agree on a time to start the Christmas morning activities, and at the end of the each day...I am going home.  It's all a bit strange but not all of it has been bad.  Maverick and I are enjoying the peace and quiet of home and he likes the car rides to and from the house.  This has also been the first year that I have been up and showered before everyone else in the family.  And I didn't have to worry about hiding my gifts because I live someplace else. 

Last night, as we do every Christmas Eve, we went to Christmas Eve Mass, got our Chinese food, watched Christmas Vacation and then Maverick and I went home to snuggle up at home for the night!  Oh and did I mention we took the best Christmas picture ever....

Okay so for those of you who don't know...Rachel is holding our oldest dog Sugar, I am holding Maverick and Andrew is hoisting Mia up over his shoulders.  Yes, my friends that is how we do Christmas in the Kocher Household. 

This morning was fun as well...Maverick and I got up early and got ready to come over to the house and had coffee (me) and breakfast (him).  We came over and played until everyone was ready!  Rachel had the swell idea to play a trick on Andrew and they wrapped all of his presents and then put them in a box and wrapped the box.  We kept handing out gifts and Drew didn't get anything...I was worried and thinking that Rachel was being mean I kept asking them to stop...until I finally realized what they were doing.  Nice of them to clue me in!

So the presents are finally unwrapped...there were some pleasant surprises to the point that Rachel and I both looked at Mom and Dad like they were crazy!  So on to our comfy, cozy family, and dog filled day of movies, pinball and food!

With Love Always,

Alex

Small joys in life

I think it is great when you find something that brings joy to your life. For some people it can be a hobby like crafting or running (like Mom who needs to run all the time),  or cooking and baking.  Whatever it is, it makes your heart happy, it fills your soul and makes you feel content.

So a little over a year ago I found my joy (well one of them) in an opportunity to join Younglife in our community as a leader.  Right away it felt like it was what my heart and soul had been asking for.  I felt like prayers had been answered.  It's funny how the whole thing started for me, I was working a soccer tournament when a friend of my family's came up to me and just asked me what I was doing on Monday nights and invited me to check it out.  I was sort of hooked from there.

It's funny...the thought of an invitation.  So many things in life don't require you to be invited but there are so many things in life that we feel like we need invitations to be apart of.  Often times, I feel like they are the same things.  

One of the reasons I fell in love with Younglife is that it invites us into the lives of kids that in my case working in my room tucked into the office I wouldn't normally get to see.  When I think back over the year and think about all the relationships and friendships that have grown because of my time with this group I often find myself laughing at the jokes and craziness that has gone on and smiling at the conversations that have taken place and the trust that people can put into one another when we do invite people to be in our lives.

The other reason that this adventure with Younglife brings me joy is the people I get to lead with.  It is great to have such a wonderful support system in my life of other adults who believe like I believe and who want to see the same success for the kids as I do.  And did I mention they are as crazy as I am?

Because they are!  But I wouldn't trade them for the world!

With Love Always,

Alex

3 days to go...but seriously we aren't counting

It is hard to imagine that those crazy people who decided it would be so much fun to go to school only to go...wait for it...right back to school would actually be excited for a break but seriously it is getting harder and harder to get up every day and I could desperately use some time off!

The students are getting antsy, they are ready to break out of this  place like it's their job and I seriously don't blame them.  It feels like we are in school so much closer to Christmas this year than in years past.  Maybe it's because Thanksgiving was so late or that this year we have a whole week before break rather than our usual 4 day week.  Regardless of the cause it seems like this year it is harder to make it to the end.

So we are trying to do fun dress up days at school to make this last week slightly more bearable...today's theme is character day and I had no idea what to do it was the toughest one yet!  Tomorrow is mismatch day...that's so easy I can just go into my closet and be random and it will work...that's winning in my book!

Anyways, Michelle is totally feeling the same struggles that I am this week with trying to survive and make it to break.  Last night over some yummy pasta and baked zucchini we decided that we were in a rut and needed to do something.  Something...anything....just weren't sure what that something was.  This is why it's a problem that my seat at the dinner table faces the sliding glass door...because as  we were talking about doing something fun and spur of the moment I began playing with my hair...which used to be red and has faded to a soft red/blonde/brown/whatever color.  And the more we talk the more I was thinking that the night of the "Tuesday Night Dye Job" was about to happen!

So you know it's going to be a good night when the conversation with my mom goes as follows:
"Hi, Mom, you're going to be annoyed with my question because it's a serious question that you won't think is serious!"
Her response, "Okay...hmmmm!"
Laughing I responded with, "see this is my point, I knew you were going to say that...that's just what you do.  Anyways back to my serious question that you won't want to answer."
...no response....still waiting....take this as my queue to keep talking...
"How long should I wait to redye my hair?"
"Well how long has it been since you dyed it"
"I don't remember...everyone was gone and busy last time I did it I was bored and lonely."
"So that was like 6 or more weeks ago...that should be fine since the color is faded out but I would wait until the weekend if I were you."
"Yeah about that...I'm not waiting...we are doing it tonight!  That's for the advice...I'll call you if I go bald."
"You won't go bald."
"Well then I won't call you!"
"Okay the worst that could happen is that it turns out really red."
"I can live with that! Love you!"

This would be a good time to say that she doesn't like my red hair normally so going really red isn't the ideal outcome to the Tuesday night slum Michelle and I were in but it happens!

So 20 minutes later we are in the bathroom singing some JT and dying my hair. And suddenly I'm not all that mad about going to work today and I'm more excited not because anyone will notice because after all it's the same color I dyed it before but because it was fun and spontaneous and refreshing to do!  After all aren't all the best memories in life made like that!  

So with 3 more days until school's out for break...I have darker, redder hair and a better outlook on getting through these next three days!  And like Michelle always says...and by always I mean she sent me a pin once and now I say always!

With Love Always,

Alex

The Magic Of Movies

As I was crawling into bed last night after chasing Maverick through the snow in my pjs because he would rather lick the snow then use the bathroom like he was supposed to be doing...that's not the point....anyways back to my "story" if you will.  

So I am curling up into bed and I hit the guide button on my remote to see that one of my favorite movies, "Love and Basketball" was about to come on.  Serious moment here, this is one of my top 10 favorite movies (number one clearly being Top Gun...if you couldn't guess from the name of my dog).  So I am clearly conflicted...do I sit up and watch this movie or do I go to bed so I'm not tired at work in the morning.  (This is exactly why the DVR was invented but again that is a completely different story altogether.)  I hit record and watched the movie for a bit until I drifted off into a fabulous dream-like state, of course this led to me waking up this morning wishing I could go back to bed but that's again not the point.

So I guess that point is why do we fall in love with these movies, why do they put a smile on our faces and make us drop what we are doing and suck us in...real life doesn't always work like it does in the movies.  Some guy is not going to sweep me off my feet because I can play basketball...mainly because I can't play basketball.  You don't wake up one morning and realize you're in love with your best guy friend and he doesn't wake up one morning and realize he's been with the wrong girl this whole time.  Prince charming doesn't save you from a rolling dumpster, dump his fiance to come dance in the park with you.  (Okay, so I watch a lot of movies what's your point.)

I think that it's a comfort to know that that kind of magic is there somewhere even if it isn't obtainable, even if we can't have it.  But that for a few hours we can escape to a place where it can happen is so awesome.  Sometimes I prefer movies over real life just because everything seems easier, you can fall in love faster, the messy bits of life, relationships, fights they all get resolved faster and the guys are always more attractive!

It's nice to be able to get away every once and awhile and forget about everything going on in my life sometimes.  Just to fall in love with characters, to be sad when they are sad (you don't know how many times I've seen Top Gun...I still cry every time Goose dies), to be happy when they are happy and to have that sense of content when everything works out by the time the words "The End" appear on the screen.

With Love Always,

Alex

Tis the Season!

Okay so literally  my favorite time of year is Christmas...you can call it the holiday season or whatnot but to me it's Christmas!  Give me the snow, the trees, the lights the decorations....I love it!

We actually decorated before Thanksgiving this year because we had time to go buy a Christmas tree (fake of course because Maverick loves water and we knew there would be no stopping him from drinking the tree water). Of course in the midst of buying the tree, the lights and a snow shovel we decided the only logical thing to do would be to decorate the house that night!

Ignore the mess we literally took the picture right away!  As we have progressed through the month the tree has been added to, including a warmer that smells like a real tree that is turns on the same time as the tree!

There is something about Christmas time that makes me feel warm and fuzzy all cuddled up on the couch watching movies with the dog that I can't get any other time of year.  People seem nicer (and more stressed...a strange combination I know) during the holidays.  Families get together and friends reconnect and find time for each other...it's great!

So Michelle and I decided to craft on Saturday all Christmas related crafts!  It was so much fun...and there was so much mess!
First we wanted to find a fun way to hang the Christmas cards we would get...

Then we sprayed clothespins with green glitter spray paint to hang the cards with...the true test will be if this is still standing after I get home today!

Then came the true challenge of the night...create a hat for the school's Snowman Hat contest...I decided it would be fun to make a Christmas tree scene...I blame Michelle for inspiring me!

The darn thing is so heavy I don't know if I will be able to actually walk with it on my head!  Oh well it lights up so I should get points for that!

Well only a few more days to go until Christmas and I can't wait!  The snow is coming down and I have delicious coffee and a quiet office...for now!

With Love Always,

Alex

If I died tonight

Well...this week...December really has been so busy I can't even recall all that has happened!

But to highlight why I would be okay if I died tonight...which might happen if the Steelers lose again allow me to tell you what happened to complete my life!

A few months ago Michelle's mom asked Michelle if she wanted to go to the Justin Timberlake concert in December.  Of course being a logical human being she said yes...as if there is any other answer!  So her mom wanted to make sure she knew ahead of time who she was going to take so that she didn't get stuck going by herself. Logically she asked me to go for several reasons...one being that the concert happened during my birthday week, two because we live together and three because I love JT more than Diet Coke! 

So after months and months of waiting the night had finally arrived...the big night!  Justin Freaking Timberlake was in Indy and as we approached our seats we were amazed to see how close we were going to be to one of the best entertainers on Earth...no I'm not even lying!

                                           

So right away we were amazed!  I mean seriously how often do you get to be that close to someone you grew up listening to!  My first concert was NSYNC and I have loved Justin for as long as I can remember.  

That's the great thing about good music.  It connects with you, you can tie it to memories, both good and bad, it can change your mood, make you smile, make you cry, inspire dance parties, bring you closer with your friends...it can inspire that great thought...it can move mountains.

Maybe that's what draws me to his music that I can connect with it...I'm the person who dances around the house folding laundry, doing dishes, cooking...it's just who I am.  When I am sad...I want to go for a drive and sing sad music and get it out of my system.  Music has gotten me through so much in my life and Justin has been a huge part of that collection.   He joins a select few artists that I consider to be in my top favorite...Gavin DeGraw, Lady GaGa, Toby Keith, Rooney, Whitney, Michael Jackson and Miranda Lambert.

Anyways back to the concert....anyone notice the lady looking at me like I'm crazy in the picture above...it's awesome...clearly she was not as excited as I was!

                                           

                                 

                                    

                                  

                                 

Okay so I took over 400 videos and pictues from the night but it was worth it. These are the kinds of memories I want to spend my time making. These are the kind of memories that will bring a smile to my face on a bad day, when I feel lonely, when work has me down.  These are the kind of memories that Michelle and I will be thinking about when we are little (well we are tall so less-tall) old ladies and thinking back to the good times we had.  These are the things we should spend our times doing not wasting engery worryng about things that we can't change, or people who refuse to change, worrying about the things we can't control.  So I won't I'm just going to enjoy the ride and the music and dance it out!

                                                                                                                     With Love Always,                                                                                                                                               Alex