Day 30 (finally!!)

Post a picture of someone you miss...



I miss my grandpa Bob, who passed away when I was in 8th grade. It's strange, I've been missing him during the last year more than I did in high school and the first four years of college. Maybe because so much is happening with me. I wish I had known him more. He spent a lot of time with us, but during the time he was alive I was always too young to really want to get to know him. I loved being around him; he was the most ruthless tickler I've ever known. He was nearly blind, but would somehow find us kids and corner us, mercilessly tickle-torturing us until we were about to pass out. He had a most distinctive laugh, too. I can't even describe the laugh in writing. He was gone too soon, but I still think about him a lot, and I know he'll be there watching and smiling at my wedding in two days.

Love you, Grandpa!

Day 29

Post a picture that can always make you smile...



Gross, right? This was near the end of our Yellowstone trip last summer. My parents, Jake and I were outside our camper playing cards and snacking. I don't remember who started it, but it ended with chocolate-covered teeth and faces. My dad and mom had some all over their mouths and decided to kiss and make it worse. My mom, in this picture, is laughing so hard she may pass out. Before this, we were taking pictures with my dad's ring, trying to put on "NOOOOOOOOOO" faces Lord of the Rings-style...

We keep saying that at this point, we had had too much fresh air and nature, and it was getting to us. This picture always makes me smile because 1) it's funny, 2) it reminds me of my parents' love for each other and their never taking anything too seriously and making sure to incorporate silliness into daily life, and 3) it reminds me of that trip in general. So amazing.

:)

Day 28

Post a picture of something you're afraid of...



I almost didn't even post a photo for this one because I was too afraid to Google spider images. I can't even look at pictures. But I decided to google "cartoon spider" and came up with that guy, who isn't so intimidating. Even some of the cartoon spiders, though, were still too realistic for me and gave me the shudders.

It might be a typical female thing, but I have a serious phobia of spiders. If I see one in my house, I'm pretty much set up for a nightmare that night. Not long ago, I woke up with a scream because of a spider dream. Sometimes I hallucinate via dreams that one is dangling above my bed, and then I can't fall back asleep. Once in a while, I can work up the courage to attempt to kill one in the house (with as long an object as possible), but if I miss or don't squash it hard enough and it starts scurrying, I panic, so usually I yell for other people.

I do, however, understand that spiders are good (mostly) so if I see them outside I usually just leave them alone (and steer waaaay clear), unless it's a black widow. Sometimes I feel that spiders can sense fear, which is why I seem to be the one always finding them in the house.

*Shudder*

Day 27

Ugh! I must finish this challenge before the wedding! That means once a day this week. Even in all the craziness, I MUST finish it like I said I would before Saturday.

Post a picture of yourself and a family member...




Of course I couldn't just post one again. These two pictures are of me and my immediate family members. The first is my dad, sister, and I taking a nap in the most creative way (I look like I may be faking though) and the second is me with my mom and little brother in the hospital after he was born. I have some memories of being at our old house during these years. I don't remember these situations specifically though. I remember my little brother as a baby and helping to take care of him, but I don't remember when he was born. I love my family sooooo much and each member in it means so much to me. No matter what, they'll always be mi familia.

Day 26

Whew! I am back after a whirlwind two weeks! It's been so crazy with work/school/moving/wedding. I was on a roll with the 30 day challenge for a little bit, but alas, life called. But school and work are over for the time being, which gives me a lot more time to be able to blog again. Just a brief update on life before I go on to the challenge. All my belongings and furniture are all moved into Jake's (and I suppose I can call it mine now, even though I'm not living there yet) apartment. What a transformation! It went from bachelor pad to comfortable, tiny home for two in a matter of days (MANY thanks to my parents' help, who both went to Las Cruces this weekend to help). Plus my dad made a BEAUTIFUL coffee and side table that he designed himself and crafted in his garage, as a wedding gift to us. So now I am back in Los Alamos, waiting out the last three weeks until the big day! It's going to get here in a flash, I can feel it! Which is why I need to finish up this thing and get to the 30th photo challenge! I'm on 26 now, and if I can't finish them before I'm married, well, I'm a hopeless case I suppose.

Post a picture of something that means a lot to you...



I wasn't really sure what picture to post for "independence," because I google imaged it and just got images of the constitution or American flag. Which is all great, but I wasn't talking about national independence. My personal independence means a lot to me. So this photo was the closest I could find to "my" independence. Those who know me know that I am fiercely independent...not to be confused with separated! I am very close to people I love and don't know what I would do without them. However, I do not like asking for help if I can help it, from simple things like opening a jar of pickles to complicated things like what to write my thesis on. I love being my own person and not letting anyone tell me how I should be or what I should do. I get giddy from figuring things out on my own. It means a lot to me to not be completely dependent on someone else, and to not be one of those people who just want and/or let others tell them what to do. But I've learned more and more, probably mostly in the last year, that no one should go through life 100% independent. It's obvious in a few aspects of my life that I've learned this; for one, getting married. Two, I realized I can't survive graduate school without the help and support of my colleagues. And three, I wouldn't even be the independent person I am without my family and friends. A marriage is about interdependence, not being dependent. My cohort in grad school, we're interdependent. And family? Interdependence! So while my independence in some walks of life means a lot to me, I don't want to end up completely at one extreme.