Time Spent with Family is the BEST Time Ever

Well overdue too, I have to say the weekend I spent with my cousin, Hailey, was some of the best memories I’ve had in Phoenix yet!

Background: The Crowe family lives on the San Juan Islands in the most Northwest region of the States. My family used to camp there every summer, and when my grandparents lived in Washington, I’d see them a few more times than just Christmas. However, now that we’re all getting older and meeting together only happens once a year in December, it gets tough!

I have said before, family is the BEST gift I could ask for. I know what it’s like for family not to care, spend time with you, and ignore you, so I’ve made it my mission to be a part of my cousins’, Hailey and Bjerre, lives. Hailey is now a whopping 15-year-old and Bjerre is a 4-year-old turning 15 :)

Hails, or more affectionately known as Booger, and I try to stay in touch as much as possible. Facebook, phone calls, texting, you name it! She’s called me when friends are evil to her, she confides in me about her dreams, among other things. I know she looks up to me, which gives me that much more pride and joy to be there for her....and let’s face it, keep myself in line!

From Nebraska to Arizona to Grad School

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Yelp.com Account Managers!

Well, my friends, it’s been awhile and what a crazy adventure it has been. I moved from Nebraska to Peoria/Scottsdale/Tempe, Arizona, I started a new job at Yelp.com as an Account Manager, and started grad school at Arizona State University. I’ve taught a session of Junior Achievement to an 11th grade classroom, became president/student rep for the Student Advisory Board for my grad class, was in my twin’s (Brittany Mahugh/Lyman) wedding, became a happy aunt to a beautiful boy, Cody Harper, and moved three times. I was stung by a handful of Africanized Honey Bees on Camelback Mountain, been in training for a half marathon, and signed up for the Tougher Mudder in San Diego. I spent two weeks in San Francisco with my beautiful Buhl family, one in Napa Valley with my parents (wine country) and the second working at our home office. I was selected to spend a month in Germany in May for an international trip for class, retained a 4.0 in my first trimester of grad school, and about to get on the college racquetball club.

Offsite Party - Yelp definitely knows how to throw a party!

And that’s only the a small fraction of it all! I’m so happy to be out of Nebraska. I truly miss my students tremendously and wish I could have brought them all with me, but Britni is back in her own skin. Back doing the crazy things she loves to do and spreading herself FAR too thin for her own good.

In Oregon for July 4th with my family

I’ve met some of the most amazing people at both work and school. It’s been great having so many different kinds of friends who love adventure, theatre, outdoors, racquetball, football, coffee, shopping, studying, sun bathing, pets, climbing Camelback, opera, movies, drinking, socializing, and whatever else we could think of at the time. I’ve missed friends so much.

So my adventure continues. With arms, eyes, and mind wide open. I can’t wait to see what the next few months/years have in store!

Continuing to Boldly Challenge Status Quo, no matter where I am :)

On top of Camelback Mountain 

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What is love?

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When I think of this, all I want to do is break out into song... "What is love? Baby, don't hurt me. Don't hurt me. No more!" But that's not what I want to talk about, yet when you love someone, they're bound to hurt you. If you love them enough, is it worth it to work through the pain to make it better?

One of my students asked me the other day what love meant to me, and she told me she'd explain later. Background: This student doesn't use the word love lightly. Her and her parents hardly even use it for each other, as it's assumed their love is already known. Apparently a few students feel the same way. "People (family & friends) should just know I love them. There's no need to say it."

Wow, to me, there should never be a day you don't tell the people you love, that you indeed love them. I'm only 25, but there have already been instances where I wish I would have told close family or friends I loved them more. You never know when today will be their last. Or yours.

50 Lists to Write to Lift Your Spirits OR to Simply Just Think About

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I love lists. I'd forget my head half the time if it wasn't attached!  If I don't write things down, I forget (thanks Dad). And then I feel extremely empowered when I finish a task and blissfully scratch it off my list. Then there are times when I write as a form of thinking, brainstorming, processing, reflecting. Sometimes getting everything out on paper puts me at ease when my mind is racing.

So when you have those times, or if you just feel like reflecting, come back to this list. You never know how your answers will change over time, and which ones don't. Have fun!

List as many as you can:

1. People who have influenced or inspired you
2. Things you are grateful for
3. Places you have been
4. Places you want to go
5. Books you’ve read

Remembering the Life of Julene Wilde

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Ten years ago today the world lost one of the most genuinely, kind women God ever created. Not a day goes by without her memory in my mind, and I know the same is true for those closest to her.

You never know what you have until it’s gone. I hate this quote because it’s so true and so difficult to swallow when we lose people we love, but something we all need to embrace and remember every day. We don’t appreciate the blessings in our lives because so many of us take them for granted. Why? Because they’ve become a comfortable, trusted element in a person’s life, only to find out that nothing is for eternity while on earth.

My grandma and grandpa were a huge part of my life growing up. As an accident baby (Yep, thanks to my dad’s anatomy class, you sit there reading this!), my parents hadn’t had all of their ducks in a row yet, so my grandparents babysat me a lot. Maybe it was that bond created at such an early age that I have always held them so dear and close to my heart. They continued pouring their love by showing up to choir concerts, attending sporting events, not missing birthdays or holidays, and allowing my sister and I to spend weekends with them just so we could enjoy their love even more.

Ideas for Lasting Relationships

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I read an article the other morning about lasting relationships, which perfectly enough, I quoted in a conversation later that day. One of my students was having a bad day, not knowing why she would just all of a sudden start crying for no apparent reason. I told her to come find me if she needed to talk. I had a sneaky suspicion, but sometimes it’s hard for people to say things out loud because it makes it real. I know that all to well from my own personal relationships. But I also know that not talking about the things on our minds, the harder it is to logically think through the madness.

She showed up in my office a few hours later. We had our initial small talk session and then I went right into what was going on. I nailed it. She was having personal problems with her boy friend, but she didn’t want to really deal with them because she cares so much for him that she kept locking the frustrations away, only to finally break down “without any apparent reason.” The ever-present, yet constantly consciously forgotten, “Love is Blind” came into full swing. Why is it that so many people try to rationalize issues that will later destroy a relationship just because they remember “the good times?” Anyway, I pulled out the listed characteristics and gave it to her straight.

When considering a “soulmate,” you better have these characteristics figured out:

Schweitzer Cabin Adventure GETTING to the Cabin

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What a week!! Welcoming the new year at the Valeri Vista cabin at Schweitzer was the best new years celebration yet. I had such a wonderful time with loving and adoring people as we created adventures at every possible moment.

Want to see pictures? Click HERE.

The craziest day, though, was actually GETTING to the cabin.

What really matters in life

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I was asked to write what I would want to tell young ones I loved, if I only had two minutes to live. Since I love you all, I'll share it with you...

What really matters in life is that you take chances. Don't ever settle. Ever. You have so much to offer in this world even if you don't believe it. Find others who don't believe in themselves and make them believe that they matter. Be selfless. The more you look out for others the better you'll feel about yourself. Be humble. It's the hardest thing to do, but do it. Be the first to say you're sorry, even if it's not your fault. Make sure you spend time with family. You may not think it matters to them that you are present for a football game or choir concert, but when you aren't around any more they will appreciate the time you took to be with them. Leave a legacy that inspires others.

If you had minutes left in your life, what would you say? 

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The Best Summer Ever Part Two: The Month of June

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Pandora current song: Prayin’ For Daylight by Rascal Flatts

Me & Lace at a Diamond Backs game
this summer.

June still seemed like the beginning of my summer, but it was the last month I spent in the beautiful state of Washington. So what did I do? Read on! Duh.

One of my favorite memories with Lacey was sleeping out on the trampoline at night. Once I got home from Phoenix, my dog and I listened to the frogs and looked out at the stars for a wonderful night outside on our trampoline. Since we live on 10 acres away from town, sleeping outside at our house seems like you’re sleeping in the middle of nowhere. Granted, I didn’t have my best friend with me, but the experience brought back a lot of memories. I did end up with a visitor that walked around the woods around me, but I fell asleep before I could figure out what it was. Maybe a deer, maybe a coyote, maybe a raccoon. Who knows.

The Best Summer Ever Part One: The Month of May

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Pandora current song: Realize by Colbie Caillat

What a summer. After spending 10 months in Nebraska without my closest friends, family, and sense of adventure, I was ready for a change in pace. Every summer since high school, I worked in Central Washington away from my family. Since college, I’ve lived in Central Washington, Dallas, and now Nebraska with little time at home. This may sound strange, but when I’m home, I love fishing with my dad, mowing the lawn, working in the yard with my mom, and any other project around the house they’re working on. I enjoy tackling projects with them so they don’t have to do it alone, but also the gratification of accomplishing a task, especially with people I love, is beyond comparison.

May 6. NCTA graduation and ground breaking for the new buildings. The day took forever to finish. I gave my boss’, George Garlick, speech as he was unable to make it to Nebraska. Remind me never again to wear a flowing skirt in windy Nebraska while I try to focus on inspiring others to never forget where they came from NOR four inch stilettos when I have to shovel dirt for a ground breaking ceremony. At least I was able to bring humor by saying I was doing my part by aerating the lawn.

What's next in my life?

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Pandora current song: Imma Be, by Black Eyed Peas

What do I want to do with the rest of my life? The fear of the unknown has haunted me since I switch out of veterinary medicine junior year of college. At least with that, hard work and extensive years in school would have assured me of a job in a solid field. With this crummy economy, a communications/advertising degree is worthless. Most companies in the mysterious, artistic world of communications are not hiring. Many classmates are stuck working in temporary jobs and/or living at home to await their future fates. Thankfully, I have a solid job in the crazy world of real-estate management and collegiate student involvement. Unfortunately for me, the location will never satisfy me for so many reasons. The people I converse with are kind and genuine, but I truly miss the city life with endless activities, outings with friends my age, and exciting outdoor excursions. Living in the city is never boring and even in a city where people live in close quarters, there are always places to go to find your peace of mind.

Bashelf: My little/big sister

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Pandora current song: Black Balloon, by The Goo Goo Dolls

So you may have been thinking, "Britni hasn't talked about her sister...not even once yet!" Well, that's because I was waiting to write a whole post on her. She's my younger, taller sister who will turn 21 on March 10, 1010 and I'm bummed I'll miss her big day.

What's Bashelf you ask? Well, when I was little, I couldn't pronounce her middle name, Michelle. For some reason, the name has stuck with her and will for the rest of her life. It truly made me smile when she put "Bashelf" on her high school sports gear as her name, instead of Ashley.

In the beginning...

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Pandora current song: Cry Baby Cry, by The Beattles

Hello friends,

I've finally decided to write my blog. Didn't know what to write, but I think I've got it! My daily challenges, empowerment, obstacles, mentoring, living, loving, and everything in between.

As for me, I'm not your every day girl. Yeah I wake up every morning wishing I were thinner, prettier, wiser, taller, blah blah blah. But what really matters is the way I live my life, my decisions and the opportunities that I've been able to partake in at a young age.

Here's a "little" background...