Jump at the chance

taking chances... it's what life is all about

I haven't been a big fan of Celine Dion since "My Heart Will Go On" back in 1996 (I'm pretty sure I saw Titanic about 58 million times that year). Marla and I even joked around in Vegas that we should go see her show at Caesar's Palace. But one of her new songs has rekindled my love for the beautiful Canadian with the powerful pipes. The song is called "Taking Chances". When I first heard the song on the radio I thought it was beautiful but I didn't listen closely to all of the words and the message of the song. After listening to it more I realized that it is very symbolic of the huge transition Jared and I are making in our lives with our move to Indiana, the chances we took when we first met, and the leap of faith and trust we have given to each other over the past 7 years (today, April 8th, marks 7 years together). There were many times we felt like giving up, but we knew that something about "us" was worth it. Not to get all mushy-gushy on all you bloggers, but I'm sure many of you can find your own symbolism in this song as well.

This move is going to challenge us, both together and separately. It will challenge us in keeping up with all our family and friends across the U.S. and it will challenge our confidence in ourselves and each other. But, hey... what do you say to taking chances? I'll take the words straight from Van Halen on this one... you might as well jump!

Taking Chances, by Celine Dion

Don't know much about your life
Don't know much about your world, but
Don't wanna be alone tonight
On this planet they call Earth

You don't know much about my past, and
I don't have a future figured out
And maybe this is going too fast
And maybe it's not meant to last

But what do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge
Never knowing if there's solid ground below,
Or a hand to hold, or hell to pay
What do you say?
What do you say?

I just wanna start again,
Maybe you could show me how to try
Maybe you could take me in,
Somewhere underneath your skin?

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or a hand to hold, or hell to pay
What do you say?
What do you say?

And I had my heart beating down,
But I always come back for more, yeah
There’s nothing like love to pull you up,
When you’re laying down on the floor there
So talk to me, talk to me
Like lovers do
Yeah walk with me, walk with me
Like lovers do
Like lovers do..

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or a hand to hold, or hell to pay
What do you say?
What do you say?

Don’t know much about your life
And I don’t know much about your world..

To watch a video of this song you can go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-SKkvSHAKI

and go ahead and jump... it's ok to take chances. It's what living is all about!

Disturbing to watch

this shows how violent bullying and cyber-bullying can become

I know you guys are probably tired of seeing post from The Today Show but I just love that show and its really the only way I get my news. There was a story today about several teens beating another girl because she "trash talked" them on MySpace. They videotaped the beating so that they could "splash it all over the internet" later. They felt no remorse, even laughing about it. The beating left the young teen with a concussion, loss of hearing in one ear, loss of vision in one eye and black eyes and bruises all over. I don't care if the girl did "trash talk" them on MySpace (which to high school girls is a horrible thing to do to someone), no one deserves to be beaten the way that she was and videotaped! And a parent of one of the girl's that did the beating said it was "blown out of proportion". Another reason that parents need just as much education on bullying and cyber-bullying as the teens do.

I can't do everything right ALL the time

alright, alright... sorry I left you outta my blog

My dear friend Chesney pointed out to me last night that I left her out of my blog a few days ago about all the people I first met when I came to Pitt. Oh Chez, you know how important you are to me, but as I mentioned last night I was talking about the VERY FIRST time I came to town. I didn't meet you until weeks later. But, boy do I remember the first time I met my beautiful friend Chesney.

It was about 2 weeks after Jared and I met and we were talking on the phone constantly. We were talking one Friday night and I kept hearing this girl's voice in the background. She kept saying, "Let me talk to her, let me talk to her, I wanna meet this girl you keep talking about". I asked Jared who it was and he said that it was his best friend Chesney. I was a little taken aback by this... Jared, has a best friend that is a girl. (I find out later he in fact had TWO great friends that were girls, one was Jeremy's girlfriend at the time. AND that he had dated both of them) HA! I suddenly was a little jealous. He said that they had been close friends since high school and they were always there for each other. "She's great Stacy, you will just love Chez", he told me.

I finally got to talk to her that night on the phone and all I can remember is her saying, "Hi Stacy, I'm Chesney... Birk has told me so much about you, he won't stop talking about you." HAHA. Then I hear Jared in the background laughing with his buddies. I continue to talk to Chesney for a while that night and get to know her a little better. I was still a little unsure because she was so close to Jared and I wasn't as close to him yet. And, this is funny, I had this vision in my mind that she was a tall, blonde bimbo. HA!

Once I moved to Pittsburg I got to know Chesney even better and we became great friends. She taught me a lot about Jared, about his past and some of the reasons he is the way he is. I don't know what I would have done without her to be honest. There were a few times that she was the only one that could get through to Jared or even be able to figure out his moods (which can be a difficult task sometimes, haha)

Chesney and I have both grown up. She is getting ready to graduate from PSU this May with her degree in broadcast communication. I am so proud of her for her hard work in radio and on Gorillavision! She really has a knack for broadcasting and I can't wait to hear her on syndicated radio some day, haha. You've come a long way honey and I am proud of you and proud to call you my friend.

Just because I love them sooooo much

here's another link

Oh, I just had to share another link I found on the New Kids on People.com!!!! Oh, I have missed the Kids from Boston so much!!

http://www.people.com/people/videos/0,,20187803,00.html

(I couldn't figure out how to embed this one into blogger, but here it is anyway) :)

Calling all ladies from the 80s

Oh the time has come....

The New Kids on the Block are back!!!! Back to produce a new CD, back for a concert tour in the fall, back in our hearts and back on our iTunes. Well, at least mine and my friend Julie's iTunes. Oh girls... this is gonna be a fun year!

2 weeks and counting...

not too much time left in SEK

WOW, how time flies. It seems like just yesterday Jared and I were making the hardest decision of our lives about whether to move to Indiana or stay in Kansas. Then, it seemed like forever before we would be there, but now that time is upon us and life is getting crazy.

It is hard for me to even believe that I have been in southeast Kansas for 6 1/2 years! This crazy area of the state has been my home ever since I left my parents house in August 2001. I came here to go to school at Pittsburg State University. This school was never really in my radar in high school. In fact, I was looking hard at KU for sometime while at Butler County Community College. It was a brochure in the mail and a long talk with my friend Sherry that we decided to come and "check it out" for ourselves. Pitt State was known for their awesome graphic design program so Sherry was excited about that and I hoped to find an awesome communication department. We went on our campus visit in fall of 2000. We loved it! Everyone was so nice and the faculty was small and personable. So, we went for it. Neither one of us had been away from home too many times so it was a little scary but we knew we would be together which made it even better.

The end of March 2001, I decided to go visit Pitt with my friends Libby and Sarah. They were both dating guys that were living down there so they came to visit regularly. I decided, "what the heck, might as well go for a weekend and go and meet some people before I move up there". The entire ride up there Libby kept talking about Birk, Kraft, Lucas, Red and Dale. I had no idea who these people were (well, I kinda knew Dale from Butler). All I knew from Libby was Birk was the really nice, cute one with a girlfriend in KC, Kraft was the hot one with a girlfriend in high school, Red was the funny one with red hair, Lucas was the pimp and Dale was the crazy one. So, I didn't know what I was in for. I also knew that EVERYONE knew I was coming down with Libby and they all wanted to set me up with Red. (Ha, I laugh real hard at this now). Well, the first person I met was Birk (everyone called him that, I didn't learn his real name for about 3 weeks). He was nice, but quiet. I really didn't think much of him but that he was a nice guy, kinda cute. The next person I met was Kraft (I didn't learn his real name until later as well). He wasn't quite as nice as Birk (but I learned later that he wasn't in a real good mood that particular day) but he was a pretty boy. I remember leaning over to Libby and saying "and HE's the one with a girlfriend, darn it" HAHA... I laugh at this now too. Then I met Red... he was a little wild and crazy for my taste, haha.

As the evening progressed I starting talking more and more with Birk. I started to learn more about him, laugh with him and just talk. He had a girlfriend, and I knew that, so it was an innocent night with conversation. But we both knew it was more than that. However, I really didn't think he would leave his girlfriend for someone he just met. He asked for my number when I left and I gave it to him. I really didn't know if he would call. But he did, that night, and the next night and the next. We talked for hours and hours and we knew that we might just have something worth exploring here. So, Birk had to make a decision, and he broke up with his girlfriend. Jared Birk and I have been together ever since. It has been a rocky road for us, but that friendship and fire we found 7 years ago is still there! Amazing how things work out. If I never would have come down to Pitt for that visit with Libby our paths may have never crossed at Pitt and I never would have met all the wonderful people I met.

Jeremy Kraft is now living in S.C. with his girlfriend (who he met at me and Jared's wedding in Vegas) and they are getting ready to buy a house together. WOW... you've come a long way Krafty and we are all proud of you.

Lucas Allen lives in Burlington with his beautiful wife and two lovely daughters. He is such a great dad and his girls just adore him. From the "pimp" to the family man... you've come a long way LPA!

Adan "Red" Stahl is in Wichita with his adorable wife. He finished school and now works as an electrician. Oh Adam, you always be Red to most of us, but you have become such a wonderful person and great husband.

Dale Skillman is in KC with his girlfriend and their baby girl. He is such a great father and is still a little crazy, but in a cartoon daddy kinda way, haha. Congrats Dale... you come a long way!

Sherry "Rawlings" Daugherty is married to the love of her life and just bought a house. Oh Sherry, we've been through a lot together and I wish you all the luck in the world with Chris.