Friendship...

Well long time no type! I have been way busy these last couple days with a lot of different things. I have been saying some goodbyes lately and that has made me think about the meaning of friendships and the role they have played in my life.

In elementary school I didn't have a lot of friends. I was the girl that was an outsider and sometimes I was the easy target to pick on. I was contanstly looking to escape the walls of my classrooms because I wanted to be home with my Mom, the best friend a girl could have, at least in my case ;). I thought this was how life was. I had some friends at the dance studio, but that was only a once, or twice, a week gig. I was glad to see 5th grade graduation come and go.

In middle school things changed, for the better. I started making friends, a good bit of them. I realized that maybe it was me all along. I wasn't giving people a chance, I wasn't willing to accept the blame of being "friendless". I loved my middle school friendships, they were exactly what you would expect of girls at that age. We talked about crushes, classes, and much more. I was content with being a follower and going with the flow. I wasn't very out going and pretty much kept to myself. It wasn't until 8th grade on the 1st. day I decided to be someone different. I decided I was going to be that outgoing girl. I was going to love everyone and be talkative and speak my mind. That was the day I met Maggie Smith. I quiet girl who sat right behind me in our Science class. She didn't say a word, but I knew that she was new at the school. I told myself now your chance to be that "outgoing" person you want to be so bad. I turned around and with a confident voice said, "Hi my name is Morgan what is yours?"....and that was the beginning. Maggie and I are like sisters now time nor distance can break us apart. We have gone through so much together in our 11yr. friendship. She has taught me so much about how to be a friend.

In high school more friendships were made, but it was here were I learned what it is like to lose friends. I was so mad at God. He had given me great friends and now I was watching those friendships fall apart and I was partially to blame. I would ask God why He gave me these friends if I was just going to lose them only a little while later. A good friend of mine at the time named Erin Clements told me that God puts people in our lives for certain reasons and that maybe those were the people I needed at that time and I needed new people now. I took to heart what she said and I have carried it with me since. I know God knows what we need and when we need it and that applies to friendships more than anything. High school brought me a circle of friends that I will never forget. We were always together we even made up a name..."Underground Freaks". We weren't freaks, but it stood for that we didn't have to be showy about our friendship or how we had fun or even got crazy in our own ways. It was our fun fact of knowledge. I will remember that group forever. Thanks to Maggie Smith, Carlie Wright, Sally Dunbar, Delaney Harris, Jusin Lamb, David Moak and Michael Anderson for being the best group of friends a girl could have!

I guess we are at the college phase of my friendship post ;). College brings a new type of friendship. You now breath, sleep, eat, and work with your friends. I made so many wonderful friends in college to list them all would be crazy. I had an amazing Hall that I lived on...Middle Howard!!! We were all so close. It was with those girls that I experienced one of the worst things...a death of a friend. When your in college you don't think of death, well at least the death of a girl your age. Her name was Brittany Fogg, she was pretty, smart, loving, faithful, and a friend. She was killed on the way to drop off her boyfriend's Valentine's day present. When I found out the news I sat there with her roomate and another one of our friends just crying. I didn't understand...I wasn't supposed to. I remember being so alone, it was before Nate got there. He knew she had been in an accident bc we had gotten a call from her roomate. I was a chaplain and an RA so I was told before the girls on the hall. I remember waiting in the parking lot with Carlie and Maggie, we all went to college together along with Justin and Michael. I was standing there in the parking lot and Michael came up and gave me a hug. We hadn't been talking a lot lately and I felt our friendship kinda slipping away, but in that moment I was so thankful for him. He held me until Nate got there. I thought hurt would never go away, but it did and each day it got better. I have learned to cherish my friends and whatever relationship we have.

I have had many friends over the years and most of them I am still in contact with. I love my friends! They have all meant something different in my life. They saved me, from a life of whose knows what. God has blessed me so much through these people and I hope, if they haven't been mention by name, that they atleast know who they are!

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born."
- Anais Nin

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival."
- C. S. Lewis

"No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever."
- Francois Mocuriac

bored...

Hello Person Im Bored Survey, Take Me(: Survey from Quizopolis.com

whats your name? - Morgan Salley Balough
got an age? - 24
do you think you give good advice? - pretty good advice
do they take your advice? - sometimes
can you count on one hand your bffs - Well I only have one bff but I have a lot of true friends
Were you in highschool when you got your first kiss? - nope college
were you in middle school when you got your first kiss? - nope college
can you name the person? - Nathaniel Balough
do you have a good outlook on life right now? - amazing outlook
are you excited for 2010? - heck yeah Aloha!
why or why not? - moving to Hawaii ;)
do you have a myspace? - I did but too many haters boo!
a facebook? - yep!
a twitter? - nah I think having a play by play is a little much
a zwinky? - a what?
are you addicted to anyone of those? if so which one? - Facebook
Are you currently taken or single? - TAKEN
are you happy with your status at the moment? - very much so I have a wonderful hubby ;)
do you have a favorite type of kiss? - the first kiss when he gets home from work
would you stay up to talk to someone on the phone? - I have before
who would you stay up to talk to? - My friends and family
whats your favorite number? - 88
do you miss someone right now? - My family and friends
text? or talk? - text on the phone but talk in person
who was your last text from? - My friend Allysa
do you have a crush on someone right now? - Nathaniel Balough
do they know? - I sure hope so
favorite animal? - fluffy ones
are you a goofy person? - yep!

Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com
http://www.quizopolis.com/survey/6845/Hello-Person-Im-Bored-Survey,-Take-Me(:-Survey/

Bucket Lists...

Lately I've been thinking about the things I want to do before I leave this earth. There are many times where I say oh yeah that is on my bucket list, but then I realize I have never written down any of the things I actually want to accomplish. Today I am going to write down some of the things I want to do before I die...

1. Skydive
2. Bungee Jump
3. Be a General's Wife
4. Work at a homeless shelter
5. Get a Tattoo
6. Lose Weight
7. Have a big family dinner at my house
8. Buy a house with a wrap around porch
9. Own a huge dog
10. Donate an organ
11. Adopt
12. Find a sports team to cheer for that is all mine, not just my hubby's
13. Be taught how to make sushi by a sushi chef
14. Play a game of golf (real golf)
15. Dye my hair at least once
16. Go on a girls trip to an exotic location
17. Go to Europe
18. Take my mom on a cruise to the Holy Land
19. Train a dolphin
20. Make a quilt
21. Do a marathon
22. Swim in a lagoon
23. Be a Secretary
24. Learn how to sew
25. Own a Jeep
26. Have a big family
27. Have a big garden and grow my own veggies and fruit
28. World Peace
29. Be elected to a public office
30. See a broadway show
31. Fly a plane
32. Drive a boat
33. Water ski
34. Help deliver a baby
35. Go on an acting audition just for fun
36. Meet Betty White
37. Have a full day at the spa (all day)
38. Drive a monster truck
39. Drive a motorcycle
40. Own a business

and the list goes on and I am going to try to add more and take off the ones I actually accomplish I encourage you to do the same write down some of the things you want to do then you have a list to look to or carry with you.

Lessons....

It has been craziness in the Balough household for the last two days, heck for the last couple of weeks getting everything ready for our move. I have learned so much throughtout this entire experience. One thing I have learned is patience. I am not a patient person at all and throughout my life God has blessed me with opportunities that help me work on building up my patience. This move has definitely been a patience builder. This move as gotten us both excited about moving and our new life in Hawaii. I love how God has blessed me with a husband that has strengths that I do not and how I have some he does not. Nate is the most patient person I know. He can wait forever for things as I am bouncing off the wall with worry and excitment all in one. I am ready to be gone and don't care what it takes to get there. Nate being the "good" one ;) is working out all those little details that will get us there with all of our stuff and our two puppies.

I LOVE that my husband is a planner. I was nervous when I first got married about planning for our future and moving and all that came with it. Nate had it all planned out before I even could ask. He had our rental truck booked, a storage unit ready, a new house on base for us to live in, all the info for my in processing ready, and the list goes on. He makes sure that we sit down and do the bills together so when he isn't around I will be able to handle everything. He also has planned out his Army career, this is a huge help to me because now I am not thinking every step of the way what in the world are we going to do next. Now I know that God laughs at plans, which is why it's good we are humerous peoople, so if our plans don't go exactly the way we wanted who cares it is all in God's hands.

All of that being said, I am so excited to be starting a new part of our lives in a new place with my husband. Whenever I get crazy about all the details I know that I have a solid person to rely on and and even stronger God.

All in the Family...

Well, a lot has happened since I posted last. My family came down to visit for a week. My mom, nana, uncle woody, and aunt margaret all came up from South Carolina. We had an amazing 4th of July cookout. We had all sorts of food like beans,grapes,burgers,brauts, turkey burgers,cole slaw,cold veggies and dip, and homeade strawberry lemonade. After we ate we waited around for the fireworks (you can see them from our backyard). They were amazing! Nate didn't have to work Monday so we decided to go to Louisville because although we had lived here a year and half here we haven't made it to some of the local attractions. We went to the Loisville Slugger Museum and were able to see how they make the famous bats. It was really interesting I didn't know how much went into the whole process, but the whole family enjoyed it. On Tuesday, Nate had to go back to work, but me and the family went to the Creation Museum, which is a truly amazing place, but it was really packed so that made it less enjoyable. We learned a lot though and saw some amazing exhibits. We then went to go shopping at one of my favorite stores IKEA. I love that store bc they sell so many things for the home that aren't that pricey and they have displays that give you really great ideas. We had what I call a "local" day on Wednesday. We went to the Patton Museum on base, my uncle is a HUGE history buff, later we just went shopping around town. On Thursday, The Family decided they wanted to go on the Bourbon Trail, which KY is known for. We went to Maker's Mark and Jim Bean distilleries...NOT a fan, but they had fun learning about how all of it is made and how long the whole process takes. On their last day we just lounged around and went shopping at Old Navy and Barnes and Noble and the mall. All in all it was an amazing time with my family and I am going to miss them all SO much.

Now we are getting ready to pack up the house here in KY for Hawaii. The packers come on Monday and hopefully it won't take them too long to pack up all our things and then the movers come on Thursday. Life is moving at a crazy pace, but I wouldn't change it for the world. God has truly allowed me to experience things and learn things I never imagined. I am so blessed to have the husband I do to be a partner in sharing this adventure God has us on. I am looking forward to the future and all it holds...ALOHA!