my girl

my favorite pictures of my favorite girl.

More Than A Feeling

Well all of a sudden I liked Jake. I liked his frosted hair and braces and green kingston shirt and the way he listened to me and the way he genuinely enjoyed that I was complicated and passionate and sometimes obnoxious. 

Let me emphasize on the fact that Jake started liking me in September. All of a sudden it was March, and I liked him, but I didn't want to tell him. I knew he liked me. America knew he liked me, but for some reason it seemed so risky to let him know that the feeling was mutual. I just didn't want to jinx it. 

In April I got the courage to tell him my feelings (after revealing them to every 14 year old female I knew, of course). I was sitting in the office and on MSN Messenger. Jake and I were talking about something relatively light hearted, and all of a sudden I typed (because who talked in 2004?) "Jake, I have to tell you something." Then I typed,  "I like you. Like, like like you." I quickly pushed send and then jumped up and down and squealed and felt nervous and silly and excited. He waited a good minute and a half and then simply typed back ":D" Yup, the guy pulled out the capital d smiley face! Exciting stuff. 

After the establishment of feelings, we had decided to take things slow. Mostly (aka solely) because at this point I was pretty anti having a boyfriend in high school. We did, however, hold hands for the first time at the Horned Toad Derby. When you're 14 year old girl from Coalinga, CA, nothing else seems more appropriate. Sadly, I don't remember too much of this. I know we were there with our friends, and we momentarily separated because Jake wanted to win me a stuffed animal of some sort. It was that awkward but beautiful situation when both participators wanted some hand hold-age, so the limbs kept bumping into one another. Then all of a sudden, bam. We were holding hands. I remember butterflies and clamminess and lots of grins, elbowing, and secret female silent eye conversations when we returned to the group. 

The taking things slow thing lasted two seconds. Summer came and I went to my dad's house, and I just wanted to be Jake's girlfriend. I was back for a weekend, and we were all at the Oxborrow's house. We were sitting on the grass in the front yard, and Audra says, "Jake, I think Karissa wants to be your girlfriend." I gave her the stink eye, but was actually so excited. Jake looked at me and said, "Really?!?" I nodded. Then he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes and then we had our anniversary: June 22, 2004. Then Ken Oxborrow turned the sprinklers on us, appropriately. 

I don't remember what our first date was, exactly. I do remember going and seeing King Arthur because it came out on Jake's 16th birthday, and I was oddly obsessed with Keira Knightly. Jake couldn't drive yet, though, so we were escorted to Coalinga Cinemas by Scott and Melissa Yeager. When the movie was over, Jake called his parents on his silver flip phone. His ringtone was "More Than A Feeling." 

More later. I'm hungry. 

thank God for iTunes.

While talking is one of my favorite hobbies, sometimes I don't have words. Thats where music comes in. Here are my favorite songs at the moment.

JJ Heller is my new obsession. I think my iTunes has all of her lyrics memorized by now.

Ok, Last JJ song. Promise.

Of course, I have to represent my husband, Phil. These lyrics get me.

For my country music peeps

this is on my bedtime playlist and is just the best.

and simply because im still goo goo ga ga over train.

sooooooo thats all :)

love.

I've been super into Mother Teresa lately. Mostly because I've been super into love's verb-ness lately. I get overwhelmed with how selfless and serving humans can be, and how much God can work in us if we allow. Anyways, since I'm not in Calcutta I hope to do my best in California....until one day maybe I can go to Calcutta :) 

Here is a prayer that Mother Teresa wrote on the wall of her home for children. I'm all about it. 

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;

...Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

...Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

...Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

...Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

...Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

...Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

...Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

...Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;

It was never between you and them anyway.

Spring Forward!

I think I'm one of ten people in America who enjoy Spring Daylight Savings Time. Of course, losing one hour of sleep isn't the most fabulous of situations, but I still prefer it over gaining one. Why? It's the first step towards summer. 

I've always been a summer girl. I was born in the summer, and when I was nine years old I was so jealous of Summer Sanders because a) I wanted to host Figure It Out and b) I wanted her name. 

Summer means black skin and boat rides. Night swims and no make-up. Sweet tea and So You Think You Can Dance. Reuniting and Relaxation. 

I love the long hot days, and the creativity your mind surprises you with on the equally long nights. Good things happen in the summer. Bad things too, but mostly good. This summer is going to be especially good. I can feel it. Until then let's reflect on summer's past, shall we? 

I 

Jason Castro? Say WHAAH?!

We all know I love a good wedding. Of course, I almost hugged my CI 100 professor when he let us out an hour and a half early so I could race home and watch Molly and Jason's wedding. My eyes were juuustt about to overflow with tears when all of a sudden JASON CASTRO started to sing her down the aisle. Over it. American Idol contestants and weddings shouldn't intermix. 

Mid ceremony it starts to rain. I literally began SCREAMING at the television, "Somebody give the girl an umbrella!" Aka shield that Monique Lhuillier gown. Gah. I was dying. And one more criticism. I wasn't down with how MIA Jason's precious little son was during the wedding.   Annnyways, I love love. I think I've cried during every single wedding I've witnessed outside of Bridezillas. I love gowns and tears and vows and celebration. Too bad nobody takes the marriages seriously post reception, but that topic would require more typing than my poor college student fingers could handle.

 I guess the moral of the story is if Taylor Hicks sings me down the aisle, stop the wedding. And if it rains, do everything humanly possibly to ensure that there is not ONE drop on that baby. 

Karissa and Jaaaaake sittin in a tree...

The other day I was thinking about my studly fellow and panicked. I suddenly became obsessive about remembering every single little detail of our relationship, and then started freaking out even more about how many fun little stories I had already forgotten. I decided that I need to document as many details as I possible. It's important to hang onto. So, I guess this is the story of us :)

I started high school in 2003. I had red and gold highlights in my hair that was parted down the middle. I wore clunky black and hot pink vans and a roxy backpack. My face had just discovered what acne was, and I always smelled of either Tommy Girl or Lucky You. Hott stuff, I know. Anyways, I was a Jesus Lover and quickly fell into a group of similar humans. Jacob Allen Yeager was one.

I knew who he was, obviously. Everyone did. I never spoke to him. However, I did sit next to him in Jarod Warren's green honda on the way back from an FCA lunch. We were nothing more than strangers that mingled with mutual humans. 

I think I remember the first time I said his name. I was flopping down in my seat in the front row of Lab Bio, right next to Becky Oxborrow. It was relatively early in the school year.

"You know Jake Yeager?" I asked.

"Uh-huh," she replied, preoccupied by her lab book.

"Did you know he had braces?"

"He does? Since when?"

"I don't know. I don't think I have ever seen his teeth before. He opened the door for me on the way over here and when I said thank you he smiled, and there were the braces."

Her attention was suddenly caught, "Oh my gosh, he has a crush on you!"

"You're an idiot. What are you talking about?"

"I'm just sayin...He's never opened the door or smiled at me. You should ask him to Sadies."

"WE DON'T EVEN KNOW EACH OTHER!" And that was that. 

We didn't have any more run ins with each other until one weekend while I was at my dad's house. I was on MSN Messenger, because thats what freshman year consisted of. I was having a super normal conversation with Becky when she randomly suggested that I add Jake (superdude_123, :) obviously)  as a friend. Apparently Beck and Jake secretly became friends at some point in time, and he confessed that he did in fact have a crush on me...black and pink vans and all. I (kriskris_07) went ahead and added him. I was all about new friends.

So, we started talking and didn't stop until 5 hours later, literally. I don't know what it was. We clicked. Instant best friends. I don't even remember what we talked about exactly, but I do remember racing down the hall for a bathroom break or glass of water so I could get back to our conversation as soon as possible. 

Unfortunately for Jake, I was crushin on other peeps, and was a total brat and didn't even give him the time of day. It doesn't make sense in my head why I was so stupid, but I was 14 so I guess that sorta explains it. Anyways, we maintained this awesome friendship. 

Of course Becky soon told me about Jake's interest in me. We were best friends, and it was inevitable. I didn't really believe her, or at least didn't think it was that serious at first. But then I started seeing signs, really really precious puppy love signs. 

Example: Before Jake and I became friends, his hair was frosted. Give him a break. It was 2003. Anyways, I loved it. Give me a break. Again, it was 2003. Well, one Friday during brunch I told Jake he should frost his hair again. I left to my dad's house for the weekend, returned Sunday night for youth group, and tada: frosted hair :) 

I'm not sure why I didn't agree to be his girlfriend the moment I met him. I thought he was attractive, he listened to me and was always interested in what I had to say, he made me laugh, yada yada yada. I think it was just too easy, and I had to do the whole thrill of the chase thing first. Whatever. I think I'm going to stop for now. I'll continue periodically. I'm realizing now how much of these past 6 years I'm wanting to capture.