The 20 Things to Learn from my Unsuccessful 20 Years

It has been two months and a handful of days since I last posted on the blog...whoops.

In the last two months plenty of things have happened, good and bad. Decided to quit school after the semester, some could say that's bad, I'm going to say it's good. Beauty school in January here I come!! I fell in and out of love a half a dozen times with everything in my life. I cried, I laughed, I screamed, I sunk to a lovely low, and lived through all of it. Did I learn anything through the last two months?? ummm...not really. I'll probably make all the same mistakes again. Because that's what my 20s are for. Being dumb. Doing stupid things.

I started crocheting again, I gained a new best friend, and I finally made a decision about my future. I kept my friends close, my family even closer, and learned that (not to sound like kelly clarkson) but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Regardless, this blog post is about a book I've been reading: 17 Lists That Will Change Your Life! It is a collection of lists made up by some fairly smart people! It was well worth the $3.99 I paid for it. So, after reading these lists I decided that I would make a list...a list of things to learn from my truly unsuccessful 20 years. Because, lets be honest, we should all learn from others mistakes.

So here it is: The 20 Things to Learn from my Unsuccessful 20 Years.

1. Nothing EVER EVER EVER goes as planned. I thought I would be in my junior year of college studying ag business at Bozeman, getting ready for law school in a couple years. WHAT A JOKE!

2. You will disappoint yourself. I wish I would have succeeded in Bozeman, in college in general actually. But it is just NOT working for me. Make a new plan, make a new goal, do something else.

3. You will disappoint someone else besides yourself; family, friends, teachers, all of the above. This happens, sometimes you can't help it.

4. When you disappoint someone, APOLOGIZE!

5. But darn it, when you apologize you better mean it!

6. Trust is something that is incredibly hard to gain back after it is lost. Don't do anything to intentionally lose it.

7. Men suck, besides dads, brothers and uncles, they just do. They will hurt you, maybe unintentionally, maybe even on purpose. That's just how it is. Don't blame them, just move on.

8. Men are also God's gift to women, those butterflies are the best feeling in the world. Nothing beats a little crush.

9. Dad's will always be the number one man in your life, the one who won't let you down.

10. Don't waste your money... SAVE it... I'm still learning this. I'm down right dumb when it comes to saving money.

11. Good friends are hard to come by, don't do anything to screw it up. And forgive them when they screw up. If they are really good friends they will apologize and they will mean it. No one is perfect, everyone screws up and makes mistakes.

12. Family are always your main friends. If you didn't have the family that is so incredibly supportive then I feel bad for you. My family stands behind me, even when I would like to kick my own a** for being stupid.

13. Read!!! Whether it be that silly romantic comedy or The Wall Street Journal...At least you are using your brain.

14. Drink Coffee...I don't have a real reason for this. I just think you should.

15. Make Goals... Long term and short term. Make goals for the day, make goals for the year, make goals for 10 years from now. Write them down and check them off. I have a goal list for today...it read "crochet hat, go to grocery store, write blog post"...and look at me go!

16. Travel, as I said earlier, save money. It comes in handy for this one. Everyone should see parts of the world. I was lucky enough to see London, and a little of Germany in high school. Not to mention the places I have seen in the United States. I'm lucky enough to have parents who helped me with this. There are still parts of the world I'd like to see, and I'm working on that.

17. Realize some people are just stuck in high school. They can't help but thrive on the drama. Don't give into them. Just nod your head and walk away.

18. Realize you are young, you are going to be the pee-on. That's what your 20s are for...work hard, you will be at the top some day.

19. Learn to let go and let GOD!! There is a bigger plan. Make goals and work towards something, but just know, he has something planned for you. It will work out how he wants it to, not necessarily how you want it to.

20. TAKE PICTURES!!! I love love love pictures...my brother can't stand all the pictures I take. But every time I look at a good picture I can remember exactly how I felt when it was taken.

So there it is...The most important things to take from my 20 years.

I hope you liked it, I  know it was a long post today. Had to make up the last two months!!

So until next time, here's to the cowboys I dream about at night, the coffee that wakes me up in the mornings, and most importantly Christ, the one who gives me the strength to get through the days.

Love, Kate

And here are some pictures, since that's one of my main points.

 My best friend for life, my handsome brother Vic!!

The tall one, to my short life. The one and only Laine.

The wonderful Lewis family.

 

Two of the most handsome men I know. Teigan and Rance.

Thanks Brad and Tara for letting me enjoy your wonderful kids!

I'm lucky enough to have a family in California that love and support me!

Meet the Toledos.

The yin to my yang. My partner in crime. Love me some Mal Mal

The Cowboys

In my writing class a few days ago we discussed the essay "About Men" by Gretel Ehrlich. The author started off by discussing the cowboy in the old Marlboro ads. The ads reminded her of her home in Wyoming, and the men and their common courtesy that is so often taken for granted in our culture here in Montana.

This all got me thinking, I know there are these men in the world...the ones who are kind and caring, but hard working and strong also. I mean, I grew up with one of the kindest, funniest, caring, hardworking men around. My dad loves and cares for my family, and I don't recall ever meeting a more hardworking man (maybe I'm biased, but it is my belief). But, not everyone was lucky enough to grow up with a father like mine, and they may have developed a different opinion about "the cowboy." While discussing the essay in class some of the students went on to discuss the cowboys that are seen on tv and movies: the bad guys, or at least tough and gruesome type. Some of the students had stereotyped the cowboy as tough and gruesome and rough with women. While I cannot recall the examples of movies they gave, I remember thinking these "dudes" obviously never grew up watching Little Joe and the other Cartwright boys like I did on Bonanaza, or watching Gus in Lonesome Dove rescue Lorena. And, they OBVIOUSLY did not grow up with a father like I did, watching him care for new born baby calves, or making my brother and I giggle until our stomachs hurt, or play us a song on the guitar because we weren't feeling well.

It is sad that our culture does not have more men like my father, and let's be honest, my brother. The men that will go out of their way to pick their wife a bunch of wildflowers on their way home, or sing to their daughters. The man who is kind and caring, but can still be rough with a mean momma cow if necessary. It is sad that more women do not know about this kind of man, and set their standards high enough to find this kind of man. While I have not found my knight in dusty wrangler armor, I'll keep waiting because I know that he is out there. I know that there are men like him, because of the example my dad set. It just so happens, that he may be harder to find because he is probably working his a** off, like most cowboys do (at least the good ones).

So until next time, here's to the cowboys I dream about at night, the coffee that wakes me up in the mornings, and Christ, the one who gives me the strength to get through the day.

love, kate

Augustus "Gus" McCrae, Lonesome Dove

 

Little Joe Cartwright, Bonanza

 

My dad handfeeding his other "baby girls"

 

He's my favorite dancing partner

 

Last, but not least, my handsome brother Vic.

My Newest Choice of Distraction

After, lets face it, only a little persuasion from one of my closest friends I have decided to create a blog. I thought and thought about what I could offer to the world of bloggers; and while I'm not creating this blog to gain millions of followers, I'm hoping I can channel my energy and procrastination into something more entertaining and useful than my Facebook.

I grew up on a ranch in the middle of nowhere Montana, my closest neighbor was 2 miles away and the closest town of 250 people was 30 miles away. So, now you must really be thinking, what does this hillbilly have to offer. Well, I learned in my 20 years that there are some important things in life to never take for granted: family, friends, and faith. I learned hard work from watching my dad and grandpa on the ranch, and the chores that I had to do. I learned dedication and responsibility from watching my mom drive 60 miles a day to go to work. I learned being kind to everyone, because at some point in life you will need their help, or to get a cow out of their pasture, or a ride because your old ranch truck broke down.   I learned how a man should treat a woman, from the way my dad treats my mom. I learned to have faith in God from the trials that are bound to happen in life. And most importantly I learned that family are the only ones that are going to always have your back and support you, so make sure to always have their back and support them in return.

I can't wait to start sharing more posts about books I am loving, tv shows I'm craving, food I'm cooking, clothes I'm wearing, family and friend stories that are inspiring, tips I hope to be motivating, and (because I LOVE PICTURES) I can't wait to share pictures of my crazy beautiful life.

So until next time, here's to the cowboys I dream about at night, the coffee that wakes me up in the mornings, and most importantly Christ, the one who gives me the strength to get through the days.

Love, kate

just a little of the lewis family and our ranching lifestyle.