Starring Roles

Here's a little page of important people, so you'll always know who I'm talking about on this here blog:

Chelsea: The Girl Growing Up Herself 

A lover of peonies (and all other pretty things), Harry Potter (and all other nerdy things), Lilly Pulitzer (and all other preppy things), baking cookies from scratch, and whoever will invent a way to dry her thick, crazy hair in .5 seconds. (Seriously. It's 2014, why is that not possible yet?)

A private college student turned public college student, because Wofford College, the home of my best friends and sorority sisters, didn't have the "right" major for me. Cue Clemson University and Early Childhood Education.

Mom and Dad: The Girl's Parents

Perfect example of my parents doing what they do best- support me! Here we are after I finished my first half-marathon. 

Kathy: Better known as "Mom", or "Mrs. VerHage" in her classroom. That's right, my mom is a teacher too. In fact, she too got a degree in Early Childhood Education from Clemson! She has the biggest, most selfless heart and most creative mind. Every time I'm told I'm my mom's mini-me, I feel a sense of pride, because there's no other woman I'd rather become!

Brian: Better known as "Dad", or "Daddy" if I'm at home (first time I've ever admitted I call him that... it makes me feel like a brat to do that in public!). He's not a Clemson grad, but as you can see in the picture above, he's assimilated for football season, wearing a Clemson shirt. He's actually a Purdue alum (my parents were both raised in Indiana, in the same small town) with a degree in engineering. Like my mom, my dad is a huge influence and role model in my life. He is the most intelligent man I know, and his sarcasm, sense of humor, and impeccable grammar have rubbed off on me over the years.

Corey: The Girl's Brother

That goofball of a brother had just clipped his backpack to my belt before this picture was snapped, hence my "happy" face and his silly...smile? Corey's a great golfer, total smart aleck, and deep down, a real sweet heart. He can always make me laugh! Having him, one of the biggest Tiger fans I know, at Clemson with me has been an absolute blast so far! Next year we're living together (with our cousin, too! Whaaat?!), so we'll see if I still feel the same way! ;) 

John: The Girl's Beau

Right after the proposal- John still has the sandy knee to prove it! 

That handsome guy in the picture is John, the best fiancé this girl could ever wish for. That's right- this summer, after over two years of dating, we got engaged. An electrical engineering major at Clemson, he's as smart as he is good looking. A lot of people assume that I must have transferred to Clemson because of John, but we didn't even start dating until my transfer was official. Since then, he's been nothing but a blessing in my life, and I cannot wait to be his forever wife. 

Natalie: The Girl's Little Sister

Since I created this blog, my "little" sister has been a faithful reader, and she has also lovingly reminded me that she deserves a place on this page. And trust me, she does deserve it. Even though I semi-abandoned her at Wofford (she refused to just get in my suitcase and come to Clemson with me, for some reason...), she still makes an effort to love me. I hate maintaining far away relationships, and I can be downright sucky at it, but Natalie and I have kept our special bond despite the distance. So here's to the girl who stole my heart the first night of recruitment when I met her, when we bonded over loving Harry Potter, being Methodists, and adoring Disney World on a creepy level.

Kara: The Girl's Bestie

So once upon a time in first grade I met this girl named Kara in Brownies and we weren't exactly BFFs... Nor were we enemies, but we did not become best friends until much later. Probably around 8th grade, when we went to a Fall Out Boy concert. Since then, we've hated varsity cheerleading together, dressed up in Biblical robes to volunteer for Vacation Bible School at church NEITHER of us attended (with no other friends there... what a story), had a trillion laughs and cries together, and now, she's taking on the world in our hometown as a special education teacher. Thankfully, she's a die-hard Clemson Tiger, so she'll be visiting me for a tailgate or two ;)