dreams or night mares?

when do you know that your dreams are really worth it? like are they for real or are they just here to make life harder.

its like when you're little and you want to do something soooo bad and everyone tells you know. when you finally do it, you get hurt. was it worth the hurt or should we just listen to what everyone said to begin with?

life just keeps moving

i know its been a while since my last post and i promise to get better now that i am removed from all the people that would generally read this.

just a quick recap of what was missed:

• intro to psychology is the worse class i have EVER taken at LSU. it was a night class with me and 300 of the newest freshman on campus, and guess what? I got a C. it was AWFUL! don't take it unless you love psychology or you absolutely have to!
• I finished my last semester at LSU with a 3.2 GPA and that was good enough for me. I by no means threw in the towel, but there comes a point in time when you are just done. You have done all you can do and it's time to move on.
• when you find someone that has been through life ahead of you and is willing to be your friend, you take them up on the offer 100%. my "person" has helped me through a lot and each day brings something new to our relationship. whether it was long text conversations or shopping ALL day there comes great wisdom from people like her.
• i finally called it quits when the one person i loved could not see the goals and dreams i was so passionately driven for.
• i began lessons to learn to play the guitar. im pretty good if i may say so myself. okay, well, i might not be good, but i like it and if i like it i can get good at it!
• I learned more about myself through my involvement in a beautiful group of student leaders. We had our moments of anger and frustration, but the lessons carried out of that student union pushed us all to be better servants, teachers, followers, peers, and leaders.
• Graduation came and went. It was a special day. Very intimate with my parents, grandmother and godparents.
• the holidays brought the family close and it was a joy to see us all together and happy. it was carefree and i see this because i am at an age where i know these times will become rarer and rarer by the year. so for now i cherish the moments and take LOTS of pictures!
• new friendships were made and old ones were tested. some friends truly came through for me in times of despair and helplessness. it wasn't each but honestly i truly found my true friends in life thus far and im glad they are also my "sisters"
• I GOT A PUPPY!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D his name is Davis. after Benjy Davis Project, my favorite local band. his official full name is Davis Major Cantrelle. (yes, im the only one left not a cantrelle because steph is now a collins.) so his initials are DMC. as in Run DMC. :)
• i never realized how much i loved music until just recently. not a particular kind of music, all music! i like the rhythm and the sounds and lyrics. old music and new music, but not too much rap music.

the real reason why i was writing this post seems minuet at this point so now it is time for bed and i will update you all on the recent events of life shortly. like i promise at some point this week!

peace,

casey

a special summer

now that the semester has begun and my internship is officially over i want to take this time to reflect on the importance of the great 70ish days that i spent at Special Olympics Louisiana.

my summer started off with the usual new place syndrome where you have to learn all about everything that happens, learn the codes to the copier, the acronyms that everyone uses, learn the layout of the building, the attitudes and temperaments of everyone in the office, learn, learn, learn...

as the summer rolled on great connections were made with people that impacted my life in ways that they will never truly know. whether it was morning chats about the night before or contemplations on life's larger issues there was always someone to turn to and talk to. i truly gained more of an understanding about why this wonderful people do what they do as i got to know them.

SOLA is more than just an organization, its a family. the atmosphere and environment is laid back, yet busy all at once. there are laughs to be shared but also work that is conquered with the help of one another. as events came and went i got to see how our athletes truly enjoyed the work that we did with them and for them. it was all starting to make sense.

the athletes are the reason for each and everyone's position whether it be the people planning the programs or the people making the money, everything is rooting in the joy that these athletes have when they are participating in sport. sport and our athletes are the heart of what everyone does. the reason you come in early or stay late or just simply show up everyday. its for them.

camps came and went and that is went i truly got to interact with athletes and learn patience, organization, logistics, safety, you name any real hands on lesson and that was what i took away from those long days of camp in the heat and the rain.. but no matter what it was the time for me to step out of my comfort zone and take part in new sports with new people and just get the chance to learn about the day to day activities for a person with intellectual disabilities.

my summer personally brought about challenges because of the goals that i had set for myself, but also because of the events that just occur in life. whether it was relationship struggles or just achieving a new level of openness, i wanted to tackle each obstacle i ran into or set up for myself head on. with the help of one person in particular i achieved my goal or openness and breaking a shell of simply talking about the things that matter. with that i began to realize that in order to truly lead and learn you have to be willing to give and take..

although my summer was full of great experiences it did have to come to an end and i did have to say my goodbyes.. it was a bittersweet day to say goodbye, but the people that changed my life have stayed in contact with me and are still there for me to turn to when i need them. and i truly appreciate the bonds that have been created and hope they always stay strong.

SOLA has a special place in my heart because i learned a lot from the organization but my time there allowed me to grow personally and professionally. i mean really, how many people at the age of 21 can honestly say they interned with an organization that allowed you to organize an event from the ground up, help with day to day operations, grow as a person, see the ins and outs of public relations, talk with the CEO about resumes and interviews, raise $1000 to rappel down the side of a 26 story building, fly in a helicopter, shoot a machine gun...

weddings are wonderful!!!!!

wow... my sister is married! this weekend was a blast and went way better than anyone would have expected. everyone got along, we ate, drank and were very very excited to have all the things to do and be together. and i guess now would be the time to admit that i was the ONLY person that cried at the wedding when steph came down the aisle. mom was good, norm was good, ryan was even fine but NO, i was crying like a baby... i was more embarrassed than anything... but o well, its done and there's pictures of it too...

as weird as it is to know that my sister's life is moving on its weirder to know that all of this has created change for my life. i'm living by myself for the first time in my whole life and my independence and freedom are soaring. i can do what i want when i want and if i cant sleep i can make noise and not have to worry about the possibility of waking someone up. its great!

my internship is going well and i love all of the things that i am doing. its different everyday and the people are great. the summer has had some ups and downs just in general and there have been some great connections made with some really great people because of it all.

i dont really have much more to write about

so peace for now,

casey

LiVe, LaUgH, LoVe

soo i know its been a while since ive gotten to write, but there are many things going on and theres not enough time in the day to accomplish my many tasks... another thing is that i have traded my blog time for bible time, but tonight i felt it was time to write.

the past few weeks have been jammed packed at my internship with new experiences, lessons learned, and great memories... im having a blast at my internship and its allowing me to do things i never thought i was capable or even willing to do... (check out www.firstgiving.com/caseymconnell to see the biggest personal challenge ive taken on so far)

besides interning ive been spending a lot of time with family... staying in mandeville is fun because i get to be with my memere and godparents almost everyday! its a blast because we do fun things, we go out to eat, get snowballs after dark, shmooze the book store... just simple fun things!

other than all of this i have spent a lot of time with my best friend (the big sis) and i kinda like having her back in my life.. idk how i got through last fall without her... i have also continued my journey of personal growth that started at Geaux Lead. i kinda like this new lease on life...

all the positives are happening in life and its awesome! the last positive is the wedding is in 3 weeks and it cant get here soon enough. im nervous and stressed and excited all at once. its gonna be a bittersweet moment and idk how im going to handle it all.

life is gonna change in a way i know im not ready for but im going to have to adapt to. for my whole life steph and i have done everything together and now she is starting her life and im staying here with mine. we'll see how this goes. im sure its all going to work out, its just going to be more growing and learning.

peace for now,

casey

only one...

sorry guys, my summer blog is gone so if you are looking for it you won't be able to find it...

there will only be this blog coming from me so i guess i should tell you that the summer is going great and that i love my internship. its a new experience everyday and i like the amount of responsibility and freedom to get things done.

other than that life is just life.. lots going on but im dealing with things one at a time.

peace

casey

additional blog...

so im taking some time this summer to write two blogs so i don't block my brain with the daily happenings of my internship.. so in the even that you want to keep track of that here's the URL: http://specialsummer10.blogspot.com/

whatever the reason may be i am very happy with how this summer has panned out. its been surprising, rewarding, and opening in just the few weeks that i have had so far.. there has been a lot of personal growth both professionally and emotionally and im kind of liking the person i am becoming... its nice to know that i can and will make my own choices and just make people accept this things that I want in my life.

i have finally come to realize that its time for me to be me and for me to make my own choices.. i like being semi grown-up and taking those initial steps to do what i want for my life... my parents (all of them) will just have to trust in the fact that they formed me to be what i am and hope that i make the choices i want based on the values they taught me.

peace for now.

case