O.C.D- O'Very Compulsive Disorder

Ok, so I know that this is two posts in a day.... but honestly, my last one was 1 week overdue and this one is super applicable to right now. :) I'm sure that both of my followers understand!

I know I have a slight problem.... I'm kinda OCD. This stands for Obsessive Compulsion Disorder, but since it pretty much runs in my family, I can fondly refer to it as "O'Very" Compulsion Disorder. Yes, I do believe it's genetic. My grandma's maiden name was Houskeeper, so....ya. ;) I didn't exactly get the super clean gene, but I do have my compulsions...

My thing is color coordination. Just today I was satisfying my post-exam sugar need with some skittles in the SAB, and I naturally start to sort them out like I've always done and I get the inevitable and overused question, "What are you doing, Meghan?" (Honestly I get that every time.... ;) I don't mind, I'm just glad that I'm amusing to people and I hope I don't freak them out too much.)

SO, I decided to explain it all nice and simple for anyone who cares. It's actually pretty funny. :) AND, I do it without even really thinking about it. So, here goes...

With colored food and candy:
We'll use the example of Skittles.

Step 1:

          Separate the colors.

 Step 2:

          Count them out, and make sure each color has the same number of candies. Eliminate the extras. (Either eat them, or act super generous and give them to a friend or a random guy sitting near you who keeps giving you weird looks while watching you sort Skittles in order to get him to stop looking at you weird.)

 Step 3:

          Now that you have the same number of each color, commence in consuming the delicious treat. Take one from each color each time, so that there are always the same number of each color.

Side note: YES I do eat them in a specific order. YES, I have to. YES it's part of my...problem?

Yellow--Green--Orange--Purple--Red.

Yep. That's my OCD. As far as with colored candy, I do it with ALL colored candy: M&M's, Mike'n'Ikes, anything that has different colors. If you don't believe me, secretly watch me as I consume any colored candy at a random party or while I'm studying or whatever.... I don't really think about it. :)

Yes, I color coordinate almost everything of color that I have control over.

This is my closet

 My closet is a little different because I also organize it for length. So, it goes jackets (darkest--lightest), long-sleeve shirts (darkest--lightest), then short-sleeve (darkest--lightest).

My tank tops/undershirts

If you're on the BYU swim team, you've also seen the kick-boards. Ya, that's me too.... ;)

But honestly, doesn't it look so nice and orderly?!

Our coach John asked me today, "Why don't you do the pull buoys too?"

My reply? "Nah, that'd just be silly!"  :)

Mawwiage.... That Bwessed Awangement...

So.... My sister got married this past week. Her reception was on the 10th of March, and then the ceremony was on the Monday March 12th. Personally, I'm kinda glad that she split it up like this for a few reasons.

a) I got to spend an entire weekend with my family.

b) We used the same desserts for both the reception and the wedding luncheon, so there were less leftovers and therefore less your-sister-is-married-and-it-feels-like-everything's-different-and-now-she's-on-her-honeymoon-which-is-just-WEIRD brownie binging for Meghan. :)

c) I can't really think of another reason.... it just seems that there should always be a c...

I know this is weird to say, but it's still sorta freaking me out that she's MARRIED!!! I mean, she's my big sister and one of my best friends. We've gotten a lot closer this past year, and now suddenly it feels like everything's changing...  AAAANNNDD, she's only two years older than me! It's craziness...

Don't get me wrong. I love my new brother-in-law. :) I'm so happy for them, and I know that they'll have a wonderful life and eternity. 

The reception was almost perfect. The decorations were beautiful, the bride-to-be and groom-to-be looked fantastic, we got to see some long-lost friends and family that we never see anymore, the food was amazing. Her colors were lime green, black, and yellow. It was SO Macinze I thought I was going to die! (In a good way).

The ONLY complaint that I have about it was that I was the one in charge of the transportation of the cake afterwards.... and the layers slid in transit. Did you know that buttercream frosting doesn't come out of black clothing? Ya. My cousin informed me of this as I was sitting in his car wearing my black bridesmaid dress with a huge 20 pound 3 (sliding) layer cake while he tried to navigate through my dear Cache Valley. The only problem here is that no matter how carefully one might be driving, there's NO way to go anywhere in Logan without having to go up a hill. Not a dinky baby hill, either... Like 5% grade, 1/2 mile long monster hills! 

By some miracle, we made it with no white irremovable stains on my dress, and we happily brought the giant cake with the sliding layers inside. That was my adventure for the weekend. ;) (Other than a date I got to go on, but that's a WHOLE different story.)

The day of the wedding was perfectly beautiful and sunny, but windy. When the bride and groom came out, I couldn't think of anything other than how happy my sister looked. I mean, there are fake smiles and real smiles, and I know my sister's real smile. She could not stop "real smiling" from the moment she walked out of the temple to the moment she started bawling when she tried to thank everyone at the end of the luncheon. She absolutely glowed, and I loved it!

At the luncheon afterward, there was delicious food (there always is at an O'Very/Alvey party!) and karaoke, at which my amazingly talented family always excels... I did not receive that particular talent, but I was the designated recorder, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. My favorite part was when we initiated John into our childhood society called J.O.S.H (Junior Olympic Swimming Heroes), and I actually said something that was funny on purpose! :) Usually, I am only funny when I'm not trying to be.... But it was a magical day!

Basically, it was a very wonderful and touching day. I loved seeing how Macinze and John glowed. I think that it comes from being blessed with the opportunity to spend the rest of eternity with your best friend. And that's the most important thing. 

The only downside is that whenever my sister cries, it makes me cry. Unfortunately, when she stops.... I don't. I was bawling for the whole cleanup, the send-the-newlyweds-off, AND during my entire drive back to Provo. (I also cried while I was making up my swim practice, and I've never been so grateful for long pulling sets or an empty pool in my life...)

SO.... this is the longest blog post ever. ;) I just have to close with this.... God bless those who are lucky enough to have each other, not only for a lifetime, but for eternity!

Also, funny story: they took my car on their honeymoon, and we didn't get a chance to wash off all the decorations before they gave it back to me. Just so you know, when you drive through Provo alone in a car that says "Just Married" and "bride" and "groom" all over it, you get some weird looks...especially when you're in a traffic jam and you drive with your left hand and they stare at your ring-less finger, likely wondering if you were abandoned at the church on your wedding day. ;) I should have pulled out a tissue...

The tall redhead one and the tiny one on the
end are my brothers. :)

I'm the one squished in between my two gorgeous redhead sisters. :)

Mr. and Mrs. John and Macinze Coyle!! Together for all eternity!

I also wanted to add a couple of pics from a REALLY long time ago.... Just for good memories. :)

(And, to answer your question, YES I spent my entire childhood in a swim suit. Not much has changed... I know.)

I've always looked up to my sister. :)

 

                       

Take off the Mask and BE YOURSELF!!!

So, tonight I attended the CES fireside in the Marriott on campus (duh... that's where everything happens! :) ) Anyway, Elder Quinton L. Cook was the speaker, and as he started speaking I settled comfortably back in my hard stadium seat to prepare myself for a long, spiritually uplifting night and the usual "You kids here at BYU are amazing.... the chosen generation... you are so strong..." type of message. Not that I'm complaining in the slightest... I LOVE those messages. They make me feel good about the world. However, while Elder Cook did speak about our being the chosen generation, there is one thing that he spoke about that really hit home for me.

"Whate'r thou art, act well thy part." -Shakespeare.

BAM!!! Basically, this is the 16th century version of "be yourself!" But, come on! I'm still a wee teenage Meghan. I still am going through the adolescent struggle of self identity. How do I be me, when a lot of the time I don't know who me is? I was a late bloomer for this stage in life... in high school, I knew who I was. I was a fast swimmer, a smart girl in all the "hard classes", and people knew who I was. I guess that sounds a little conceited, but honestly, O'Very isn't exactly a common name (and when you think about it, it's pretty easy to remember....but don't think too hard about it ;)), and I have a dad and an older sister who caught the attention of the little Cache Valley early on. I was sort of caught in the wake of high expectations, but I didn't really mind too much. I knew exactly how to define myself.

But, suddenly I'm in an environment of 32 thousand students who were all the "smart" kids in the "hard" classes, and on an incredible team with nationally ranked swimmers and coaches, where everyone is incredible. I felt like a goldfish who was huge in a little tank, but was suddenly thrown into an ocean. I didn't know how to act, how to think. And honestly, I'm still figuring it out. But you know what? I am still the same goldfish. And I should be proud of that goldfish.
However, for some reason this year, I tried to convince myself that I was supposed to be a angel fish. No matter what, a goldfish will not be happy pretending to be an angel fish, no matter how hard it tries to convince itself that it is happy. Because you know what? That is NOT who that goldfish is, and being anything (or anyone) other than yourself can only lead to problems, because you can never be comfortable in anyone else's skin but your own.

I guess I'm not sure where I'm going with this.... Elder Cook asked, "Why we would ever "put on a mask" and try to be a person that is contrary to who we are and what we want to become? " I guess my point is, in his words, "Act in accordance to your true identity."

I know the me I am now isn't the me that I want to be someday. And we shouldn't be so hard on ourselves about that, either! I mean, we're trying to judge ourselves as unfinished works-in-progress in comparison to an image of the perfected being that we want to be someday. I am SO guilty of that.

But I do know this: we are defined by our choices, by our beliefs, by our faith. So be who you are. Be that goldfish, and be happy about the goldfish that you are. :) Take off the mask, and just be YOU!

                                And who knows? That goldfish can adapt to that
                                                     ocean pretty well. :)
                                                        (Can't wait!:))