Monday's Paint a Picture...

Nicole Ashley. Though I can honestly say I’ve never gotten real close to Nicole, I do consider her a friend and someone with whom I respect for different reasons!

I met Nicole my junior year at ACU. She was pledging the social club I was a part of, GATA. I remember thinking then, as well as now, how I respect people who are willing to give rushing and pledging a social club a shot, when they are no longer the “typical” sophomore pledge. Though I was a member already and Nicole was a pledge, she was older than me, and I respected that. I think it says a lot about a person who is willing to go through the pledging process with a group of ladies who aren’t of the same educational class, who do happen to mostly be younger than you. I think it shows a state of dedication and drive. I know many individual’s who once they ended up not pledging their sophomore year, refused to give pledging another thought in the years to come, simply because, “all my friends are already a part of the clubs, I don’t want to have to pledge alone.” That didn’t stop Nicole!

I saw Nicole as a trooper! I still see Nicole in that way. I have had the opportunity to keep up on Nicole, though she is currently practically across the world from me now, via her online journal. Honestly, I don’t remember how I came across her journal, but I’m glad I did. I enjoy reading her entries, and many times they remind me of what a trooper she is! Nicole stands up and speaks up for what she believes! I respect that! Many times I’ll click to her journal and find an entry about her views on something, and whether I share the same view or not, I respect an individual who is willing to stand firmly behind what she believes. Nicole does!

Not only do I enjoy reading Nicole’s journal because of the specific entries, but because I can almost always count on finding an updated entry almost every time I click there! Though I haven’t kept my blog updated as frequently lately, I normally am a regular blogger. So is Nicole! I have a handful of blogs I can click to and more times than not expect to see a new entry on a daily basis; Nicole’s blog is one of those!

Nicole’s frequent blogging represents yet another quality she possesses that I respect and share actually; that is her love for computers and the internet! It’s funny but, many of my memories of Nicole from my ACU days involve computer talks, many times at CompUSA, which was where she worked! I fell in love with CompUSA my junior year, and still love that store today! I actually had to spend several days at CompUSA my junior year because of some computer issues, and I always looked forward to seeing Nicole there when I would go. I always knew she would be able to help me with whatever questions or problems I was having with my computer. She knew her stuff and that I loved!

I actually look at the computer world as what has kept Nicole and I in touch to this day! Not only has it been through our blogging lives, but I actually have had the pleasure of keeping in touch with her via Instant Messenger. I’ll never forget one day when I randomly IMed Nicole out of the clear blue, it was our first time to IM each other, I’m pretty sure. I just kind of wanted to say “Hi” and stuff, and it turned into a long great discussion!

Nicole and I shared so much about ourselves. We discussed everything from religious beliefs, in depth religious beliefs at that, to going to ACU and the life of dealing with parents! HA! It was cool chatting with Nicole about things, because even though neither of us had really talked a whole lot, especially in depth about much, before this time, I found that we were both really pretty open individuals who were willing to express our own opinions and thoughts on things, and still respect each other no matter what our opinions might have been (whether in sync or not). Not only that, but it was actually real interesting to see how similar we were in many a lot of our life situations and thoughts! HA!

Nicole is a friend with whom I respect for a number of reasons! She is definitely an individual I’m glad I can say I know! There is no doubt that she is a lady with much ambition and willingness to have fun in this life! But you don’t have to take my word for it…

Nicole is such a good friend. She listens to me when I need someone to talk to, and is so concerned for my well-being. She's very smart and has a thirst for knowledge and adventure which I think is very cool. She's a friend like no other I've had.
Cherese

Nicole was always a pretty good sister (and she still is), but over the past 3 or 4 years she has become so much more than that. We've managed to do what not a lot of people can successfully manage-- get over the fact that we're related and actually become friends. And that's what she is to me-- one of my closest and most trusted friends.
Ruth Ashley

Nicole and I have been friends for 24 years which is a pretty long time considering we are only 24 years old.Even though Nicole has moved a number of times throughout her life and I have stayed in the same spotwe always keep in touch. My best memories of Nicole are when we were little and she would come home withme (or her grandparents) who lived across the street from me) after church on Sunday. We would then play"Little House on the Prairie." We would make mud pies and dress my cat up in doll clothes and pull heraround the block in my little red wagon. As we got older we still had a lot in common and would spend ourtime at coffee houses or watching movies. It's great to have a friend that has been there for so long.
Hannah

Nicole is a great friend because she always listens and never judges. She is very opened minded and is willing to try new adventures. Her carefree personality inspires me to not take life so serious and to always remember to have fun.
April

Nicole is my oldest sister, and there is possibly no greater bond than between sisters, however cliche that may sound. She is a major influence in my life. We are a lot a like. She is always willing to listen to my teen-angsty issues and offer me her advice. Since she has already been through whatever I'm going through, she fully understands me. Nicole is entertaining, fun, and a STRONG LEADER :-P !
Colleen

I first met Nicole during welcome week our freshman year, and I knew from that moment on, we would be friends. The first thing she did when she met me was push me down. You see, our first meeting was during mud day. For those of you who do not know the joys of mud day, well, I feel sorry for you. Anyway, she introduced herself and we discovered we were both from the Lubbock area and our friendship grew from there. Nicole has always been there for me through the hard times and she has never been afraid to tell me the truth; even when it wasn't what I wanted to hear. She is one of my dearest and closest friends and one of the few people that I can be completely unguarded with. Nicole, I love and miss you dearly and I hope to see you soon.
Kelly Flynn

Things are never boring when Nicole is around... particularly when you're driving hundreds of miles without a working radio or cd player. Many an interesting jingle was created under such circumstances. No; it's never boring.
Ruth Ashley


One of my favorite memories with Nicole was steeling her roommate, Courtney’s, pledge book and finding the secret location of the homecoming float they were building. Driving out there in the middle of the night, getting lost twice, and being scared out of our minds. After we found their hiding spot we put signs up letting the club know that there secret was out. When we were done taking plenty of pictures to commemorate the moment we drove back home. We spent hours that year going through Courtney’s stuff and making fun of her “diamonds are forever” life style. It was great!
April

On Christmas, Nicole and I would always be the first ones awake. Our other sister was NOT a morning person and would sleep until noon. My parents did not want to wake up at the crack up dawn just for presents, so they would say we weren't allowed to wake up anyone else until 6 am. Nicole and I would usually be awake by 5, and we'd just hang out and talk (and maybe sneak peaks at the presents). Then we'd venture together to wake up everyone else. Ruth was a challenge, but we always found some creative way to get her up... spraying water, jumping on her bed... I think once we PLOTTED to ring the stupid Taboo buzzer in her ear, but never went through with it.
Colleen

One memory I have is when we were sophomores at ACU, every other day I had time off in the afternoon to go home and watch one of favorite soap operas. Since she lived off campus we would "watch it together" at our respective places, and then call each other during commercial breaks to discuss what happened. I remember it was so funny that as soon as the break ended we could just hang up. No explanation needed. No goodbye's. Just click. Nothing could make us a miss a word. It may seem kind of silly and trivial. But I couldn't have done that with just anyone. It's a funny special memory for me and it could only have been shared with Nicole.
Cherese