1 Year Together

Yeah so I'm going to be that sappy person and post about my 1 year anniversary with my boyfriend. And you're going to have to deal with it because this is the longest I've ever been with a guy and I'm not stopping anytime soon.

 

 

We spent our day visiting parts of Washington I've never been to before. We went to Fort Cassey and Worden.

(This is Fort Cassey. It was much cooler than Worden)

I went on my first ferry ride which was fun and surprisingly quick.

It's amazing how quick boats can be.

 

We also spent a lot of time singing and being goofballs.

 

But the best part of the whole day was spending the whole day together.

Since starting school again our schedules make it difficult to get some time together.

He's either working or I'm working/studying/surviving.

Quality time is always the best gift.

Speaking of gifts the boy built me a desktop as my gift. He seriously is the sweetest and most thoughtful. It has been so helpful to do my school work on since my laptop can be pretty slow at times.

 

I am so blessed and happy to have Brad in my life. He's become one of my best friends and my home. I cannot wait to see what the next year holds for both us.

I love you Bebe!

Pin It

Oh Seattle

Yeah, yeah I've been missing for a while, but I am not sorry.

I'm busy with life and school and everything else.

Who knew I'd put this blog to the side because living life is so much fun?

Just thought I'd catch you up on what I've been thankful for.

1.) Birthday Spoiling. 

My man and his family thoroughly spoiled me this weekend. Great gifts, lavish dinner, and jumping around was the best. So thankful to have another family to celebrate with while away from my own. 

2.) Reusable Starbucks Cup

This sucker was a gift for my birthday and saves me 10 cents every time I use it. Plus I feel like an Eco-friendly person. So double woo!

3.) Vacation!

That's right! I'm getting on a plane to L.A. to visit one of my besties and then jumping on a cruise to Mexico for a week. I give you permission to be jealous. I am sure I'll be jealous of you someday.

4.) Spring Like Winter Days

Today has been so beautiful. It was even warm enough to walk outside without a coat on, but I still wore a sweater. I also love that my school is right on the water with an awesome view of the mountains.

5.) School

Yeah, it's hard work, but I think I am finally glad I stuck with it. I am passionate about this work and whether I become a counselor afterwards or not is not of importance at the moment.

What are you loving about life?

Pin It

Weekly Thanks

Well, I had quite the busy week, but also was very blessed throughout it.
This is what I am thinking God for this past week.


Busy work shifts helping pay my way to Washington. Grateful to generous tippers.

Saying goodbye to one of my best friends and having the longest group hug of my life with them.



 

Getting to have one of my favorite drinks ever. Dark Hot Chocolate from The Chocolate Factory.

 

 

                Time with this little man trying to find his celebrity doppleganger. Apparently it's 
                                                           Britney Spears, I don't see it!

 

       Quality time with friends grabbing dinner, exploring the city, and watching great movies.

Pin It

The First Goodbye

Tess and I have been best friend since 3rd grade. You can read her post about how we met

 on my first impressions post.

This girl has watched me grow up, go through numerous breakups, cry over the most ridiculous things, and supported me through everything. She listens to every thing I say and calls me out when I need it. I act like a complete goof-ball and hilarious Rachel is present when she is around. Now she is moving to L.A. to begin her dream of working in the film industry. I cannot believe she is the first to leave. I have been on edge of tears for the last month. Two weeks ago I couldn't even say when she was leaving without tearing up. This week I couldn't even say her name without feeling the tears come on. I am writing this post in advance for the reason that I will be balling my eyes out today because my best friend is not in the room next door, less than a 20 minute drive away, and no longer working by my side at work.

 

In honor of her, we had a fun little adventure to celebrate our friendship and give her some moments to say goodbye to her life here.

 

We started the night at steak n' shake because the west coast does not have one! Can you believe that? Where is she going to get the best steak burger ever? And if you do not know what a steak burger is, well, that's very unfortunate.

 

During the evening we went on a country drive as it was tradition to do these while we were in our undergrad. These drives always led to deep discussions about our lives and our futures. It was a beautiful day so we drove with the windows down and admired farm life.

We made a visit to the school Tessa and I met at and played on the Adams playground. It had been years since we both had been here and it was crazy to remember that this was the coolest thing about elementary school.



And of course we visited the home I remember spending numerous nights in. Lucky for us, the owner of the house let us peruse the house again and show Michelle where we had sleepovers and parties. 

Tessa's old childhood bedroom. It was green when she lived in it. 

 

 And one of my favorite parts of the night was going to Kohl's to find our own "Sisterhood of the traveling pants" idea. We of course got a purple scarf because purple is all of our favorite colors and scarfs can be worn in all three states we will all live in. Tessa is taking it first to California along with the journal we will be passing along with it. Michelle will get it next for the start of graduate school and then me!

And we had to end the night with some karaoke. Tessa's mom joined us and sang some songs with us. We laughed a lot and were the youngest people in the joint so we definitely sang all the teenie-bopper songs we grew up with. 

 

We ended the night writing where we see each other in the next 5 and 10 years, guessing who would get married first, have the next kid, move in with their in-laws, and many more things.

 

To even try to explain to you how much this girl means to me is not even possible. She's my friend, role model, counselor, and so much more. My heart is heavy today and I am cherishing the time we've had together.

I look forward to Thanksgiving break where we will hopefully be re-united together living it up in L.A.

 

Love you Tess!

Pin It

Weekly Thanks #3

First off, I am thankful for the blog giveaways that I was blessed to win this week. In my three years of blogging, I have never won and I rarely enter. This week I was very lucky to win not only one, but two.

 

Much thanks to Lesley at  By the Porchlight and Shane at Whispering Sweet Nothings

 

 

Hanging out with these two little cuties! They are destined to be together.

Waiting at the airport for my grandmamma to come in from England!

Shopping and goodbye dinners with the British invasion folk.

 

Bridal Parties and Open Houses.

 

Going to the casino for the first time with my best friends and winning $0.90 along with being paid $10 just for coming.

 

"Rest and Be Thankful"

-William Wordsworth-

 

Pin It

Weekly Thanks

This week I am thankful for....

 

Morning bike rides, coffee breaks, and blogging learning.

 

Many work shifts to rake in the money.

 

 

 

Time with my adorable nephew.

 

 

 

Laughing non-stop while watching Parks and Recreation.

 

Best friend time without school in the way.

 

Employee hangout time outside of work.

 

One goal I have this summer is to begin to remember all the things I am thankful for so I hope to do a Monday post each week of all that I was thankful for the week before.

 

 

Pin It

Gratefulness

The Daily Tay 

is a blogger that I follow in blog land and she posted this amazing post yesterday from another blogger.

I was touched deeply by it and I think it is a great reminder that we have much to be thankful for.

Give it a read and be blessed.

Pin It

What I will miss about AU

Today I was thinking about the community I have been involved in and how much I would miss not only the community, but the daily activities I have involved myself in at the school.

Here is what I will miss:

1.) Mocha Joe Freezes: The campus coffee shop, Mocha Joe's, is what keeps my going. I found this drink Freshman year and typically only get this drink from Mocha's. I get it so much that two of the barista's known my order as soon as I walk in. Now I am moving to the city where Starbucks started and I cannot stop thinking about how much I will miss this little drink.

2.) Dances: Freshman year I remember how excited I was to go to my first square dance and little did I know dances happened almost once a month at AU. Since I am moving away, I will miss many weddings to dance at so I am hopping Seattle has some unknown dancing planned for me.

3.) The wrap line: Yes, I can make my own wrap or sandwich anywhere else, but I love waiting in the line and then choosing each thing I want on my sandwich. I love the Raven Haven wraps.

4.) Required Chapel: I have complained about having to go to Chapel a lot, but I realize how accountable it has kept me in my faith. I like having Sunday mornings to sleep so it has been nice to have two opportunities each week to have a church experience each week.

5.) Miller Chapel: This is located in our school of Theology and it is a cute little chapel that is the best place to worship. I will miss playing my guitar in there.

6.) The Valley: Yes, it floods every time it rains and it is filled with hills that are hard to walk after a good work-out, but I love the way our campus comes together around the valley. I will miss shouting at my friends or watching students sprint to their classes.

I could probably go on for hours, but these are just a few of the things I will miss after I graduate in May.

Pin It

Encore: British Invasion

Last Weekend my friends and I had the opportunity to participate in our school event called Encore. This is an event where you tryout two weeks before and if you make it you perform live in front of the student body. The theme for this show was British Invasion. I first thought: "This is meant to be! My mother is British and we can do S Club 7!" S Club 7 was my favorite band growing up.

 

This is the album cover of their 3rd cd.

 

If you have never heard of them, give them a listen. They are a great 90/2000's band.

We covered their song Bring It All Back off their first album.

And here is our debut:

 

I am in the red pants and white top.

 

It was seriously one of the most nerve-wracking and amazing experience. I performed with my best friends and was supported by amazing friends and family. I also crossed it off my college bucket list!

 

Here is my favorite song from the night; it gave me chills!

 

 

To see more: Just Youtube Avanti Boosters.



Pin It

Community

In the four years I have attended AU, we have only lost two students on our campus and one of those students lost his life last night. I am always shocked at how fast the news can circulate, but I am even more shocked that I did not recognize the names of these individuals when told. AU is small compared to a public school; it's also a school where you may know most, but not all. It's a school where community is present.

I've been waiting to write this post for a week now about the community I will be leaving in the next couple of months. I was ready to talk about entering a new community and holding on to an old, but I think I have been thinking of community wrong.

Community is praying for each other without having to know the details.

Community is coming together to love on each other even if you never even said a word to that individual.

Community is sharing life even when you walk across that stage and accept that diploma.

Community continues on; it does not stop, it follows you wherever you go.

I am thankful to have entered a community that will mourn, love, and share with me whenever I need or want it. 

I am especially thankful during these times to have a community that relies on each other and the strength of the lord to overcome the loss of a friend, brother, and neighbor.

It is so cliche, but life is short and we need to cherish the moments we have left.

So here is to cherishing my last semester at AU and sharing it with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Send a prayer out for our community as its a tough time for us.

Pin It

Rainy Mornings

You know the saying, "When it rains it pours?" 

Well, that is the title of my life this week.

My computer decided to call it quits for its 17th + time the other night because it hates charging thanks to my clumsiness of dropping it on its side three years ago. 

My android fell while I was listening to music in the bathroom and part of the screen cracked which now means it will not sense my touch on one half of the screen.

I completely struggled with a homework assignment that ended with a not so pretty word on my behalf.

I tried to be a great daughter and buy my mom an awesome birthday gift, but realized I did not read the fine print and now hate the gift I got her for her birthday.

It is pouring today when I took the time to straighten my hair last night which means hello frizzy, wavy, ridiculous hair.

It really does pour when it rains. I spent the morning calling myself stupid and being so angry at myself and life.

After spending twenty minutes beating myself up for my clumsiness and lack of gracefulness, I quickly sobered up and reminded myself that I have way too much to be thankful for.

I am grateful my parents continue to buy me electronics even though they know I will most likely break them in the long run.

I am grateful for rainy days to water this beautiful place I call home.

I am grateful for bad hair days because it reminds me that my worth does not come from my beauty, but from God.

I am grateful I had money to buy my mom a birthday present this year even if it may not be the best gift in the world.

I am grateful for not always being the perfect Christian and that God still loves me through it all the bad words that come out of my mouth.

I am grateful to realized I can get through life without electronics.

I am grateful for the friends who continue to encourage me through my rough weeks and temper tantrums.

I am grateful to be alive and breathing for another day.

We have so much to be grateful for.

Pin It

A Very Thankful Daughter

My dad has been on my heart lately. Since being at home, I have been able to see the life my family has been living. I knew that we were struggling, but now I can see it the faces of my parents. My mother is trying to be strong and supportive and my dad is trying to trust God. I respect my parents so much after being with them this week. A time that has been stressful and down right horrible, they have been able to love, laugh, and live. They are real; they struggle with God, question Him, trust Him, and wait on Him. Their strength is beyond words; it is so strong.

I broke down in tears at multiple times today as I am doing right now because of my family. We could have let this situation affect our lives in a negative way. We could have let it beat us down and break us, but all of us have chosen to rise above. Yes, we have all had our bad days. The days when we say we want to give up and that we don't trust God, but at least we are being real and honest. Our faith is messy, but so was Peter's and Paul's.

I am just thankful and very appreciative of the parent's God has blessed me with. My mom has a heart that is beautiful. Her laugh, her smile, her goofiness; I just love everything about her. My dad's contemplative-ness, trust, and faith is admirable and inspiring.

"When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down. When a tree falls, whether south or north, there it lies. If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. " Ecclesiastes 11:3-4 If you wait for life to be perfect, then your going to miss it. Be thankful for the hard times, for the trying times, and for all the times in between. Pin It

Growing Up

Life lately has been awakening, eye-opening, and real. Sometimes I wonder if I life in an alternate universe (maybe this is because I day dream a lot). I have been realizing that I am slowly creeping into the adult world. I can see the differences in pictures of how I am aging and I can see it most in the way I handle situations. I am growing out of the over-dramatically emotional stages and entering into the calm responses and patience. Is this good or bad? Part of me misses the over-dramatic stage and maybe because that is where I felt I expressed myself the most. The other part of me is happy that I am not responding with emotion filled words, but now with truth filled words.

I have talked about my past year multiple times, but it is something I will continue to talk about for the rest of my life. This year of my life has engraved me and will represent me. It was a year of learning to stand in the rain, to know true hate and real forgiveness, to make mistakes and pave the way, and to discover who I am. Relationships have been lost, pain has been felt, regret was common, and love was overflowing. I always ask myself, "If you could do it over, would you?" I have always hated that question, but I think I am starting to understand why people say yes. Do I want to say yes to all the hurt, pain, and loss? No. Definitely no. Do I want to say yes to all the discovery, love, growth, and strength? Yes. 100% yes!

This year has been more valuable to me than any of the years I have been alive. I fell a lot, but God put people in my life to always pick me up to carry on. God took me on an adventure to discover a place I love, a place I hope to go and make my own name. He has given me friends that are remarkable beyond belief; friends that I can truly say will be in my life forever. My faith crumbled, but God held on to me through all the doubt, hurt, and hate and continues to hold on to me as I still doubt and wonder what it is all about.

I could go on for hours talking about all the God has done for me, but I personally do not have time as a college student (I should be studying for a test right now, whoops!). I am thankful, grateful, and amazed at the greatness of God and how his plans work for our lives. I still struggle with why he chose me to go through some of these things and I will probably never understand completely, but I do know that there is a plan and that there is the light at the end of the tunnel.

There are better things ahead than anything we left behind.

-C.S. Lewis

Pin It

Blessed

When I graduated from high school, I was given a box of letters from friends and family. Some of the letters spoke of memories, wishes, and thanks. Every year I read these letters again to remind myself of those dreams, memories, and to be thankful for the thanks.

While reading the letters today, I was reminded of the person God called me to be. I've always known, but there is something about hearing it from someone who is not you. My heart was able to be read by other's. They understood my dreams, desires, my passion, and my heart. I wonder if they can still see it. Am I still being the bold Christian everyone said I was? Do I still speak my mind? Will I be serving middle school and high school students?

These letters inspired me to remember the person I allowed God to make me. It reminded me to keep seeking, to not weaken and keep pushing on, to be the open book I always was.

Overall, I remembered I am blessed. I am blessed to have people who influenced my life for a season or a lifetime. I am blessed to have friends who appreciate me. And I am blessed to have a family who loves me at no cost and with their whole heart.

Blessed. Blessed. Blessed. Pin It