Shots.Photos.Berries.

I've decided that if I get another shot in my body I'm going to have a meltdown. Shots in the fingers on Monday, new ultrasound tool at the dentist that felt like needles were going in my gums and now another shot in my arm. Lame!

I walked into the health office and there was a family with four kids. The mother kept calling one of the little girls "Mina" and it brought all those memories from Royal Family Kids Camp come rushing back. My little Mina. I wonder how she's doing.. is she happy? Is she being loved by her family? All I can do is hope and pray.

Evan asked me to help him with his culminating project by letting him take pictures of me. I'm always up for a photoshoot so I put on my new skirt and tank top and we hit up those wheat fields. It's a lovely day and we had fun!



My mom and I picked some raspberries in the back yard. We managed to come in with two containers full. I remember going out in my little flip flops when I was a child and having the best time picking and eating those berries. Some things never get old.

I checked the oil in my truck, put some air in the tires, got the GPS ready and packed my backpack. I should be all set to go to orientation at Central tomorrow!

:)

I walked in the house this morning to find a cup sitting in the middle of the hallway with a book and a piece of paper on top reading, "spider in here". I got a good laugh out of it but my sister wasn't too happy. She was not about to take care of the little, well I should say big guy and put him outside.



FYI: Strawberries are so delicious right now!



Andrew and I went shopping at the craft store. He's a cute little puppy isn't he? :)



Midnight showing of Eclipse? Yep. The amount of giggles and "ohh's" and "aww's" during the movie was rather ridiculous. I think I laughed at just about everything. I was a huge fan of the books but the movies seem to be getting cheesier. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it but it still upsets me that Bella chooses Edward. I've been waiting for Bella and Jacob to have a kissing moment and they definitely did in this one. It was pretty intense, haha. Katie and I had a good time making fun of things and freezing our rears off. Movies theaters are overrated! It was a late night but well worth it!

Arrg!

~Tae Bo in the backyard.
~Lunch with Mom, Carly, Grandma and Lauren McKinney. We went to the Cafe in the Marine Land Village. It was cute but the food wasn't all that great. I much rather prefer the Cafe on Queensgate, just so everyone knows :)
~Finger Appointment. End of story. More injections which didn't make me a happy camper.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Even though I really hate having warts on my fingers, God is going to work it out. If we wants me to have them then I suppose it's for a reason. But, I am praying that they'll go away, and go away soon. If I'm going to be a waitress I need to have pretty hands.

~I took a nap with my kitty. I woke up to find her feet pressed against my head.
~Tacos with the fam.
~My nanny job started today so I get to stay with Lauren tonight. We went to her house to feed Indy (the dog) and watched Extreme Home Makeover for the first time. Half an hour in and I had tears streaming down my face. It's quite the emotional show.
~Made cinnamon chip oatmeal cookies. Oh my goodness, they are to die for. My new favorite!
~Took Indy for a walk with my mom.
~More TV and then bed.

A heart like God...

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

In the story of David and Goliath, David asks why he was being blessed so much. He had full confidence in who he was but he didn't understand why he out of all people on the earth was being blessed. He didn't once complain about the things he was asked to do and I really admire who he was for that. He took care of his father's sheep without being told twice even when he had nations and people to conquer. When things were so important his life depended on it, David still took the time to care for the little things and didn't whine a single sentence. I don't know about you but I want to be more like David.

Hearing that at church made me also think about my life... Who am I that God is giving me so many great things in life. I am confident in who I am but at the same time, why me? Why am I being chosen to live such a happy, filled life? I believe it's because I'm in the front of the line and I have the ability and the drive to help others. To be like David and serve others. My blessings in life lead me to give back. And therefore that is how I want my life lived.

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:1-4

Come to me, all you who are wearing and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29

I love those verses. What better picture of Jesus is there? He will wrap us in his arms, teach us and strengthen us.

I loved how this was stated at church this morning:
Humility is seeing yourself as you really are.

If I were to ever cut my hair which for some reason it's been on my mind lately, I would have it look like this girl. Short but not short enough to bring back the third grade boy haircut. Let me also mention that this wedding dress is beautiful. Maybe someday I'll get to wear one that pretty...



Andrew and I got to spend some time together tonight. He picked me up and we went to see his neighbor, Paul. Paul is the one who is opening the restaurant that Andrew came here to help get started. I think we must have stayed for around two hours and I left with a job offer :) I get to be a waitress! Well that's the plan for now at least. We talked over dinner at Red Robin and I got a personal tour of the soon to open restaurant. It's going to be awesome! Andrew let me drive his scion! There is something cool feeling about driving a car barefoot. A sunset walk along the river and then time for bed. Gosh, I've really missed that boy.

pictures, coffee & wheat fields.

Running with my dad this morning was almost like being on a wild life safari. We saw a couple rabbits, lizards and squirrels. Every couple of minutes an animal would run by.

Espresso World with Laurel came next on the agenda. We walked in to find Krista and Katie both working. I thought it was cute that they are best friends and working together and Laurel and I are best friends and we were sitting on the couch with our laptops. We shared our pictures from our road trip and talked about everything that happened while we were apart from each other for a week.



For some reason Laurel wanted to show me the wheat fields up on Clodfelter so we went for a drive, took a couple pictures and saw some sweet cars. We headed back to her house where her mother gave me a beautiful quilt for my graduation gift. She made Laurel and I matching ones so we could think about each other at school while we cuddle up in our blankets. It is one of the most amazing gifts I've ever been given. Thank you so much Mrs. Adami. You are an amazing lady!

My parents and I ate popsicles on the front porch and then I smoked them in two games of Chinese checkers. My dad managed to get lucky on the third one and took home the trophy. I couldn't ask for better parents!

heading home...

Today was the day to pack up and go home. I was really surprised at how long it takes 6 little girls to pick up their stuff in a tiny cabin room. Did I mention it was quite disgusting? I came across a toothbrush on the filthy floor right next to some dirty underwear and a pair of mud encrusted shoes. Caitlin and I decided that going to this camp is the best birth control. I totally want to have kids but I can definitely wait a little while, haha. We signed each other's shirts and gave our children the scrapbooks we worked on all week. They were special moments.

I sat next to a boy on the bus ride home. I later found that the lady that picked him up from the church had to ask him his name to know who he was. It wasn't even his social worker, just a person from the same office. That completely broke my heart. This boy was so sweet, so loving and this is the last thing he deserved. But I know one thing for sure.. God knows his name and that is the important thing.

We unpacked all of our supplies and then had a nice dinner at the church with our families. Tisha read a story about a boy who was on the beach and throwing star fish that had washed on shore back into the ocean. A man came up and told him that he could never get them all back in the water but the boy replied that he could make a difference in the life of one star fish. The man was so inspired that he got all of his friends and family and they began throwing the miles of star fish back into the ocean. They could save just one more...

Tisha applied that to us working at Royal Family Kids Camp. We can't help all of the foster children but we can help one at a time and I had that opportunity. I was blessed to work with two little girls and I know I made an impact in their lives. One of my girls told another counselor to tell me that I was the best counselor she's ever had. It almost brought me to tears because I knew she meant it.

A lovely surprise.

So I walk into the dining hall and see this guy standing behind the kitchen counter with a handsome, genuine smile on his face. We seemed to make eye contact all throughout our meals and we even exchanged a few words. I learned that he went to Eastern but is finished with school now. That makes him how old? He did look about my age but I guess we can't judge by the cover. He is on staff for YMCA camps and will be at Camp Dudley all summer. I found him on facebook but who knows when he'll be on the computer since he'll be in the woods for a while. There is always something exciting about a new face that makes you smile :) Did I mention his name was Joe? :)

The little girlies and I went canoeing today. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm. Just spending the day doing what I love... hanging out with kids and serving the Lord above.

The Letter That Said It All

The founder of Royal Family Kids Camp wrote us a letter that really spoke to my heart. He knew that a lot of us would be wondering what we got ourselves into, realizing how tired we were and how far away Friday seemed.. but then he reminded us of how much worse the childrens' situations are at home. We volunteered to be a part of this week to honor and praise these kids. To give them a week simply for them so that they can have positive and fun memories. Don't get me wrong, I felt exhausted, lonely, and flat out defeated every day but it was for the kids and I could only rely on God to get through it. I truly felt him working in me to be a light for my campers. He was the one to give me strength, wisdom and courage every day of this week and it was an incredible feeling.



For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

What do you want from me Lord?

Can you say challenging? That is the word for today. I've been tested, manipulated and loved all by the same little girl. I can't think of a more exhausting couple of days that I've ever had but I couldn't be more thankful for this chance I've been given to work with the broken hearted and abused. The Lord made himself like nothing, made himself into a servant and therefore I can too. He isn't finished with me yet and He continues to shape and mold me into the person he wants me to be. I believe that everyday of my life God is showing me amazing, challenging and quite incredible things to help me grow and mature to my full potential.

precious children

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, His very possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.
1 Peter 2.9

This was our camp verse. It has a different meaning to me now. Foster children from the Tri-Cities came to this camp for a week to be kids, simply kids. They all have gone through terrible situations and they are only between the ages of 7 to 11. At that age I didn't really even know what abuse was. These children may not have a loving family to be a part of but God has chosen them to be in his family. He will always love them and be their father no matter what and that was a comforting thought to the heartbreaking situations they came from.

My two campers are both 7 year old girls named Mina and Selena. They are simply darling. I'm not going to talk about them because of confidentiality reasons but let me just say that these two girls have bright futures and I'm praying for them to live happy, God filled lives.

Every day God amazes me with the experiences and opportunities he presents to me. I am one lucky girl to be able to serve Him in the ways that I do.

I wasn't allowed to take pictures this week so I consider this week an exception to my 365 project. The Lord understands and therefore it's okay :)

Welcome to Camp Dudley!

Seven 0'clock, I was out the door.
Destination - the church.
Pastor Dave prayed for our team and then we were on our way to Royal Family Kids Camp at Camp Dudley.
I got to ride with Crystal in the Yaris bubble car. We had some good conversation and I enjoyed getting to know a new friend!
Stopped at Miner's for lunch. The Asian salad was quite delicious. I recommend to anyone!
Once we got to camp we unpacked and settled into our cabins.
Early bedtime so we can be rested for the kiddos tomorrow!

summer times

We woke up to find the Schlect family prepping for their son's graduation party so Laurel and I got ready and quickly headed out for some garage sales. Not finding a whole lot we decided the mall would have some good stuff so Grethen (the GPS) helped us on our way. Some money spent and a couple hours later we both had some good finds. We changed our clothes in the parking lot of the mall and headed out to the graduation party. It was supposedly out in the valley... but it was way out in the valley. We got frustrated and almost turned around without going to the party. Gretchen couldn't even find it and we were low on gas. It happened to be only a couple yards up the road and walking in we felt a little out of place since we only knew about 5 people. But, Laurel got to meet some people she'll be going to school with next year so it turned out okay. We ate some good food and then we were on our way. We couldn't help but stop in the grass fields on our way back home. They were beautiful.. quite different from our desert fields. I let laurel drive my truck for parts of the way. I was surprised at how well she handled the sucker. But I mean it's Laurel.. she's great at everything she does :) We both decided that more road trips are in store. They are just too fun to not take. Once I got home, my parents and I went to Matt's graduation party for a bit and then I packed for camp!

more to come...

So, I've just had a second to sit down... Laurel and I returned form our road trip to Spokane. It was incredibly fun and tons of amazing memories took place! I finally got packed for Royal Family Kids Camp and I'm leaving early tomorrow morning. I will post my blogs from the road trip and post pictures on facebook when I return and I'll have a week's worth of camp posts to do also! I really could use some prayer this week. I'm going to have the privilege of being a counselor to foster children and I can't thank Jesus enough for this opportunity. I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed week!

So, here I am..

Going back a week and writing about Friday! The beginning of an awesome road trip. The first independent, college kid road trip! Laurel and I headed out with the truck packed and windows down. We were ready for success and it was just that!

- Looking ahead with no time constraints, no parents, no rules. Lovely.
- Mochas in hand, sunglasses, hair flying in the wind, singing our favorite songs.
- Laurel strapped Mort (the cactus) between us. Every time one of us moved our arms he got us.
- We had two coolers, and a grocery bag of muddy buddies to keep us happy.
- First stop: the first exit in Ritzville. It took us to an interesting second hand bike restoration shop. We had lunch in the pick-up in the parking lot.
- Visited a grocery store for the bathroom. The lady escorted us to the very back of the store but that didn't stop me.
- We surprised Jesse on his door step. He showed us around downtown Spokane. We had giant cups of chai tea and played on the wagon slide in the park.
- Cooked our own mac-and-cheese in the back of my truck. It tasted so good!
- Headed to the Schlects for the night. They are such a loving family. I felt right at home.
- Played some tennis before bed.

First day of our road trip = wonderful times with my best friend.

trees

Well I spent a good portion of my morning at Kamiakin with Brandon planting new trees. Three of the ones we planted for our senior gift died. They died during the winter and then we planted them without knowing. The flower farm was very nice and gave us three brand new trees, full of leaves and life. Brandon works for the flower farm and had a day off but took his morning to help me re-plant. What a sweet thing to do. We had some good conversation as we dug in the dirt.



I climbed Badger with my mom and got things ready with Laurel for our road trip tomorrow! :)

katie dear

My morning started off with a wonderful coffee date with the one and only Katie Ellis. With my mocha in hand we sat and talked about life, guys, church.. the good stuff :) She is such a sweet girl who has big dreams and an insane amount of love for Jesus. I admire her.

I'm almost finished with my thank you cards. I kind of despise them!

Katie and I went to campaigners where Erwin lead the group and talked about living with Jesus as our Husband. We talked about what each of us find attractive in a soul mate but really.. it doesn't get any better than Jesus!

Then.. Katie helped me vacuum out my truck. I want it somewhat clean for Laurel and I's road trip on Friday. Gah, I can't wait for that! It didn't take long so we ended up ogling over adorable engagement pictures online! We both decided that adopting cute little black children is in store somewhere down the road.

Katie and I go way back to elementary school but we've just recently been talking again. She is such a beautiful girl and I'm so happy to say that we're friends! Thanks for a great day my friend! :)

I sadly didn't get a picture with her today. What was I thinking?

blah

I hate my fingers.

emotional.

Maybe it's that time of month because I just flat out felt emotional today. I slept until 11:30 which could be a new record for me. Normally my version of sleeping in is 9:00 at the latest. It felt good to get that extra sleep.

I went in for my finger appointment today. The doctor started explaining the symptoms of this new injection that we haven't tried yet and I just lost it. I started crying.. it was rather embarrassing but I'm just tired of all of this. Of getting my fingers injected and having them blow up like balloons and being red and puffy and in pain. I just want these warts to go away.

Overall, it's just been kind of a blah day. I've felt tired and wanting to do nothing. I know it's just one of those days. Tomorrow will be better.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

time goes so fast...

First of all I can't believe it's already June thirteenth.
Every day of this year has just flown by!
God has shown me some amazing things though so I can't complain.
It's been a journey worth while.

I picked Laurel up for church. We were both wearing our new outfits. Mine being my strapless, blue romper and Laurel sporting the pink-ish salmon colored summer dress. We hit up the Young Life car wash... the truck needed a washing. It was fun to see everyone out enjoying the sun. Walking over to Albertsons I pushed Laurel in one of those car carts. The ones made for 3 year olds :)



We debated over the FRESH mozzarella I was supposed to bring to discipleship . We settled on the regular kind that comes in the bag already shredded and later found out that was the wrong choice. It was for caprese salad which calls for chunks of cheese. Who knew?

We then headed to Laurel's house to sunbathe. We grabbed blankets, chips & salsa and drinks and headed to the back yard. Laurel's cat ended up drinking most of her milk and then puked it up on the patio. She's going to kill me for posting this picture but it was part of my day so I'm going to just do it anyway!



Venturing to my house we worked on thank you cards. I couldn't considerate and got up and did something after each card. Maybe that explains why I only have 15 done. Only somewhere around 100 more. More tattoos took place. We now sport "power" and "sexy" Chinese tattoos located on the shoulder blades.

Sam's graduation party was next. He is such an awesome friend! We didn't stay for long but long enough to look at all of his photos from over the years. What a cute boy he was and what a nice young man he has become.



The Laureano's was next. Us girls made dinner for the boys. My job was to make pesto and cook the noodles. Laurel and I threw the noodles on the ceiling to make sure they were ready. They stuck so therefore they were in fact ready! Awesome bible study followed.. Erwin pretty much summed everything up by telling us that we should think about our future and what we want it to be like. Apparently according to everyone I'm still going to be the first one married.



The sun started to go down so we headed over to the Renard's to sit on the roof and watch it. Eric helped me get on the roof, haha. What an experience. It was so peaceful up there. Nothing quite like a summer night.





Jesse (the boy) is in town for the weekend so Laurel and I headed over to the Ward's to hang out for a bit. We arrived to find everyone sitting around a fire on the back porch. Kevin whipped out a "would you rather" book so some interesting topics came about. When the lady next door threatened us with a phone call to the cops we restored to the living room. Some more discussion and then it was time to go. Some of us still have curfews.

Sadly, I don't have a picture from the event.

This is what a summer day should be like: relaxing and doing random, fun things.

good day

My alarm went off at 7:00, I picked Eric up and we headed to Howard Amon park for the Young Life fun run. 3.2 miles later and we were a sweaty mess! It was a pretty great run though. Eric would take off in a dead sprint and walk back to me, haha. It spiced things up a bit. We hit up Some Bagels and then the estate sale next door. I was the happiest girl alive.. I walked out with four cameras!



- One Step Close Up 600 Film Polaroid Camera - $4
- One Step Plus Q-Light Land Polaroid Camera - $4
- GMTEX GT-304 Film Camera - $3
- Kodak Tele-Instamatic 608 Film Camera - $5



Eric bought me the Kodak camera because he thought it was so cool. He is so sweet. He said it would be my graduation present.

When I got home my sister and I just stood in the kitchen for quite some time and ate leftovers from last night. Pasta salad, pita chips and brownies.. um yea, delicious! I sat on her bed while she attempted to make a dent in cleaning and going through everything in her room. There is honestly not one inch on her floor that isn't covered in something. I always get some good clothes out of that experience! I attempted to work on some thank you cards. I believe I completed around seven before I was sound asleep.

Tonight was the first of many truck laying, sunset watching evenings. Laurel and I piled mountains of blankets and pillows into the back and hit up our favorite spot. It sounds like a romantic date but it's more of who can have the gnarliest fart and dancing so the people in their backyards think we are crazy.





Once it got dark and we were afraid of creepos we headed to Aaron's where we played some fun games, sat around a bonfire and met new friends.

Another insanely wonderful day of summer :)

graduation party

My graduation party was a complete success. So many people stopped by and it made me feel so special and loved. It was overall just a wonderful night of conversation and spending time with people I care about. Thank you so much to everyone who came tonight. You all have a special place in my heart.



I had to put my cap and gown on again for some pictures. I wasn't too thrilled but I managed to get it off before everyone showed up to partayyy! ;)

good times

Well, it's official.. watching Laurel do tae bo is one of the funniest things I've ever seem. She was trying very hard and therefore I give her complete credit. We'll be working on those kicks! ;)

Another lazy day.. worked on the slide show for my graduation party tomorrow night and did things around the house.

Out to dinner and ice cream for Grammy's birthday! A mondito burrito from taco del mar and white chocolate frozen yogurt from sweet treats filled my belly.

Then spent the rest of the evening around a camp fire with some of my dearest friends. I love when we all get together and share stories. Every single one of them is a precious gift from God and I'm so thankful for them. They make my life beautiful.

I was looking through my picture box today and came across this polaroid of me when I was a youngster :)

picnic

L to the aurel and I hiked badger this morning. We took the new trail and laughed the whole way up. She made me a smoothie for breakfast :)

I've gone out to lunch more times this week than I have the whole year. I met Kailee, Kristi and Demie at the river for a picnic. We had pizza, cupcakes, watermelon, and capri suns. Quite the picnic food right?



I am a complete trucker in that picture, haha.

I also:
- Cleaned my room.
- Ate a gigantic marshmallow.
- Sat at the computer for way too long.
- Attempted to take the "Abercrombie & Fitch" stitching off of a sweatshirt. Oh boy, that's going to be a project.
- Got scolded for burping rather loudly.
- Read an article about how effective putting duct tape on warts can be.
- Campaigners. Ate three tacos and too many cookies. Had some good discussions about Jesus and what we've learned throughout the year.
- Sweet Treats for ice cream, however, I just ate everyone's waffle cookies instead.

This has to be one of the cutest things I've ever seen!

waitin' & prayin'

For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12

My day:
- Run along the river with Laurel.
- We almost got attacked by a swarm of geese.
- Talked about how we can be each others boyfriends for right now.
- Yogurt & granola.
- Shower.
- Ran a few errands. Successfully returned with a $3.00 skirt from India and a planner.
- Lunch with Grammy at Cafe at Queensgate. Such a cute little place.
- Played some cards. I won solitaire three times.
- Took a nap. Solid sleeping has been a daily activity for me.
- Dinner with mom, dad and gram. Mom's homemade pizza.
- Royal Family Kids Camp dessert meeting. I'm so excited for this camp!
- Visited Laurel at work. We walked and talked while she swept the floor.
- Had a good talk with Mr. Adami at Albertsons. He is a very wise, intelligent and sweet man. He reminded me that whoever I choose to spend my life with needs to have a firm relationship with Jesus. It is the most important thing to have in a marriage or any relationship in order for it to grow in a positive, healthy way. I told him that I was going to make a list of what I want to find in my soul mate and he enlightened me on a very real concept. It's okay to make that list but then focus on how you can better yourself to be the person that your spouse will want to be with. If I want all of these specific qualities, then I need to work on those qualities to make sure I'm proving true to what I want. I'm not sure if that made perfect sense, but it's clear in my mind. I guess that's all that matters.

Just for kicks, here's my list:

- Loves Jesus and lives for Him everyday trying to better their relationship with the one true God.
- Likes to exercise and be active. Always up for an adventure.
- Has tons of patience and humility.
- Works well with kids.. One who will make a great father.
- Winks ;)
- Musically talented. Someone who will sing me to sleep.
- Always tells the truth. Honesty is key.
- Enjoys photography so we can go on fun photo shoots together.
- Always looks for the best in people.
- Facial hair, glasses and v-necks... no big, just something I find attractive ;)
- Maybe an occasional picnic in the park?
- Values people and makes them feel special and worthwhile.
- Has a smile that can light up a room.
- Genuine personality.
- Someone who will enjoy thrift shopping as much as I do.
- Full of surprises, never dull.
- Has the intention of traveling the world.
- Enjoys life and lives everyday as if it's the last.



Now as much as I'd like to know who I'm going to marry and get this whole thing started, I'm going to pray and wait patiently for the right man to bless my life. I know that God's plan is far greater than mine and I need to focus on that so I don't mess it up with my own selfish actions. In the mean time my goal is to focus on bettering myself in these same things that I want to find in my future hunk of a man (except for the manly specifics of course. I don't really want to grow a beard).

lots o' laughs

This guys shirt made me laugh.



I went to lunch with Amber today. We decided on Mongolian Grill... It was quite the experience for me. I've only been there once and it was quite a while ago so I laughed pretty hard when I saw the overflowing bowls of noodles. She helped me through the process so it was a successful run. A little bit of hot sauce to the grillers is apparently a different story to me so while we ate, my face was sweating. We had some good conversation while eating or heaping bowls of delicious-ness. My fortune cookie sucked. I just had to add that.

I got to hang out with Laurel today, finally! It seriously seems like ages since I've seen her. We had best friends moments and I can say it again.. I'm so thankful for her. I couldn't ask for a more supportive, loving, beautiful best friend. I got to meet her friend Matt tonight also. He seems like a very nice boy! We all piled in my truck and took some flash light pictures. We came out with a few good ones but i don't have one to post because they are all on Laurel's camera. I applied a fake tattoo sleeve onto Laurel's arm. Now we can both feel B.A. ;)

college kids now

Well, no more school to go to on Monday.
First official day of being done with high school.
It's a rather funny feeling. I'm not quite sure what to think yet.



My cousin Kat and uncle Tom left to go back to California today. It was so nice having them up to visit. My grandma is still here from Ohio and I'm so thankful she's here too. I couldn't ask for a more supportive and loving family.

I went to Laurel's graduation party today. It was Amanda's, Natalie's, Jenna's and Jarod's as well. Had some great conversations, good laughs, wonderful food and soaked up the sun. Nap time again? I think so. I crashed when I got home. Woke up 2 and a half hours later. Watched some t.v. with the fam and then hit the hay. It's been such an eventful couple of weeks.

graduation

The day has arrived. I've wanted it to come for so long but waking up I found a strange feeling in my stomach. It could have been because of the speech I was to give in a couple hours or just because this was it. The end of one chapter and the beginning of another. I've never had a group of friends as close as I did this last summer. Every single one of the have taught me so much about life and how important good friendships are. I know it will be good to get out and make new friends at college but I am truly, 100% going to miss all of the ones I have right now. I hate thinking about not keeping in touch with every one of them but I know it's going to happen. We will drift apart, not because we want to but because we'll be separated by distance and being busy college kids. I really want to start an on-going letter. It will go something like this: I will start it and write to Laurel for example. She will add something to the letter and send it to Tommy, he will add something and send it to Jarett and it just keeps going. I think it would be a fun way for us all to stay in touch somehow. We can open the letter, read about everyone's experiences and then pass it on again. We'll see how it goes, but I'm hoping to do that once I get settled at Central.



Graduation went very well. It seemed like it flew by. I walked with Kailee, Kristi, Demie, Emily and Jori. I love all of those girls. Kailee and I continued to hold hands as we made our way to the stage. Two empty chair awaited us. Kailee and all of the 9 valedictorian and salutatorian's speeches were awesome! Reading everyone's names was a challenge, kind of stressful but fun. To see the smiles and looks of excitement as my fellow classmates received their "fake" diplomas was a great feeling. You know the feeling where you practice and prepare for something a ton and then have it not turn out as great as you were anticipating? Well, that's how I feel about my speech. I just wish I had more confidence and willing to be outgoing in a situation like that. But, it's behind me now and I'm happy and honored to have had the opportunity to do that. We threw bouncy balls with our caps as our senior prank thing. All of the administration knew about it so I wouldn't really call it a prank but it was something that made us all smile.



Andrew Schuetz. That's about all that needs to be said. He surprised me at graduation. He told me that he wasn't going to be able to make it to graduation but sure enough there he was. I felt like we could have been a scene in a movie, haha. I turn around, see him standing there, we run and embrace in a long hug. Tears even filled my eyes. It's been over a year since I've seen him and I've missed him a ton. I guess they say that distance only makes the heart grow fonder. We've had our rough moments but his friendship means everything to me.



My parents and I went to a couple graduation parties. I ate way too much. Enough to last me for a whole week I'd say. Before long, my legs and my stomach needed a break and we came home. I fell asleep on the living room floor and then got ready for the all-night party. It was so much fun and all of the hard work my mom and dad have put in throughout the year paid off. I was drawn to the fake tattoo area! Soon enough a giant junle/tiger tattoo engulfed my right bicep. I actually really like it! Also, a spray tattoo of budda made it on my foot. That one actually looks legit and it makes me laugh every time I look at it. I came away with an espresso maker, some sheets and a fishing pole! I'd say that I scored. The hypnotist was an absolute crack-up. I was almost on the verge of tears I was laughing so hard throughout the whole thing. I managed to fall asleep while watching the slide show. It was bound to happen with pillows, blankets and bean bag chairs. Overall, the night was one to remember. It's going to be hard to forget with all of the wonderful people I got to share it with.

parties!

- Graduation practice!
- Southridge was privileged to hear all of our speeches ;)
- BBQ at the park. I was so happy with the turnout! The Lord blessed us with sunny weather so we could have fun, play around and just be merry!
- I walked in the door to find cousin Kat and uncle Tom sitting in the kitchen. What a great surprise! Grammy is here and Carly also came home today! It's so awesome having everyone here! I feel so special that they all came home to support me!
- Kat and I went to Target. It was a successful run! I came home with a strapless bra (that's what I needed!), and a pair of sailor shoes. Me and my shoes, haha.
- Took a shower and got some tedious things done.
- Went to Kailee's, Briana's, Breanna's and Tommy and Andrew's graduation parties tonight! They were all lovely! So many great memories.
- Finally home.. sleeping on the living room floor.

last day!

Today is my last day of high school...
ever!

I honestly can't believe it has come to an end so fast! This year absolutely flew by. I am so happy to say though that I have had four amazing years in high school. My friends are truly incredible and have blessed my life in more ways than I could have ever imagined. Tommy posted a blog about things he has learned.. I felt like I wanted to do the same...

- Life throws you curve balls.. some are amazing and others are harder to deal with.
- Chocolate covered pomegranate seeds are the bomb!
- People will let you down, love them anyways.
- Good friends make life beautiful.
- Yoga is simply a gift from the Lord.
- Wool socks can always make you feel warmer, inside and out.
- A boy who can sing will catch my attention in no time at all.
- Take nothing and nobody for granted.
- Being true to yourself is the only way to go.
- Jesus is more than I could ever imagine.
- Crying isn't always a bad thing.
- A good hug is the greatest remedy.
- Expensive clothes are over-rated.

I could probably make this list 100 times longer but it's late and my mind is running on empty. I've had so much on my mind lately with everything I've been planning for the senior class and things coming to an end.

This has been one heck of a journey, that's for sure :)