Finals Week

Well, technically next week is finals week, but all of mine but one are this week. And the other one is Monday. So...clearly that means I've been procrastinating. Not really...I was very studious this weekend. Just not so much tonight. And I think the only time I use Photo Booth on my computer is when I'm procrastinating. Don't judge me...jk, judge away.

 Check out the new hairstyle I'm perfecting! Nice.

Yes, I'm wearing fake glasses while I'm [thinking about] studying. If only I were as studious as I looked...

"The Graciousness of Uncertainty"

I really should be going to bed but I just read something really cool and wanted to share it :) Today's (April 29th's) entry of Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest" is about uncertainty.

"To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness; it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation."

Chambers talks about the joy we find when we abandon to God, of whom we are certain. "...when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy."

"Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come. Remain loyal to Him."

!!! Seriously, so cool. A promise of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and breathless expectancy. How very perfect.

Irregardless

One of the reasons I'm super proud to be part of the social work program...seriously, "irregardless"?? Embarrassing.

My precious niece

Awww I miss Izzy so much...

 

 

 Cathy sends pictures every once in awhile and she is getting so big!!!

Rock and Roll

This song is great (slash, according  to Wikipedia, a 2011 online poll of Rolling Stone magazine named it the worst song of the 80's). And the video is even greater...music videos in the 80's were really something. But really, how could you not enjoy it? Eve and I used to jam hard to it in her car junior year.

2 WEEKS! 2 WEEKS! 2 WEEKS!

In 2 weeks, I will be completely done with the semester and will be on my way to TEXAS to hang out with 2 of my best friends, Katie and Taryn. COOL. I'll be experiencing Waco for a few days and then helping Katie drive some stuff back to Colorado. Summer.New Places.Best Friends.Road Trip.  Just bought my one-way ticket and I CAN'T WAIT!

Spring

 A nice little message that I just discovered on the inside of my shorts!

 Spring outfit!

Photobooth Magic

Mom and Olivia and I saw The Lucky One last night...you know, the Nicholas Sparks one with Zac Efron? Obviously, we loved it.

Then Liv & I watched wedding videos by Capture Studios and played with Photobooth. True beauty.

Also, last week I made this Strawberry Sweet Tea. I only had 1 glass before I left for San Diego but it was good! And this week, I decided to make these Stuffed Peppers. I had the idea and did a little work, but my mom really did most it because I had to run off to do Wyldlife stuff. But they were DELICIOUS! We'll definitely make them again.

Best Thursday night ever

We had a very successful Tacky Prom club tonight for Wyldlife, followed by an even more successful jam sesh while driving girls home. KissFM was hott tonight and played my most recent favorites, almost all in a row:
1. Call Me Maybe (we took a detour to finish listening to it before we dropped 2 of the 3 girls off)
2. Wild Ones
3. We Are Young
4. Boyfriend...JBiebs is still killin it (for reals, check it out. Oh, baby!)
5. This new song that I'd never heard before but I know I'll be listening to it lots in the upcoming days...What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction...aka the Backstreet Boys/*NSYNC of 2012. Gosh, I'm in love with them already. They had me at the label "boy band."

Maybe these lists are why people find my blog with search keywords like "teenage male pop star" and "blonde teen male." OH! p.s. JB's new album comes out 2 months from today...he told me on Facebook.

My Best Friend's Wedding

Did you know My Best Friend's Wedding is one of my all-time favorite movies? It never gets old. And it all started when my neighbor Marissa and I would dance around the house to the soundtrack. As, like, 5-year-olds. And two of those songs came on my iTunes shuffle just now. Just the music makes me happy and makes me wanna cry at the same time. You should really watch it sometime!

More Blooming...

So I've read more of Bloom by Kelle Hampton. I haven't finished yet but oh my, is it good! I read it for both entire flights to and from San Diego last weekend. And, on the plane, I was laughing and crying and loving that family even more. I kept trying to subtly wipe my eyes so the people around me wouldn't be worried, but I really was struggling to hold it together (side note: Kelle Hampton writes that she's a crier too!!!). I'm sure people were already questioning my book choice, because it really does look like a parenting book (and I guess it is, kinda). There was a baby that literally screamed for most of the flight and when we were nearing our destination, the man next to me asked if my book said anything about how to make that baby stop crying...ha.

But all that is besides the point. I love this book and it makes me cry and smile, lots. What really got me was reading about Kelle's conversations with her siblings surrounding Nella's birth and the discovery that she has Down's Syndrome. Because I know my siblings and I would support each other in similar ways in that situation. And just the thought of that incredible support makes my throat get tight.

It's fine.

I had froyo twice today...in a matter of about 4 hours. What's wrong with that? I'll tell you what's wrong with that. Nothing.

Robert Ducky

One time I picked this stuffed animal to play with and, since then, Abby has pegged it as my favorite. So she gets it for me every time we play with the animals. The best part about this duck is that he's named Robert Ducky...I think that's probably what Abby thought she heard when someone said "rubber ducky." But still, I wanna laugh every time she calls him Robert.

Right now...

...I want to do anything but finish the paper I'm supposed to be writing. So obviously, I'm going to blog instead!

So I was looking at my planner and some sticky notes around my room (I have to write everything down or I won't remember anything...I love sticky notes), and I noticed a pattern...

I'm constantly reminding myself to breathe. To calm down and not be so stressed, even when my to-do lists seem like they'll never end. So I decided to go to San Diego this weekend! Actually it wasn't spur of the moment, but that sounds so much cooler. But it was the perfect opportunity to breathe.

My favorite day was Thursday. We arrived at the airport and went to hang out at the park at Seaport Village. It was so cool to have just been there about a month before (slash I also felt ridiculously spoiled). But we got some In-n-Out, which was delicious. And then! We went to Coronado Island and got to ride bikes (more like pedal-carts...who knows what they're really called) around the island for a couple hours! Like, what? Unreal. It was one of the coolest experiences ever. Just perfect. And we spent the evening having dinner and a bonfire on the beach. Again, what???

 WHEEL FUN!

 

Then we got to stay at this sweet YMCA camp that was right on the beach and had really fun cabins painted all of these happy, bright colors. We got to have some time with Jesus and I sat on the beach, watching the waves come in. What better way to be reminded of God's power, constancy, beauty, and peace? And what better opportunity to really really breathe?

We also got to go to the San Diego Zoo, which is crazy cool. I took some pictures of the animals but my computer struggled to upload them to this post for some reason.

We spent the rest of the weekend at Oakbridge, a Young Life camp that's in the mountainsish about an hour away from San Diego. It rained all day Friday and Saturday but that was ok. We heard some great speakers and went to a couple leader seminars. My favorite part of being at Oakbridge was being crazy during club and then having some awesome worship time.

As I remember that I do indeed have a paper to finish, I am reminding myself again to breathe. Only just over three more weeks of school and then I'm home free! :)