Summer Swap Reveal!

  This is getting posted a day late, but I'm really excited to link up with Joey, Myra, and Courtney for their summer swap!
I was partnered with such a cool person - Becca over at One Girl, One Beautiful Life!  We were such a good match.  She's out in Minnesota - loves the Lord, enjoys the outdoors (and has inspired me to go snow hiking next winter, I'm stoked), crochets, and she visits some pretty amazing places.  Someday, I want to make it out there!
I was so excited to get the package in the mail, and I was only able to hold off a couple days before I tore it.  I absolutely love what she got for me, and have used everything already!! 

I immediately put on the nail polish - it was perfect for the graduation and flip flop weather days last week!  Not to mention - it's my favorite color!!
You can never go wrong with flip flops!
Burt's Bees - my absolute favorite.  
Gum - always good to have on hand, and I love the flavor
And I think my favorite are these bracelets!  I don't normally wear bracelets, but I'm pretty sure I've been wearing a combination of these bracelets almost every day since I got them. 

Case in point!  This was Corey's graduation - I made him dance with me :D

Thank you so much Becca!  I'm so excited we were paired up!

A Big Milestone!

I can't believe it!  

He's all graduated.  

What an emotional night.  

I'm so proud of him!

Good times with old friends

Day 16 - I'm not following her 

prompt today, because today was 

just too cool not to share

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Tonight I got to see someone that I didn't think I'd ever see again!  Natalie and I, along with Brie, got to catch up on life with Mr. and Mrs. G [aka Jon and Erica, now that we're 'adults' - according to Mr. G, haha].  Mrs. G was one of my band directors and she was there when I first started playing bassoon. I was a freshman when she moved away and I think she may have visited later that year, but it's been a while!

Natalie, Brie, and I headed to the Spaghetti Warehouse tonight to meet up with their band, who is playing all over Ohio for the next few days.  We got to catch up with them and meet a few of the band members.  They introduced us to the band as her "now adult students."  It was fun. Add to that hanging out and having adventures with Natalie and Brie - I'd say it was a good night!

Also, I got to tell Natalie 'Happy Birthday' in person!  I failed to mention in my recap of the day that I also told her Happy Bday yesterday!  So we celebrated with goofy faces and a surprise from California :D

Typical Day

Day 15 - A day in the life of

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Today was a bit rough for me... it all started with forgetting my cell phone (stupid) and my attitude did nothing to help.  I thought about postponing this day in the life of for another day that was a day filled with fun, but I guess this is more real. 

I overslept and didn't get out of bed until around 7:25. Skipping breakfast because I knew I'd be eating at work, I talked with Mom and headed out the door (remembering the camera, but not the phone)

I listen to Air1 or the Fish radio every morning (or my iPod, if it's charged).

3 minutes from work, I  realized the phone was at home, yelled a lot and banged on the steering wheel.  Decided to just go to work. 

I was in training all day and worked through lunch, otherwise I'd have pictures of my knitting project for you. 

I love my drive home from work :D

After work though, life was a bit more normal.  I came home and headed to the pharmacy.  Yay for an inhaler :)  I then went to the car wash.  The truck was in desperate need of a bath. So desperate that I'm still going to have to hand wash it. 

Isn't my truck gorgeous!  I love it!

I came home and talked with Mom.  I washed the windows in my truck and laid the floor mats out to dry in the sun while she worked in her flower beds.  I caught up on Once Upon a Time and Dance Moms (guilty pleasure) while I ate supper. 

I talked on the phone with a friend while I waited for Reata to come over. We made a trip to Wal Mart to pick up way too many ingredients for rigatoni.  I've never made rigatoni before, but I'm making enough for a hundred people this weekend.  Pictures to come of that for sure. 

Rigatoni anyone?

We danced around Wal Mart and got plenty of stares given the large amounts of food in our cart. 

How did I get so lucky to have her in my life?

We came home and reminisced about life.  Spent some good quality time together... I called my brother to wish him a happy birthday and now I'm headed to bed.  All in all, a typical day.

Seek Joy

Day 14 - Ten things that make you really happy

(in no particular order)

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10. 

A hot cup of chamomile tea 

and a good book in the early morning or late evening

9.  

The clip clops of a buggy coming down the road

8. 

Doing and experiencing new things

7. 

Cantering full out

6.

Catching up with my far away friends 

both in person and over the phone!

5.

Stargazing

  

4.

Random Dance Parties

3.

Teenagers and Preteens.  

I love working with them! 

They make me smile!

2.

God speaking to me through scripture.

1.

Sunsets - oh my, how I love sunsets. 

They make me stand in awe.

Seek Him

Day 13 - Issue a public apology. 

This can be as funny or as serious or as 

creative as you want it to be.

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Way to dig in deep here this week.  I only hesitated on this one for a little bit.  And if you have followed my fun blog posts, you'll know I do my best thinking in the shower... and that's where this one hit me. 

Confession is good for the soul.  I truly believe that.  And this is less of an apology and more of a confession.  

Tonight was amazing.  I got to hang out with 80 plus teenagers and pre-teens.  It's the highlight of my week.  I look forward to Monday nights. And Sunday nights.  Oh and now I think I can add Thursday nights to this. 

A year ago, I had no idea what my life was going to look like.  I graduated college, rode at Nationals, traveled for 6 weeks and began my job.  And I doubted.  I got back here and realized that I built a life in Bowling Green and I didn't have one here.  I had nothing to do except work.

So many nights I've spent in self-pity, not believing that I'd ever find a group of friends, a church, a barn, a life here.  Yeah, I had a job, but a life? I don't want to discount my family, but a good group of friends isn't exactly my strong suit.  And I'm used to being busy, and I had nothing to be involved in here.  And it was discouraging.  And depressing. I hated bouncing from church to church, barn to barn, group to group. It felt like I was never going to find anything. I gave up for a while. 

God had different plans for me though and He told me to keep seeking.  To keep putting one foot in front of the other. And I doubted, and complained, dragged my feet and again, I gave up.  Nothing was happening.  A year had passed and I still had nothing. Woe is me. Pity party on this end.  Gross.

  But leaving Montage tonight, God reminded me that He will always provide.  Here I am a year later and I have to step back and count my blessings.  I'm working with youth again.  I'm meeting some really good people.  I'm getting to spend time with my family.  I've traveled, I've grown closer to God.

Tonight Mike talked with the kids about Peter walking on water with Jesus.  A lot of people focus on the fact that he doubted and fell, but how about the fact that he took the first step. I want to be like that, not afraid to take that first step.  Hindsight may be 20/20 and I may be able to see all a lot of what God's done for me in the past year now, but I want to do more than that.  I want to really believe and trust that He's doing stuff right now, that I shouldn't give up, that I still need to seek Him with all I have. 

Stars in the sky

 

Day 12 - What do you miss?

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Oh, I could see this one go so many ways, but because today is mother's day, I can think of two great people I miss.  Grandma Janet and Edna... I miss a lot of other people, but, well I lost them both in the same week, and they both were some pretty amazing people.  And raised some pretty incredible children. And among the people I said happy mother's day, I wish I could have said it to them today.  But I am grateful for the time I did have with them and the things they taught me.  

God has blessed me with amazing women in my life who have raised me to be who I am today.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.