my new home.

In case anyone was wondering.... this is what my dorm room looks like (at least my side)! It's very spacious and we try to keep it clean. I actually try very hard to make my bed everyday. My roommate brought a sweet flat screen TV and we have cable and a dvd player and a mini-fridge and microwave too! All I have underneath my bed is two laundry baskets and a shoe organizer thing, so we don't have a lot of clutter either. I really like my room. Our dorm is in the middle of everything on campus (yummy dinning hall right across the street and student union is right next store and all my classes just around the corner!) and our room is only two flights of stairs up. I love it.

days like today.

Today was such a great day. My friend Jenn and I did all of our favorite things! First, we spent about an hour and a half at a used book store called "Redeemed". I bought three beautiful, old books. One is as old as 1898! It was so hard to limit myself. Then we went to a coffe shop called Sinatra's Coffee Gallery. They actually play Frank Sinatra and it was the cutest coffee shop ever (and delicious)! Then the two of us just drove around and found fun places to take pictures. A field, old barns, cows, signs, and doors are just a few of the things we captured. Afterwards, Jenn and I headed down town to walk around and ended up grabbing some coffee and listening to a very talented acoustic guitar player and singer. If I could describe a perfect day, it would look like the day I had today. The weather was gorgeous, I love books, coffee, jazz.. Frank Sinatra, taking pictures, beautiful scenery, the city, good music, and great company!

i'm in college.

Goodness.. I don't even know where to begin! Well, I am officially a college student.. just completed my first week of classes and I'm completely settled into my dorm. I absolutely love this campus and my classes! It's so great with professors that actually care and are passionate about what they teach! Makes a HUGE difference. AND there are so many things to do! Hopefully, I will be participating in Hall Council for my dorm "Freddy" as the Community Service Chair. And, I am also looking forward to being apart of the Student Activities Committee for the entire school body! Oh, and my roommate is awesome and her name is also Kelsey! We get along really well.

College has really been a rollercoaster of emotions. Saying goodbye to my parents and brother and my few really great friends was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do! Somedays have been good.. meeting friends and feeling as if I belong. But there have been a few moments that I feel unlikable and that making friends is something that will never happen or be easy. But wonderful people keep graciously reminding me that those things take time and it's only been one week. Other than those few moments, college has been awesome! I absolutely love going to classes and I have the greatest schedule! Taking naps is so stinking great... I don't even mind doing my dishes or my laundry! Being a big girl is very cool. I definitely feel as if I've grown up in the past week. I still have so much to say, but I think I'll space it out and put more fun pictures up.

book review: Glass Castle.

I had to take a lot of deep breaths while reading this book. It's an amazing story of resilience and brokeness and family. There are just so many things one can learn from this woman's childhood. Not even sure how to start telling someone why I love the book or why they should read it. After every few pages, I would just look up and say "Really?". There are just so many things that surprised me and startled me and made me sad and happy and hopeful and lost and upset. It definitely stretched my perspective on the type of people that live around me and made me very grateful for the life, parents, and childhood that I had! I really hope you get the chance to read this book. It is definitely my favorite book that I have ever read... no joke.

Embraced New York.

Just got back a week ago from my mission trip to New York.. It was so crazy! The city was so amazing.. I'm in love with it. There were so many people of all different backgrounds everywhere! There were so many different smells (good and bad) and noises and so many things that take your attention. We were able to visit all the boros except for Staten Island. They were all so different. I think Manhattan may have been my favorite. I liked the energy in TimeSquare and I also really liked Harlem. Not really sure where to begin with the trip. It wasn't exactly what I expected. We were able to do a lot of "behind the scenes" serving which isn't what we are use to with mission trips. Normally we are constantly with kids and people. But I think it was a good stretching opportunity for our group. I know I definitely was surprised and God used it to teach me some good things. One of my very favorite sites we helped with was a place called "God's Love, We Deliver". It's an organization that delivers hot and frozen meals daily to people that are unable to leave their homes and make meals for themselves due to an illness (HIV/Aids, MS, cancers, Alzheimers.. etc.) It all started with one lady just taking notice of a neighbor who had Aids and she just started doing his grocery shopping and cooking for him. Now the organzation serves 14,000 meals A WEEK!!!! This gives me so much hope. God is so much bigger than I ever give him credit. So in a very small summary, that was New York. I can't wait to go back!!

summer bucket list.

go on a hike.

go camping.

take 10 really cool pictures.

make a family/friend photo album.

bake something new.

make dinner for my family.

make dinner for a different family.

have a legitimate slumber party.

go on a scavenger hunt.

host a trililogy movie fest with friends.

spend an entire day in the Loop.

go to Kayak Coffee shop.

go to the zoo.

go to the muny 3x's.

walk Forest Park.

have a picnic at Forest Park.

go to Shakespeare in the Park.

go swing dancing.

paint a picture.

try out some Indie music.
go to an art show.

learn about a culture.

go to a concert.

learn about a historical person.

read 3 books (atleast).

go antiquing/garage saling (with anna).

watch all the movies on my list.

do random acts of kindness.

do something crazy &/or spontaneous.



There's the list! Hopefully I can fit it all in. I'm going to try to take pics of each thing and post them so be on the look out. So glad it's summer!

to be confident.

My prayer right now... I want confidence. The confidence to obey God when he asks me to do something that takes courage. Or the confidence to obey Him when He says it's time to give something up. I want the confidence to be who I am in all situations and around all people. To be who God created me to be in every relationship. I want confidence in Jesus. To follow him no matter what it takes. The confidence to let Loving God and Loving people be the center of my world. I want the confidence to not only dream up what my life and this world could look like but actually achieve those dreams. I wonder who I'd become if I'd actually receive the confidence God desires to give me. I guess "confidence" could be interchangeable with "trust". I desire to trust God in everything.

for me??

Umm... I WON an iPod Touch the last day of camp! So crazy. They did a drawing of names tags of people who volunteered to help pick up trees & brush around the camp ground (had a bad storm a few weeks before.. lots of damage). Funny thing is: I ACCIDENTALLY ended up helping for an hour the first day. AND my name was only drawn because one of the ten (out of like 50 other name tags) picked had already won an iPod... so they needed to pick another and it was ME! Nothing like this has ever happened to me before! Still pinching myself.

last year of camp.

my church family: camp blessing #1

my youth pastor & great friend: camp blessing #2

my girls: camp blessing #3

My last year (as a student) at camp! I've been going to Pinecrest Camp since 3rd grade.. that's eleven years! It's always been a wonderful time of just hanging out and having a blast. This year was perfect. Had a great speaker and a talented and fun worship leader. Plus the games were fun and the food was delicious! I always love camp just because I get to know my church family, my girls especially. We have such a great time just being with one another and goofing off. One of my favorite times is when we re-cap the week together on the last night. It's cool to see that God is actually doing stuff in people's lives. I've learned not to let camp be my emotional high for the year or to just let this time of escape from life be wasted. Last year it really did mark a time in my life that God just shook up my priorities. I learned that life is about loving God and loving people and that truly is all that matters. This year God showed me I'm not following him in everything. I'm still trying to control things and I'm not trusting Him. But I'm also learning that all of this is a process. It's ok to allow God's love and grace into my life. I'm so thankful for God's patience. And for all of these wonderful people in my life that love me for me and that spend life with me.

parental date night.

My daddy and moma and I went on a little date the other night. The three of us headed down to a place called Forest Park and went to Shakespeare in the Park. We had some lattes and watched "The Wives of Windsor" ( set in the 1930's) in our lawn chairs. It was completely free and perfectly beautiful outside! I had so much fun. I really do have the greatest parents in the world. I'm continuing to realize just how much they have sacrificed for me and just how blessed I am to have been given parents that love me so much. It was a wonderful night. Definitely soaking up these moments!

feels more bitter.

Wow. I can't believe I did it. I went on a REAL road trip! No parents and no plans.. with my own money and my own friends in my car! Kelsey, Meg, and I (also known as Nora, Bella, and Riley- our fake names we told the people we met-haha yeah, we're weird) left in the early morning for a 15 hour trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina! We beached and played and shopped and tanned and had an amazing time being big girls and making our own plans and doing whatever we wanted! It was perfect. Can't believe I am allowed to do things like this now. But it's bittersweet. Being away this last week and coming back to my family and my friends gave me a feel for college. It's going to be hard. I hate not talking and being a part of what went on in my mom's week. I hate not having fun with my brother or knowing what he did his first week of summer (found out he hung out with girls! NOT ok!). I hate not hugging my daddy after his long days at work and missing out on his silly jokes. And I hate not being a part of my church family's week. Seriously, I have to go to college? I don't want to miss these things.

graduation pics (the party).

the huge yummy cake.

cake with decorations.

just one of the many creative ideas via my mommy.

my wonderful chef uncle dan making fettucine alfredo for 1,000's.

the left over fettucine alfredo.

lots of wonderful cards.

my family made me cry... alot.

the "treasure box" filled with notes and the picture board of my life.

graduation pics (friends).

me and noelle.

three kelsey's.

me and the beautiful meredith.

me and mrs. neff.

me and mrs. nell.

graduation pics (family).

me and daddy.


me and brubby (brother).

me and moma.

me and my 90year old great grandmother.

me and my cousin zach.

me and my godson gavin.

me and cousin addi and her son gavin.

gina, lily, me, jade, tori, and great aunt lee.

me and my aunts.

uncle dan, aunt beth, and me.

great uncle paul, aunt sue, & gma gmpa wright

my cousins lindsey and courtenay.

I'm done!

graduates.

my family.

some of the cousins.

my wonderful aunts did this.

I'm officially done with High School... forever! It's hard to believe. I think, out of my entire life, this last weekend was the best time I've ever had. A lot of my family flew/drove in from out of state. We had fettucine alfredo and spent time together on Saturday before graduation. Then they all went with me to school and watched me graduate! Then on Sunday, we had the "friends" party and a lot of people dropped by. I had so much fun. I've never felt so loved or encouraged! This last weekend was such a gift. I'm so grateful to have so many wonderful and beautiful people in my life that love me!

next week.

to do list for the next week:

1. forever part from high school on Saturday at 6:30pm
2. spend some great, much missed time with my family
3. hold my godson for the first time
4. go to 1,742 graduation parties
5. clean my very messy room and car
6. go see a movie with two wonderful people
7. relax and read books
8. start up weight watchers and exercising.. again!
9. unpack from Florida and pack for Hilton Head
10. freak out about college