AAUGH!

My poor little blog. I've neglected it for so long. 


I got tired of seeking out things to blog about, especially because I had so much free time with this break from school. Instead of blogging more, I didn't want to write at all. I was having too much fun with this rare thing called 'free time'. So alas, I broke my own self-challenge. But not that it really mattered. I have 49 followers...49! That's quite a few. But no one seemed to notice that I didn't post anything new. Although it's a little disheartening, I have to remember that's not why I blog. 


If you are curious as to why I do have a blog, read this past post: 
The Reason Why I Blog


I need to remember this. I need to not get down-hearted. I need to...post something substantial!

Tonight a friend and I drove around for an hour or more looking at Christmas lights, a Christmas tradition that must not be forgotten! There were so many pretty houses this year. It's always been a secret wish of mine to have a house to decorate with Christmas lights. My dad has never let us do it at my house, but hopefully someday I will be able to. :)


One thing I hate, though, are those blow-up things you put in your yard. No thanks. It seemed like on one street we drove down just about every yard had one or more of these...yikes! I'll just stick with the pretty, twinkly lights.

The outdoor Christmas lights, green and red and gold and blue and twinkling, remind me that most people are that way all year round--kind, generous, friendly and with an occasional moment of ecstasy. But Christmas is the only time they dare reveal themselves.--Harlan Miller

Christmas is for...

Ugly sweater parties.

Need I say more? :)

Housing construction

I've been horrible. My postings have not been daily for the last 2 days! But I sorta have an excuse...I had get pictures for these posts before I could post them, and I had to attend several events to get those pictures! Anywho...here is the next thing I love about the Christmas season. Gingerbread houses.

We had a Navigators party this week, which included a house-building competition. I was teamed up with Chelsea and Tyler...I'd say we built a pretty darn good house! (It was the only one that was fully enclosed). We didn't win, but that's okay. It's still delicious- in fact, I am eating part of the roof as I type this!

Look at these mad skills!

This is the house that won..."beach-front property." Note the diving board.

This one had lots of gummy bears, which were deemed as Ewoks from Star Wars. It even had its own theme music from Star Wars, too...pretty epic indeed.

White Christmas?

There are only 13 short days until winter officially begins. And so far it's been unseasonably warm. However, I am not complaining one bit.

Last year was pretty epic. We had 2 snow days in a row...this is a big deal! Apparently there hadn't been a snow day in like 6 years. This is what it looked like.

And last year, like the song says, I was definitely dreaming of a White Christmas. My dream came true...but it was a little too white for me. It snowed and snowed and snowed and snowed on Christmas Eve and the services at almost every church were cancelled. We barely made it 7 miles to my grandma's house and had to leave early. It kept snowing the next day and the next...it was like all my white Christmases were combined into one. Too much! I remember saying that I wouldn't care if this Christmas was NOT a white Christmas...apparently my wishful thinking worked!

Of course I do love snow. But it can wait, and I will be happy. :)

For everyone

I had a terrible time coming up with something to write about for today...

But finally, finally, I was inspired. Tonight I was reminded that Christmas is for everyone. Jesus is for everyone.

I had signed up to "share my special talents" at a retirement center nearby in town. This included playing piano and singing...we were not very prepared, but the older folks still loved it! As we stood up front singing our way through second and third verses of songs we weren't very sure of, I had the chance to look around the room at everyone. It kind of amazed me that a bunch of college kids were united with 70, 80, and 90-somethings, all joining in singing the same songs. It was so neat to have that connection!

As I was choosing the songs to play for tonight, I came across a song that I sang on Christmas eve at my grandma's church a few years ago. It's not very well known, but it has a great message- no matter how we picture baby Jesus, we are all still worshiping the same true God. No one knows exactly what he looked like; we can only speculate. It is comforting to know that it does not matter if we picture him as red, brown, yellow, black, or white! I posted the lyrics to the song here:


Some Children See Him


Some children see him lily white, 
The baby Jesus born this night.
Some children see him lily white,
With tresses soft and fair.


Some children see him bronzed and brown,
The Lord of heav'n to earth come down.
Some children see him bronzed and brown,
With dark and heavy hair.


Some children see him almond-eyed,
This Savior whom we kneel beside.
Some children see him almond-eyed,
With skin of yellow hue.


Some children see him dark as they,
Sweet Mary's Son to whom we pray.
Some children see him dark as they, 
And ah! They love him, too!


The children in each different place,
Will see the baby Jesus' face
Like theirs, but bright with heavenly grace,
And filled with holy light.
O lay aside each earthly thing
And with thy heart as offering,
Come worship now the infant King,
'Tis love that's born tonight!


It doesn't matter what we look like, or how old we are...Jesus is for all.




(P.S.- This is my 100th post!)

It's a wrap.

Lately it seems I've been doing lots and lots of present wrapping. But thankfully for me, it's always been something I've loved to do. Really, if I could have a career wrapping gifts, I totally would. Well, maybe not for life...perhaps then I wouldn't love it so much anymore. :P

A fond memory of mine is of my aunt Gina teaching me how to curl ribbon. This was a huge deal! Usually scissors were off-limits, but for once I was told to pick them up and put my fingers dangerously near the blades to make ribbon curly! Oh man. Curling ribbon was definitely a hobby of mine for about a week.

One thing about wrapping presents that drives me completely crazy, though, is hair. Why is it that a hair ALWAYS happens to get stuck under your tape? You have a perfect package, so neatly encased in such pretty paper...and suddenly you see it. A hair. You try to pull it out from under the tape, but that is only successful about half the time. Your next option is to try to see if you can peel the tape back, remove the hair, and press the tape back in place without tearing the paper. If this doesn't work, the hair may have to just be left be...definitely not cool! I was complaining about this the other day, but then I realized that, while wrapping my presents, I was sitting on the floor where I brush my hair every day. Hmph. I guess I'll move elsewhere for the rest of my presents...such an ordeal!

Christmas Magic

Saturday was a fun day for my friends and me. We traversed to Lincoln for the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra's "Deck the Halls" concert. It was so wonderful! We had planned to go to the Nutracker at the Orpheum theater in Omaha, but the only tickets left for us to buy were too expensive and, well, we are college students after all.

Every year since I was about ten my family and I have gone to see the Nutcracker. Seriously, it just isn't Christmas without it. I remember vividly coming out of the show, entranced by the magic of Russia and Christmas and dancing and beauty, and being so very taken with the cityscape. It was snowing, and the snow swirled softly against the blackened night sky. All around glowed city lights and I could hear the clip-clopping of the horse-drawn carriages. To me, it was magic.

So this year, after finding out the Nutcracker was no longer a possibility, we decided to check to see what the Lied Center had to offer. It turned out to be a great concert that definitely helped us to get in the Christmas spirit! There was even dancing from the Nutcracker! And they played my favorite song, Sleigh Ride. :)

Although I wasn't able to continue my Nutcracker tradition this year, Lincoln certainly had a lot to offer. The city was so beautiful with its lights...traffic lights, storefront lights, Christmas lights...they were all pretty. The concert provided a magical feeling for sure! As Christmas day nears, the Christmas spirit continues to grow...all we need is some snow, right? Hmmm...maybe I'll blog about that later. :)

Here we go!

I think my blog may explode during the month of December! Well, at least until Christmas.

I absolutely love the Christmas season, as do so many people. I decided to challenge myself to write about some aspect of Christmas every day, until the 25th. Will I stick to this? I sure hope so! I feel like there are so many things about Christmas that are so lovely that I can't just sum them up into one post. And since I have easy finals this semester, I will have time to dedicate to this. Please yell at me if I start to slack off! :)


One thing I love about Christmas is Culver's Oreo Candy Cane flavor. Mmmmmm...I've been waiting for it since last year. It's my favorite. So when I saw that it was the featured flavor yesterday, I just had to go get some.

Oh yeah.

Fun in Hobby Lobby

On Saturday my sister, my mom, and I went shopping. We stopped at Hobby Lobby, which was a busy place! I absolutely love Hobby Lobby, but Saturday I was just in the mood to get back home and finish reading my book. My mom was taking FOREVER, so my sister and I decided to make use of our time and entertain ourselves. We looked for the ugliest ornament. This one below won hands-down:

A cat. Okay. But...in boots? Not a cute Puss-in-Boots, but these are definitely hooker boots. Uhhhh...right. This is goin' on my tree, front and center...ha!

Then we browsed the wrapping paper. I didn't find anything too spectacular, but Melo did. "Why does it say 'Oh oh oh oh oh oh...'"? I laughed so hard!

The best part of Hobby Lobby that day, though, was running into Wilma Sundeen. She is my grandma's dear friend who also happens to be a piano prodigy. At one time, she taught upwards of 80 students a week. Growing up, I took piano lessons from my grandma, and was blessed to be able to play in Wilma's recitals. Seeing her Saturday was such a highlight to my day! I wish I lived closer to Lincoln so I could come to her Christmas recital this weekend. (Below is a picture of my grandma and me playing a duet in one of Wilma's recitals, circa 1997).

It was a wonderful Saturday. :)

I have high hopes for today, in the realm of productivity.


I've completed my field experience for the week (yay!), which included teaching a lesson and administering an assessment (among many other "teacher" duties). It went very well, thank goodness. The kiddos loved getting to look at miniature gourd-squash-ugly pumpkins (whatever they really are)...they also loved touching and smelling them. Yes, smelling. Apparently one of them was getting a little moldy, and that was a huge deal. One kid told me it smelled like frosting...or werewolves. When I asked what werewolves smelled like, he replied "cupcakes." Hmmm. This is new to me. 


So yeah. I got that out of the way! Now grooveshark is playing and I'm putting a dent in the mountain of clothes I have to yet iron. Oh. I'm also blogging in between all of this. Multi-tasking at it's finest...uh-huh!


Once my room is spotlessly clean (HA!), I'll be leaving shortly for Lexington. For my ESL night class, we are visiting the high school/middle school to talk to some ESL professionals. This should be a good break from sitting in a classroom. THEN we get to go downtown and experience true ethnic food, possibly even Somali food. I wonder if they eat monkeys. I'm up for most anything once...not sure if this is good or bad!


*sigh*


It's just a day in the life...


A good (and hopefully productive) day. =]

I love little surveys like these! I got it from my friend Chelsea, who is just beginning to blog. Her site is here: Currently Chelsea

1. What time did you go to bed last night and were you alone? It was around 1 am...much too late! I was with my roommate, Caitlin.                                                                                                                               
2. If you could be given ANY gift what would it be? Children's books!                                                                                                                                        
3. What was the last film that really moved/disturbed/thrilled you and why?  Not really sure...the last movie I watched was "How to Train Your Dragon", although I can't say that it moved me.
4. What is your favorite TV show of all time if you've seen them all, can watch it over and over again and quote lines from it? I'm kind of ridiculous. It's either Arthur (yes, from PBS), or Christy (made in like 1994). I think Christy is what really inspired me to be a teacher, even though I didn't realize it until not long ago.                                                                                                                                                    
5. What's your favorite way to wake up and what's the first thing you do? My favorite way to wake up is without an alarm! The first thing I do is lay there, and possibly read a little. Ahhh yes. How wonderful!                                                 
6. What would you call yourself if you could choose your own name? I think Kimberly or Kimber suits me just fine! But not Kim.                                                
7. If you had to do a bush tucker challenge (you have to eat insects/grubs etc) what would be the worst thing you had to eat? I guess if I had to...the worst thing would be something venomous, like a black widow spider. Does the venom still affect you if it's absorbed through the stomach??                                                                                                                    
8. What's the worst/most embarrassing CD/Album you've ever owned and do you still have it? Michael Bolton. It's currently in my iTunes collection.
9. What would be your dream vehicle (bikes, cars, boats, bat car and millennium falcon is allowed!)? My dream vehicle? A hot pink Hummer! Or a batmobile.
10. What's your favorite fantasy people sandwich? I don't get it.                                                                       
11. What characteristics do you dislike in yourself? I tend to worry. Not a fan of that!                                                                                 
12. Your favorite item of clothing and why? Honestly...underwear. I love it. It's guaranteed to be a boring day if you're wearing boring underwear...                                                                                               
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be and who would it be with? I would go to Russia, by myself. It might get a little scary, though...I wouldn't want to get mugged. So maybe I'd take someone who could protect me. They would have to be up for troika rides, exploring Moscow and St. Petersburg, going to the Russian ballet, and everything that goes along with the culture.
14. If you could have any animal/creature, what would be your ultimate pet be? A river otter! I've wanted one since 5th grade.
15. What did you want to be when you were little and do you think you ever will be? I wanted to be a champion figure skater. I won't ever be one in that sense, but it's the little victories that make you great, right?
16. What's the next planned event you're looking forward to in your life? Going to sleep? I really want a nap.                                                                 
17. What were you doing before you started this? Getting lunch from the Union. How exciting!                                                                                   
18. What was the last thing you ate that you really shouldn't have? Gummy worms. 
19. If you were an ice cream/haagen daz/ben and jerry's flavor, what would you be? Cookies 'n' creme. Nothing beats that!
20. Who was the last person you spoke to that you didn't want to talk to? No idea...probably someone who tried to talk to me as I was in a hurry to get somewhere. 
21. What was your favorite toy as a child  . . .and now? That was probably my little cassette player/microphone. I have countless tapes of myself recorded being weird...are you surprised? I still love that thing.                                                                    
22. When was the last time you cried laughing and why? Well. I know it was with Kady. But I can't remember which occasion...                                                                    
23. What is stashed under your bed/mattress? Skates, kitchen supplies/utensils, Barbies...                                                                                          
24. What did you dream about last night? I don't remember at all.                                                                                              
25. What are you really afraid of? Needles. And also the unknown. I think that's why I worry about the future as often as I do...something I am gradually learning to stop doing.                                                                                                            

There is freedom in...

I'm not sure if I have anything significant to say in this post.

I guess...I guess I just feel the need to express myself and be creative. To reveal beauty. Writing is one of many ways I am able to do that.

There are so many things that I enjoy doing. Lots of those things are creative outlets for me: art (drawing, painting, collaging), origami, doing weird voices, skating, organizing my closet, playing piano, singing, picking out my outfit each day. All of these things allow me to be creative! I love being able to take the things God has initially created, and to put them together to reveal beauty. 

Even with as many doubts as I have about being a teacher, I think I will ultimately enjoy my job very much. Teachers have the freedom to be creative, to be silly and outrageous, to try their hardest to motivate kids in every way they can. (It's the standards and requirements that are limiting...to those I say, oh bosh). 

Yes. I find it very reassuring that no matter what kind of a day I am having...no matter what is going on in my life...I still have the ability to be creative. It is such a feeling of freedom! No cookie-cutter lifestyle for me, no sir. Uh-uh. I love the freedom and ability God has given me to surround myself with beauty, no matter the circumstance.

Change of season...

I'm taking the time to blog.

Finally.

It seems autumn has nearly slipped by, and I haven't recorded any of it! But ah, it's been splendid. :)

First of all, I had a simply wonderful birthday. It was filled with surprises...Russia...cupcakes...otters...roses...poetry...art...friends...laughter...love. So many of my favorite things. 

Hmmm, let's see. This fall has been wonderful because it's been full of traditions. 

Pumpkin carving (and painting).

Dressing up for Halloween.

Being outside...wanderlustin'. Marveling at the line of trees on a street- some are bare bones, yet some are still full of crimsons, tangerines, and saffrons. 

Finding a tree that is absolutely glowing with color. (Like this one, although the picture was taken through my purple-tinted car window!)

Enjoying the crisp, fall air that invigorates you so.

Fall fashion. Boots, and scarves, and military-style jackets. (Wishing I could spend more money on clothes...but something called college expenses gets in the way!)

Having the perfect scents to complement the season- especially a Creamy Nutmeg Wallflower from Bath & Body Works :)

And going out of your way to step on that extra crunchy looking leaf. It has to happen.

**************************************************************************************************

I think fall is spectacular.

Wild Olive Tees!

I have been wanting to buy one of these super neat-o t-shirts for quite some time now. I've had my name entered in their drawings several times, but have had no luck at winning. (I should have bought one with my birthday money...why did I just think of it now?!) But anyway, they are super cute aaaaand have bible verses...not something you find at the mall!

Here's the link to their newly revamped website:

Wild Olive Tees

Check it out!

Just some thoughts...

I guess I haven't posted anything in a while! Not that I have many faithful followers to keep from being disappointed...

Lately I've really been contemplating my future. It is a tendency of mine to start to wonder and plan and eventually fret and become anxious about the unknown state of what is to come. I think it is a very natural and human thing to do! But I know this is not what God wants me to do. I've been reminded as of late by several sources that I need to stay in the moment and focus on the present. I need to enjoy the time I do have left here in college and not focus on how that time is slowly dwindling.

I have also been worrying about becoming a teacher. The time is drawing near where I will enter the work force full-time and that is kind of scary! I feel like I am soooo not ready to grow up, at all. I've sort of been analyzing all areas of my life to think about in what ways I need to mature to become that teacher I'm preparing to be. There have been so many things made clear to me, which I am thankful for! (A certain someone has challenged me to examine my life like this, without even realizing he did it!). I am seeking to mature in a lot of ways, but also to keep my child-like wonderment. I don't want to lose my flavor of personality...oh, no.

Another thing I've been pondering is the complexity of life. It is impossible to define life, to wrap it up in a neat little package with a nice sounding explanation. Life is beautiful. Life is messy. It's tough. It's worth it. I cannot express how many instances have solidified these truths to me. Especially in this past year. I feel like I've learned more than I have in any other time in my life. I really just want to keep learning like this at an exponential rate- to be a life long learner not only in the way of knowledge, but of wisdom.

And finally, some quotes. I have really been inspired by a professor of mine as of late. She has worked hard to be where she is today and imparts a lot of wisdom to our class. I don't know if many other students have paid attention to the quotes she has shared, but I certainly have. These two really sum up the area in which I wish to grow in the time I have left being a college student.

"I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance but by our own disposition." - Martha Washington

"It's up to us to determine our happiness. No one else is in charge. No one else is to blame. No one else gets the credit. Our happiness is tied to our willingness to be responsible for our own moods. That's a certainty- one of few in this life." - Karen Casey

I know growing in all of these ways will not always be comfortable or welcome, but something very necessary and ultimately very satisfying. Just some thoughts...

Currently frustrated...

For a few nights now (seems like forever, actually) I've been stressed out. It's not really a big deal...but...it is.

Our showers here in the dorm are freezing cold at night. Why do I still have hope of hot water? No one knows...

Every night I've been testing it, and then I get in. And it's warm for 20 seconds and then it's like ice. I cannot handle it!

The shower is my place of solace at night. It's where I unwind, clear my mind, think out all the thoughts that need to be thought out. A nice, hot shower calms me, readies me for bed, where I can fall asleep quickly and soundly. I just do not know what to do when this lovely time is taken from me...gah!

This post is for my dear roommate. She is absolutely the best.

This week for me is pretty long...well, extremely long. I've got about a bajillion things going on, about a gazillion things to worry about (or so my mind tells me). Caitlin is the best encourager. She quietly listens and explains my situation to me in simple terms, focusing on the now- not on the frightfully unknown future, which is what I tend to think about. She's so zen and I'm so...not. I freak, I panic, I'm flighty and anxious. I think we are a good balance for each other...this year couldn't have worked out better! I only hope to encourage her as much as she has me, even in my own sprightly way.

Daylight at Midnight (or shortly after)

I'm about to leave for donuts.

Going to donuts at 1 am is a tradition here at my school among a good number of students. Daylight Donuts opens at 1:00 in the morning on Thursdays and the weekend. This is the absolute best time to go! The donuts are fresh out of the oven or wherever they're made...still warm, sometimes with dripping glaze, and always completely delicious.

Even though 8 o'clock class comes mighty early, a late night donut sometimes just hits the spot. =]

Silly Kady with her unbaked cookie! (BTW: There is no such thing as a no-bake cookie!)

You know it.

I shouldn't be taking a break from practicing my manuscript and cursive, but that's what I'm doing. I had a thought.

Have you ever been struck with how much you know? Not in a haughty know-it-all way, but just generally. I was just thinking back to being a little kid, where nearly the whole world was a still a mystery. I thought about all the things I know about now- I know what scholarships are, I know how to drive a car, I can name a couple different kinds of apples. I know what a paisley print looks like, what jojoba oil is, that I like to eat espresso beans. There are so many things that bewildered me as a kid that I know now! It's kind of refreshing to think about all the things I do know for a fact, since most everything else in this stage is life is so up in the air. I feel so back and forth some days...but that just means I'm learning.

Learning is a continual back and forth between equilibrium and disequilibrium. 

I heard this quote in one of my classes last year, and it hasn't left my memory. It explains why learning and growing up is so uncomfortable sometimes...it's like you are on a teeter totter, not knowing whether you will be balanced or unbalanced on any given day. 

This is why it's good to think of things you know for certain! 

Being in college is like being in the womb. No really, it is. When you are in school, you are safe and you know what is going on. You know what is expected of you...go to class, learn, do well. I happen to like the comfort in that. Just like time in the womb is a time to grow and prepare yourself for the real world, time in college is a time for preparation and growing. Once that time is up, you are expelled from your nice little cocoon into the big, scary world. A baby cries after it's born...the world is bright and cold and foreign and just downright frightening. I know I will experience the same emotions once I graduate...my safe, familiar world will be gone and I will be forced to experience the newness of the strictly "grown-up" world.

Some days I anticipate this greatly, but some days I am just terrified. There are just so many options, and so many situations that require trust. It's a good thing I know the God of the universe...otherwise it could be too much to handle.

Little University on the Prairie

I live here for roughly 224 days of the year. I am in class for approximately 480 hours...the other hours are spent being a typical college student, e.g., watching Disney movies, complaining about the campus dining services, staying up waaaay too late. Where is this, you may ask? It really could be called the little University on the prairie- UNK.

In case you have never heard of it, UNK stands for the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The city of Kearney itself is pretty cool- Kearney, NE is located exactly 1733 miles from Boston and 1733 miles from San Francisco.

UNK is located on the prairie...although it's not too far west from my home town, I notice many differences. It is incredibly WINDY! And very, very flat. There are also fewer trees.

UNK is the smallest of the Nebraska state universities...obviously most people know about the Huskers, and maybe the Mavericks, but UNK tends to get forgotten. :(

UNK started out as a teacher's college way back when (1905). Today it is still known for being tops in education colleges in Nebraska...a big reason why I chose to come here :)

(This picture below is of the building I spent most of my time in- the College of Ed.)

The stadium and field where I marched many times the past couple years. Go Lopers!

This is my roommate and me with our stuffed animals...we are having way too much fun being together this year!

I've decided I need more Carter moments in my life.

Carter moments? No, not Jimmy Carter. Baby Carter...he was one of the 1-year-olds I took care of at the daycare this summer. And I miss him a lot.

To put it simply, Carter was amazed by the littlest things in life. I would be playing with him, and I would pick up a little toy to give to him. Most times it was something as simple as a colored block. I would hold it in front of him and he would drop whatever he had been playing with and get such an expression of wonderment. "Whoa", he would softly say...it's really hard for me to describe in words his expression, but know that it was absolutely precious. This child could be so taken with something so ordinary; it amazed me.

And now thinking back to those small moments, being privileged to be with a beautiful child with an appreciation for the things in life, I want to become more like that. It's currently a goal of mine to stop and be amazed by things that aren't spectacular. Or even things that are, but are habitually passed by. Like a sunset, or the crisp, whiteness of a book's pages, or my smartphone. Just a thought, and a memory, and a goal...thank you, Carter.

Goodbye summer, you were wonderful...

Last year I decided to do a write-up of all that I had done over my summer break. I really enjoyed looking back over that and reminiscing, so I think I'll take the time to write out all that I've done this summer, too.

A list of summer accomplishments and activities (in no real order):

1. I worked at a daycare, and with that I learned a lot about babies.

2. I also worked at a pool, which allowed me to get a nice tan!

3. My family and I took a short trip to Minnesota for my uncle's 75th birthday party. It was a good time!

4. Every other week I cleaned house for a neighbor friend of my grandma. I loved that I got paid in dollars and  sometimes also vegetables. :)

5. I was able to go to Worlds of Fun twice...both times with good friends.

6. I also got to go to the Henry Doorly Zoo twice...once with family and once with UNK friends.

7. The Saunders County Fair was not missed! I had fun riding rides (including the Octopus with the unforgettable pink car...ahem) and eating turkey legs and funnel cakes with my cousins!

8. I did some catching up with friends I don't get to see when I'm at school...some of them I only see once a year or so.

9. My grandma, my sister, my friend Kayce, and I all completed the Beloved Disciple bible study by Beth Moore. Definitely one of the highlights of summer!

10. My sister and I got to spend the whole Saturday of Stir-Up Days wandering around Ashland. Included in that day were the parade, cake walk (I won a cake!!), art show (Melo got a blue ribbon!), ice cream social, snow cones, and root beer kegger.

11. The last week before I came back to school my family and I went to the Black Hills. We visited friends and family, as well as our favorite vacation spots. My favorite part was visiting my 3rd cousin Kate and her family on their ranch in Wyoming. We got to ride horses and go 4-wheeling in the dark and have fun exploring the ranch!

12. In July I helped out with VBS at my church. I got to lead four second grade girls...a bunch of fun. :)

13. I was asked to help review writing skills with two boys I used to babysit for. I had a good time helping them write informative, persuasive, and compare/contrast essays and they did an excellent job!

14. Even though I couldn't go to church very often (only Sunday school), I got to play piano for offertory a couple of times this summer. I just love playing on that grand piano!

15. Several times throughout summer my church friends and I went bowling...my skills actually improved, which I once thought was not possible...ha!

16. Lastly, I got quite a bit of reading done, including:

• A Painted House by John Grisham
• The Confession by Beverly Lewis
• Shiloh Season by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
• Stories Not for the Nervous by Alfred Hitchcock
• Life on the Edge by Dr. James Dobson
• A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
• The Good Book to Great Health by Arnold Susser
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
• The Postcard by Beverly Lewis
• The Crossroad by Beverly Lewis
• Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge
• Lyddie by Katherine Paterson

I haven't posted any pictures from our latest trip (to the Black Hills/Wyoming), so I will do that now! Even though this post is becoming very long :)

In Custer State Park...an absolutely perfect time of day to take this picture.

Needles Eye from below

Melo and I went to Storybook Island in Rapid City for a few hours. I added this, or something like it, to my list of things to accomplish in my lifetime. I would LOVE to open up a park like this someday!

Melo in Yogi Bear's pic-a-nic basket

Me in the Hundred Acre Wood

101 Dalmatians :)

This is my cousin Kate and I in our impossibly cool hotel suite. It cost us less than it would to stay at Super 8 and it was full of antiques and was beautifully decorated. The older couple who run it also made us a hot breakfast for free the next morning...I definitely, definitely recommend it if you are ever in Hot Springs. You can choose from the Miner's Suite (the one we got), the Oriental Suite, Cowboy Suite, or Victorian Suite.

Real life Lopers!

Summer never ceases to bring me more memories!