can't wait..

until it's SPRING and I can dress like this :)

( Thank you frugal-fashionistas.com!!! I love you.)

I go backkk....

"I go back to a two toned short bed Chevy
Drivin my first love out to the levvy
Livin life with no sense of time
And I go back to the feel of a fifty yard line
A blanket, a girl, some raspberry wine
Wishin time would stop right in its tracks
Everytime I hear that song, I go back"

Every time I hear that song I go back to sitting on the old club room "bleachers" after we've worked our tails off to the point of our legs feeling as if they were about to fall off. Feeling so dead tired with the most energy we've had in our lives. We would juice punch out our favorite juice on tap into our white cups and wait to say the lines and sing along to the program and their songs. All sitting in a row like the most behaved group of 2nd graders, kicking our feet back and forth hitting the bleacher backs made of carpet. Every time I hear that song, I go back. I go back to that feeling that I will never forget. The best family you've ever had for the shortest amount of time. Remembering back to day 1 and not understanding how our hearts weren't already on the same beat. I never knew you could know someone so well. I never knew you could be so happy everyday. I never knew you could leave your life behind and not miss it for one second. I never knew you could laugh so hard at a "Brent-Dawg" story. I never knew until the summer of 2005 on Work Crew 2nd Session at Wildhorse Canyon (at the time). Thank you Brent Cunningham and the Freedom Coups and the awesome friends of mine in the D-Hall to make those 3 weeks the best of my life.

Sacred Marriage

http://www.garythomas.com/sacred-marriage

Love this book. Just finished it and it's awesome. Gary is such a honest, tell-all type of author and let's just be honest, we all WANT the truth and benefit from the truth more than anything else. If it's sugar coated... where is the encouragement for growth or to "fall forward" as Gary talks about. Highly recommend it for anyone beginning a marriage to being 30 years in. It's never too late to learn these lessons and change our outlook on our marriage. It's not all about us, or all about me.

What about Me!?

Life in the world is frustrating as a 22 year old woman, an emerging leader. I know that I have great experience, my age might not show it but I have done and been through a lot. I have developed skills and learned more than most people would ever guess. My adolescence ended fast, or never began as I have been pursuing a real life since I graduated high school. College for me, was different than college for everyone else. As most of my classmates were waiting for the weekend (or a Tuesday night) so that they could drink until they passed out, I was pursuing a life of meaning. Going through extensive learning and growth so that college would be worthwhile and meaningful for me. I have taken on so many volunteer responsibilities and have grown through that process as well. Although my age and "work experience" may not show it, I am fully capable of much more than I am being looked at for. I wish that I was given the time of day in more "important" work situations. I wish that I was seen as the talents that I have and not the age and gender that I am.

Acai Green Tea

LOVE IT. new favorite thing. SO good for you and so tasty! 10 $ at grocery stores but it has 50 tea bags in it!

Love her

I love how she can wear a simple outfit and make it look so great.

you're boots are so cute!

How come you always see everyone else wearing the shoe or clothing item that you've been searching stores for for the last 4 months? Where are these secret stores they go to!?

here comes the sun

I love Portland. I really do. Everything about the city, the country, the mountains and the ocean. We have the best of it ALL. Wine country, fun shopping, rivers, lakes. I feel so blessed to have grown up here. The one thing that I can't stand is the long long long winter. November it starts to get cold, but November and December is okay because it's the holidays and the cold is new and it's fun to wear your new fall/winter clothes. January is okay, its bearable.. but then you remember that you still have this 40's and raining on your weather report for all of February, March, April and even some of May & June. I can't handle knowing how long it will be until I get to wear sandals and tank tops again... The sun makes me happy. Eating dinner when it's still light out makes me happy. Waking up to sun shining through my window and birds chirping makes me happy. Being able to run outside and not feel like my lungs are frozen over or I am going to get an ear infection makes me happy. I need 70 degrees. Dear God, Please!!

Stunning

I came across this picture last night and think it is so wonderful. She is glowing. It is so sad when marriages end. In my opinion it is all about how the relationship is before the wedding. Marriage can bring so much more and is a great goal at the end of hard work. It needs to be something that is earned and deserved. This can happen at any length of time or age. I believe that because of the hard work that my husband and I put in before our wedding, our marriage now is so much more smooth. I understand wanting to get married when you want to or trying to rush things because you are excited but I think that can just make things harder in the end. I am thankful for my husband and for him putting up with everything we've been through. For us, it is about a commitment. We are in love with each other for sure but without a commitment to each other, there would be no fight in us to keep our love alive. That is something we will put into practice for the rest of our lives.

For me

As I was reading in bed last night before falling asleep an obvious thought came over me: authors have so much power. They believe in something so much that they want to take the time to write about it so that they can spread their knowledge or beliefs with the entire world. I have read so many books that have influenced my life and have made significant changes because of things I have read. What I realized as my thoughts grew was that everyone is an author. Everyone deserves their voice to be heard. I have never felt this way about myself. Wishing to gain that confidence and understanding I decided to be vulnerable and begin to blog. This is the closest I can get to being an author at my age and stage in life. I have a voice. I have important things to say, and I am going to say them.