fill in the blank friday #7

1. The last thing I ate was a banana, it's a super food full of potassium!

2. The next thing I'd like to eat is coffee, yes I know you don't eat coffee, but I am pretty sleepy this morning and in need of a little pick-me-up.

3. The best things in life are the ones that we aren't expected. That has been the theme of my life as of late, which I will expand on I promise.

4. Something that makes me supremely and utterly happy is the sunshine. I am never happier then when I'm outside enjoying the beautiful warming rays of sun that summer always brings.

5. Sports are always in one form or another in my house. We are avid 49er fans and I love watching any sort of sport, from soccer to swimming I love it all.

6. I miss {big surprise} the new guy in my life. He's a few hours away but I will be seeing him tomorrow. Pictures are coming, I promise.

7. Right now I am in the process of packing for my weekend, making food for our camping trip, packing for our camping vacation, cleaning the upstairs and a million other little things. It's nice to take a little breather to do my favorite thing on Fridays.

this week....

- enjoying the magical scents of summer
- soaking up the amazing sunny weather when it comes out from behind the clouds
- finishing up my finals
- taking a little trip to the cities
- celebrating being done with school forever
- catching up with friends
- doing laundry and packing for our family vacation
- hanging out with my cousins
- randomly helping with little camp errands
- getting a wonderful visit from a very special guy {there will be more on him }
- working and doing a little babysitting
- getting my sister's room presentable
- experiencing one of the best summer thunder storms we have had in years
- getting a much needed hair trim for the summer

dad's day

What Is A Dad?

A dad is someone who
wants to catch you before you fall
but instead picks you up,
brushes you off,
and lets you try again.

A dad is someone who
wants to keep you from making mistakes
but instead lets you find your own way,
even though his heart breaks in silence
when you get hurt.

A dad is someone who
holds you when you cry,
scolds you when you break the rules,
shines with pride when you succeed,
and has faith in you even when you fail....
- Author Unknown

fill in the blank friday #6

It's been a nice little break from the blogging world this past week but I am excited to be back in action. I took a little break after my long stretch of posts, but I've missed the consistency.

1. The last movie I saw was probably Life as We Know It, that is one of my favorite movies and I don't think I could ever get sick of it!

2. I want to travel. Yes I want to see it all some day, but right now all I want is to travel a little to the west....to the twin cities.

3. Surprises are my favorite. I love being spontaneously surprised by something amazing more than just about anything!

4. The best accessory is a smile. You can wear the latest fashions or have the funnest accessories, but nothing beats the addition of a bright smile.

5. My favorite warm drink is a latte with whip cream.

6. My favorite cold drink is a root-beer float.

7. Currently loving my fan. It's been a little toasty here and I would not be making it through the night without it. I also get addicted to the sound so that puts me right to sleep.

a weekend to remember

About this time last year I was at this very same place {Camp Jim} but for a very different reason. I was a counselor at a kids camp and the atmosphere was very different, as you can see from the picture below.
This weekend had a very different crowd of people. I was back at Camp Jim for a 20s and 30s retreat. There is so much to say about this past weekend, but I can't even find the words to describe it.
It was a whirlwind of amazing encouragement with fellow believers, lots of time in the sun, boating on the lake, digging into out bibles and a few surprises thrown in.

I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked {there were other things on my mind} but it was one of those amazing weekends that you only wish would happen but never thought you actually would. There were so many amazing friends to reconnect with and such good memories to take away from a weekend like this!

30 day blogging venture: Day 30

Day 30: a photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days
The past 30 days has been a whirlwind of events, and it only gets crazier from here on out! That leads me to #1: a lovely trip to my friend's birthday party in Iowa with a dear friend. #2: it has finally turned warm, and for me that is the ultimate present of spring #3: I have realized how truly blessed that I am and how excited I am about my future. I know there is much in store for me and I can't wait to see where my life will lead!

30 day blogging venture: Day 29

Day 29: something you could never get tired of doingWhether I'm babysitting, at work, or volunteering with them I love kids. I was one of those little girls that carried around her babies and dolls everywhere so I don't think it surprises anyone that I work at a place with lots of kids.
Even though there are the days when I get frustrated or completely exhausted, I don't think I could ever get tired of kids. Maybe I say that because I'm not a mom now, but eventually I can't wait to have some of my own.

30 day blogging venture: Day 28

Day 28: your favorite movie

This is a tough one. Not going to lie I love watching movies, from action thrillers, to romantic comedies, to bloody medical mysteries. I love them all, well except the really scary disturbing movies, I really don't need any more reasons to not sleep well at night. I already have plenty of those. Anyway out of all of those movies that I love there is one series that can never be touched. There is one set of movies that you just can't compare to any others and I think many others will agree with me. Any guesses?

Well if you guessed Star Wars at first you would have been very close {my second favorite series} but no, for me The Lord of the Rings steals the #1 spot. These movies have a way of pulling my into a world of their own filled with their own languages, people, way of life, culture, race, customs....

It is a whole world of its self and I am always eager to enter into its land of fantasy.

30 day blogging venture: Day 27

Day 27: a picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?

Taken last year on my graduation day from Immanuel Lutheran College:Taken last month with my one of my girly friends:If you didn't notice the 1st difference between these pictures is my hair color. My natural hair color is a dark blond color, so I'm about between these two colors, naturally.

This past year has certainly been a year of change. As I talked about in this post I have been through some ups and downs, but have come out of this past year stronger.

Academically, my life has done a complete 180. I graduated with my Associated degree from Immanuel and started into the medical field in July. This past year has been a whirlwind of learning a whole new language because that's the best way to describe the medical field. It is certainly something so different that I have never experienced before.

Being in a new school has really opened up my eyes and stretched me farther than I thought possible. Even though there were a few days when I wanted to give up, here I am with 3 weeks to go. 3 weeks of school left and I am done. It feels so good to know that I am almost done with school forever!

There have been so many other changes from my circle of friends, to my household, to the atmosphere around me. Change can be hard sometimes but it will only change more frequently as we get older. This is the time for that. This is the time for growth and new experiences. The time of exploring and new adventures. Even though sometimes I get a little nervous or frustrated that I don't know what is coming up next in my life, it's all about trusting that God has a real plan for our lives.

30 day blogging venture: Day 26

Day 26: a photo of somewhere you’ve been to

One of my favorite places that I've been is England. I visited my sister for 2 weeks when she lived over there for school and loved every minute of it!

These are just a few of the things that we got to see:
: Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey
: Jane Austin's home
: Beg Ben and the London Eye: Pemberley from the new Pride and Prejudice
: platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter
: Oxford University {on graduation day}
: where they filmed the Great Hall also from the famous Harry Potter

30 day blogging venture: Day 25

Day 25: what’s in your purse?

Yes, I'm a little late with this post but the past 48 hours have been a little crazy {to put it simply}. So anyway here is my summer purse. I got this a few seasons ago from American Eagle and thought I was crazy for getting a purse with so much white on it. Surprisingly I havn't gotten it dirty or even had to wash it yet. Prety impressive for me.
This content of my purse changes a little from week to week, but here are my basics that I normally keep in here.
- car keys
- wallet {from Maurices} and RCU checkbook
- a few coffee hard candies that I found in the bottom of my purse
- a few beauty rush lip glosses
- a little jewelry box with a few pairs of earnings for traveling
- a country mix cd
- mini first aid kit
- a compact and hair ties {I think every girl has a few of those floating in her purse}
- my lovely phone
- tylenol bottle
- a little pouch filled with miscellaneous things {pens, chap stick, pencils, gum}

30 day blogging venture: Day 24

Day 24: a photo of something that means a lot to you
Ever since I was a little girl I have always loved animals from fish and birds to dogs, bunnies and cats. These are my 2 little critters. We have a dog {Heidi} and kitty {Jackson}. I never though animals could have so much personality, but these 2 certainly have their own.

One the 1st day of Jackson's arrival he barely weighted enough to move the hand on the scale and Heidi was terrified. She wouldn't go near him, but after a few years they have become pretty good friends. They seem to bond the most in the winter when fighting over the same fireplace, unless Jackson steals the dog's bed {that is what's going on in the picture above}.

While they do take a lit of work, they are rewarding and the best friends you could ever wish for to greet you when you come home or snuggle with at night.

30 day blogging venture: Day 23

Day 23: 15 facts about you

- I have a few nicknames: Em, Emmy, Emma, Ace, Emmie, Emmaline, Mally {from a 2 year old who couldn't say Emily when he was little}
- I work at a day care and love it
- spring is the best season in my opinion
- sun cream is one of the best smells in the world
- I am deathly afraid of bugs and more importantly arachnids
- summer thunder storms are the best
- I like just about any type of music {country, punk, rock, alternative}
- I want to travel more than almost anything
- I love puddle jumping like a little kid
- I am really bad with cars, I can't change my oil or anything
- my hair is naturally a dark blond color but is currently brown
- I love anything in bright colors like yellow or lime green
- cooking/baking, taking a drive, or walking relaxes me after a stressful day
- I love eating the spicy foods that make your eyes water
- I am a total California girl at heart!

what I'm lovin in may

Summer is the theme for this month. Even though it's not officially here, it sure feels like it and it shows in what I've loved this month!
Slatkin & Company Peach Bellini Candle
This candle is the perfect summer fragrance. I normally don't go for peach but the description {a light, delicate blend of white peach, sweet orange peel and yellow mandarin, finished with jasmine and sweet black currant } doesn't do it justice.

Powder Palette Multi-Colored Bronzer
This is my new favorite bronzer. Any sort of bronzers/blushes that have the multi-colored combination instantly grabs my interest. This also has a matte finish, so it's great for contouring the face.

Essie Nail Polish
I have heard some pretty positive comments about this particular nail polish but it wasn't until this month that I tried out my first bottle. I must say that I am a new fan. The color glided on like a dream with hardly and streaks, dried fast, and hasn't shipped yet.

Johnson's Baby Shampoo
Let me just say that I love the smell of this stuff. I have bought a few bottles of this shampoo and I never get sick of the smell. This is the most gentle shampoo ever and it's perfect for cleaning make-up brushes as well.

American Idol
Yes, I have been rather addicted to this show this month. It had me hooked when they made the top 20. Thsi season seemed to be much better than last year, maybe it's because I had a little more time to watch it and not so worried about Medical Terminology or A & P classes.

Quaker Oatmeal Square Cereal
One of my all time favorites! I saw it at target and I just couldn't pass it up.

Country Music
Ever time the seasons change I seem to be listening to a different type of music. For my summer is the time for rolling down my windows and listening to country music.

Sunflower Seeds
Baseball season is in full swing {did you catch that pun} and that means sunflower seeds. There are so many different types, but for me I just prefer the original.

Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer
Now that summer it here I can't wait to get a little tan. This is the perfect lotion to jump start that tan and give you an extra little glow.

30 day blogging venture: Day 22

Day 22: a letter to someone who has hurt you recently
This is not a letter to any person. This is to pain and suffering itself. {deep, I know}

I have been very blessed in my lifetime: I have a loving family who is my ultimate support system, all of my grandparents are well and happy, I have amazing friends who will never know how thankful of them I am, I have a wonderful home filled with more that I ever need....but that doesn't mean that there hasn't been twists and turns along the way. That doesn't mean that my life is perfect.

There have also been many struggles that seemed to overcome me in my lifetime. I have lost many people that I love by either leaving this world, or by choosing to not be a part of my life anymore. The latter has been the most difficult for me to overcome. Some times that pain and suffering come in the form of a falling out with a friend or even worse a break up. Friends can mend anything, but a break up leaves you empty inside. This quote summarizes it best: 'Once there was no 2 hearts so open, no feelings so in harmony. Now we are strangers, worse than strangers for we may never become acquainted. It is perpetual estrangement.'

While pain and suffering have certainly entered my life, they do not define it. They do not define me. I won't let them.

Through these trials and tribulations I have come through them a different person. I have fought the loneliness, the sadness, the resentment, the anger to realize just how wonderful life can be. The world holds so much joy and who are we to not enjoy all that we have been blessed with.

In a strange way I am thankful for all of the hard times that I've endured. It's all the bad days, sleepless nights, and buckets of ice cream that seem to put the joys of life into perspective.