[ fotografías ]

scattered thoughts

2012-02-11T17:26:00.000-06:00

last weekend was david's memorial service in wisconsin... random thoughts since then.

+ you never know what kind of impact you have on people around you. that's almost cliche because of stories like "it's a wonderful life," but still true. it's not self-centered to take that to heart, because you can't take credit for how the Lord uses you.

+ hospitality is a testimony to what the Lord can do. the johnson family opened their home to so many and were concerned with making sure everyone else was taken care of, when everyone around them wanted to take care of -them-.

+ i do have another day to live - why?

+ i always knew evangel would have been completely different for me without david johnson, "the coolest person i've ever met" (in his words). true or not, he took credit for getting dan and i together. he certainly teased me about him enough... "i can't wait to see my two best friends get married!!!" to which i would respond, "DAVID, shut UP!! i don't even LIKE HIM!!" (insert giggling on david's part and total redness on mine.)

+ i'm insanely proud of david. no matter your views on the war, you should be proud of the fact that people will demonstrate bravery and give everything they have for what they believe in. david lived for people and for God - i never realized just how much he lived for his country, too. my patriotism has changed a lot in the last few weeks.

+ i don't think we really have any concept of how God answers what we pray... david prayed for God to guide his life and that he would be heroic and that he would have an impact on people. i really, really don't understand any of this... but i want to believe that God answered david's prayers in the best way possible. because i have faith in a God who always does the right thing. even if i would want to disagree with him, just knowing what little i know.

+ okay, david, i finally believe you - you're a big deal. yes, you had a major general present your medals, and a black hawk flew over at your memorial, and thousands came to see you. you don't have to keep reminding us all, "hey, i'm a big deal!!" but you also said that it was no big deal, you were just going to go save the world... get your facts straight :)

+ as david would say, "suck it up." we'll see him again. i never knew how much that would help when such a close friend is taken away. it's not forever.

there's always so much left unsaid.

love you, guns!

"don't cry because it's over. smile because it happened."

- dr. seuss -

^ the veteran's memorial in mayville.

^ sad reason to be together, but at least we were together!

^ i like david's little town.

david.

2012-01-26T12:20:00.015-06:00

my friend 1lt david johnson was killed in action in afghanistan yesterday, 1.25.12.

there just really aren't many words, because we all loved him so much and still just wish it was a mistake... he can't really be gone. but there are so many reasons that you couldn't help but love david, and these pictures show a little bit of that.

so... a few memories. out of so many.
i can't wait to see him again and i hope he is just loving being with Jesus.
^ he deployed five days before our wedding...
but thanks to andrea's lovely photoshop skills, we have a picture with him. so grateful.

^ he set himself up for these pics... the little chef.
he invited himself over to megan's apartment and started baking. typical. :)

^ in the crosswalk office, where i made the mistake of leaving my phone before class one day.

^ this was my new background when i came back.
and in the meantime, david had texted dan as me and said i had feelings for him.
i was SO mad but... he just might have been right from the start. :)

^ elisa's senior recital.

^ he refused to take a picture with me that wasn't awkward.

^ (that's why i have a lot of pictures like this)

^ this was attempt number 2...

^ finally actually got a smile :)

^ who even knows? these things happened on our starbucks runs in his signature white minivan.

^ as much as he liked to pick on walther girls... where was david half the time? in walther.
i feel smug.

^ david and my mom at my graduation party... i always told him she loved him more than me. pretty sure he was starting to believe it :)
he called her from the airport to say he would come visit when he came home from afghanistan...

^ elisa, me, david, & dan. i miss us together.
(he was bothered that his tie wasn't straight...)

^ i don't know why we started calling him "guns," but it stuck and it always drove him nuts. high five, em.

^ chris, david, & dan.

^ my 21st birthday... david plastered these ALL. over. campus.
i think dr. bundrick was furious because they weren't approved.
i was kind of mortified... and kind of loved it.
thanks for the help on that one, molly.

^ spring fling. such a david face. such a david costume.

^ "helping" me pack on move-out weekend... he didn't pose. i found him like this.

^ lamb chop?

^ david's graduation in 2010.

^ office buddies forever.

^ SO proud of those two. i'm pretty sure everyone at graduation got teary. best part of the whole ceremony.

^ oh, the esga lounge, how we loved thee. and lived in thee.
we newspapered the student body prez's office...

^ pretty sure this is where our pic war started. he took an awful pic of me and emailed it to all kinds of people. i never really got him back all the way for that one.
he kept the pic and would always threaten to re-send...

^ signature drink: venti iced caramel macchiatto, extra caramel.
he would always end up buying me starbucks by complaining that i never had my wallet, then refusing to let me pay whenever i did.
funny how he always called right before he went to starbucks :)

^ my last pic of david... november 9, 2011. he came through lincoln on his way to evangel for veteran's day.

^ he was really proud of his hat.

^ we got coffee the next morning before he left and we all went our separate ways... i drove away crying, totally unwilling to think it might have been the last time. it was.

david just had a way of getting under my skin... i think that's obvious. yet somehow, it made me love him all the more. i knew he was a true friend... that's how i could threaten to kick him in the shins if he didn't stop pranking me. or telling people that i liked dan. :)

but he was one of my best friends, and i think he knew how much i loved him.

we love you, david. you're always our hero...

luna de miel

2011-12-30T11:57:00.015-06:00

all right, so no more secrets. we went to a resort on the lake of the ozarks for our honeymoon. no grand escaping-the-country plans - just a relaxing, pretty, outdoorsy week. it was grand :) and hubby got me a new lens for my camera for christmas, so i got to play with it all week!

^ our proof that we went to the beach for our honeymoon ;)

^ discovered: epic thai food.

^ cupcake disaster!!

^ they had furniture like this all over our resort. how...special?

^ so guess who learned how to play chess? meeeeee.

and guess who won their very first game? meeeee :)

^ we went exploring in hahatonka state park, which was also part of our first date.

^ there's a cave under there somewhere...

^ yeah, we walked a lot more than that.

^ all the way around the cliffs to the castle, in fact.

^ the boardwalk goes all the way around.

^ i kinda like these rings. :)

^ and him. kinda love him, in fact. :)

^ this was once a house, an enormous one... but it burned down in the 40s.
hence, you have the ruins which you can see from afar (four pics up).

^ the view from the old balcony.

^ there was no more fountain. dan took its place.

^ how would you like THAT view from your back porch??

^ it wouldn't be missouri without andy's!

^ dinner date overlooking the water

^ we felt artsy.

^ and we read the christmas story out on the dock on christmas eve.

^ the view from our porch. sunsets never get old :)

^ you always find some good ones in missouri!
[ fyi - tightwad is a town, with a whopping 63 residents. ]

^ and we stopped at wentworth, dan's old school, on our way home.

^ french!

^ and of course he had to show me all the obstacle courses. and go through all of them...

^ we met this little fellow on our last night's stay away from home :)

the end.
stay tuned for wedding day fotos :)

home sweet home

2011-12-26T15:50:00.002-06:00

we're baaaaaack :)

coming soon:
foto log of wedding weekend (primarily compliments of the lovely & talented emily oakley)
and other such fotos as i find amusing.

in the meantime:
¡feliz navidad!
joyeux noël!
merrrrrrry christmas :)

snowy

2011-12-08T22:14:00.002-06:00

i just realized.

this is how lincoln is today.

only i don't have a puffy pink coat anymore!

i bet michael doesn't have awesome red boots like that, either...

better late than never

2011-11-30T14:11:00.004-06:00

i have so much to be thankful for, this year as much as any.

thanksgiving has passed, but my thankfulness for life hasn't gone with it.

i am blessed:
+ 19 days till mr. & mrs.
+ lots of job security... which sometimes equals stress, until i realize that getting a job would change the lives of so many of the people i deal with on a daily basis.
+ a cute little apartment that is nice & toasty when it is flippin' cold outside.
+ a new bed! this excites me every time i get in it!!
+ my trusty little emilio, who drives me all over the place and never breaks down
+ so many friends and family who are helping make my wedding beautiful and fun. i would have a cow without them! [ a gigantic thanks to all of you!! ]
+ a macbook, so i can leave my blasted dell at work!
+ the enduring faithfulness of the Lord.
+ family, and a whole lot more new family in a few weeks.
+ little things in life. like the perfect pair of earrings for my wedding dress.
+ a new scarf on a snowy day.
+ coffee. i am ever grateful.
+ mexican food. i would be sad without it.
+ people who love me.
+ the ring on my finger. and the love it represents.
+ the ocean. (i am missing the beach today...but at least it's there somewhere!)

i could go on.

but i felt like taking the time to think about what i'm thankful for.

i'm so rich.

[ three things ]

2011-11-06T14:47:00.001-06:00

three things i love today.

^ color.

^ apple cider.

^ calvin & hobbes :]

the last of otoño

2011-11-05T20:47:00.007-06:00

fall is about over... sad day.

buuuut that means christmas is fantastically close =)

^ seeing red...

^ unedited.

^ i like sky.

^ and i like this crazy one. :)

^ why yes, i shot the top of this off...

^ ...without even looking :)

^ can you spot the frog? :)

goodbye fall.
hello winter...!

^ from this one day...

^ ...to snow the next.
( and a present from a secret admirer :) )

mi casa

2011-11-05T16:14:00.009-06:00

for those of you who have wanted to see (yes mom, this is for you),
here is a little tour of the ol' apartment.

^ ze living room

^ ze living room parte dos.
i need some more furniture.
and to finish my rolltop desk!

^ pitcher wall #1 :)

^ quite possibly my favorite picture in my apartment :)

^ madagascar elephant
(it's dan's... but it found a good home in my living room :] )

^ the end of the hallway.
gotta love $10 ikea mirrors!
and roses from not-so-secret admirers

^ ma bedroom

^ pitcher wall #2...
with countdown board [ 44 days :) ]

^ womanny holds my necklaces :]

^ my buddy frank likes my new bed too :)

^ kitchen. yes, in reality it's the 90s again. in case you didn't know.

^ and i have as many mugs as ever. this is only part of my stash.
just in case you wondered.

^ dining room.
thanks to alesha for the fall banner :)

^ and i EVEN have a bathroom (:

the end. it's little and i love it. 44 days till i have a roommate...
:)

[ three things ]

2011-10-29T12:48:00.003-06:00

three things i love today.

^ coffee.

^ sunset.

^ tejas :)

[ three things ]

2011-10-19T18:34:00.003-06:00

three things i love [ and miss ] [ a lot ] today.

^ aiden, walther's "baby balluga"

^ turkey. selçuk.

^ potter's house. and evangel. and all the friends and good times.

otoño

2011-10-09T18:17:00.015-06:00

fall is such a colorful season and i LOVE it!
rainy-ish night at a coffeeshop.
working on the ol' wedding website... link tba.
and loving the season.

^ sailboat

^ duck, duck, goose

^ holmes lake. five minutes from my house :)

^ hairy! eek!

^ plunk

^ skipping rocks

^ the capitol is on the skyline :)

^ you can't really see the A in the sky... but it's around the sunset. :)

^ ay chihuahua... "le amo" !

^ sunsets never get old. :)

30 days hath september

2011-10-03T21:38:00.015-06:00

september... was quite the month. unpacking and new jobbing and decorating and weddinging and doing, doing, doing. not enough sleeping :) but some exploring and adventuring, too. so... a peek into the month. more to come some day when i have wifi again :]

^ the first pretend day of fall

^ no trespassing

^ amarilla

^ reflective

^ shocking white

^ peekaboo

^ still bright on a cold day

^ out wandering

^ oh those two again...

^ fleur

^ foggy day

^ fallish

^ sunset

^ scooping ice cream... hard work :]

^ root beer floats

^ light

^ star

^ streaky

^ roadtrips

^ color

^ lunchtime

^ banana splits

^ the ol' sunset

^ chester (he lufs me)

weekend!

2011-09-10T11:19:00.012-06:00

weekends are the best. ever. especially because i actually live in lincoln now and can do normal people things on a daily basis with my fiancé, like explore places and go to parks and try hole-in-the-wall restaurants and take silly pictures. imagine that :)

^ capitolio

^ nice moustache.

^ view from the ol' dome

^ got books?

^ starry night

^ "raging liberal" relative :o)

^ biblioteca

^ secret door!

^ linc.

^ "i pay taxes for this!!"

^ kitty kitty

^ pioneers park

^ ponderous

^ wings!

^ uh, yeah. we're cute.

^ biiiiig trees.

^ knotty

^ pine cone flower :)

^ root beer floats!

^ no no, not 72nd street. 72th. street. seventy tooth.

^ the donkey from shrek came running out in front of us...
oh nebraska.

^ double rainbow.

tuesday.

2011-08-16T19:34:00.003-06:00

we are cooking things... cucumber salad, steaks, homemade applesauce, & flan. be jealous!

and we have decided that to work his way through law school, dan is going to get a part-time job in a mariachi band playing trumpet. sounds good, right? we'll let you know which restaurant he is working at.

thank goodness for a break from reality. i needed one!

sister weekend

2011-08-10T17:46:00.010-06:00

i spent the weekend with my little sisters,

michaela, drue, molly, & grace.
we. had. fun. :)

^ i luf my bling!

^ root beer & movie time :]

and gracie is going to be my lovely flower girl!
12.19.11 :)

wedding season

2011-07-30T12:16:00.014-06:00

'tis the season of weddings... and engagements! in the past couple weeks, congrats to samantha & ryan, kathy & matt, olivia & travis, and nathan & kassy, to name a few :)

^ and congrats to my wonderful suitemate rosie & her fiancé drew :)

starting with the most recent, last weekend produced mr. & mrs. josh & leah hadsell.
it was pretty much an evangel reunion. aka fabulous time.

^ i miss this suite!

^ and this one too!

^ and i kinda like this kid. :)

^ all the w1s girls who made it!

7/3/11 was the wedding of mr. & mrs. b, aka melen and brad.

my little bff is all grown up :)

^ ...kind of :o)

^ bridey & bridal party

^ cody's politician smile

^ dan-o :)

^ carl & ashley

^ rehearsing their little walk :)

^ salon time!

^ bridey needed starbucks!

^ flower girl :)

^ most beautiful bride ever!

^ and then there's my dad. :)

last up we have mr. & mrs. plymale... elizabeth & carl.
i didn't get too many snaps... i was too busy being in charge of the flowers :]

^ silver toms. nice touch!

^ bows & big hair :)

^ we made paper airplanes to throw at them when they left!

^ and of course my dad had to find something to do, so he made a grape man. special...

stay tuned for the engagement fotos of another couple... aka daniel & amy :)

[ three things ]

2011-07-20T20:19:00.004-06:00

three things i love:

^ cool fleurs.

^ presents on my camera from a bored fiancé :)

^ sass from bridey (and now my MOH!) :]

one gigantic thing i do NOT love:
mono.

[ three things ]

2011-07-10T16:29:00.002-06:00

three things i love today.

^ ring :)

^ light.

^ café au lait. :)

[ three things ]

2011-06-14T20:48:00.005-06:00

three things i love today.

^ shoes.
[ cheers to the ever wonderful george flattery ]

^ spice.

^ boots.
[ okay. shoes. ]

verano.

2011-06-12T12:42:00.010-06:00

a few snapshots of summer happenings...

^ piano recital time.

^ can i take him home?

^ grace & drue

^ i come by my love of red shoes honestly...

thank you, mamasita!

^ the sisters: amy, michaela, drue, molly, & gracie.

^ beach trip with elisa!
sometimes i think Jesus created beaches just for me.

^ this is for you, alesha :]

^ flashback...
last few days of school.
i miss crazy andy's runs with my girls.
and, of course, riding the odd moving cart on the way back.

summer is always bittersweet!

[ nebraska ]

2011-06-07T19:57:00.022-06:00

a few snapshots of a beautiful place and a fantastic weekend...

lots of color.

so much fun.

^ baby pheasants... "are you my mama?"

^ wrangler

^ chester

^ q: how do you get a stubborn steer into a trailer?
a: you push it.

^ sam & i
...on a white horse named gray :]

^ amy face and attempted amy face :]

love, nebraska.

yes!

2011-06-06T18:28:00.000-06:00

so.

this weekend i took a little trip to nebraska.

i came back with a little more than I left with...

namely, a certain ring :o)

it. is. fantastic. :)

AND. he picked it out by himself. even better :)

so, for all who have not yet met him...
let me introduce my fiancé, daniel sandoz.

i couldn't / can't stop taking fotos.
at least i have a brilliant reason to take them :]

details: tba.
we just have the main details...
as in, yes --
we're getting married.

:]

melen goes to college!

2011-05-29T18:09:00.013-06:00

my bff, melody, graduated from baylor on may 14th, magna cum laude, with a degree in international studies.

i made myself photographer for the day.
following, in no particular order, are some faves. :)

^ lizzy & melen

^ sic 'em, bears! mel's in there somewhere :)

^ mel & sami (elizabeth?)

^ judge baylor.

^ mel has a thing for wallets...

^ favorite. EVER.

^ pro texana!

^ :}

^ i feel like this kinda sums up our 18 years of friendship. :)

^ sic 'em bears!

^ oh bradley. we have such a good relationship. he makes fun of me and i come up with lousy retorts back. then i go cry. ;]

^ check out that bling ;)

^ girl's got skillz :]

congrats, mel! i love you!

fiesta[s]

2011-05-28T10:07:00.007-06:00

post-graduation: par-tay.
the fotos that remain are less than stellar... but there are a few good snaps :)
it was grand. but i wish i could've spent far more time with everyone who came out to see me.
if you came... thank you! i had so much fun!

^ baha. why, yes, i do have a college degree... two, in fact.
apparently the decorator does not. :)

^ coffeeeeee. wouldn't be my party without it!

^ and chocolate. also a necessity (o:

^ aiden by far got the best fotos of the day... how is he so adorable?!
rachel got to him first. :)
and i like ashley's laugh!

^ higgins & the boy :)

^ me, emily, & deanna

^ they're friends. :]

^ this foto makes me smile. :)

^ conversant.

^ 4 years of wa-ras :)

^ rish! who has probably already conquered the state dept.

and on to the next party...

^ baha. my life just isn't the same without them.

^ chanelle, em, deanna, sarah, & megan.
i am blessed with such wonderful friends.

^ i miss my little suitemate!

^ breakfast at bistro market with higgins!

thank you all for making my graduation so fantastic.
i am blessed beyond anything i ever dreamed!

graduación

2011-05-28T09:18:00.010-06:00

may, 6, 2011.

three weeks ago, already?
crazy.
it went by too fast.
some of the day, en foto.

^ vern and rachel and i... so we were a little out of order. no big, right? :]

^ jord.

^ parentals.

^ bff :)

^ roommate! [ insert one of many ridiculous nicknames here ]

^ con las madres.

^ hehe, aunt pat :)

^ elisa, david, & dan.
now if we could only ever all end up in the same place at the same time!

^ little em...aka hannah m :)

^ esga angels! oh, how i miss them.

the end.

2011-05-27T15:47:00.015-06:00

^ meet my new baby.
canon rebel t2i.
flipping.
AWESOME.

so the huge gap in bloggets is because i have been attempting to slow my whirlwind little life... finals and graduation and moving and working and etc. do tend to make things go a little bit crazy :] and considering i'm about 1000 fotos behind on editing [mel, your graduation cd is coming soon!], little blog has suffered from neglect. hopefully memorial day weekend will make up for that :)

so.
senior year came and went.
i walked the stage a couple times.
i shook p. spence's hand.
college ended.
bittersweet?
incredibly.

so: the last 24 hours en foto.

meet the fam (as if you didn't already know them):
mike the poser.
dad the fixer.
mom the organizer.

^ what are brothers for?

^ david came and... helped me pack?

^ frank loves my new cam too :]

^ i miss you already, little room.
and your glow-in-the-dark stars!
and my couch...

^ you too, w1s.

^ my bff during moveout :o]

^ same prox all 4 years! i look so little (:

^ i feel like this could use a good label...
mr. & mrs. incredible.
fly & supa fly.
momsy & popsicle.

^ we're legit.

^ i never got one of these when i was a freshman...
i figured it was high time :}
i never slept on top of the solo cup [in the background]
buuuut i don't feel like that was on my bucket list, somehow (o:

^ mike & i are good at finding cool things. like this.

^ and this.

^ and these.

^ and this! i wish i knew what was inside. maybe a stolen bank fortune?! or maybe elvis... he's not REALLY dead...

^ these always brighten my life. :]

^ family snaps.

^ poseeeeer.

^ road trip!

^ and now, back in tejas.
i wish more of my mornings looked like this.
but i love the few that do :)

i already miss evangel...
but i'm grateful for summer
and super pumped for the future.
it's kind of exciting to not know exactly what it's gonna look like!

posts to come: gradumacation. partay. melen + baylor. beachish. et cetera :)

[ duty ] grand finale

2011-04-30T23:47:00.002-06:00

last night of duty.
1 more paper.
1 more presentation.
1 more final.
6 days until graduation.

glory hallelujah!
documentation of duty complete.

"may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit."
- romans 15:13 -

good day

2011-04-22T13:21:00.003-06:00

it's a good day.
not only am i not in class...
i am at hebrews.
doing homework, granted...
well, not really...
keeping up with 4 games of words with friends...
but thinking about homework.
it counts, right? :)

i stumbled across this today, in titus 2.
i feel like it pretty well sums up faith:

"God's readiness to give and forgive is now public.
salvation's available for everyone!
we're being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life,
and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life.
this new life is starting right now,
and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior,
Jesus Christ,
appears.
he offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life
into this good, pure life,
making us a people he can be proud of,
energetic in goodness."

i'm very grateful for this good friday,
because i remember what Jesus went through.

"but Jesus, again crying out loudly, breathed his last.
the captain of the guard and those with him,
when they saw the earthquake and everything else that was happening,
were scared to death.
they said, 'this has to be the Son of God!'"
- matt. 27, the message -

banquetish

2011-04-19T21:06:00.004-06:00

so in an effort to further develop my procrastination skills...
(it IS the next to last week of undergrad, so it's expected, after all)
social sci banquet snaps :)

^ highlights of my week so far:
#1. a foto with p. spence.
#2. a GOOD foto with p. spence.
#3. my cane!

^ i kind of like this little montage... we never did get it right... try #1.
elisabeth (what what, student body prez?! that's my GIRL!) & beth!

^ try #2.

^ try #3. :]

^ sabellavich! aka dc buddy.
and we matched on purpose. young professionals look instead of young democrats or young repubs. :]

^ avec nick.
and i have realized that girls are far outnumbered in my department...obviously!

^ dr. sanders!

^ dr. bartels!
affectionately known on our turkey trip as "dr. b."

i'm so not ready to let this go! but i don't think you ever get really ready for this graduation thing...

[ duty ] : burgess edition

2011-04-16T21:28:00.004-06:00

i am killing time in burgess. on du-tay. there is red velvet cake sitting up here, if anyone reads this tonight! come eat it... before i do... it's from amycakes :]

to follow: random conglomeration of fotos. enjoy.

^ this is for you, mrs. oakley. emily is wearing a suit! hot stuff!
she was obviously impressive, because george wood said they would ordain her "any time." that's m'girl :)

^ this was my birthday... i already posted things from then, but i love these two beautiful ladies so much that i couldn't resist :)

^ floor dinner at huhot! naomi, vickie, hope, jill, & myia.

^ okay, so get this. i found this pic on facebook from freshman year harvest fest. the three of us - steph, me and anne (plus elise). see what difference four years can make...

^ oh boy, we're all grown up :]
( although, funny - i might be wearing the same pair of jeans... )

^ breakfast with andrea & kayla! such wonderful times.

^ night of forensics, starring the beautiful ms. cotton!

^ laurisha (featuring amazing red heels) and george. aka clementine and joel.

^ i love rish :)

quote for the day:
"behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee."

- stephanie piro -
AMEN.

have yourself a grand night. and if you are in springfield, bring me a cup of coffee? i am cold. please and thank you.

[ three things ]

2011-04-10T22:01:00.004-06:00

three things i love today:

^ irony.
and i quote: "hey, you might've been in turkey, but do they have exquisitely printed, extremely durable wooden postcards that can be displayed with pride for decades to come? i didn't think so."
aaaaand that's why it was delivered in two pieces, in a bag from the usps that says, "we care."
mm-hmm. thanks, michael :]

^ a good story.
[ and re-enactment of how this zebra was killed in the zimbabwe bush by our friend ben. ]

^ scrabble.

the results

2011-04-08T23:30:00.002-06:00

so. here's the room...

love you too, w1s :o)

birthday files

2011-04-08T21:48:00.006-06:00

so i am on duty for my birthday. thus, i have been making everyone take fotos with me... quite an interesting evening :o)
so.
birthday week = daniel. zoo. roses. etc.
birthday day = lunch with the board of directors. fotos with my birthday twin and p. spence. orange leaf with the old suite. ambush at the desk by the wa-ras who came bearing cake. etc.
i love birthdays :)
thank you, dear friends, who remind me of how loved i am. you make me happy.

^ i love chloe. (o:

^ little em :]

^ ben from zimbabwe brought molly & i starbucks. woot :)
after he reenacted how he killed a zebra in the bush once, then brought the hide to show us...

^ sarah & kelly :)

^ i. love. elisa. and. sarah.

juanes + the mudslide chloe just brought me from potter's house are hopefully gonna get me through the next 2.5 hours. and the havoc that w1s apparently wreaked in my room via streamers and ballons and who knows what else... i'm not allowed to see until my birthday is officially over. ehh... :o)

favorite birthday gift: "59 ways to put a little hepburn in your step."
i love audrey. :)

[ duty ] #274

2011-04-02T20:13:00.002-06:00

sooo i fail epically at documenting each duty night. i just got bogged down with so many duty nights and so much homework... BUT tonight since i am in ol' burgess covering for elise, for some reason it seems more conducive to blogging. or maybe that's just so because i am procrastinating josephus... it is the Weekend of the Paper. about herod. and the intertestamental period. and i have been researching/notetaking/writing my brains out all day.

so, doesn't the aforementioned foto contain such fun reading? greek on one side, english on the other :]

at least i'm getting to the good stuff. "and mariamme considered the king's love to be a pretence and a sham especially meant for his own advantage."

BUT... "[herod] was dismayed to see that his wife's unreasonable hatred of him was unconcealed, and he was grieved by this fact, but being unable to control his love, he did not long remain either angry or reconciled but kept passing from one extreme to the other and in either case was in great suspense. and though he was caught between hate and love and was often ready to retaliate for her disdain, still, because of the hold which she already had on his feelings, he had not the strength to put the woman away. in sum, though he would gladly have punished her, he was afraid that if she died he would unwittingly inflict greater punishment (upon himself than) upon her."

the plot thickens! :]
okay. back to my paper!

[ three things ]

2011-04-01T11:48:00.002-06:00

three things i love today...

^ alesha leaving me presents in my photobooth :]

^ wearing other people's glasses 8-)

^ the light at the end of the tunnel.

"i will not die
but live,
and proclaim
what the Lord has done."
- psalm 118 -

top ten

2011-03-31T23:53:00.005-06:00

top ten (okay, eleven or twelve) favorite snaps from turkey...

maybe.
i might have another lineup tomorrow. :]

life. a snapshot.

2011-03-30T19:23:00.002-06:00

in the efforts of my procrastination, and because this failed to post last night when i was on duty...
march has been quite the busy month.
two recent events:
fashion fever
and
spring fling.
here are a few snaps from both :]

^ samantha, moi, abby... sam and i were in the secret garden segment. abby's segment was wild thing :)

^ waiting around for the show to start.

^ hehe :)

^ i found elisa!

^ and of course little em :)

^ please note the absurd amount of chunky glitter on my lips. you can hardly tell here. but it was like sandpaper. worst. plan. ever.

^ aaaaand then spring fling. theme: overboard. hence the snorkel around my neck. since it was 35 degrees outside, my story was that i had been headed to the beach, but with the awful weather, i was so disgruntled that i refused to take off the snorkel. so. that was my costume. :o) and this is my myia!

^ esga angels!

^ emily & danielle :)

^ some of the wa-ras. i'm gonna miss these girls!

^ the old w1s reunited. plus vern :)

that's all for now, folks :)

post #400 :)

2011-03-20T21:42:00.002-06:00

sooo, i only took around 1,400 fotos in turkey.
as much as i would like to be quite the editing bug and get them all worked through...
school does not allow for that :)

so, sneak peek.
suffice to say i LOVED turkey.

alesha is here, cont.

2011-03-18T20:14:00.003-06:00

we only took 238671 fotos this weekend, approxiately. here are more (not all) of the best :)

^ fine, i'm a tree hugger.

^ this is for ashley higgins!

^ we heart jordan valley.

^ photo credit for most of these = alesha.

^ my face is ridiculous!

^ leash didn't like jumping off a rock... so she jumped off this instead :o)

^ flashback :)

^ this is what jet lag looks like...

^ founder's park!

^ oh boy, s.t.d. flea market, you provide unendingly fabulous foto opps :)

^ we don't know.

^ the obligatory :)

^ kai with stephanos!

^ wake up, do good... repeat.

^ heroes coffee. my reflection, hah!

^ we made books. because we are just that legit!

^ tea bar & bites!

^ and orange leaf to finish out the week :)

^ the guy behind me makes me laugh :)

we had a blast. I love it when alesha visits! come back soon!!

alesha is here!

2011-03-16T13:41:00.006-06:00

i am busily editing my 1400 fotos from turkey...
but in the meantime, alesha is here for a visit and we are taking even more fotos, because that is what we do best :)
so in an attempt to at least keep up on one front...
yesterday we got ourselves some hebrews and hit the nature center. such a beautiful day! and today will be jordan valley + andy's + 70 degrees.
glory hallelu.

^ turtle!

^ can you say beautiful? :]

coming soon: istanbul...

turkeyyyy

2011-03-02T22:26:00.002-06:00

q: what do ashley and i do in ra meetings when the conference room is a refrigerator?

a: snuggle in our blankets. trademark!
i am starting to get sentimental about how much i will miss my wa-ras!

in the meantime: please note that i will be in turkey from tomorrow through the 14th.
study trip with evangel!
i am going to paint the town [istanbul] red...
so check back for my bazillion fotos after i have returned :]

chao!

[ duty ] #5

2011-02-27T21:17:00.002-06:00

i'm on duty in burgess tonight... i don't have a sign here.
so i made my own out of a coloring book.
ra on duty: amy. aka ariel.
mm-hmm.
:]

[ duty ] #4

2011-02-26T22:21:00.003-06:00

i failed at documenting my duty night last night. soooo i crashed raquel's night with jon instead :]

la visite de l'homme

2011-02-24T16:22:00.009-06:00

^ sooo last week this kid came to see me. he treats me pretty nice, so i let him stick around. i think i kind of have a crush on him.

^ of course we had to shoot things.

^ [ i mostly shot fotos while he shot other things ]

^ and of course we had to jordan valley it up. with the man in metal.

^ so maybe i got excited by this cool yellow wall we stumbled upon during our walk to the nature center...

^ and, so...

^...i made him pose for lots of fotos :]

^ nature center + perfect weather = epic afternoon

^ rest in peace, puppy cromwell [who was a puppy no more in 1986], with a...deer wreath? oh my. oh springfield.

^ coffee coffee coffee.
then tejas!

^ gallivanting about downtown

^ he's so enthusiastic about art. :)

^ things happen when you're on the waiting list for chuy's...

^ ...like this :]

^ but we scored the elvis corner at chuy's. long live the king!

^ back in miz. commercial street bridge! fave.

^ sunny. whoa.

^ el tren!

week in sum: mexican food + explorations + roadtrip.
fabulous.

dependence

2011-02-24T12:06:00.001-06:00

^ i often make light of my chemical dependence on caffeine.

big brothers do, indeed, know you best. :]

thanks, michael!

[ three things ]

2011-02-23T09:10:00.001-06:00

three things i love today:

^ cool bridges.

^ coffee.

^ him. :)

[ three things ]

2011-02-12T13:10:00.004-06:00

three things i love today:

1. einstein's vanilla hazelnut coffee

2. norah jones singing "chasing pirates"

3. the thought that graduation is in [ 2 months and 24 days ] [eek?]

[ duty ] #3

2011-02-08T00:35:00.003-06:00

so -10 points for amy for forgetting to document anything exciting on duty. i always have brilliant plans for these posts... then fail to do anything.

but i am holding true to my pledge to document every duty night of the semester... so far, so good! it's making me realize how fast the semester is flying. eep!

can i just say that my addiction to white christmas has reached a new level? bing crosby came on my pandora and i instantly got the urge to watch it yet again. but i have to wait until december. or november...

^ does this explain why i'm so exhausted?
heh heh, juuuust kiddin' ;)

14 more minutes of duty...
"i will allow no sleep to my eyes or slumber to my eyelids," as psalm 132 says... or at least until 1 am :)

shout out to you, ashley higgins... because i always think of you at least once when i'm on duty!

snow daze

2011-02-07T08:48:00.002-06:00

and just what is it that makes a frigid 10 degrees + snow enjoyable?

ahh, why, yes... andy's with the wa-ras :)

[ three things ]

2011-02-05T14:12:00.004-06:00

three things i love today:

1. sunshine.

2. quotes: "love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person's ultimate good as far as it can be obtained." [c. s. lewis]

3. letters from bffs.

snow walk

2011-02-02T17:39:00.009-06:00

^ giddy expression = SNOW DAY!

^ sarah and i went on a snow walk.

^ she found south america! it's a sign!

^ *zap*

^ then it broke and kind of turned into... australia?

^ i must be a snowflake, because i've fallen for you!
heh heh :)

^ do snowballs count?

^ eskimo :]
please note the quite sarcastic gap ad kind of feel to this foto.

^ we know how to rock a playground.

^ and of course sarah insisted upon walking on top of the [rather] frozen creek the whole way...

^ ...narnia?

^ "save me!"

and of course i just laughed evilly and left her down there ;)

^ the wall says "live laugh smile" :]

^ i love my suitie (:

^ "oh nooo, it's cracking! aaah!"

^ survival = thumbs up... icicles agree.

^ we found jill!

^ and megan!

^ and lindsey!

^ my snow angel... had issues :]

snow day #2 = success.
bring on the hot chocolate and marshmallows :)

[ duty ] #2

2011-02-02T00:47:00.003-06:00

second night of documenting duty.
i decided it was time to rock the texas pride tonight.

thank God for snow days with a foot of lovely snow and 3-foot drifts.
a lifesaver!

it was a day of...

^ boots.

^ and friends.

^ and traipsing through the chill.

^ and snow angels.

^ and tracks in the snow.

j'aime beaucoup la neige!

[ three things ]

2011-02-01T13:10:00.004-06:00

three things i love today:

1. memories of a rain-dance-turned-snow-dance under the clocktower in years past.

2. an epic pandora station with "sweet pea," "at last," "brown-eyed girl," and "you make me feel like a natural woman" accompanying the perfect lazy day.

3. piles of snow that keep on gusting down and making the world seem like a cozy, brilliant place. please never stop. thank you. :]

farewell, january

2011-01-29T18:15:00.006-06:00

quite the weekend so far...
w1s night at the cup. elvis movie night. elisa's senior recital. ridiculously awesome 70 degree weather. jvp. and it's only saturday!

^ myia & katie

^ megan & lindsey

^ mm :)

^ homegirl's got skillz!

^ this pretty well defines lacey & steph's relationship.

^ i luf my suitemate :]

^ the clan :}

^ sibs!

^ my epic foto-taking skills convinced me to leave the empty chair in the pic for Jesus...

^ candid ridiculousness :)

^ it's over! she made it!

^ something is not right about this...

^ hooray for jordan valley + sunshine.

^ i plot things.
like how to continue putting off this thing called "homework." :]

foto of the [belle] journée

2011-01-28T13:46:00.001-06:00

working out: such a love/hate relationship.

but i found my nikes!

[ duty ] #1

2011-01-27T00:32:00.005-06:00

i'm documenting all my duty nights this semester. it is a brilliant way of passing time... because for some reason i can stay up ridiculously late other nights, but desk nights cause automatic, extreme sleepiness. amazing! props to nathan & molly for keeping me awake earlier with crazy nertz.

highlights of 2011 so far:
suitemate slumber party.
having almost all of the funding i need to get to istanbul AND back.
crashing elisa, megan, leah, & sandi's apartment for dinner parties.
already being drastically behind in homework.
coffee dates.
surprise visits!
a successful floor dinner :o)
movie nights with my wonderful w1s girls, whom i will miss after may 6.
snowfall.
weekend in branson...sleeping in & making guac.
experiencing nebraska.
wa-ra study dates.

and many more to come :o)

wintery thoughts

2011-01-23T16:16:00.001-06:00

"one can live magnificently in this world if one knows how to work and how to love."
- leo tolstoy -

currently I am plugging away at the first part of that... the work part. sort of. i have my books and my caffeine and my coffeeshop-ish atmosphere. but really i am dreaming of faraway places (my greek scarf is on purpose today), sunshiney beaches (as opposed to the fog & freezing temps of springfield), and people that i love not being so far away.

^ so my cross-eyed look needs some work. dan's: solid gold. :]

a bit of emily dickinson, because i feel like her today.
"hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
and sings the tune without the words,
and never stops at all..."

and now that i have sufficiently procrastinated...
some parting words from paul, to the thessalonians (fitting in light of my greek scarf, no? :])

"may the Lord make your love increase and overflow
for each other and for everyone else,
just as ours does for you.
may he strengthen your hearts
so that you will be blameless and holy
in the presence of our God and Father
when our Lord Jesus comes..."

branson, version 4.0

2011-01-17T18:22:00.005-06:00

year 4 of mlk weekend in branson... many thanks to the wonderful susan for taking us!

^ meet sherlock (and megan). he was our friendliest resident deerhead. and most fashionable.

^ denae was kind enough to share cookies.

^ well, i mean, he WAS cute...

^ megan and i fearlessly explored while the others fearlessly shopped.

^ anne: awesome.

^ megan: cuddly.

^ lacey: corrupt.

^ denae: complicated, yet realistic.

^ day 2: deceptively sunny. in reality... cold.

^ susan and stacie down on the shore...

^ sunset at big cedar: always beautiful.

^ delightful little discovery: my roses were still blooming when i got home :}

navidad

2011-01-12T19:17:00.004-06:00

christmas break came and went... with few foto opps, unfortunately! the semester is sure to hold more. especially as motivation wanes and opportunities to creatively find fun are on the rise. :)

in the meantime, a few snaps from december and january.

^ why, yes, these are my beautiful parents.
who are hereafter going to kill me for posting this. :]

^ back in the 'field for vicki's wedding...
elisa & sarah.

^ ceasing to laugh for fotos is SO difficult...

^ i love my suitemate. she loves flowers.

^ dinner party!

^ i love my rosie!

^ current suitemates...

^ ... (1 set of) old suitemates :)
[ i just realized how outnumbered i am on the curly hair thing. goodness! ]

^ n to the braska!

^ can you say plaid?

^ yes, fine, we're cute and we know it. (;

^ despite it being the first day of class (my last first day! for now...)
and a mere nine degrees outside (more than tripled from this morning)...
i am a happy camper these days.

i feel like sappily quoting "an affair to remember":
"winter must be cold for those with no warm memories!"
i guess ending on a sappy note is okay. but only because it's sarcastic :o)