last day of school....

everyone else seems so excited that school is ending. I didn't really realize until last night that it was the last day of school today. I feel rather indifferent about it.
I enjoyed my semester. I have summer school after this, so I guess school hasn't ended for the summer for me yet.
And I don't really look forward to going home.
I love my life here, and my friends more than anything.

packing my own lunch

I did not have a lunch break three days of the week this semester. Its hard to go that long without food for me. So I packed myself a lunch these days.
I feel silly being in college packing a lunch, it just seems like not a college thing to do.
I probably won't get a meal plan again next year, and also have a very short lunch break. Hopefully I can get better at packing them, and make yummy things like this picture.

cookies

I made jeff some homemade white chocolate macadamien nut cookies, and myself a few chocolate chip. They were simply heavenly!

I ran today for the first day in a few days, and i never realize how much i love it! Don't ask me how or why I love it, I just do.


Also waking up by Buddy tickling my face with her whiskers and licking my nose is a great way to wake up. Even though it makes me giggle.


Me and Jeff need more pictures together.

My aching body....

All this cross country training is very hard on my body....especially my legs.
Hopefully the trainer can fix whatever is wrong tomorrow. I wanna get back to running, and weights (I havent been on top of this as I usually am and can tell a major difference).
Part of me is starting to worry if two weeks of serious running is hurting my knees and ankle...what's a whole year gonna do to my body?


Also Jeff's play opens tomorrow! He got a hair cut today for it, and I think he looks extremely handsome with it. But that may be biased I think he always looks handsome.

muffin time...

I got a call at 2:30 yesterday from Ben. He called to tell me it was muffin time, and to come over and make him and Ryan muffins. When I said I was busy and would do it later I got a "but maaaaam!" from both boys.

If I had been more productive earlier I most likely would have gone over there then, and made my two lovelies their muffins.

Also all weekend I have been determined to finish my three art projects so this week I don't have to worry about them. My hope was a GREAT SUCCESS! I also did laundry, and cleaned my room and the apartment!
On top of being a good student for once this semester, we went to five guys last night for burgers, the baylor orchestra concert and firework show, and also played things in a box. I feel like I haven't seen just the boys in a while, so last night was really fun! Sometimes I forget how much I love them!

This week is opening week for Jeff's new play. I am excited!

Graveyard...

There is a grave yard near campus that has a wonderful 2 mile loop in it. It's a great place for runs, walks, or bike rides.
I biked 14 miles in there today, and saw a lot more life than I usually do. I normally like to go in there on week days during the middle of the week, when no one else is there. It's a really peaceful place. No distractions. It's nice to be able to escape and go for a run with my own thoughts there.

a treat...

Always having fresh flowers is something I decided was a perfect way to spend my money.

high light/low light

At Mi Casa every week we go around and say our high light and low light. It's fun, and interesting. And I love it! Even Lily and Roy have "what made them happy, and what was sad".

This week I have got to say:
high light:
Friday night. Lord of the Rings. Brownies. And hanging with Steven and Ryan. I feel like I haven't had a lot of one on one time with Ryan recently so it was super fun! Also I totally owned him at knowing Lord of the Rings better.
Monday night. Got some quality time Conner, hanging on the floor in Ben's room. Again I haven't spent time with just him in a while.
Buddy was also extremely lovable tonight!

*The boys are sometimes very nice one on one. They don't get as wriled up and can't feed of each other. They usually are more sweet.

Low light:
none.

flowers....

I saw two guys recently...
One, pulled his car to the side of the road, got out and was picking wildflowers in the field. - I am assuming for his girlfriend.
The second guy I saw, was walking down the street to an apartment complex with a bouquet of flowers in hand. - I also guessed for his girlfriend.

Both of these scenes just took me by surprise. The unusual amount of sweetness was touching.
Good job boys, you have some lucky girls.

The thing that poets write about...

i want more of..

the thing that poets right about
the thing that singers sing about
the thing that flowers bloom for
the thing that stars shine for
the thing that babies laugh for
the thing that jesus died for
the thing that winners wait for
the thing that trees reach for
the thing that addicts stop for
the thing that widows die for
the thing that proud are humbled for
the thing that lonely are looking for
the thing that made me come alive
the thing that made me realize ...

that love is the most beautiful thing
that anyone can happen to

Scene of the crime...

I come back from treatment to find my nightstand completely disheveled...picture frame knocked over, jewelry box on the floor, flowers knocked over, and partially chewed up, and water spilled everywhere...

Buddy is a bit obvious when it comes to her making mischief.

I knew there was a reason why she didn't run up to me when I got home.

Cross country

I am in line to be a walk on for the cross country team. I have started training this week. My body is adjusting to all this exercise, and I get super dooper tired around 9 each night. So I'll go to bed earlier and wake up earlier...Like I have right now.

I thought I was in better shape than I thought, but my IT band injury has really put me back more than I thought. SO I have to work extra hard to catch up with the other girls.

ANyways I love the idea of being able to eat a ton, and whatever I want...since my body just need calories and energy to keep going.

one month...

I like how when you don't plan or expect something you usually find it.

My world is being turned upside down by the wonderfulness of my lovely Jeff. He keeps surprising me day after day, and continually gives me butterflies when I am around him. Shouldn't the butterflies have stopped in February? Anyways, he is more than I could have hoped for dreamed for.

Allergies, frizzy hair, and speeding tickets....

Here is my vent post:

Allergies suck, and the medicine sucks all the life and vitality out of you. I fell asleep on Jeff again on our date Saturday night, because of them.

HUmidity = frizzy hair = me wanting dreads very badly

I got two speeding tickets last monday.

Oh and I am a terrible vegetarian - really a non- vegetarian.

but on a lighter note:

My weekend was splendid!

Friday: RYan, Ben, Brandon, Jake, Jeff, Rob, and I all went out for pizza. Then Steven and I watched Clint Eastwood movies.

Saturday: date night! But it ended up being group date night! haha. We went out for hamburgers (my eating habits need to change), at a hamburger Chinese food place! Then to Date Night! great movie. then home to make chocolate covered strawberries for a midnight picnic. We didn't go on the picnic, instead I fell asleep while Jeff watched the Prestige.

Nat bug's happy list....

Natalie Rae said...

yay! I finally came up with a good one =D

10 things that make me terribly happy:
1. new freckles
2. dancing at a wedding reception
3. quoting movies
4. beach bonfires/camping
5. in n out burger
6. hanging out with david hinckley & david poe
7. home-made dough & pizza
8. dad's bbq of chicken/carnitas/fish
9. hiking
10. chewable vitamin-C

Nat's blog is here: http://nraeshapiro.blogspot.com/2010/04/in-christ-alone.html

the smell of sweet flowers drifting through the air

I smelled the lovely wildflowers on my run today. The whole time I was home I could smell the beautiful flowers on my night stand. I do love having fresh flowers in my room.

Flowers are one of the simple pleasures in life for me!

I think I ll go with happiness.

In high school, many of the kids in my grade were pushed extremely hard by their parents. They were pressured into taking the hardest classes, summer classes, practice SAT classes...since middle school. Their parents pushed them this hard, because they wanted them to get into the best universities. Generally their parents dream for them was to pursue medicine. A lot of these kids were my good friends at one time or another, and they would tell me they were only going to do medicine because it pays well, not because they honestly wanted to help people. I learned from my friends that their parents instilled their love of money into their kids. This was very sad to me at the time. They were pretty condesending to me, because I was planning on going to culinary school. They felt like culinary school was something below them, because they had been breed for the best universities. I wanted to pursue baking because I love it, I think about food all the time, and I think food brings a lot of beauty and happiness to the world...or it at least does to mine. No one was supportive of this dream of mine, everyone (including my parents) pushed me to go to a big school with a "real" major.

After switching from Nutrition, to a sort of outlandish major of Photography, I have never been happier. For as much as I enjoy nutrition, the science classes were too hard for me. The only thing I did last semester was study for my three science classes, and no matter how hard I studied and went to tutoring, I only made F's or D's on the tests. This was stressful, and really discouraging. I realized no matter how much I loved Nutrition, I was dreading the rest of my time at collage. I thought I had some talent and potential in art, and wanted try my hand at it. I love it. Everyone who knows me, knows how much I love being an art major.

I have no idea what I am going to do with a degree in art. Maybe I ll still go to culinary school? I really have no idea, but I like not knowing.

I have a lot of things I like (like cleaning, dog walking, yoga, nutrition, and babysitting), and if I have a few jobs where I get to do a little of everything I like. I'm totally fine with that. I don't know if that is realistic, but I don't know if being a photographer is either.

I have had a very comfortable upbringing and am used to a very high standard of living. Over the past year, I have realized that money can not and does not bring happiness. What makes me happy, is enjoying life, my relationships, my talents, and the comfort of knowing the Creator of this world loves me and cares for me, not how much money or stuff I have.

Reading this verse comforts me:

Luke 12:22-

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

Taking this literally, requires a lot of faith. I hope the more I trust God the more I'll start living out this verse.

three quick things....

1. Ate breakfast on the floor with Buddy. I think I may love her a bit extra in the mornings.

2. I wore my rain boots all day, and it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day, instead of stormy. I got a lot of weird looks.

3. I got to see Jeff in his swearing and smoking role. He was a bad cop. He was really very good.

spring romance

How come it seems like every spring everyone seems to be falling in love? I have noticed that every spring since high school, people get into relationships more so, than any other time of the year. Maybe it's the flowers, or butterflies, or early morning bird songs, or the allergies, maybe its the emerging of warmth from after a cold spell? Whatever is it, there must be something in the air, that makes people want to be with one another.

This has been true in the past for me, but none more so than this particular spring. I seemed to have found myself in a bit of a whirlwind romance. Sudden, unexpected, and very very lovely...

The earth is not a cold dead place

I saw so much life and joy in Austin in the past day. Especially on my walk by the river.

A man just sitting by himself gazing at the water. - seeing someone just enjoy their own company and enjoying nature is fantastic

A couple took a break from canoeing to snag a quick kiss. - this was especially beautiful to happen upon to see.

Turtles came together to all sun bathe in a big group.

The wildflowers were breathtaking. And I am serious, they made me stop and think of nothing else but their beauty, and the Creator who made them.

Danger added to the mix ...

It's fun pretending you are in high school again.