Happy birthday!!!

Happy birthday, daddy!! I love you so much! I hope you had a wonderful birthday and I wish that I could have been with you to celebrate. I am thankful that I am here at school. And without you, that wouldn't have happened! Thank you sooo much!!!! A couple tidbits:

• A volunteer fireman, certified to operate the Jaws of Life
• County Commissioner
• Owns and operates small business, Tires and More
• FULL-TIME farmer/rancher. :)

I love you, dad!!!!!!

Europe? I wish.

So I was talking to my awesome RA today about school. And the Europe tour came up. It is mostly for archies (architecture majors) but anyone can go. She was aying how much she improved her drawings and self-esteem. How I wish I could go!!! Ah, Italy, Italy, Italy!!! [swoons] Okay, I'm back. :) Well, she was saying that she saved up since her freshamn year because it costs about $5,000! Sigh. There goes my dream.


There is hardly anything to do in studio tonight. Hooray! Of course I was there for six hours yesterday.

People of the Week

on ABC news is... North Dakotans!!! How cool, right? Click on the link below to watch the video. Has some of the National Geographic "controversy" in it. Also, if you search, there is another video talking about North Dakotans 'accepting' the award of people of the week. Good clips, hope you watch them!

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4157223

Can you...

guess where this was taken?

New band on the rise?...

More randomness

I'm back at college and guess what?! My room-mate moved out to have a room for herself. (I guess she couldn't handle rooming with a goldfish! ;) It is so exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!! I rearranged my room (with some help from strong friends). And it's awesome! I have a bed dedicated just to my reading, computer and [ahem!] homework. :D

The plane ride was good, pretty uneventful. I was able to navigate the O'Hare airport easily and find my luggage (even though they put it on the wrong luggage claim thing).

I have class at 8 in the morning tomorrow. It is so hard to believe that school starts tomorrow. And it is so weird to see so many people my age again. :D

Sidenotes--

I completed my Hawaii scrapbook. YOU should come see it this summer. :)

I finished Be Still My Soul by Elisabeth Eliott on the plane ride. An amazing book. Highly recommend it. I think I highlighted pretty much the whole book. :D I'm starting Humility:True Greatness by C.J. Mahaney. I've only read one chapter, but so far it's really good.

I got a haircut! (A little shorter than initially envisioned...)

Randomness

Tonight, Chase, Savannah and Miranda stayed at our house because my mom's Bible study met and left the kids in my care. :D So maybe I'll post pictures of that later. Too many pictures loaded already. ;)

Kendra!!!!! Hooray, we actually got to see her!!!

Practice with 'ghosting'

Candid glamour shots

Friends! (sometimes fiends... :)

My fascination with broccoli continues.
Click on the picture to really get the full impact of its greatness.

Coyote

A foot stuck in the table on New Year's Eve. :D

What a purdy aunt and her niece!

D.C., that darn cat! :) Speaking of which, he almost perished. He got squished under the garage door, but he seems to be doing alright. [sigh] He certainly fits his name!

Procrastination...

...is a funny thing. One minute you are washing the broccoli for vegetable pizza, and the next you are taking the most fascinating pictures one has ever seen.

Blessed

Well looking back on this past year, I realize (probably only partially) how much I have been blessed. I have a family that supports me going to a Christian University and supports me in my dream to become a photographer. THANK YOU!!!! There are so many other things I am thankful for this year, but this is the thing that sticks out to me. Besides, with my goldfish brain, I don't remember (and may not be aware of) all of the things that have impacted me this year.

Lately I've been reading a book by Elisabeth Elliott (I read Passion & Purity fairly recently- awesome book!!) called Be Still My Soul. I just got through the second chapter, but it is such a blessing to read. I just love it!

He may be asking us to... turn over to Him fears which hold us in bondage, to give up forms
ofself-improvement or recreation or socail life which hinder disobedience.
Afterwards, with a joyful lightness of spirit and awareness of God's active
involvement in ordering our happiness, we may wonder why we waited
so long.