where has the summer gone?

It seems like just yesterday summer was starting, and now it's already the first full week of August. I've barely done anything "summer-y" this summer considering I have a grown-up job now. I didn't get to experience every minute of church camp. And I can't just pick up and go to Holiday World. And there's no sleeping in during the week. And I don't get "vacations" per say. But I do have a full-time job, which is nice.

We have officially moved to our new location. The new building is smaller than the last one, so we are still trying to find a place for everything. And we've had a few technical issues with printers/engravers/sublimation printer, but things are starting to look up as of this week. The super good news is that there is a new coffee shop in our new building. Good for my well-being, but bad for my wallet. They are super nice people and the place is decorated so chic/vintage/coffee shop-ish. Very cool for my small town.

I am very thankful for friends. We still meet every Thursday night and usually hang out on the weekends and Sunday nights, and chat throughout the week. It's so nice to have people you can rely on. If there is something I need prayer for, I can always ask them and know that they will stop what they are doing and pray right then. If I ever move away, that will be the first thing I look for.

I just finished reading through Job. I knew the gist of it, but I had never read through the whole thing. It really made me reconsider what I value and what I consider important to me. Is God the most important thing to me that He would allow the devil to take everything away from me? Would I understand that He thought so highly of me? Would I understand that He was testing me? Would I see past my current situation to where God is trying to take me? Would I ignore the advice that my so-called "friends" give me and wait for God to speak to me? When God did speak, would I repent of sin and turn to Him? Even as I am writing this and saying 'would,' I can feel that these things happen to me all the time. But how often do I answer rightly? As I was going through Job, I was praying that I would be like Job, and then praying that I wouldn't be like Job, and then praying that I would be like Job, haha. I want to be unwavering in faith, the ability to know you need repentance.




I am so excited for this weekend because I am finally going to get one day off. My parents and I are going to the Ocoee River. Dad is going kayaking with his friends for part of the day and rafting with me for the other part of the day. Mom is going to take pictures. I'm ready for a much needed break from working.

1) I worked in the nursery at church during Sunday School and got to spend some quality time with my sweet Hallee Jae.
2) The high school kids having a dance party in the tabernacle late night at senior camp.
3) My mom doing what she does best on 4th of July -- SycamoreGrovePhotography
4) My brother & Hallee Jae on the beach without me :(
5) Jackie & I at junior high camp
6) Celebrating the end of camps at Jackie & Austin's house with a killer pool party.
7) My mom and I got this lovely bouquet from the local farmer's market the other day.
8) All us girls with my friend Beka who got married a couple weeks ago -- She made such a beautiful bride!!
9 & 10) All us friends hanging out yet being anti-social on our iPhones. Oh, technology!
11) My BFF Becca stopped by on her way back to Evansville and her little sister was with her.

ladies trip to the beach

Last week, I had the pleasure to take a ladies trip to the beach with some of my best friends. We left early on a Tuesday morning and arrived at Seagrove Beach, Florida early that evening. We stayed for a whole week and every moment was fantastic. It was nice to relax and hang out and lay out and be lazy. We stayed in a condo right near the ocean so we were able to walk to the beach every day. And even though it rained a few days, we were able to get some sun while we there. One day we ventured to Destin to do some shopping at the outlet mall, because we're a bunch of girls and of course we had to go shopping. On the last night, I had brought mom's camera & tripod, so I set it up on the beach and took some "family" pictures of us. We didn't match and we aren't really family, but that's just what you do on the beach. And we had a blast doing it. Overall, it was an awesome trip and we had a wonderful, relaxing time. Plus, Seagrove is one of my absolute favorite places in the world. 

our new friends: a dead lizard & a dead crab

picture night on the beach

Jackie & Brea

Evan & Angela

Jackie, Brea & Erin

the Trio

first day in the Gulf

Angela & Brea catching some waves

trying to catch some fish

Jackie & Evan

life as a college graduate

graduation.
yes, as you may have heard, I am now officially a college graduate.
as of May 5th, I have my Bachelor of Science in Visual Communications Design from the University of Evansville.
it's so crazy, but exciting all at the same time.
and I know your next question... "So, what are you going to do now?"
well, I don't have any plans at this very moment.
I am enjoying my time off from school and real responsibility.
I plan on putting applications in at lots of places in lots of cities.
and I'm putting the rest in God's hands.
only He knows what's going to happen.

my favorite college professor, Larmann [he taught me everything I know about painting]

getting my diploma from President Kazee

delicious cupcakes for the mustache bash

my awesome mustached friends

4 out of 5 roomies

UE graduate

graduation was wonderful.
so many of my awesome family and friends were able to be there to celebrate this milestone in my life.
it felt so good knowing I have so many people who will always support me no matter what.
we had a "mustache bash"/shrimp boil at my campus house afterwards.
it was delicious and so much fun.


22.
since graduation, I've celebrated my 22nd birthday.
I had a wonderful lunch with my momma.
got to go out for dinner and a movie with my awesome friends.
and then I went out the next night for dinner at Red Lobster with my parents.
overall, nothing too special.


my momma.
lastly, I know I've almost missed the boat, but I want to mention my momma.
I know Mother's Day was yesterday and I should have done this then, but I didn't, so I'm doing it now.
everyone likes to say that they have the best mom, but I'm pretty sure they are all wrong.
my mom is the best.
she's always been there for me, no matter what.
even when we don't see eye to eye, she's always there supporting me through it all.
she loves me unconditionally.
I have been blessed with Christian parents who have set a Godly example for how I should live my life.
there are so many people who don't have that, including some of my best friends.
I'm so glad I have parents who are able to step up and be parents to those who don't have an example at home.
I've also been lucky enough to have lots of "mommas" in my life who have had a positive impact on my life.
Mama Mel, Aunt Marsha, Grandma Freda, Grandma Linda, Gigi, Mrs. Small, Aunt Denise, April, Leslie, BO.
the list really could go on and on.
I'm so thankful for the people God has placed in my life, especially my family.

my momma, the new 'grammy'