Today I realized . . .

. . . How much I really believe I will miss my job at the old hearing center, especially the sweet people I meet and grow to know and love.

. . . How happy little things like new knobs for my drawer can make me.

. . . And how much one new lamp can brighten up my bedside -- and in turn, my entire bedroom. I picked up this new lamp when I went to Hobby Lobby intending to come home with only lace. But when I saw this lonely little blue lamp with a shade covered in French poetry, it called my name and I simply couldn't resist.

And on another note: I was flipping through an old journal tonight (and yes, it was embarrassing) and found this entry from June of 2009:

O God, how many times have I said unto Thee, 'Take my life and let it be, consecrated, Lord, to Thee!' and not meant it? How many times have I sung it or said it unto You to take my life and let it be for Thee, but said in my own heart, 'Don't take my life, for I want to live it for myself'? Have I ever said this and truly meant it?
"Having already said,'Take my life, for I cannot give it to Thee,' let us now say, with deepened conviction, that without Christ we really can do nothing -- 'Keep my life, for I cannot keep it for Thee." (Frances Havergal, Kept For the Master's Use)
 What a freeing thing it is to learn that it does not depend on me! It is Christ, Christ -- all of Him! 

Here's lookin' at you, kid.

Name that movie quote.

This Spring break I made a list of things I wanted to do. Here's what I did:

- clean out my car
- write letters
- go on picnics
- run
- sleep in the hammock  I slept in them hammock, I read in the hammock, I ate in the hammock, I laughed in the hammock. Needless to say, I love that thing.
- play frisbee
- thrift store shopping I didn't get anything, but I went twice. I may go back and buy some records and really cheap picture frames.
- spend less time on the computer and more time outside The weather was perfect for this!
- read I didn't finish Delta Wedding, but I did read it and other good books on my list.
- pick flowers One day, I had to stop and pick a handful of Wisteria. It's blooming everywhere, and I love it!
- play piano all day long Okay, so I didn't play all day, but I did play.
- add to my memory jar
- knit
- get a tan I'm not exactly tan - but I'm not so white anymore!
- drink lemonade
- blog

I even finished a few that weren't on my list:
- take senior portraits
- apply for a job
- have an outdoor movie/pizza night

 It was a wonderful week. Here are some Instagrams from my life lately:

2011

(Excepting the fact that this is the 13th of January, I shall now talk about 2011.)

Welcoming in a whole new year. It seems strange since it feels like we just did this for 2010. Perhaps I'm simply getting old.
Well, it's sad to think there never, ever will be another year 2010. But that we've begun a whole new year full of things yet to happen is exciting.
I'm not one for New Year's resolutions, but I did make a list of things - reminders, if you will - I'd like to do this year.
But first, I shall reminisce on many wonderful memories that 2010 holds. . .er, held. Well, still holds.

Anyway.

Here are a few of my favorite photographs from 2010. (Yes, I did just say photographs.)

In January, Katie left the States for a more scenic countryland - Florence, Italy - where she lived for many months. Finally, she came back home with so many tales and adventures and thousands and thousands of pictures.

In February, I took a road trip with three of my lovely friends to see Gone With the Wind at the Orpheum. (Read about that here.)

And then, TeenPact MS happened! (Read more here.)

April brought with it Spring and lovely days in the great outdoors.

In May, I wrapped up my finals, thus finishing my Sophomore year, and then went on to burn Walden with classmates. (You can read about that adventure here.)

June: National Convention!

July.

Tennessee.
Adventures.
Sunny days. 

August.

Camp Moriah, Santa Fe, tea parties. All things Summer.

Oh, and turning 16. That was kinda big. Little party. And big surprise party - thanks, Katie. :) I love surprises.

September sunshine and balloons.

October was filled to the brim with lovely Fall days, dear friends, campaigning for Senator Nunnelee (who won the seat!), and seeing Wicked for the second time!

November: Golden leaves and pumpkin spice.

December was wonderfully exciting because. . . 1. I had my first white Christmas! 2. My parents celebrated 25 years of marriage. 3. I applied to, interviewed for, and got a job as an assistant counselor at Summer Camp.

Most importantly, God has been so gracious to pour His love out on me this year. His mercies have indeed been new, morning by morning.

And this is the part of the program where I share a few of my resolutions:

-be dilligent in pursuing Christ.
-finish old books before starting new ones!
-be prompt in replying to letters. write more letters, and send less emails.
-run. consistently.
-be spontaneous. (how oximorionic. one cannot plan spontaniety.)
-go for a picnic!
-practice patience.
-play piano for at least 2+ hours every day.
-keep up with blog.
-sketch once a week.
-do something fun/new with hair this year.
-learn to cook. well.
-write character sketches.

My list keeps growing. The real thing is even longer. But I shall try to keep up with them!
What are yours?

the summer wind

. . .Came blowin' in from across the sea.

Where did it go? One vile word has swallowed it up.

School. This six-letter word has caused child and adolescent alike to tremble and has brought fear into the face of even the bravest and most fearless of youth.

 Yes, it's that time of year again. Summer 2010 comes to an abrupt end and I look back on so many wonderful memories, crazy doings, and exciting happenings:

(It sounded much less cheesy in my head, I promise.)

Like the time I attempted to throw a welcome home party for siblings who had been away and spread out from Virginia as far as Florence, Italy. Throwing surprise parties is not the easiest thing in the world to do, by the way. There's a lot more involved than what appears from a distance. But that's another story for another time.

Anyway, we ate buckets of ice cream flavored with mouth-savoring toppings, played an intense game of spoons in the dark on the lawn, talked, laughed, shared stories on our back porch. It was lovely.

Or the time Anna, Colleen, and I had tea and sandwiches on my back porch while decked out in dresses (for dress day, of course). Also included on this fine day was: Chopin, sunshine, hydrangeas, laughter, china, zip lines, good conversations, etc.

Camp Moriah. Hot, fun, great friends, frisbee, volleyball, canoeing, the bonfire, making bracelets from Ugandan beads with the best girls' group ever, and more frisbee. Did I mention it was hot? I stayed in a tent with the lovely Meg while we stayed up way past lights out (this is the brilliance & beauty of not staying in the girl's cabin, my friend), laughed, and talked about anything and everything.

 [I realize I can't post all the pictures I'd like to, so you can see the rest in my Camp album.]

Santa Fe, New Mexico. Beautiful. Cool (temperature wise). A 17-hour drive with a car full of kids, a hobbit house, hiking in the mountains, picnicking, shopping at the Plaza, Taos, exploring ancient ruins and climbing up 140 ft. on the side of a mountain on rickety old ladders (this was my favorite part of the week by far, I can assure you), reading on the back porch in the cool of the morning, white water rafting, and some family fellowship.

Adventures. Like finding pretty old houses on Endville road, exploring it and climbing into the old barn and up an ancient wooden ladder onto the second story. (We also had a lovely photographer name C-haad. Need one? I highly recommend you give her a ring.)

Saying goodbye to and moving out dear friends as they leave you for stinkin' North Carolina. I love you, Ande. And miss you buckets. (Does that even make sense?)

-trips to Sonic (to which we somehow managed to time just right enough to miss happy hour about every single time -- cause we're that awesome).

-picnics

-outdoor treks through the woods

-bike rides

-afternoon swims

-laying out while reading Mitford in the backyard

-Thursday night frisbee

-birthdays and parties

-lovely weddings

-soccer tournaments in the hottest heat in MS in. . .1,000 years (pretty much)

-sketching and painting to my heart's desire

-visiting Crampton Farm for the Fourth

-the church meeting in Memphis where I stayed with my delightful little family

 -late-night slumber parties with good friends

-sleeping in

-and happy birthday to Anna and Ande; I've been running around like a chicken with his head cut off trying to make/buy/get/wrap/beautify your birthday specials. 'Cause I love you that much.

-Disney sing-along with the girls

-National Convention

-ladies' Bible study on Romans 6

-good friends and wonderful memories.

What were your Summer highlights? And, yes, I realize you must be much more brief than I. Sorry about this, but I pretty much tried to kill 10 birds with one post.

*NOTA BENE: No birds were harmed in the making of this post.