I love to write, and sometimes I do find myself sitting down at this here blog (yes, I just went back a couple hundred years to the prairies of the US). But mainly, when I have a lot to say about a subject, I do so at my other blog. Having two blogs with two completely different premises and goals can be a lot, so my focus often switches between the two for long periods of time. Lately, I just have been too tired or too busy or too lazy to sit down and write on the other blog, but I've spent time here.

Well, that ended tonight. I finished my first journal ever today and spent much of the day reading through everything that God has done in my life since October 17, 2010. I found an entry that I remembered vividly, and it was something that many of my friends have talked about, so I decided to finally sit down and write a blog post about it. You can read my post "He's Too Good for Me" here. Just thought I'd share it with you all in case you wanted to read it. :)

I have decided

Ladies and gentlemen (because there are so many men who read my blog), I have finally made a decision. I am such an indecisive person when it comes to favorites - I have like 2 or 3 favorites of everything, and they are fluid, changing often. But I have come to realize that my all-time favorite movie is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, While You Were Sleeping. It's the ultimate chic flick but you just can't beat it. Thank you for supporting me during this time of great decision, and have a great weekend.

High Five for Friday

Yay Friday! Here's my top 5 for this week:

1. I know I mentioned that I was coming last week, but now I'm here - I'm in Maine!! It's so good to be here in my "other home" with my mom, stepdad, sisters, and "Maine friends". Though I was sad to only spend 5 days in Sacramento with my dad, stepmom, brother, and sister (who was visiting too), it's great to be here so early in the summer!

2. Reading many good books right now! Started reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, but after reading so many children's books this past semester, I can't handle too much of it at a time. Then I started reading Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul Tripp. It's an incredible book but it's heavy reading so I can't just read it all the time. So because I can't always read heavy or children's books, I decided to read an adult book - a novel. So now I'm also reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett for a second time. Buuut since last week I read Catching Fire (Hunger Games book 2) and I had yet to read the third, my sister let me borrow her kindle to read it. Last night she gave it to me so I'm now reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I'm focusing on that one because it's borrowed so I should finish it first, right? I know, my life is a tangled web of too many books.

3. Get to see my puppies again!! They're the cutest little ladies you ever did see. Lindy (left) actually still is a puppy (a year and a half) - at least she acts like it. She's kind of clumsy and very playful. Also, she's huuuuge. You can't tell from the picture but she's a big girl. Heidi (right) is about seven or eight now and she's just the sweetest little thing. She had knee surgery about a month ago so she's still very restricted to what she can do (no going upstairs or jumping on and off beds, etc). She also has to be crated if no one is downstairs with her because otherwise she'll jump on and off my parents' beds. It's so sad to see her so limited, but it's for her own good!

4. Got to have a sister date with Sarah on Wednesday. We were going to have dinner and then see a movie, but the movie we decided to see limited our dinner options to picking it up on the way. Chynna came with us too, and we stopped at Food Stop (a small convenience store about a mile down from us and just across from the high school) on the way. Now if you live in Cumberland/North Yarmouth, you know that Food Stop is well-loved and never a let-down. Then we went and saw The Hunger Games, even though they'd both already seen it. We decided that it was one of those movies you just have to watch in theaters if you're going to watch it, so they took pity on me.

5. We've been playing a lot of games around here. My family has always loved games, and it's been quite common for us to play a few hands of cards or whatever in the late evenings of summer. Now we don't just play cards, but we've been playing lots of Farkle. Last night we also played Things and if you've ever played that you know how great that game is!

So that's been my week. Seems like such simple things but they've really been the best parts of my week!

Current Crush Thursday

Found a new link-up today and thought it was the cutest idea - Current Crush Thursdays @Framed Frosting.

My current crush is: Cake Mix Cookies

I was introduced to these cookies a couple years ago by my older sister Sarah. She made these wonderful lemon cookies covered in powdered sugar and talked about how she had made them from cake mix. I just was not aware of how important they'd be to me later on.

If you've been around my blog for a bit you probably are aware of the fact that I adore sugar. Well, these cookies are the best cookies you can eat (obviously aside from my best friend's mom's chocolate chip cookies...there really is no contest there). I was reintroduced to Cake Mix Cookies by my friend Meredith, who also really likes sugar. Her husband is the RD of a men's dorm on campus and she always bakes for their RA "team time" and sometimes I reap the benefits, such as these cookies. Then our college group had a beach day and she made cookies for that, too.

You can make these cookies in a different kinds! Lemon, chocolate, strawberry, funfetti, red velvet - if it's a cake mix, you can make cookies from them. You can also do fun things like add peanut butter chips or really any flavor chips - white chocolate, butterscotch, etc to the chocolate, or you could leave them plain. You could roll any/all kinds in powdered sugar before baking. You could frost them or add sprinkles on top. Really, the possibilities are endless. Look at these and tell me you aren't dying for some right now. (All images are found on pinterest)

My sister Sarah and I have plans to make some of these this weekend. My favorites are strawberry and lemon (but I honestly love them all!) Have you tried them before? What's your favorite kind?

In honor of summer...

...here are some pictures I've found that are summer-related. I know it's technically spring but it's vacation for me so I've deemed it officially summer in my book. :)

little starfishy in the sea
[love the ocean]

a beach bike ride

truth.

#1 beach rule.
[sandals sometimes are the exception]

that time of year where it's normal
to drink my favorite drink constantly

swinging on the beach

it's not summer without a little
zac brown band

if I had a beach house...

summer thunderstorms are great!

nothing like a popsicle on a hot day

just kidding, I wear flip flops and my hair down all year

while I'm a beach girl at heart,
lake days are great - so calm

that's right. summer is my best friend.

one of my life philosophies.

bring it.

Maine

Hello from Maine, my friends!! Yesterday morning Holly and I arrived at the Portland airport with about 3-ish hours of sleep between us (we had a red-eye flight from Sac to NYC). We were pretty tired, but we had missed enough sleep that our minds were still totally alert. You know those nights when you get less than 4 hours of sleep and you're wide awake the next day? (Oh, maybe you don't. I wasn't familiar with them 'til college.) Well, that's how it was. Which was good, because we had a pretty busy day!

Our older sister Sarah picked us up at the airport and was waiting when we arrived. We walked down to baggage where Scott* who now works for TSA came to say hi. He'd arrived an hour or so early for his shift to meet up with us and then grab some coffee before heading to work. We got our bags pretty quickly and loaded up Sarah's car (with the help of Scott) and headed for home, where we were greeted by Chynna and two very excited little pups. Well, the dogs aren't really very little - Heidi's a medium-sized dog but Lindy is just huge - but they're the cutest sweetest things so it's okay to call them little. Our mom got home from church about 5 minutes later and then James got home a few minutes after that, so we were all reunited!

Then I came upstairs and saw Holly had a bag of clothes on her bed that she was trying to get rid of. So I looked through her clothes and grabbed a bunch of them. Woohoo! Free clothes! Is it normal to get hand-me-downs from your little sister?

Anyway, the afternoon was filled with food, hanging out, unsuccessful napping attempts, and changing out of jeans because, boy, was it HOT! Then later in the afternoon and evening was the super fun part - we had a bunch of friends over for a cookout. There were lots of people and tons of delicious, mouthwatering foods. People played horseshoes and kanjam, which was definitely the hit. Kanjam is a four person game with two people per team who are on opposite sides of the little field thing (kind of like in horseshoes). But you throw a frisbee into a little garbage can looking plastic thing, with one on each end. You throw it and get points if it goes in or if you hit it, but your partner also tries to knock it in the thing or hit the side with it, all resulting in different amounts of points. There's little slots in the front of the can, and if you throw the frisbee in there you automatically win. People played game after game of it, and it was amusing just to watch. After dinner the tone was a bit quieter with the kids watching a movie in the living room and the adults sitting by the fire or talking inside. It was a lot of fun, but I must confess that I did take a little pre-dinner snooze while people were here.

Anyway, it being a school night everyone left around 9, so I got ready for bed and stayed up reading or playing games and talking with my (temporary, sadface) roomie Chynna before heading to bed. It was such a great first day at home! But since I'm still tired and I have what my mom thinks is a sinus infection, I'm looking forward to today being a little lowkey.

*Scott and his daughter Chynna (pronounced like "China") have been living with us for about a year. Scott retired from the Air Force last year, and Chynna graduated high school. They were living in Kentucky, but knew us and other Mainers, so Scott told Chynna that if she came to college in Maine, they'd move here. So they did, but while Scott searched for a job and home, they've been staying with us. They leave in a few short days and it'll be sad to see them go! Though they'll still be pretty close.

Weekend Love

What I love about this weekend:

-It's the weekend. 

 -Get to go to my brother's baseball game.

(okay, actually not suuuper excited about this part...except that Holly will be there too so that's another person to talk to when it gets boring. Usually it's just me and Kathy, my step mom. She definitely helps too, but the more the merrier)

(Don't get me wrong, I love supporting my brother. But little league games are about as exciting as studying for the SATs...not that I ever did that. It's just a guess)

-Any children's book I read is purely out of my own desire.

Still getting used to that.

As much as I liked Dr. Adams and Children's Literature, it's a HUGE relief to be done with all that work!

-No big deal, but tonight Holly and I hop on a plane and fly to MAINE!!!!

I'm wicked excited. (Had to use "wicked" to fully get in the mood for Maine)

-Last night I discovered Benadryl. While it's hard to tell if I have a cold or am developing allergies, whatever I have, last night Holly gave me some Benadryl and it worked like a charm! No more sitting with the tissues next to me on the couch!! It will also make traveling less of a headache.

Here's things I'm bummed about this weekend:

-Spending hours on an airplane (but I can get over that)

-Missing my school friends. Home is nice for a while but eventually you miss all your close friends being so close.

-Not getting to go to church because we'll be getting off the plan right in the middle of the service.

Linking up with Melissa @ Grin and Barrett

Have a great weekend!

High Five for Friday

woohoo!

It's Friday, people.

So that means it's time to tell you about my top 5 favorite things from this week!

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk

1. Well first of all, it's summer vacation!! No classes, no exams, no late nights against my will, no rushing to get ready in the mornings, etc. I mean, I really do like school more than your average Joe but that doesn't mean I can't LOVE summer, does it? No, it doesn't.

2. I'm HOME! (in Sacramento). As much as I love TMC and am so thankful that I've already had three amazing years there, Dorothy said it best: "There's no place like home." While I technically have two homes, this is the first one I'm at after school; therefore, it's home. Haha, great logic right? In case you can't quite keep up, Sac town is where my dad, stepmom, and brother live. The best part about being home is that Holly (little sissy) is here too! It's her first time here since I graduated high school three years ago, so it's fun.

3. Tomorrow night Holly and I head on a red-eye flight to our other home in southern Maine, where she usually lives with our mom, step dad, and two other sisters. I can't wait to go and see my family there! Also Maine is just gorgeous all year and after living in Santa Clarita (30 miles from LA) for school and seeing nothing but brown (that's a bit exaggerated), I can't wait to see how green Maine is.

4. Last night I had my first Krispy Kreme doughnut in years. It did not disappoint.

5. Two-fold : First, the Bachelorette started and Emily seems to be a great one! I always like Bachelorette seasons better than Bachelor ones, and according to recent history, they yield longer relationships. Anyway, there seems to be some characters, but there also seems to be some good ones. My two favorites are Charlie and Jef so far, but it's pretty hard to tell after the first night. The second half of this is that I read Catching Fire this week. It's so good but now I reeeeally want to read the third and final book. 

So that's my top 5 this week!! Seems simple but life is full of simple joys and you gotta love 'em!

By golly, they've done it again.

Lady A never fails to come out with songs I can't stop singing to myself.

I'm sure you've heard this, but it's Dancing Away with My Heart

"For me you'll always be eighteen, and beautiful, and dancing away with my heart."

cute song. sigh.

Photo Recap of SP12

Well, I've already done a bit of a recap of this past semester (see it here), but I thought that I'd show some pics too, in case you wonder if I had a social life at all. I did, but just barely! I decided that rather than focusing on the events, I'd focus on the friendships. You'll see what I mean.


**Warning: pics are not in any particular order. The order is just how I found them on my computer. Also, these are not all of my friends, it's just the ones I could find pics of (sad face)**

 Sarah, Laurel, and me on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland.

Sarah and I got closer last semester because she didn't

have a roommate so I went to study in her room all the time.

Laurel and I became closer friends because last year her roommate

was one of my good friends. But Laurel was in Israel last semester

so it was good to have her back. So thankful for these girls who 

balance hilarious conversations with really deep ones.

 Lindsay and I at the beach last week. We have always 

loved our beach days, and this was the only one this semester.

Also, you have to notice the apple...it's purposely a part

of the picture because it's an old inside joke that 

really is jr. highish. Isn't that how the best inside jokes are?

This is at Spring Part at Loft7 in LA. It's me, Niki, Bree,

Brittany, and Ema. These girls made up about half

of our small group this past school year. They have been such an 

immense blessing and encouragement to me. We had so many of those

"better shut the windows so no one hears" moments, so 

there was definitely fun going on, too. 

This is Katie and I at the Foundation beach day in Oxnard 

(I think). Katie and I met last semester but really became

friends this semester. It seems like there was nothing we had 

in common - different dorms, different majors, different friends,

etc. But we got to know each other through our college group

at church and it was so fun to hang out with her and sing

crazy songs and bake cakes for Slight RA team time haha.

 Courtney and I in her front yard before Spring Party.

This dear friend also was my roommate this semester.

I can't begin to explain how much her friendship has meant to 

me these three years of college we shared. We met our first semester 

and our friendship has grown since then, and now she's a college

grad! Crazy, but I am so thankful for her and her heart for the Lord.

Can you really blame me for including this pic of Courtney and

her boyfriend Nick dressed up as senior citizens? They are too much.

I do want to say though that their relationship has really impacted 

me this semester. Their Christ-centeredness comes out in so many ways

and it's been a blessing to see! Also, I joked a lot this semester that

my only guy friends were Courtney's boyfriend and her brothers.

Because of my busyness and because I lived off campus,

friendships with guys were harder to develop. 

(Note: most of my classes are almost all girls, because

for some reason no guys stay in our department).

Words cannot describe how thankful I was to have Becca

in my life this semester. We had a couple weekends together,

and always had lunches together on Thursdays. I would walk into

her office in Student Life many times just to say hey. She can read me

like a book and always knows when something is wrong.

Oh, and this pic was taken at her cute little church the weekend I 

went to her house. 

Meredith and Karis on our Foundation beach trip.

I keep saying over and over again how thankful I am for all

of the friendships, but here's another one that has been great.

(Karis is Mer's 2-year-old daughter). Mer has been discipling

me for over a year now and she has literally changed

my life. She shows me so often how to think and act biblically

in any given situation. But it's not all deep, heavy stuff. We bake together 

with Katie (mentioned previously) and sing songs for Karis's entertainment.

We watched some of the Bourne movies together and just had a 

grand old time, all the time. I wish I could somehow repay her 

for all that she's done for me, but I know that is impossible.

Here's another pic from Spring Party. The top left

picture is Amanda, me, then Bronwyn. These two girls

are so much fun! We always laugh together but can 

also have really serious and good conversations, too. Amanda

and I did Awana together this year, and Bronwyn and I

had CA Past and Present (with Dr. Greer whom we LOVED) 

together this semester. As you can probably tell, we

have a lot of fun together.

Changes

Well, the last week or so has been a little bit crazy. Last week was finals, and then there was graduation, and then the day I said my tearful goodbyes to the Brooks family. I had not anticipated that it would be so hard leaving their family. They have been such an immense blessing to me, by providing a place for me to live for the semester, by doing my laundry, by feeding me (whenever I wasn't too busy to sit down for a meal!), but also by the immaterial things they did for me. Welcomed me into their family, became good friends, brought comfort when I needed it. There were several occasions where I cried with one or more of them. The fun atmosphere in their home made constant laughter inevitable. I could go on and on about what a blessing it was, and maybe will another time.

The goodbye was mixed of equal parts of bitter and sweet, though. Because saying goodbye to them meant saying hello to my grandma and sister Holly. I hadn't seen her (H) in several months, and it had been four and a half years since we'd spent time together in So Cal, so I was excited. It was so good to see them again and to do fun things like go to Downtown Disney and Balboa Island, and play games with them and just chat and laugh.

Early evening on Monday Holly and I flew up here to Sacramento to spend the week. It's been fun having her here with our "California family" (Dad, Kathy-stepmom, and Riley-brother) because it has been a while! She hadn't seen our stepmom or brother in 3 years, so it was time for a visit!

Though last week was only that, last week, it feels like it was forever ago. So much has changed from just one week ago til now. So many goodbyes said and tests taken, not to mention the fact that I moved out of my home for the previous 4 months. A lot has happened in the last week. A lot of changes. With the close of the semester and my time at the Brooks came the close to another short chapter in my life. While I am not vehemently opposed to change in general, sometimes when it comes, it's painful. But change is always good, even if it doesn't seem to be so, because we have an all-wise, all-knowing, and all-powerful God. He really has "got the whole world in His hands" and He is so loving and kind and good. So while change can be both bitter and sweet (have I mentioned it's SUMMERTIME?!), we can trust in His plan.

Saturday brings another change: Holly and I fly to Maine. I'm so excited to be there and spend time with my "Maine family" (Mom, James-stepdad, Sarah and Abby-sisters) like I do each summer. Again, it's going to be weird, though very exciting. It will be weird because I'll leaving for Maine exactly a week after leaving the Brooks, but so much has happened in between. I don't know how these things affect you guys, but sometimes it just hits me how crazy this thing called life can be! Again, thankful for a sovereign, good God.

Hope that wherever this finds you, whether it be your summer break, finals week, last part of the school year, mid-week of a regular work week, or whatever, that you are well and that my randomness didn't totally bore or confuse you! Good night!

High Five for FRIDAY

Have I ever mentioned how much I enjoy Fridays?

Because I really enjoy them.

Here are my top five things from this week:

1. It was finals week, and I took my last one. Which means SCHOOL'S OVER. And I finished my junior year of college, just like that. 

2. Neither Lindsay nor I had classes Monday, so we decided to make it a beach day (with some studying, of course). We went to Carpinteria and it was just a beautiful day. We also went exploring in the town there, which of course included a stop at Marianne's for our favorite Salted Caramels. We both came home a little pink but now it's turned tan (yayyyy!!!)

Linds and I. Look at how gorgeous it was!

3. Yesterday a friend from high school who now lives in the LA area came to visit! We went to lunch and ended up at 5 Guys. Let me just say, the little bacon burger + bbq sauce is just so good. It was good to see Ben now because he no longer lives in Sac town :(

5. (I saved best for last) HOLLY IS HERE!!! My little sister whom I love so much came to visit!! EEK. I walked out of my OT final and looked down at my phone to see that she had landed at LAX. I don't get to see her until tomorrow, but you can bet your socks I'm counting down the hours.

H and I last year getting ready to attend Abby's
senior Class Day [notice her blue hair]

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk

Guess What!!

Finished my finals today!

Junior year is officially over. College is flying by, people!!

My last final ended up being easier than I expected...or did I just study (almost) enough?

I am so excited/relieved/ecstatic/happy to be done.

Tonight: we celebrate!

Dessert at Claim Jumper with Courtney and Nick.

Tomorrow: packing up everything, going to TMC graduation, and celebrating Courtney and Nick afterward.

Then Saturday: REUNITED with my little sister!

eek.

eek.

Random, late-night thought that I shouldn't share but instead get off my computer and go to bed:
HOLLY WILL BE HERE IN TWO DAYS! AND I WILL SEE HER IN 4!!!!!
So much will happen between now and then:
-3 finals
-Lunch with a friend or two
-Last hanging out times with friends
-Katherine, Billy, and Sarah's choir performance tomorrow night
-Packing up all my things
-TMC Graduation.
These days are busy, busy, busy. But then I'll get to be with my sister and, well, I just can't wait.
Ok good night :)

What?!

How is it possible that I just discovered Dierks Bentley? I've heard of him but never really paid attention or listened or something. Who knew I was missing out on so much?! I just love me a Southern accent with a deep man voice. Anyway, back to studying. Just wanted the world to know that I've been enlightened.

Is he single? Just wondering.

Where Has The Time Gone?

It's nearing the end of the semester and once again, I wonder what has happened to the last few months. Didn't we just have Christmas break? Wasn't it just that time of year when everyone writes the wrong year on their papers, forgetting it's a new one? To me, the semester flew by. It seems like just yesterday that I moved out of the dorms, but then at the same time it feels like I've been in the Brooks' home for forever. This week concludes the semester with a few finals and then graduation. I really, honestly don't know how this semester snuck past me. There were so many papers written, books read, emotions felt, conversations had, tears cried, friendships strengthened, cakes made, weekends enjoyed, truths learned, and memories made that it turned into a whirlwind semester.

There were many nights without adequate sleep and many, many naps. There were even a few cups of coffee thrown in there (gasp). This semester there were a few too many emotions, in my opinion. Maybe the emotions were heightened because of the lack of sleep, maybe not. Discontentment reared its ugly head and threatened to steal my joy - more than once. Though I know that it's always a fight to be content, this semester felt more like a losing battle at times. Anxiety and not trusting the Lord were always a temptation. There were those days when I would talk with my girls about certain guys who shall remain nameless, and almost every situation frustrated us. Why it takes them so long to mature is something we'll never know. (Why it takes me so long to mature is also a big question!) And then there was the call I got one weekend about Holly's ex boyfriend not making it in a car accident. The tragic and unexpected loss of a young life can be baffling. Sometimes we just won't find out why God works in the way He does, but we just can't question Him and must believe that He is good and faithful. This truth also had to be applied to my thinking regarding the tough transitions my church is going through. I often am tempted to become discouraged about the changes at PBC, but I know that the church is Christ's bride and He loves her way more than we do, and will do what it takes to purify her.

I've never been as busy as I was this semester. There were days I skipped meals because there just wasn't time. There were nights that felt endless but somehow I always got at least some sleep. There were a few assignments that got in past the due date. I spent way too many hours in the library. I read at least 100 books (I wish this was an exaggeration). There was a month or two in there where the only time I saw my friends during the week was in chapel, church, or class. I learned to thrive in busyness, but I also had to learn to put the books down when I was with friends.

Wednesday was always a highlight with Awana. Thursday lunches were great because I spent them with Becca and they were followed by my time with Meredith. Toward the end of the semester, Tuesday afternoons were spent baking, singing, and all sorts of craziness with Katie, Mer, and Karis. Sundays were great because of Foundation, big church, and then lunches. Friday afternoons were Bible study/discipleship group with some great girls and various speakers from whom we gleaned much wisdom. Anytime spent on my old wing brought so much joy. And then there were the fun weekends - Foundation trip to the beach (that weekend I also had to read 1200 pages of children's novels), two weekends (!) with my grandma in Orange County, one with Becca in Palmdale, swimming/tanning with Katherine or Sarah or Bekah or a combination of the three. Disney Day was spent with most of my closest friends and was obviously magical (despite the nausea that followed Star Tours). Valentine's Day was great because it was my first observation and because that night I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding with Sarah - too funny. Kayla's visits are always fun, especially the night we watched Mean Girls with Stephanie. The kindergarten class I observed was so much fun and a great experience.

I've learned many things this semester. One is that I'm horrible at scaring people, as I'm hopelessly losing a battle with 9-year-old Bekah. In my Principles of Personal Bible Study class I've learned a ton, but the main thing I've learned was in our semester-long study of the book of I Peter. In it, Peter talks about the need for believers to live holy lives in the midst of suffering. Though this semester was hard and tiring, it wasn't necessarily a trial, but I still learned things that will be immensely helpful when I do go through trials. I had to watch someone else go through a time of deep pain and trust that God will use it in their life. But recently, He's also teaching me not to just obey and still pursue holiness in trials, but He's also been teaching me that it's important to have JOY during tough times. I need to learn to TRUST Him at ALL times for EVERYTHING. He is worthy of my faith and trust, yet I so easily doubt. It doesn't matter how much homework I have, or how much sleep I'm going to get tonight. What matters is that I use my time and my talents to bring glory to God, and that I trust and obey Him.

Friends, God is good. He has been with me throughout all my laughter, tears, worries, cares, and tiredness. His mercies were new each day and He gave me just what I needed to get through that day. This has been one of my hardest and best semesters of college! I hope to do a post with lots of pictures, but that will come another day when I'm not studying for finals. I want to leave with a passage that has really impacted me these last few months:
Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be of sober spirit; be on the alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen. I Peter 5:6-11

High Five for Friday

It's Friday again!! Woohoo!!

Here are my top five things from this week:

1. Awana end of the year party was Saturday, and then Wednesday was our awards night. It was so fun getting to spend some time with these kiddos a little bit more before we're done for the summer.

This is me with Silas :)

2. This was the last week of classes. It's so good to be done with them, especially Children's Lit. 

Here's the last real assignment I did for the class (I had to Instagram it, of course).

3.  Spending more time in CDUB on my old wing. It was so much fun hanging out with those girls so much more lately - I've missed that this semester.

4. Nailing down plans for at least the beginning of the summer! My little sister Holly is flying from Maine to Southern California and we'll meet up and spend a few days in Orange County. Then we're flying to Sacramento to stay with our dad, stepmom, and brother for a few days. Then we're both flying back to Maine. For the first time in almost forever I'll have a travel buddy!

5. This morning was my school's year-end show, which was made up of videos of different parts of the year and skits. Here is one that they'd been working on little by little all year as a surprise:

click here

(I couldn't find the video through blogger to actually post it, but here's the link)

Linking up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk