flying

picture of the day.

or maybe picture of my life.

snow

today was the perfect day for hot chocolate.

i decided that in order to really appreciate snow, you must play in it.

"Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the sky and earth below, Over the housetops, over the street, Over the heads of the people you meet. Dancing, Flirting, Skimming along."

ellie

let me tell you about one of my favorite people in the whole entire world. she's funny, creative, witty, joyful, and one of the most loving people i've ever met. she also celebrated her 8th birthday on saturday. i first met ellie a month before my 14th birthday. she came to our house in an ugly dress, huge light-up shoes, and matted hair. shyly she explored our house without making a sound. barely able to sit up by herself, she maneuvered her way around using the furniture for support. i remember being so nervous and wondering if this little girl would ever smile. if you have met ellie in the last 4 or 5 years, this description of her probably seems unimaginable, but at the time all she knew was pain and abandonment. coming from an incredible broken background, all that precious little girl knew was hurt, bruises, and lies. she was incredibly sensitive and distrusting of men, and it took weeks and weeks for her to even be comfortable in the same room as my dad. it broke my heart to see someone that little associate such pain with a figure that is supposed to bring protection and safety.

when she was 3 1/2 years old, my family got the incredible privilege of adopting ellie into our lives for forever. in the last 5 years, the person that ellie has become is truly a depiction of the Lord's incredible grace. my little sister is sweet, compassionate, crazy, fun, and so aware of how God has changed her from broken to beautiful. i can't imagine my life without her, and she seriously teaches me something new every day. as i celebrated her birthday with her and all her friends this weekend, i was again reminded of how the Lord completely changed my heart through ellie and her story. He has given me such a heart for the broken, a desire to see lost hearts changed in countries around the world, and a dream to adopt my own someday. i am so incredibly thankful for ellie and the impact she had made on my family and my life.

old

reminiscing on when i used to be good at photography...

dream

" Throw your dream into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country."

sometimes it's good to just let go. forget school. forget tests. forget your problems. take a breath and a step back. look for opportunities and reasons to smile. pay attention to details. stop running through life without noticing the things around you. you never realize how refreshing having a good attitude can be until you try. it helps. that checklist of a hundred things will still be there when you get back, but your outlook on how to accomplish those things will be completely different. be creative with your life!

valentines

I'm not a valentine's day girl. Never have been, probably never will be. Single or not, it's never been a holiday I celebrate with much enthusiasm. I guess i've always seen it as a publicized way to tell someone you care about them, which I think you should do every day anyways.

Valentine's day isn't about just saying "i love you" or a dozen roses. love to me is about actions. the original Valentine was a Roman Christian martyred for witnessing to his prison guards. As he was led to his death he wrote a note to the jailer's daughter signing it "from your Valentine." How ironic is it that this candy filled, cupid adorned, card infested holiday originated from a witness of our loving Savior. As he was led to death, he chose his last words to reflect on how he loved our Lord enough to die. It always amazes me that our God can be seen and reflected even in a celebration we focus around ourselves.

Growing up my mom used to take us to a nursing home by our house around this time of year and we would pass out candy and sing old songs to the people in the wheelchairs and hospital beds. I remember always leaving feeling really sad for those lonely hearts who didn't have anyone to come eat jello with them. It also made me thankful though. Thankful for the people in my life that I knew loved me and would always take care of me.

There are people in my life that I love, and then there are people in my life that I love. when I think about actions that reflect love, one person sticks out in my mind far above the rest. my dad is not a man of many words, he is painfully awkward to have a phone conversation with, and we don't even really have a lot in common. That said, I have never ever once in my entire life doubted his love for me. When I'm home he fills my car up with gas, when I'm away he fills up my bank account. The reason I'm in college today is because he started saving money for my tuition before I even decided to go. When I'm upset I call him and he reasons with my tears. When I'm happy I call him and he tells me how proud he is of me. He models what it means to have a relationship with Christ. He's the reason I have such high standards for the man I'm going to marry. He never fails to tell me I deserve the best. I love him.

I know that when most people think of February 14th, they don't think of their dads, but I guess this was just my excuse to express my thankfulness to him. He will probably never see this, but if anything it will remind me to tell him how much he means to me.

This picture is from one of the best moments of my life. My dad baptized me in the Georgetown River when I was 11 years old, and my life hasn't been the same since.

Maybe this post won't mean anything to you, but I hope that if nothing else you take from it that love is more than words, candy, or presents.

When you're spending time with your sweethearts today, tell them how thankful you are for their friendship and love.

Happy Valentines Day.

love

my two beautiful valentines

i love them.

free

today i went swing dancing for 5 hours. my feet hurt.

there is something really freeing about being spun, twirled, and twisted around with no control over what's coming your way.

i loved it.

new goal in life: be brave and try new things.

beginning

when i was 14 i started a blog. sometimes i look back on those old entries and remember furiously typing my emotions out thinking it would fix everything. life seemed like such a big deal back then.

today i was inspired to start anew. my beautiful best friend began blogging about her life and reading it brought me joy.

here we go.

isn't our God incredible?