dandelions.

i went to the gorge {for those who don't know what that is, its a big amphitheater in washington where super cool concerts are held} a few weekends ago to see the zac brown band.

right next to the parking lot there was a field of dandelions. the biggest dandelions i had ever seen. like we're talkin' baseball sized dandelions.

naturally, i got out the car and pranced around in them.

and made a bunch of wishes.

i made sure to wish the best wishes i had, because i figured the bigger the dandelion the bigger the wish power right?

there were also some that were not as big, but just as pretty. i made a few wishes on those too.

also the gorge is in a town called george. yup. george, washington.

"where do you live?"

"oh i live in george, washington"

how cool would it be to be able to say that??

{hello george}

it was a fantastic weekend. with a fantastic group of people

and the gorge was as beautiful as ever

the end.

hope this finds you in happiness health and love xoxo

to be continued

B E A utiful.

life is beautiful.

and what's sad is its sometimes hard to see that. like when you're stressed to the point of exasperation, or tired from an exhausting week of classes, or when you miss a butt load of people, (because lets be honest, missing people takes it outta you!)

but taking a step back; taking a moment to look not just at your life but into it as well, it is actually quite easy to see.

like for instance:

we had a lovely thundershower in the spo the other day and while i was a little annoyed, just because that will be the weather all the time in about 3 months, it ended up producing a beautiful rainbow....a double, complete, vibrant, rainbow.

i actually let out a little scream when i saw it. i felt like that guy on youtube. k not quite...but kinda.

can you see it?? its faint, but its little twin is just chillin' out to its left. pretty cool.

also, friends make life pretty stinkin' beautiful as well:

as well as random cats who visit your dorm:

{meet welchina, the cat. fondly named after said dorm}

{different colored vans are pretty beautiful too}

and of course a token daisy picture:

{daisies are my favorite. they're popping up all over campus and i love it}

happy weekending! i am having a fantastic, wonderfully busy weekend. i hope you are too :)

also listen to {this}....pretty beautiful right?

to be continued.

change.

hm absent much?

i have been absent. in maybe more ways than one, and although many things have been going on, and many updates to document and give, there has been an idea on my mind. and that idea is this:

opportunity is all around us. everyday there is opportunity... to grow, experience, change, love. the fact that there is opportunity to change is the most profound, or so i so humbly think. humans are creatures of habit. for whatever reason, we are sometimes most comfortable when we are in our Routine. and you know what im talking about, we all have a Routine. whether its the people we hang out with, the jobs we have or the things we do in our spare time, our routines have come to define our lives. and because of this we often forget and maybe even fear the opportunity we have to change. this opportunity? well its a gift, and a gift that often goes overlooked, taken for granted, lost in all the sameness we so desire...the sameness we all seemingly thrive off of.

well i have a challenge for you. for me. for us all.

take advantage of that opportunity for change.

embrace the unknown.

dare to do something different.

revel in the adrenaline a new adventure brings.

don't be scared of the what ifs

be scared of the what could have beens.

live the life you've been given

and live it to the fullest.

lord knows this is definitely something i struggle with, but it is also something i have been more conscious about in the past couple of months.

i think my biggest fear is regret.

and i've come to realize the best way to minimize that fear, is to live vivaciously and with purpose...recognizing those opportunities to grow, experience, change and love, and seizing them.

xoxo

ah and a picture from my weekend...does this mean my childhood is officially over?

ok soo opportunity for change is great, yes, but somethings should never, ever, change.

things like dressing up for harry potter premiers {esp, if its the last one}

hope this finds you in happiness, health and love! xoxo

to be continued

hand dimples.

{baby feet, and oh my gosh those hand dimples! preciousness in a picture}

i love my job.

taking strolls around the park, running through the grass, playing hide and go seek amongst the palm trees with this little bundle of love as i did today, i mean seriously.

not to say there aren't struggles and not to say its not exhausting at times... when my shirt has yogurt stains on it from dinner when she splashes the yogurt around like she would her rainboots in a puddle, or when one, or two, or three or all four of them decide to go in different directions...at the same time, or maybe when the 2nd to littlest refuses to take a nap, arching her back and crying that she doesn't want to go to bed...maybe then, its exhausting.

but...

when the weather is this good, and the sky this blue, the breeze blows just so, and this little face is peering

up at me, gleeful when she gets a handful of my hair and gives it a purposeful, tactful pull....how could i not love it?

beats sitting in an office, thats for darn sure.

{there are four of them that i babysit, and have for the past year and a half, and they are just the most darling kids. rarely do any of the above 'exhausting' instances happen. they are a joy 99.9% of the time :)....plus i mean what do i know about exhausting? babysitting for 8 hours, as i did last summer and will again this summer, has given me a newfound appreciation for parents. 8 hours can seem like kinda a lot, but im there for 8 hours and then i leave. parents are there 24/7 dealing with the spills, and meltdowns and tantrums whenever they happen....and yet they never really seem all that exhausted.. how do they do it?? i suppose only time will tell...a lot of time, just so we're clear :) }

i hope your day was as peaceful as mine was and i hope this finds you in happiness, health and love. xoxo

off to babysit again tomorrow, then to a g.u. friend reunion on thursday with the lovely carolyn and emma, and then off to davis friday for my sister lindsay's graduation. i can't believe it! oh how the time goes....

to be continued.

some thoughts

{mississippi 2009: h4h}

"when was the last time you did something for the first time"

to be continued.

things that made me happy today...

these things made me so happy i almost, slash maybe actually, did a happy dance.

{shadows that look like hearts}

{pretty roses in simple vases}

{kitties in silly positions wearing adorable facial expressions}

{buttons...}

{..especially the heart shaped ones}

along with the gorgeous weather and the good company of grandparents and friends of course! :)

to be continued.

floating pasta. love. and other adventures

there's a saying that one should always follow his or her instincts.

however, its the moments you don't when you make the best memories, its the moments you don't when you have the best times, and its the moments you don't when you end up living.

i have decided that whenever my gut says no. i will say yes.

for instance today when i went to the beach. i put one tiny toe in the freezing ocean and said absolutely not.

then i decided, ya know what? what the heck. so i ran up to put my camera down by our things, and then proceeded to run straight into the ice cold ocean.

despite not being able to breathe particularly well due to the cold, it was the best time.

plus there's no better feeling than laying an ocean wet body down on a sun soaked towel and taking an afternoon nap on the beach.

absolutely none.

{manhattan beach}

also i have officially decided that love is the best thing in the entire world, and i love movies that remind me of that.

like knotting hill.

watched it for the first time tonight and it was just lovely.

i love when movies give you the warm fuzzies and this one did just that.

it doesn't hurt either that hugh grant is in every scene speaking in his dashing english accent.

{combining my two favorites: love and shoes. a perfect match}

{photo credz}

also, im home from college. freshman year is officially done. phew.

went by way too fast but i had the best time and made the best memories and friends ever. summer has been exquisitely lovely though, and i love spending lazy days with my best friends, shopping, beaching, eating fro yo, watching scary movies and eating late night pasta snacks. {for the record if you have a bowl that floats, it makes pasta eating in a hot tub remarkably entertaining...in case you were wondering}

xoxo

to be continued.