wanderlust

I can't believe it is already the last day of June. WHY does summer have to go by so fast? year after year, same story. I can't complain too much because June has really been a wonderful month. Plenty of sun, pool, orange sunsets, bike rides, snowies and all that other summery stuff i can never seem to get enough of.

Also, I've changed my plans once again for the fall. I decided i'm going to take a (small) break from college and instead  spend my summer income on an international volunteer trip. What the? Yep. truth is I have ALWAYS wanted to do it and the other day it just hit me. NOW is the PERFECT time. So that is that.

The hardest part is deciding where to go, but i think i have narrowed it down to my top three. 1. Costa Rica 2. Ghana 3. Guatemala  oooh what a tough choice.
Welp, here are some instagram shots. 

midnight hike

snowies after work

pops in the chevelle

muscle car ride

slack lining = our new fav hobby

wedding reception dancin'

our engagement photo

cruzin

Ah She's engaged!

Pool friends 4 life

Zeppes Run

Funny how a melody, sounds like a memory.

EXACTLY.

words

It's okay if you've got to travel alone sometimes, you are brave enough.

people have scars in all sorts of places. Like secret road maps of their personal histories. Diagrams of all their old wounds. Most of our wounds heal, leaving behind nothing but a scar. But some of them don't. Some wounds we carry with us everywhere and though the cut is long gone, the pain still lingers.

What you need to know about the past is that no matter what has happened, it has all worked together to bring you to this very moment. And this is the moment you can choose to make everything new. Right now. 

We could only wonder how she would be able to dust herself off and start over again. And yet we knew we couldn't bear for her not to, and felt ever more optimistic that after all her struggles, she would someday meet her man, her equal man, with the same charisma, love of life, and humanity she possessed. In the meantime, she'd have her friends. And the knowledge that she deserved the world. 

-S & C

my last "genius" idea

Sometimes I have these great ideas pop into my head. I'm not even sure where they come from to be honest? but lately there is plenty of them. Like the time last week I had the idea to rub tanning oil all over my bum to go faster on the slide.(it works. btw.)  or the idea to go to Savers and purchase clothes that were cool in the 80's and try to make them cool once again. 

Well my latest idea was to form a dread lock in my hair. Ya know, going for the [hippie bohemian] look.Which is quite convenient because it turns out my hair naturally forms dreads in the back of my head. (don't judge me.) The dread was forming just beautifully. It was on the right side of my head, in the back. right where i wanted it. I was so proud and showed it off to everyone at work. Even the boy i was liking made a comment about it. I shrugged it off like "oh, it's a dread. it's really trendy right now." (humiliated.) Last week after I got out of the shower I started to comb my hair and realized that wasn't happening.  

why?

  because the dread had literally taken over the whole back of my hair and was spreading at a rapid pace. Sadly i knew what this meant. My time with my cherished dread was over. (for now at least.) I begrudgingly asked my mama to literally brush until my head felt raw. eeek. not pleasant. Let's just say i'm going to try to take a break from any of my genius ideas. We'll see how long that lasts. 

i regret to say i didn't get a picture of the ACTUAL dread.. but i did get a picture of the aftermath. i'll enlarge it for you. 

some summer insta shots

Summer is in full swing and I couldn't be more happy about that. This is my favorite time and I still can't get over that feeling of sitting on the front porch bare foot  right as the sky is turning orange. the warm breeze in the air and the ones you love close by. It doesn't get much better than that.

best friends

daddy's girl through and through

I can't get enough of this little guy

fathers day dinner

I'm classy like this.

We parked the truck in the middle of the road to enjoy a beautiful summer sunset

Navy LOVED the big slide.

we try to make work fun

I came home to granny and gramps and could NOT stop laughing. what good kids

Grandma Jones, Me and Carson as a babe.

I found this picture in an old photo album and for some reason can't stop looking at it. I set it as my phone background and seriously smile every time I see it. Precious. (Also i'm wearing ann's favorite outfit.) score.

fathers day

Happy Fathers Day to the best dad in the world! (mine)

i like to ride my bicycle

Yep this bad boy was definitely my most successful purchase of the summer. I have already put plenty of miles on the cruiser and plan on putting on plenty more.I love riding it all around town. some people laugh. some stare. and some just think it's great.  I do hate being that annoying bicyclist that drivers curse though. whoops, oh well. 

Also I found out tonight it is appearanlty illegal to ride your bicycle through the drive through? who would've known?? good thing the nice lady gave us our mocha shakes anyway!

PS Need a good summer song to make you feel warm inside? Here's one that works for me. 

mem day

I love that there is a day set aside each year to honor the dead and those who have died in behalf of our country. I will always be grateful for the sacrifices men and women in the armed forces have made and continue to make in order to keep our country free and safe. We're so lucky to live in America.

Carson, me and Suz visiting Grandpa J's grave. He's been gone 24 years but we all have a special place in our hearts for him.

Gramps in his military attire. (He was released from the military long before he passed away, but willingly served as long as his country needed him.)

"All we have of freedom, all we use or know, this our fathers bought for us, long long ago."

-Rudyard Kipling-

words

And if you're feeling frightened about what comes next.. don't. Embrace the uncertainty.
Allow it to lead you places. Be brave as it challenges you to exercise both your heart and  your mind as you create your own path towards happiness.
Don't waste time with regret. Spin wildly into your next action.
Enjoy your present--each moment as it comes- because you'll never get another one quite like it. And if you should ever look up and find yourself lost, simply take a breath and start over. Retrace your steps and go back to the purest place in your heart. Where your hope lives.
You'll find your way again.