Writing

I wish I wrote more.
I read other blogs, sometimes daily.  Sometimes weekly.  Sometimes once in a while.
Then I think, who reads mine?  Who reads my stories? Who likes my posts? How do they find it? Do they inspire people?  Do they motivate?   Do people share "Little Things, Big Joy"?  Do they pass it up?  Do they even like my posts?
Questions.  They are pretty endless.  I spent time asking myself questions that never end.
Then it hit me...
I don't need answers.
I don't need to know what anyone else thinks.  I don't need to focus on how many followers I have.  I don't need to focus on who likes what I post.


When I write, I write my story.  I spill my life.  When I write, no one should get in my way.
No one ever said I couldn't express myself.  So here I am, expressing myself.
I give up.  I give up on the internet.  I give up on not writing, which is something i love to do.
How do I solve my problem?  Write a little more of course.  Each day, I am given a freedom to write whatever I want, however I want, whenever I want!!!  I'm done denying myself that freedom,


So here I am...

writing.

3RD BLOG HOP EVERRRRRR!!!

Blog Hop #3, here it goes....

10 Pics from Everyday Life YO.

Stomp it, Let's go young man.
we dance every day.

Got to love my sis, miss her lots!

My absolute favorite canvas to work with on a daily basis.

Friends til the End

The Cousins...nuff said

My Neighbor---she's gone through so much with me and I'm so proud of her for taking the next step in her life.

YOUNG LIFE!

YL YL YL YL YL

...You can never have too much dancing

G ym.

T an.

L ax.

Oh this?..I think you know.

The Bucket List of Soaps...

1.-Become a CILT counselor.

2.-Go to college! 

3.-Travel Africa and do mission work there

4.-Start a nonprofit organization

5.-Play lacrosse for the USA women's team

6.-Coach high school lacrosse

7.-Marry a man who appreciates me for me

8.-Be able to all 10 fingernails by myself without messing up

9.-Find more joy

10.-BE THE SUN DROP GIRL

Life Lessons...Soap Style

1. Live. Laugh. Love.
2. Speak the words on your skin.
3. Friends are forever, boys are whatever.
4. Sometimes it's okay to say fart.
5. You Are Beautiful.
6. Joy can be found anywhere, anytime, anyhow.
7. Jesus loves me.
8. They're gonna love you no matter what happens.
9. You can do it.
10. Never. Ever. Be. Afraid.

Mi Listo de Blogos, Parte Dos

This school year was definitely not as bad as I thought it would be.  It actually might have been one of the best.
Let's take a stroll down memory lane with..


3 pictures of things that I absolutely lovedddddd about this year!!!!

1.-I experienced the best holiday ever...National Friendship Bracelet Day!!!

It's really just so exhausting.

2.-That's exactly what you think: "The Miracle of (Cow) Birth"

3.-I lived the life.

My 3 Top Songs of the Year:

Tick of Time~~~The Kooks  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHxi8WtU60U

Timshel~~~Mumford & Sons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=984eY9Yeqb0&feature=fvst

Lessons Learned~~~Matt and Kim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJdfmYXZ5jM

Had to have one more because I couldn't decide.

Mean~~~Taylor Swift

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYa1eI1hpDE

3 Peeps I Met This Year

Sarah Wright..You're probs at camp right now, but I'm sure you'll eventually read this.  You've truly helped me get through this whole year.  After meeting you at camp, I feel as though a part of me opened out that I've never seen before.  I was able to confront you about anything, and I know I still can.

So thanks, you're an awesome friend.

Louie..I never really got to know you until this year, but I'm happy we became close.  I really miss you bud, I do.  Being friends with you made me realize how happy we need to be in life.  Under any conditions you can fight through anything to make someone smile, even if you can't do it for yourself.  You're an inspiration and I wouldn't trade that for anything.

R.I.P  Louie Dudek

4-3-2011

CILTs..Session 1.  Session 2.  Session 3.  Wow.  You all leave me speechless.  Had I not gone through CILTs, I honestly don't think I'd be as happy as I am as I type this out.  Going through life without CILTs is like...swimming in a pool without water.  It's like going to the bathroom with no toilet paper.  It's like going to eat a meal without getting Germ-X first.  I need you guys, and after this year, I got you guys.  Thanks for always havin my back.  

This year...all these little(and not so little) things brought me more joy than I could ask for.

As for now,

Peace. Love. Soaps.

List This

So a group of my close camp friends also have blogs and we've all decided to posts lists!!!  We all have the same titles/themes, so I'm so excited to read everyone else's and compare!!!!!


My Rules/Advice for Life

1. Be yourself
2. Dance like no one is watching...go bezerkkkk
3. Put yourself third <<<<note its the third one ;))
4. No boy is worth crying over
5. Chocolate is a must.
6. There is a time to be serious and a time to be silly
7. Let the answers come to you
8. Don't stress, you deserve nothin' but the best
9. Make new friends and keep the old
10. Don't be sad when something ends, be happy it happened and that you got to experience it.

10 Random Facts About Me

1. I'm kind of a bro.
2. When I was little I used to be able to stick my whole foot in my mouth.
3. I have hyperlinear palms which means I have more lines on my hand than a normal person.
4. Writing is actually pretty fun for me when I'm not getting graded for it.
5. I want to marry a cowboy and have the engagement all planned out..all I need is the cowboy.
6. I believe that if given the oppurtunity...I could eat a whole entire pizza by myself.
7. I want to be a Spanish teacher.  The cool kind, not the boring kind.
8. My dog Riley is my best friend in the whole wide world and always has been!!!
9. When I get nervous my legs start to uncontrollably shake.
10. Fart is considered a swear word in my house.

10 Things I Love About Camp Tecumseh

1. Water polo Water Aerobics is the best water activity at camp in the history of camp.
2. I get to be myself and adored for it :)
3. The songs we learn are singable 24-7-365
4. No phone, No ipod, NO STRESS OR DRAMS
5. I make new friends who I can tell anything to and who can come to me for anything.
6. I love dressing up all silly and crazy for the theme nights.
7. Two Words: LOVE TANKS
8. CILT Session 2..best experience of my life, best friends of my life.
9. Figurin out who I really am and lovin' who I am.
10. The anticipation to go back every year gets more exhilerating as each day goes by!!!!

Louie

Normally when you walk into school the first day back from spring break, you're all happy and excited to see your friends.  You can't wait to be back and hear all the juicy stories everyone has to share.  Today? Well, it wasn't as normal as I had expected.

After stopping at my locker I walked into a conversation between two of my friends.  They were talking about a senior who passed away.  They said he passed away of cancer and immediately I knew, my close friend Louie had passed away over spring break.

I call us close, even tho we didn't talk as much as we could have.  I really regret that too.  Words of advice---never let anyone slip away from you.  Keep everyone you know close, they are the people worth talking to and we often miss out when we let those opportunities slip away.

Louie was a great guy.  He always joked with me about how I played girl's lacrosse and often challenged me to 'Lax.'  We never got around to it, and I feel horrible.  But hopefully someday when we are reunited it'll give us a good laugh.

Louie never deserved cancer.  He was awesome.  Always smiling, had the best laugh, loved to fish and play sports.  He may not have been the most popular, but he was probably one of the nicest guys at school.  

We don't realize how good we truly have it.  Everyday we take things for granted, and this morning has changed things for me.

I vow to no longer take things for granted.  I vow to search for joy in everything I do.  I vow to always love everyone and never judge.

 I vow to live everyday like it's my last, just like Louie did.  

Romans 8: 3: 8

First Day on the Blog

Wow oh wow.  It's Wednesday morning and its my first day on the blog.

Today, I have been listening to this song I learned about two weeks ago. It's "I'm Not Who I Was" by Brandon Heath.  See, me and about...40ish people did this thing called a cardboard testimony for the song.  It's pretty sweet and yea, I did shed some tears!!!

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=577270573095&oid=137191576337901&comments

When I was standin in line with all these people, it made me realize how they've all helped change me and shape me into who I am right now.  Had it not been for them, I would have never even written a "flipside" on my cardboard.

I don't think we always realize the roles that people play in our lives.  Most of those 40 people I see once or twice a year if I'm lucky.  Yeah I  know it sucks right?  But that little bit of time that we get to spend together can be the best experience in our lives.  We just need to step back, look at our situations, then jump back in and take advantage of them with the help of those around us.  We'll then find the joy we've looked for all along.

 The best two weeks of my life.

Me and Tay with our adopted cabin, we basically became 'ninetuplets' by the end of our second week.  Not to mention our joyous swag is pretty hot.

Seeing the joy in others can bring out the best in us as well.  Rock out and don't stop.

 Joy in the pits? You bet. Lettin the kids win? Duh.

It's a Win/Win situation.

Joy in a Bag. Oops, excuse me, Joy in a Satchel.

Joy in a team.

Joy is all around us, and it's worth looking for.

CILTs Session 2 2010...We Found Joy.