Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Summer Beach Trip Part 1

This weekend has been one of the best weekends of my life. I am just so blessed and filled with gratitude for the amazing people in my life and my beautiful surroundings here in the Outer Banks. My parents were nice enough to let me invite a couple friends to crash our beloved beach week and I seriously can't thank them enough for it. Let me try to put in words for you just how great this weekend has been.


Day 1:
Emily slept over at my house and after some nice pillow talk we went to bed only to wake up a few hours later before the break of dawn at 4:30. We were out of the house by 5 and on our way to Avon, North Carolina by 5:30.  We made great time and got to the house early afternoon and headed straight for the beach. After some time at the beach we thought we'd check out the pool. We had nummy Taco Salads and had the first of many interesting discussions and random things with the help of Mom's "Table Topic" cards. Later that night we got ice cream and watch "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close." We star gazed a little then went to bed.



Day 2:
Everyone rolled out of bed around 11:30 and it was raining so we played our favorite game, pounce. Of course, I won. Then we decided to go to the Lighthouse. We took some pictures and decided against paying 7 bucks to walk a billion stairs and headed home to go to the beach. On our way home we stopped at some shops and stole some things (Brandon), took some racy pictures, and just had a jolly ol' time. On Day one I got a little more sun then intended so I took my umbrella, chair, and most importantly, Diet Coke and took my role as Mom on the beach. I took some fun pictures of my "kids", read and wrote in my journal. So proud of those kids. After our beach time we came home to Hawaiian Haystacks which became a quick crowd favorite. We had more interesting discussions led by the "Table Topics" cards. This particular discussion was interesting and may or may not have prompted me to get a little emotional. After the tear-jerking discussion, we watched Super 8, a movie I didn't particularly care for. Then we headed to bed, where Brandon farted and made the room smell awful. I was lucky enough to get my own room so I was unaffected by the smell. But let me tell you, it was bad. 



Day 3: 
Again we all got up around 12 and headed right to the beach. After laughing and choking in the ocean we retired to just chill on the beach. But then diaster struck- Griffin lost his Go Pro in the ocean. We took many walks on the beach hoping and praying (well I guess I did most of the praying) for a miracle, but no luck. After the beach we decided to get snow cones from our favorite place and then head to the pool. The pool was quite an eventful experience. Emily was spinning me around and I was laughing so hard in and out of the water. Then after the spinning stopped I was coughing from laughing in the water and...well...I threw up. In the pool. I don't understand how that could have happened. I mean come on? I've never been one to throw up after spinning or getting dizzy! I've had many of those snow cones over the years and never have had that reaction. Maybe it was because I was choking? I don't understand. But after I threw up we immediately swam away and could not stop laughing. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in my whole life. I just don't understand how that happened. Then the weirdest part was that the throw up was nowhere to be found. All I remember seeing was red flecks and then in that moment I was so embarrassed and so I tried to spread it around so you couldn't see it. Then I turned and swam away. Everytime I think about it I just burst into laughter. I just can't believe that actually happened. But anyways, on to the rest of the day. After the pool we came home and had left overs for dinner and then went off to find s'mores ingredients and wood to have a bonfire on the beach. That night was one of those nights you just never want to end. There were a couple moments where we all just sat silently listening to Brandon playing his guitar and just looked up at the stars and tried to take it all in. Then one of us (ok usually me) would break the silence by saying something cheesy like, "I just love you guys!" or "I don't want to have to leave tomorrow!"All together it was an amazing night. It was one of those nights, and days, you just never forget. 




Day 4:
Day 4 was relatively uneventful. Emily, Griffin, and I woke up to watch the sunrise, which was very nice, then we came home to go back to sleep. Around 11:30 everyone was packed up and ready to leave. We said our good-byes and they were off. I was left alone with my parents, who aren't all bad. :) 



All in all my weekend was one of the best weekends ever. I have the best friends and the best parents. I'm so blessed. 

Most all of these pictures were taken by Griffin Harrington. Check him out, griffinharrington.com

Sunday, May 27, 2012

One year ago today...

Exactly one year ago today I had surgery on my ACL. 
It's amazing how much has changed in one year. 
I am no longer a high school student, or even a college freshmen for that matter. 
I feel like I have improved in a lot of ways since then.
But definitely still have a lot I need to work on.

For one thing, I can walk. Not only walk but run, and most importantly-play lacrosse. I'll admit I'm terrified to play again. I joined this women's league to play in over the summer and so I'm hoping I get over most of my fears before I try out for BYU's team. I'm really excited to play again, but I think I'll always be terrified of having to go through another rough, immobile year. I'll admit I've wondered if playing again was worth risking tearing my ACL again, and although pretty much everything sucked about tearing my ACL, I got through it and here I am exactly one year later stronger and better for it. And then I remember how much I love lacrosse and there is no question, it's 100% worth it. 


Friday, May 18, 2012

Take Me Out To The Ball Game!

I have to say I'm not the biggest baseball fan. 
Honestly I thought it was the most boring sport ever. 
But now that I've started going to National's games I have absolutely loved it. 


I love sports, but mostly just playing them. 
I have never been a huge sports fan, meaning I haven't really followed teams at all.
But since my family has started following the Nats a little bit more I've loved getting to know the players and knowing little facts about them and just other random fun things.


I love the Nats stadium. 
First of all it's in DC which I think is the greatest city in the world. 
Second, it's gorgeous.
Third, it's in the greatest city in the world.


I love the atmosphere. 
I love the "natitude."
I love the intense videos they play of each player when they come up to bat. 
I love the 7th inning stretch where we get up and sing Take Me Out To The Ball Game.
I love the President's race and hope to witness Teddy win at least once! 
I love the people I go with and the people I see there.
There are the crazy die hard fans, the cute kids decked out in Nats attire, there are the slightly older kids who idolize the players and dream of becoming them someday, and then there are the fans for fun. That's me, I'm just there to enjoy it all, the hot dogs, peanuts, people, and most of all the Nationals. 





Sunday, May 6, 2012

Bring it on Summer of 2012

I'm finally home. I've been home for about a week now and it's just great. 
I miss my BYU friends a lot.
It's hard to go from seeing each other pretty much everyday to not at all.
It's weird not having them involved in my everyday life like they used to be. 



But other then that, things are great.
My high school friends are starting to come home and it's great.

Everyone warned me that coming home wouldn't be the same and I'd wish I was back in Provo after 2 weeks. But I think they were wrong. 
True it hasn't been 2 weeks yet but so far, I am loving everything about home. 

I love spending time with my family.


If you don't know, my dad is hilarious. 
I have busted up laughing many a times because of his unexpected humor. 

And my mom, she is just amazing. 
I don't know how she does all that she does.
And she is so patient with me.
I'll admit I can get pretty annoying.
Especially after I've been stuck in the house with mono for a week.

And my sister.
She isn't home for good yet, but we created a bond at school that I am anxiously waiting to strengthen at home this summer. I don't think anyone can really understand how much that bond means to me.

I love my friends.



So far I've seen Brandon, Brittany, Griffin, and Victoria.
And some other random friends from high school which was nice.
Again, everyone tried to warn me that things wouldn't be the same, my friends would be different, and I'd be different and we wont be as close as we were in high school. But they lied about that too. 
Yes, I'm different after my 3 semesters at BYU but not so much that I don't get along with my best friends anymore. 
I'm so proud of all of my friends, they are all finding their own way at their different schools.
And sure, they have probably changed some too, but that's good. 
Change is good, no matter how scared I am of it sometimes. 

All in all home is perfect right now. 
And as far as I can tell, everything may not be the exact same but I'm glad it's not. 
Everything is perfect just the way it is right now. 
And I predict things are only going to get better.
Bring it on Summer of 2012, bring it on.