Summer is looming just around the corner.

I've got a new pep in my step-- waking up a little earlier, making lunch the night before, exercising.

I wish this kind of motivation hit earlier in the year, but I suppose it comes in waves; the end is near, I can tackle anything now.

Like this burger:

Yep. We found a great new-to-us restaurant called "Gas" in St. Auggie beach. Ginormous jalapeño-stuffed burger, philly cheesesteak empanadas, tasty drinks... yes, yes, and yes. 

The rest of the weekend was spent in joyful celebration of... well... it being the weekend, I suppose. 

We ate, we played games, and some of us bet on horses and won big money.

It was a blessing to be home this weekend-- we've been traveling so much that I was thankful for the little things, like a lazy Friday night, just the two of us, early bedtime, waking up late, church, Sunday Funday... and looking forward to more of the same this weekend!

Chahlston, dahling

We meet again, Charleston. And so soon.

This time, to celebrate Ben gettin' hitched.

It was a beautiful day, the company grand....

Joanna seems perfect for Ben...

... and then the camera died.

But the rest of the weekend was filled with fun and good eats and good friends we haven't seen since someone else's wedding. Thankful for our college friends and the sweet memories that we made!

Cinco de Derby

This month has been quite a whirlwind!!

I took on another homebound student, so I'm having to teach both kiddos after school every day = cuts into my blogging time.  Love my new girl, though-- despite  a tough battle with cancer, she's so vivacious and has me snorting with laughter every time I see her. Definitely helps keep life in perspective as to what's truly important...

And what absolutely helps make life worth living are friends, dressing up like rich people, (and mint juleps don't hurt either.) Last weekend we celebrated the derby AND Cinco de Mayo in one shindig. Fancy dress was required, as was mustaches and sombreros. We ate our faces off in a shrimp boil and donned our fuzzy 'staches post-derby. It was quite the occasion...

Staging a picture for Erick's START Movement--- email him and he'll write you a personalized haiku. They're the best.

The girls!

and the boys

Christmas card pic, perhaps?

Miss Pip didn't understand why her horse didn't win... and was inquiring as to why everyone was screaming so loudly during the race...

We sat around like rich people with our fancy drinks and tried not to talk about work...

And then it was time for PART II, which entailed mustachios and an adult piñata. Epic. 

3 more weeks till summer :)

Hotlanta

I hate falling behind in posts. It's kind of like dieting-- once I fall off the bandwagon, I say, "Screw it."
Here's my attempt at playing catch-up, and maybe it will shed light into the reasoning why I haven't found the time to sit down and blog. Life is just too full of fun...

Last weekend we found ourselves in Hotlanta celebrating sweet Alex's birthday. Sweetwater Brewery was our first stop (too lazy to upload pictures from phone... use your imagination or stalk me on Instagram) and on Sunday we hit up a lovely, massive art show.

Monday we tackled Stone Mountan; cross that one off the bucket list.

Not sure what the boys found more exciting than the immense view in front of them?

And we packed a picnic lunch, with baguettes and fancy cheese and cookie butter. Hot dang. 

Note that there are no pictures of my best friend. She was moving that weekend, and apparently we did not document the lovely time we did get to spend together. Whoops- love you, Amers! 

Happy Monday to you-- I'll make a massive attempt at posting Cinco de Derby pictures this week, plus including a reflection on marriage as we know it, since Michael and I just celebrated the 4 year mark!

late night love notes

I just can't get enough of quiet moments spent with God-- not intending to sound lame, but I mean it. I made the decision to follow Christ as a middle schooler, and it's been an up and down, bumpy ride; but I'm thankful that He has always been in pursuit of me, even when I was running rampant or wallowing in self pity and mediocrity. He's like a lighthouse-- I'm drawn to it, yet it leads me to safe places on my journey through this life. (Now I'm CERTAIN that was cliche and lame. Whatever.) All this to say this is such a sweet season of my life. It's always been a challenge to read the Bible and to actually like it. I've always just picked it up in a moment where I couldn't think of anything else to do, picked a random passage, and tried to apply it to my life.... but recently it's like the scripture is speaking straight to my heart, that God's picking out specific words of encouragement to guide me through this moment in time.

It's been crazy awesome.

On another note, I found myself praying earlier this week that God would show me the things in this life that breaks His heart-- He gladly obliged. And I was feeling like a gorilla was parked on my chest with all of these sad stories of my students and friends. Then a song came on Pandora while I was walking Diego  that reminded me of that prayer from the beginning of the week, and I felt okay, like, Yes, very sad things happen to people but hope remains, and you're going to be used to love on these people during their moments of hopelessness.

I don't know if that made any sense, and I might have said the word 'sad' too much. But there you have it.


Here's my theme verse for the day:

John 12:25ish

Anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal. If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you’ll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment’s notice. 

I want to be reckless with my love, letting go of life as it is and awakening to the next chapter of my story. I desire to pursue the things that make me come alive in Christ, that capture my heart and imagination, that I was created to be. 

Love recklessly this week, my friends.