my school year in pictures...

Midnight Bowling

First all nighter of the year 

Arbor games

Although we were opponents, we are still the best of friends

Roomies

That t-shirt is the best birthday present I have ever gotten

Double birthday party

I'm getting old seems like just yesterday I was 93

Homecoming

City and Colour

Great concert at the best venue

A Thanksgiving treat, Matt comes home!

The Tubbs

Tessa decided to join the family at Thanksgiving

We hardly even planned this

The best, most comfortable grandpa sweaters

80's skate

Karol and the likes

State game woooh

New Years

You know it's a party when there's a balloon

and crowd surfing

Ski season

The day we met Charlie

Yeah that's right, Christmas morn in our onesies, be jealous

Because we don't have enough family pictures

Dress up poker

Just Dance, j-term's favorite pastime 

Getting ready to take a road trip

An epic night of sledding

Some of my favorite people on Sunday night game night

When Andi stuffed a pancake in her cheeks

The night I became part of sisterhood

The dogs

...

Band pictures

These are a few of my favorite things

Shopping for Adam's birthday present

In our own birthday presents

Because we both have an obsession with tye dye

Her first Dorito taco

In Pigeon

Chris Brown played bass like a boss

Because we can

Colorado

Lip Sync

Real Smiles

Because our faces were on the big screen

The Rocket Summer. I touched his shoe

Ahh Dennys

I whip my cat back and forth

Easter Break with Alyssa's family

Random trip to Lansing

The Team

What a stunning gal

The Gang minus Grant... again

Our first picture 

C-H-I-C-A-G-O

Bubble tea in China Town

The Crew

The last night at Denny's and our new waitress Samm

Trying to win at Jeopardy 

The people who overtook my home

and that's about it.

life lessons this year: part two

34. Never buy fat free fig newtons
35. Sushi is always worth the money
36. Denny's holds the power to bonding and laughter
37. Homework never gets done as early as you hoped it would.
38. Great risks make for great outcomes
39. Set goals, and work at them, no matter how little they are
40. Friendships, or any relationships, if it's going to be good, takes hard work
41. Never forget how great sleepovers are
42. Try to meet at least a person a week, minimum, even if you'll never talk to them again
43. If you dress like a slob you'll feel like one. Dress better than your bad mood!
44. Any trip to get food is a good one
45. Time goes by much faster than you think, never wish it away
46. Weekend trips with people you don't know can change your life
47. It doesn't matter what a person's age is, don't judge their personality by it, give them a chance to show you who they are
48. You can sleep when you're dead
49. Friendship bracelets.
50. Share your wisdom
51. Listen to other's share their wisdom
52. Don't rely on others, be your own hero
53. Write down what you don't want to forget
54. A planner is a must
55. On a nice day go outside!
56. Do your homework before you go do fun things, otherwise the fun will be cut short
57. Naps are always a good thing
58. Unpacking > nothing
59. Have adventures, even if it's scary
60. Laugh often
61. Experience something new often
62. Experiment with life
63. If you don't feel at home where you live, change that!
64. Don't let someone's expectations of you change who you really are
65. Pulling pranks is bad and immature; people's feelings will get hurt
66. The money you spend on gas is worth the trips you make.
67. Get out there and live!

Do what you say you're going to do even if it's hard. Keep your word, otherwise don't say you're going to do it.

Thomas: Describe yourself in ten years, well I will have five teenagers.
Me: ...
Thomas: I better get working on that three years ago

can we prolong this eve

I hate writing papers. I would have have ten tests than one paper. This is me procrastinating.

But now for something better, I will tell you the best drink to get when you go to a coffee shop and hate coffee: Chai latte with vanilla soy milk and white mocha flavor with no foam, extra hot.  Try this and I promise you will fall in love with a drink if that is possible.

We get out of school in less than two weeks. Technically I could be done by Monday night. Although I am ready for a short break, I am not ready for the extended break that is about to occur. I feel like I have just started this semester, not that it is coming to a conclusion. This school year was so great. I was stretched emotionally, intellectually, socially,and physically. I made new friends and grew in old friendships. I feel like although I learned a lot from my professors, I might have learned even more from my peers. This summer I know I will continue to grow, but I am going to have a hard time letting go of this school year. If you are reading this, and you have been with me throughout the year, I want to say thank you. Whether your role in my life has been big or small, I really appreciate you and the impact you have had on me. I have quite a few friends leaving at the end of next week and not coming back to school, and it's really sad, but I'm trying to get over. Things will not be the same next year. I just need to remember this: that change happens and you cannot stop it, but it is up to you to decide whether that change will be positive or negative.

Anyway, now that I've got my ramblings out I should get back to this paper...

Northern Wind

You're the Northern Wind
Sending shivers down my spine
You're like falling leaves
In an autumn night

You're the lullaby
That's singing me to sleep
You are the other half
You're like a missing piece

Oh my love
You don't know
What you do to me

You are all four seasons
Rolled into one
Like the cold December snow
In the warm July sun
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/c/city_and_colour/northern_wind.html ]
I'm the jet black sky
That's just before the rain
Like the mighty current 
Pulling you under the waves

Oh my love
You don't know what you do to me

I'm the darkest hour
Just before the dawn
And I'm slowly sinking
Into the slough of despond

Like an old guitar
Worn out and left behind
I have stories still to tell
They're of the healing kind

Oh my love
If I could just 
Find you tonight

-Dallas Green 

This is so beautiful, I wish I would have written it.

reason number 351 why I love my school

A guy here made this.

The Frozen Tree in Between Promo

Things I've learned this year in college: part one

1. Mugs are useful as bowls, cups, and candy containers
2. People will surprise you
3. The air/ heat in Gainey rarely works
4. Embrace each and everyday as if you will never get it back, because the truth is, you won't
5. People bond over surprising things, especially youtube
6. Always carry an umbrella, nail clippers, chap stick, two pens, two pencils, a highlighter, pain reliever, a water bottle, and lotion in your back pack
7. Get your homework done before nine at night, because after that everyone wants to hang out
8. Anywhere that you're with people you love and who love you,  you are at home
9. Learning is a good thing
10. Euchre is worth learning how to play
11. If the chance for a random adventure comes up, take advantage of it
12. Human trafficking exists and must be put to an end
13. You will never find the perfect man/ woman and that is okay
14. Cheetahs are just cats that get too big
15. Male seahorses are the ones that give birth and carry their babies
16. Contrary to popular belief, our nation is a republic, not a democracy.
17. My parents know a lot about life
18. My parents are great parents
19. Moving on after you've lost something, or someone isn't as hard as you think it will be
20. There are no bad kids, only bad parents
21. People are desperate to be heard, for someone to really listen
22. Sometimes being isolated to your room is a good thing; we all need space and alone time
23. Everyone wants to feel loved and accepted by someone
24. Be joyful always
25. Being joyful always doesn't mean you have to be cheery and happy all the time
26. Every one is a hypocrite and that is just a part of life
27. Nothing can separate us from God's love
28. People leave, people grow apart
29. Laugh hard, often
30. There is no such thing as a hipster
31. Your smile is your best accessory
32. Words can change everything
33. People can change everything

jsyk

For my 16th birthday my grandma got me a pink sweatshirt. The sweatshirt has denim elbow pads and a cat on the front. The cat has a removable crochet nose for easy washing. The edges have ruffles.

learning

I am continually surprised by everyday things that I feel like most people wouldn't be surprised by. I really think that the little surprises in life make up a vast majority of the great memories I have stored in my mind. Spending time with my friends teaches me so much. I have been contemplating whether or not I actually learn more from my peers than my professors.

I feel like all of the people I am around at this school are all super blessed with something special, some great ability, or characteristic that makes them stand out. There are so many talents here, and I'm not even talking about just the physical. I am always caught of guard by the things people say, or do, or create.

Because of these things I am slightly fearful of the future. I will have to leave this place, and these people in two years. That seems so close. I'm not the type of person to tell myself that I'll stay connected with them all either, I know that the reality is that I will be lucky if I seem a few of them once a year. I am sure that it will be fine, but there's still that small fear.

One of my favorite things that I have started with a few friends this semester is our Thursday night Denny's trips. There are four of us that regularly go and then every other week invite different groups of people. We have have groups as big as fifteen plus, and as small at seven. I love bringing different people. It helps me get to know a bunch of different people that I know but not very much. It also opens doors for all of the people that come to meet others. Besides getting to know the people it is fun. Beyond fun some nights, as I'm sure most of you know laughter grows the later into the night it gets, and it is great. When we have people come up to our table you learn a lot about the people actually sitting at the table with how they react to the situation. Anyway, it teaches me a lot and that was the point.

I love being a college student and have definitely grown a ton this year, I'm kind of sad it's almost over.