A Smackeral Of Life

Summer time is one of my favorite times of the year! You know that saying? The one that says "Hair gets lighter. Skin gets darker. Water gets warmer. Drinks get colder. Music gets louder. Nights get longer. Life gets better." Yeah, that one! It's so true on so many levels! Summertime is beautiful! The breeze blowing people's hair around, the sun making everyone a beautiful tan color. Not to mention all of the icecream! My family lives for Summer!  I've learned that even though every summer is different I still look forward to it each and every year. This summer has been a little bit of a challenge for me. It's my first summer without a singing tour with my amazing choir and friends. It's my first summer that I've really began to focus on my faith. My first summer where I'm really beginning to figure out who I am separately from my parents and family.  Not to mention, I'm a young adult now and am trying to find other young adults to fellowship w...

It started with a woman.....isn't that a great first line? Well, it did. I was cooking brownies alongside my mom when a woman walked into the "community kitchen" (the kitchen shared by all the people staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor.)  She quietly began cooking her eggs and then cooked something else. My mom and I were first drawn to the smell of it. It wasn't a bad smell, it was a unique one, one that lingered and left the air almost tangy. We glanced at it a few times but could not make out what it was. So, of course, we decided to just ask instead of let our minds wander. The woman explained that it was a type of Mediterranean cheese called Halloumi Cheese. She even let us try a bite and we are hooked! So maybe it started with cheese? Who knows.... After experimenting this woman's unique cheese we soon began to talk to her as we waited for our brownies to bake. We talked of our family members in the hospital, their heart conditions, how they...

"They say the eyes are the windows to your soul."           It's a saying that has been passed around for many years, making it perfect for tweets, Instagram captions and FaceBook posts. A lot of people say this, but what do they mean by it? I mean, lets be honest with ourselves, eye contact can be overwhelming. (Especially for my fellow introverts and I.) You actually have to look at someone's eyes?! What?! Do you know how hard it is to even speak to them, let alone look at them? That's asking a lot. But, it's really not. And it's something I'm going to start working on, starting today.                 I started this morning. I failed a few times (sorry to the girl in the elevator who was trying to converse with me this morning.....) But, I've also succeeded. It's the beginning of a whole new world for me, and in more ways than one. Here are a few things I've already noticed.... Color (A  photo I too...

Since today is officially National Best Friends Day I couldn't just sit and text all of my friends thanking them for all they do. I had to write about it. This post may be rather long but knowing my best friends they'll read the entire thing! So here are some things you all need to know..... 1)   YOU   have helped me become who I am today . Now, a few of you have been around longer than others, but each and every one of you has helped me in some way, shape, or form. From learning to laugh at myself, to falling in love with music, to becoming addicted to Netflix and learning to love photo editing. Each of you has had a part in my life. I cannot thank you enough for being there and embracing who I am as a person, and for guiding me to embrace myself. I have become more confident because of you guys! 2)   We both know that I'm insane....but so are you! I can think of some crazy stories about the trouble we would constantly get into together. Some of which should no...

As I've reflected over my weekend I can't help but want to both laugh and cry.      To backtrack, my youngest sister Mia was life-flighted to MOTT's Children's Hospital in Michigan  on Thursday June 2nd. I was out at the movies with a friend and was messaged by my mother informing me that the pain Mia had been feeling after her heart surgery was due to fluid buildup. After further investigation they decided to take her to MOTT for admittance. My mom would be in the helicopter with her but my dad was going to drive up. After the movie I met him at a gas station to switch cars and that was the beginning of it all. I was handed some money and told "good luck." It was my turn to watch the littles....Anna May (8) and Ella (6). My grandma had been kindly watching the girls for me as I was out having fun so I dropped off my friend and raced home so she could get back to her place. I had some other things planned so my parents helped create a schedule and it look...