Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and in some way or another are celebrating your fathers today!

My dad on the beach with Gracie :)

This weekend I went to Anderson Island to spend the weekend with my brothers, dad and stepmom. It was a special time together. We met up just in time for the 7:30 ferry over to the island and enjoyed a relaxed evening with the boys showing me their secret fort in the woods that surround the cabin.

Saturday we went into Seattle for the day where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Seattle's well known Ivars. We left full of fish and chips and headed to the Pacific Science Center. The Pacific Science Center had a lot of really great exhibits, but my personal favorite was the Science of Fear!

We left the Pacific Science Center and headed back to the island where we enjoyed hamburgers for dinner, followed by watching the Pink Panther Strikes Again. We had a great time together. It sure is wonderful to be silly with my brothers :)

Today, was probably my favorite part of the weekend. After all the kids had woken up we started making all sorts of cards for my dad. It was really fun to see how industrious and committed my brothers could be. It was also fun to teach them about pop up cards and other fun card creations. They all created beautiful things which my dad so appreciated. It was also nice to just sit there around the dinner table and  create together, I love those quiet moments.

Carol created a delicious breakfast, and my dad came out of their room just in time to see the feast and the pile of cards.

After a delicious breakfast and some downtime at the cabin, we headed back to the ferry dock, where we parked our cars and enjoyed the low-tide. The boys found clams, crabs, sea anemones and lots of perfect skipping stones. It was a wonderful time.

I sure am going to miss my family when I move away from the Northwest. This weekend was perfect. I am so glad that I got to spend Father's Day with my daddio. It was a sweet time together, and I am so thankful for that.

love,

endings...

Well, friends, as this week comes to a close, many other things in my life are also coming to a close. Some of these things are exciting, others are sad. I think with all endings, and good byes, there is always a sense of sadness. Coupled with this sadness is the excitement of the journey that's about to begin around the corner.  That's where I am right now, and I have to say, it's pretty bitter sweet.

Here are some of my endings...

My term of service with AmeriCorps is quickly coming to a close. I have less than a month left.

half of our team :)

working hard...

Can you guess who is in that Eager Beaver suit, bustin' a move?

painting at the White Center Food Bank

I said goodbye to the After School Program that I tutored at before I left for the wedding. It has been strangly quiet (yet remarkably busy) around the community center. Thankfully, the kids still drop in the  often, and I've been giving a lot of standardized reading tests to close out the academic year, so I still get to see their sweet faces. I will miss these kiddos a ton. They have touched my life and have taught me so many things.

sweetest smile around!

nothing can beat this picture :)

Soon, I will also be saying good bye to Seattle. I'll be leaving shortly after AmeriCorps is over to head home to Portland for a few weeks. Then, I'm off on another adventure--more on that later ;)

With saying good-bye to Seattle, I will be also be saying good bye to dear friends, a wonderful church, and a lovely family I have so enjoyed babysitting for.

I also say good bye to my car, and most of my furniture. A couple huge garbage bags of clothes I am taking to Good Will, after I try to sell them at Buffalo Exchange or Cross Roads.

What I'll miss most about leaving this area are my wonderful family members I'll be leaving behind. My sweet grandma will no longer be a 3 hour drive away. Nor will my precious brothers, my dad, or step-mom. Nor will my sweet cousins or my lovely momma. I will miss my family enormously. I have enjoyed this brief season in my life that has given way to opportunity to spend time together.

I'll also be saying good bye to the northwest (for now at least).

Next week, I'll share with you what's coming next. It's pretty exciting, and I've been dying to tell you guys :) Here's a hint--one more thing I'll be saying goodbye to is a long-distance relationship...

Happy weekend friends! I hope you have a good one. I get to spend this weekend my daddio to celebrate Father's day and I am oh-so-happy about that!

love this picture of my dad--laughing so hard he's crying :)

Love,

Beth.

Happy Monday, friends!

Yesterday was my dear friend Beth's birthday :) Sweet Beth turned twenty-four! If I had planned a bit better, I would have published this post on her actual birthday, but for now, we'll be celebrating today, the same day she (hopefully) got her birthday card from me--keeping the celebration going or just running late, you can choose :)

Celebrating Beth's 22nd birthday!

Beth is one of those friends that I treasure each moment with. I laugh constantly when I'm around her--whether it's with her or at her, that's another story ;) ....just playin' Beth!

Beth is thoughtful and a sensitive soul. She is by far one of my very best friends. Period. And, I am enormously thankful for her. I love our conversations more than anything in the world. Beth is real, supportive and encouraging. She accepts me for who I am and gives me the benefit of the doubt, even when I stumble. This is a true friend.

We met our freshman year at Gettysburg College and have been dear friends since then. I frequently went home with Beth over school breaks, and have enjoyed getting to know her family.

I had the pleasure of getting to spend some fun time with her while I was in Philadelphia for the wedding just over a week ago. It was such a sweet time.

I love you, Beth. So glad we're friends!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

love,

ps also, Beth and I often joke about how even if we're not having our best hair day, we take great pictures together--pretty sure it's safe to say, Beth and I take better pictures together than apart <3

two months later...

Hi Friends!

It has been a long two months since I've last written. And a new blog picture to go with it... what do you think?
(It's off to the right if you have not idea what I'm talking about ---> )

Please forgive me for my absence and the lack of updates. These last couple of months were busy to say the least!

There have been ups and downs and lots of figuring-outs along the way. Do you ever have seasons of life like that? God sure uses them to bless us, but in the midst of it, it's hard to rest in that truth. My birthday began much of the craziness, and was followed by a couple baseball games, two trips back east, some bad food poisoning, a gardening project, a trip to Gettysburg, and a very special wedding weekend. Over the next couple of weeks I'll try to fill you in, (without boring you) to the direction my life has taken. It's been a whirlwind, but it most definitely has been exciting.

Let's start with age 23. I said goodbye to 22 on April 16th and hello to 23. I have to admit, I loveeee birthdays. Whether it is mine or others, celebrating never feels quite as good when it's celebrating a birthday. This year, I celebrated with family and friends. It is always good to be surrounded by those who love you, but I definitely noticed the absence of those miles and miles away :)
To celebrate, Anne Marie, Teryll and I went out for margaritas and dessert. These two wonderful ladies are two of my oldest friends, dating back to early elementary school. It was great to celebrate with them!

Anne Marie, Teryll and I celebrating
another birthday a couple years ago (Teryll's 21!)

This year we didn't get a group picture. But they did snap a shot of me with the honorary birthday sombrero and my sweet dessert :)


Have I peaked your interest as to what I've been up to?! Here are a few pictures of what's to come...

a baseball game...

gardening project...

end of After School Program...

a fun trip to Gettysburg...

a picture perfect wedding....

I can't wait to share all these joy filled moments and days with you.  To be honest, there were many days in between these happy days that I let stress, worry and heartache dominate, but God's goodness continued to shine through and His perfect timing was once again revealed.

It is so good to be reconnected through the blogworld :) Please let me know how you are doing, friends.

Expect more soon!

love,