Summer Review

(Random picture, but I like it :) It is totally the same idea as the picture from this post from my old blog :)

This summer was A-MA-ZING - totally the best summer of my life :)  Instead of trying to give a description of every trip we took, I'm just going to give y'all the highs and lows of each one :)

Washington D.C. for National Day of Prayer

High: as always, the midnight tour of the capitol with a Christian congressman was amazing! Since we go after the Capitol is closed to the public, we can go onto the floor of the House and the Senate since we are with a congressman :)

Low: Awkward dinners/events when we didn't know anyone in the entire room 

Philadelphia

High: Hanging out at the National Constitutional Center and convincing my mom to let us have ice cream every day on the walk home since she decided to save money and make us walk instead of taking a cab

Low: some cemetery we went to....I mean, seeing where Benjamin Franklin is buried was kinda cool, but beyond that, I really didn't care about all the rocks sticking out of the ground

yup...be jealous...

New York (our day trip from Philadelphia)

High: shopping at American Eagle for dry clothes/NYC shirts after the rain cleared up (turning point of the trip - see the low of the trip to understand) and just walking around the city

Low: THE RAIN!!!!! NYC isn't as cool when can't see it cuz you're just trying to stay dry under your umbrella... Have you ever gone into an Olive Garden, taken off your shoes because they and your skinny jeans are soaking wet, and wrapped your feet in napkins because they were so wet and cold? Or taken off your shoes and put them under the hand dryers in a bathroom? Cuz I have....here's the proof

(Although after the rain went away, we had a lot of fun walking around the city and just being there - I totally don't regret a second of it :)

Colorado with friends for the 4th of July

High: playing four square and pool, and just hanging out with our friends - it's totally a family

Low: the air show on the 4th was really underwhelming

Alaskan Cruise with family

High: wow...so many highs :) Around the World (rotational ping pong), nighttime pizza and ice cream with the older cousins, pizza flying across the deck because it was so windy, ziplining, grabbing a couple rolls and a glass of lemonade and finding a seat to read alone, SUNSHINE! (Anne Marie, that's for you :), and just hanging out with my awesome family :)

Low: to quote the Thinker from Night at the Museum 2, "I'm thinking......I'm thinking...." Seriously, it was the most amazing trip I have ever been on - I can't come up with a low!

Haha this picture totally describes us - crazy, fun, and loud :) (You might have to enlarge the picture to see all the crazy kids in the back :)

Haha this was just sitting in a chair in one of the Alaskan towns outside some shops - "it's so fluffy I could die!"

The whole crew - 23 total :)

I am so thankful to have had such a wonderful summer and be able to go on so many wonderful trips with so many wonderful people...so blessed...

Lyric of The Week: Let It Go

So I didn't have any song in particular for this week's Lyric of the Week, so I'm just going to do this one because it's one of my all-time favorite songs :)  It's by my good friend Aaron David :)

The song is about how we have all these reasons to hold onto ourselves and not give our lives to Jesus, but when we are faced with His love, it seems so much better, and we are  much happier once we follow Him.  

I had my reasons to hold on longer,

But love came at we with something stronger

It's alright, baby, it's alright

If you let it go

I found my freedom in my surrender,

Now I'm riding high on a new forever

It's alright, baby, it's alright

If you let it go

{photos from an evening walk}

The Fun and The Not So Fun

Here's the fun and the...well...not so fun stuff that's going on in my life right now:

The Fun

• Soccer starts this week! I'm so excited to get back to doing what I love.  I'm sad that I won't be with my old team, though - lots of good times with them over the years :)
• I have a lot of new music that I like - I need to get some more though.....any suggestions?
• I get to hang out with Megan at the Texan's football game tonight 
• I'm going to the Dynamo game tomorrow night with my dad and brother :) (That's professional soccer, for those of you who don't know :)

The Not So Fun

• From reading three chapters from the Odyssey and the Aenied, I have to write an expository paragraph on what the Greco-Roman view of Hell is..... and my teacher even admitted that their view of Hell is "fuzzy" and "contradictory" Great. Cuz she's gonna want a paragraph that is clear and uncontradictory  (spell check is telling me this isn't a word, but I'm gonna go for it anyway - who hasn't made up a couple words in their day? :)
• I've had to say goodbye to a couple of really good friends who have either moved or gone to college
• Physics homework....nuff said...
• Having to try to adjust to (and figure out) a new teacher's rules and way of doing things

And cuz this post needs a picture here's one my favorites from Alaska (I know it was already on Mal's Pics, but I really like it :)

Lyric of the Week: I Wanna Know You Like That

This week's lyric of the week is from the song I Wanna Know You Like That by Anthem Lights.  (Awesome band, by the way :)

I wanna know you like that, 
To live, to love, with everything I am,
To give it all,
I wanna know you like that, 
To become a man after your heart,
And not look back,
I wanna know you like that


The "that" referred to in the song is the inspiring faith of someone else.  Do you do that too?  You see someone who is on fire for Jesus, and you say, "God, I wanna know you like that person does.  I want to live a life completely sold out for you like they do."

Here's the song explanation from the Anthem Lights guys.....cuz it's cool to see where the song came from :)

Back To School

I had mixed feelings coming into this school year.  I've never really been the type to be excited for school to start back again, but this year was a little different.  This summer was AMAZING, but I could tell it was time to get back to a schedule and do something productive with my life again.  That's not enough to actually get me excited for school though.  Even though I still say I'm home schooled, I go to classes with other homeschoolers three days each week, so what really got me excited was the fact that I would get to see all my friends again.   

You know those friends you can pick up with right where you left off even if you haven't seen them in a long time?  The ones you hardly even have to say hello to when you see them because it's like you were never apart?  Those friends you are close with because you've been together through tears, laughter, work, and play?  Those friends are the best.  And that's why I'm happy to be back to school. :)

The annual back-to-school pictures with my brother Mason :)

This Is Me

Welcome to This Is Me, my new blog!  I decided to leave my old blog, Mal's Pics, because I wanted to go in a new direction with my blog.  On This Is Me, I'll share more about my faith and my life, in addition to sharing my pictures.  :)

Megan from Boundless designed my blog, for and she did an AMAZING job!  Thanks so much for all the work you put into it - you really have a gift :)

So stick around, follow, and enjoy This Is Me!