TWIN CITIES BBQ

I hosted a BBQ and Olympics party this past weekend. It was a success. Dancing, eating, drinking, singing, games and lots of laughing. Not a shabby weekend one bit. 

{Allison, Stacey, Ari -  Team Azerbaijan}

 {Rachel, me, Kyle - Team USA}

 {Natalie, Ali, Megan - Team Espana}

 {Mal and Carlos - Team Belarus}

 {Rachel just strutting her stuff}

 {Natalie and her beautiful smile}

 {Game spectators in my backyard}

 {Chicas bonitas}

 {Natalie either crushing it or whiffing}

 {Kyle and Ali}

 {Dancing}

 {Dancing and collapsing}

 {Possibly the tango?}

 {Part of the group}

 {Driveway dance party}

 {Stephen and Allison}

 {Allison and Rachel}

 {Team America a lil bit hot and sweaty}

Camping in Somerset, WI

I went camping for the first time. "What you are 23 and never have been camping?" Yeah, yeah, yeah, hush up. I don't come from a very campy family. When I was in 6th grade my best friend Sam and I had a tent sleepover in her backyard and we watched the movie Anaconda on a portable DVD player. Does that count? Nah, didn't think so. 
On this camping trip we had a bon fire, floated down the Apple river, hunted some wild geese and discovered unchartered territory. Those last two didn't actually happen. 
Fun was had be all! Especially me because I didn't even have to use a porter potty or go outside; there was an actual bathroom within 100 steps. Score! In conclusion, I'm super outdoorsy. 

Candid shot in front of DQ wonderfulness - Allison, Mal, Rachel, Stacey, Ari

Me with my first beer/bon fire combo of the summer

Cute friends

Allison

We decided these two songs would make nice companions to our tube floating experience. 

Oh my. Those mutton chops. 

People and Places

Last Friday was my last day of teaching. Summer has been awesome thus far. I've done a whole lot of relaxing and reading. My high school self would never have believed this, but a year of work has actually made it possible for me to naturally get up at 8 a.m. (or earlier). I don't even need to set my alarm. I just wake up, look at the clock, give myself a thumbs up and waltz downstairs to make coffee and toast a bagel. 

I sometimes amaze myself with how much I can get done when I choose not to be lazy. I make a To Do list (I'm a little obsessed with them) and then I just power through that bad boy. Yesterday, before noon, I did laundry, watched my friend's little brother play in a State tennis match, went for a walk around the lake, stubbed my toe, paid bills, contemplated weeding my driveway (but didn't), talked to a college roommate for a half hour, made lunch, ate lunch, did dishes, cleaned my room, swept the entire house and then read the book Mockingjay on my back porch for an hour. ALL BEFORE NOON! Mom and dad, can you even believe this?

In other news, I've been perusing some of my favorite blogs, many of which I like just because of the peaceful and/or funny pictures posted. Looking at them reminded me of how I need to get started on collecting footage for my "Summer in Minnesota" video I'm going to make. I love just walking around town with my camera in hand. Happy place. 

So, here are some pictures from around the world, from both the present and the past. I like em. 

MJ, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson. Always ballers. 

Rachel McAdams. Making girls everywhere jealous since 2004.

They were just babies. Also, who the heck is the guy on the right?

Just look at his proud mama. 

I'm so confused. But this looks awesome.

Love this movie. True love.

Once.

Lovely.

Beautiful.

Well then. Luke Bryan. 

Adorable. My invite must have gotten lost in the mail. 

 Me and my Madison gals in Vegas last year. 

Diverge

{Lake Mendota via}

On my way home from my softball game last night, I was about 2 blocks away from home when this song came on. Now, I'm not particularly a huge fan of this band, but just a few familiar tunes brings on a flood of memories. Two summers ago my aunt invited me to a Goo Goo Dolls concert. She and the rest of her nurse buddies enjoy their songs and bought some tickets to see them at Northerly Island. I had nothing to do, and I love hanging out with my aunt, uncle and cousins, so I gladly accepted. 

I'll never forget how my Uncle Skip kept checking to see if I wanted something to eat or drink. Whenever I tried to give him money, he would just wave his hand and say, "Don't even think about it."

I really miss my uncle. July will mark a year since his passing. He was such a friendly, big-hearted guy. The best of the best. 

So, when I heard "Slide" come on the radio, I diverged from my planned path and instead headed to the lake. I circled that lake two times with my car windows down.  It felt good to just "be."

{Sarah, Sean, Aunt Maureen, Colleen, me, Uncle Skip at the concert}

Wow

What a goofy guy. 

A Time For Everything

A quick three things: 
1) I don't know my tater-tot limit. 
2) As long as I'm safe in my home, whenever there is a storm brewing, I automatically feel a little bit calmer. Why is that?
3) My new slogan, "A root beer float a day keeps the doc away."


I've been contemplating this lately:
     There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. ¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.

A time to laugh. A time to scatter stones. A time to laugh. A time to scatter stones. 
A time to laugh. 

Cool & Not Cool at School

image via

Not Cool
-  Having your boss catch you go through the Emergency Exit door to snag a pop from the vending machine.
- A bunch of 3rd graders flicking pieces of corn dogs at one another. Sick. 
- Whining over where you stand in line. Get. Over. It.
Cool
-  First grade students spontaneously doing the dougie out of excitement in response to the statement, "Now we are going to play Around the World with sight words." Who woulda thunk?
- A kindergartner beelining for you in the hall just to tell you that he is going to buy you pizza and chocolate milk for your birthday... even though your birthday is 8 months away. 
- A first grader asking me to come to his little league baseball games over the summer. And then following it up with, "And, maybe, you could make me signs cheering me on and maybe you could buy me nachos after the game." Maybe, Martez. Maybe. 

Content and the grass is a pretty green

There are 9 teaching days left until summer. Two of which are field trips and 1 of which is kindergarten/senior graduation. But, I mean, who's counting? Oh, yeah, I am.

This looks ideal.

image via

People I'm struggling to understand...
1) People who jog in place at a red light. That is prime catch-your-breath time. 
2) People who put on their left turn signal at the very last moment. Don't even get me started.
3) People that ride motorcycles and don't wear a helmet.
4) People who refuse to take the last piece of food on a platter. Just do it!
5) People who respond to the question, "How are you?", but then don't ask it in return. 


In other unrelated news...
-  This is hitting a little too close to home this weekend. Moooooom, where are you and why aren't you calling me back?
-  Pumped for this camera strap to make its way to Minneapolis. 
-  I put my window unit in, and wah lah, peaceful sleeps. Sort of like this.
-  I will be making this come summer. 
-  I have 2 episodes left in the series Friday Night Lights. But, seriously, what a dreamboat. 


Listening to... 

Swim the sea, drink the wild air

Image via

Surf that web, a'ight?

1)  Cliffs of Moher. Let's go.

2)  Your Love - Bon Iver. Music starts around 2:15.

3)  Smarty Pants as an end of the year gift. Thinking about it. 

No complaints

This is 93% of the reason I watch The New Girl. 

Jake Johnson. What a dreamboat. 

If my brothers are reading this, they are likely rolling their eyes and telling me to get a life. 

Life Lately

(+)    Happy Mother's Day, Momma! Move to Minnesota? Please. I'll buy you breakfast! And go to church with you. 
(-)     I attempted to mow our lawn this week. Failed miserably. So embarrassing. 
(+)    Read outside today and ate pancakes like a boss.
(-)     Got turned down from a bar last night for wearing sandals. I don't have time for that snooty crap. Get me to Red Shed.
(+)    Joined a co-ed softball league and didn't strike out. 
(-)     Spilled syrup all over my shirt. My life is a mess.
(+)   Celebrated my dear friend Rachel's birthday last weekend in a 1920 something themed party. 

Roommates - Kaitlin, Stacey, Allison, me

Oh would you look at that; dancing by myself again like a goon and Mal looking like she's singing the gospel in church

 With the birthday girl sporting her flapper outfit

Beautiful tree on a bike ride along Minnehaha Parkway

 Kaitlin relaxing in our family room

My momma's pretty garden back home in Illinois