thankful

So I'm not sure why I have a blog, because I never post on it.  :P  Every once in a while I get a blogging bug, and write out a post in my head, but actually sitting down to type it out?  Doesn't happen very often (obviously).  Life is insane and a little overwhelming sometimes, but I'm loving this season.  I'll be 19 next Sunday, and I'd be happy to stay 19 for a long time yet.  18 was a good year.  It was by far the hardest year of my life, but I'm a different person now than I was a year ago. I'm very thankful for every one of those darned hard days, weeks, and months, and how God used them to shape and refine me.  Right now, my days are full of work and studying.  It gets overwhelming at times...so much to do, so little time.  Just trying to take it a day at a time, and not think about how much there is to do in the next several weeks.  My goal is 23 credits this summer semester, and I've done 6 so far...so I still have a ways to go.  =}  But I'm determined to get it done, or die trying.  The latter is looking like a likely possibility right now.  ;P  The days when I'm so overwhelmed, it's good to remember how much I have to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for the fact that I even have the opportunity to go to college and learn all these things. College wasn't something that was a part of my plans even 6 months ago, and I'm thankful God opened those doors.  So when I'm muddling through Ancient Greece, I have to remember, I'm blessed to have the opportunity to learn.

I'm thankful for friends who are super-ultra-encouraging.  One friend in particular, the kind of friend who brings marshmallows to study parties (do those words go together?), gets me chocolate covered espresso beans from Trader Joe's (a taste of heaven, I'm sure), and sends the most awesomely encouraging texts that make me laugh and motivate me to press on.  (You know who you are!)

I'm thankful for my dad who encouraged me to go ahead and take my psychology test instead of cancelling it like I almost did...and it ended up being my best-scoring test thus far!

I'm thankful for my mom who got out the chocolate cake after I started crying to her over this stupid, I mean wonderful, Western Civ yesterday morning.  I don't know how much of that stuff I ate, and I don't care.  It. Was. Wonderful.

I'm thankful for my amaaaazing CP coach, who pretty much makes me feel like I can conquer the world.

I'm thankful for my completely amazing boyfriend...he's the kind that makes me feel so much better when I'm stressing out, instead of telling me how dramatic I'm being, is beyond encouraging, and also the kind that buys me Caribou coffee beans and sends chocolate bars in the mail.  (Anyone noticing a chocolate theme here?)  In other words, he's the bestest kind.  ;)

I'm thankful that I have a job that I LOVE, and the new opportunities arising from that.

I could keep going, but these are a few of the things that remind me, I have it really, really good.  God has blessed me, and life is beautiful!  So with that little update-of-sorts, here's some pictures from the Great Little Adventures of Emily these days.  ;)

^^ Attending a beautiful wedding with this beautiful friend.  We even raided the kitchen for extra deserts after the reception was over.  *sly face*  And then there was the large cold pressed Caribou coffee on the way there....it was ahhhmazing.  

^^Locked my keys in my car for the first time.  '_'  

^^Hanging out with my bestie, taking cute selfies. :P

GoKarting with Joe for his birthday!  I was ahead until he knocked me off the track.  :P

We went fishing on his birthday too...I caught a 4 pound bass!  Not even kidding!  Couldn't believe it, it was the biggest fish I've ever seen.  :D  Unfortunately I don't have a picture though...we released it.  Ok, kind of an accidental release.  :P

^^This picture makes me happy!  They literally wrestled for like 20 minutes while I laughed at them. =)

^^I taught Joe how to play backgammon, and he found this app, and it's going to be the death-by-sleep-deprivation of both of us.  May or may not have spent several late nights playing each other... we're both just a little competitive....

^^My life.