A little jaunt to Colorado.

I am a nature-loving girl living in a mountainless, land-locked state. So when I had the opportunity to road trip to Colorado with some of my best girls this summer, I jumped at the chance.

We ate delicious food, played the license plate game, giggled, explored adorable mountain towns, went white water rafting, off roaded [and got stuck in a freak hailstorm] at Pike's Peak and climbed everything at Garden of the Gods. 

Until next time, beautiful Colorado.

#bereal

One of the greatest things about "growing up" is getting to know yourself better.

With each passing year, I become more confident in my abilities, more aware of my short-comings, more thankful for my friends and more certain of my opinions.

At 28, there's no need for make-believe.  Pretending that you're okay when you're not is just silly.  So let's get real:

We all have hard days, and even hard weeks.  Everyone gets frustrated.  Sometimes we cry.

And that's okay.

When the going gets hard, admit it.  Process in whatever way you need to [personally, I'm a verbal processor...much to the chagrin of some of my sweet friends...!] and wallow for a minute, if necessary.  Then find a way to pick yourself back up again.

Like...

Remind yourself what the Lord thinks about you.

Go outside.

Breathe.

Do yoga.

Spend time with people you love.

Laugh.  Really hard.

Listen to some awesome music.  And sing along.

Drive with the windows down.

Stop counting calories for a sec and eat something yummy.

Go dancing.

Escape into a good book or movie.

I have a wonderful life and 98% of the time, I'm fabulously grateful for it.  But I have sucky days when I just need a hug and a vat of chocolate.  I think it's empowering to admit that.  I'm human, and the Lord created me to have emotions and needs.  

Join me...& let's attempt to be real.

An empire state of mind.

I never in a million years thought I would find myself in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Let alone in Tulsa, Oklahoma for eight years.

But here I am and I couldn't be more grateful.

I've built a great life here: I have a rewarding career with wonderful students and fabulous co-workers, a small business, a creative outlet, amazing friends, a wonderful church and a host of lovely memories.

But.

I'm antsy.
And filled with something big that's dying to get out and explore the world beyond these safe walls.

So...I will teach for one more year in Tulsa.

Next summer, I will be moving to New York City to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime.  

My plan isn't a whole lot more intricate than that and for those of you who know this Type A kid, that's a big deal.

The details will come in time ;)

Some may call it a quarter-life crisis [that was a little generous--I'm totally not 25 anymore!], but I call it "Why the heck not?!"  

I'm still [sort of] young and the world is my oyster, which is simultaneously exciting and terrifying and bitter-sweet.

So.  I will treasure the time I have left here in Tulsa...and daydream & plan about the life to come in that magical place.

Painting nails and catching up.

It's the end of yet another snow day, which means that I have edited photos and painted toenails and Netflix-marathoned...and I still have time to blog!  You're welcome ;)

My friend, Jessica and I started an after school running club for twenty five 1st-5th graders.  We're doing a Couch to 5k and using interval training to prepare them for an off-campus race in May. They're sweet and [generally] enthusiastic and FAST.  It's nice to have my friend aaaaaand 25 adorable running buddies by my side as I get back in shape!

I auditioned for the musical OKLAHOMA at a local community theater [which I figure is kind of a "bucket list" item while I still live in Oklahoma] and got the part of Gertie Cummings, the flirtatious man-chaser from the next town over, known for her obnoxious laugh.  I'm not on stage very much, but I have some lines, a kiss aaaaaand a cat fight...so it's certainly not boring.  The show mounts on April 4th and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll all come together by opening night ;)

Another birthday has come and gone...and I'm yet another year older.  I guess that's kind of how birthdays tend to work!  I had a mellow afternoon with church, friends and some time to relax...and then I went out with a random and fabulous assortment of girlfriends in the evening.  The cheesecake was [as always] delicious and the company was lovely.  It's a little nerve-wracking to bring people together from all different areas of your life and hope that they get along, but apparently I had nothing to worry about with these ladies. Theater friends, college friends, McAuliffe & Boevers friends alike...got along famously and made me feel incredibly blessed.

As I look ahead on the next year, I am excited about moving in with my dear friend, Lauren this summer and about all kinds of other adventures on the horizon :)

Home for the Holidays. {travel}

When you live 1,930 miles away from your "home" and family, visits are few, far between and sweet.
From the moment I step off the plane onto that famous PDX airport carpet, something is different.
The air is cleaner, the greens are greener and my heart is happy.

I spend my days in Oregon watching millions of episodes of "What Not to Wear" that my mom DVRs throughout the year, seeing all my high school friends [and their ever-expanding brood of gorgeous children], making memories with my family and exploring the natural beauty of a very un-Oklahoma-like land.

Also, I occasionally make my parents smile for the camera.

Until next time, lovely place I once lived.

Much love.

My rocky relationship with running.

Once upon a time, I ran to lose weight.

And then I ran to accomplish goals and push my body to its limits.

[One of my very proudest moments was crossing the finish line at the Route 66 Half Marathon last November]

And then I got injured.

And did physical therapy.

And started to get out of shape.

And lose interest in running.

Over the summer, I started training for this year's Route 66 Half.

And I began to dread every run.

I felt sluggish and unmotivated.

And any enjoyment I once felt was gone.

I ran the Tulsa Run in October and it was probably my hardest race to date.

Slow pace, stubborn cramps, etc.

All I could think about was crossing the finish line...and how to avoid running that kind of distance in the future.

By that afternoon, it was clear to me that running and I needed to take a break.

See,

time is valuable.

And many things demand our attention.

When we have control over what we are invested in, it's important that those things be positive and productive, as well as challenging.

When they cease to be any one of those things, space and/or distance is needed.

So.

I sold my Route 66 race bib to a friend and told distance running to take a hike for a while.

Ironically enough, almost immediately, I was asked to be a running buddy for kids from my school district doing their very first 5k.  

I got to run with a sweet third grade girl named Gracie and it was the most rewarding thing I had done in a while.

I loved setting goals with Gracie--deciding to run from one street light to the next or for 30 consecutive seconds.  I loved encouraging Gracie when the going got tough.  I loved holding her hand as she crossed the finish line.  I loved the look of pride on her face after she had done something she didn't think possible.

I left with a huge smile on my face and inspiration in my heart.

Just as a relationship ebs and flows, goes through hills and valleys...so do running and I.

We may need some space, but I have a good feeling we're not over ;)

[a sacred silence]

Even wrapped in scaffolding,  St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan is a thing of beauty.  The kind of sight that sucks your breath away for just a moment as you take in the vaulted ceilings, the targeted lighting and the detailed stained glass windows. 

We wander in to find sanctuary from the bustling streets of the city and stumble upon a golden, sacred silence.

People mill around, lighting candles to the saints and most likely sending up silent prayers for loved ones.  And suddenly, in the midst of the quiet, comes the startlingly rich sound of the organ.  Immediately following is the traditional recitations of prayers and hymns from the altar.  Voices rise from all over the church and seem to warm the air around us.

A slow chill runs up my spine and a lump forms in my throat, catching me completely off guard.  I am overwhelmed by the presence of God in this place, and simultaneously humbled to be surrounded by believers who worship in such a different way than I do.

In an environment that I formerly would've considered cold and without feeling, something new starts happening in my heart.

These pews are filled with people who understand what I have forgotten.  

I have come to think of God as Father and Friend, and while He is those things, He is so much more.  He is almighty, He is all powerful, He is the creator of the heavens and the earth.

I have become too familiar.  I have lost the sense of awe and wonder and reverence and respect that He so deserves from me.

…and so what began as an excursion into a beautiful building has left me speechless with gratitude, wonder and a new perspective.

let's have an adventure, darling.

There's a part of me that comes alive in New York.

A part of me that walks faster, weaves in & out of traffic, and can find her way around the streets [slowly, but surely].  A part that notices every fall leaf, is encouraged by the kindness of strangers and drinks in every green space.

There's an adventure waiting to happen there.  I can feel it.

My fall break trip there was a perfect whirlwind.

It was full to the brim with walking, sight seeing, window shopping, exploring, train riding, picture taking, show tune singing, Broadway show seeing, delicious food eating and way-past-our-bedtime giggling.  

I was wonderfully exhausted at the end of each day and my feet may never forgive me for the amount of miles I put on them, but I wouldn't have done anything differently.

Til next time, my love.

Home Sweet Home...was a long time ago.

I'm a wee bit behind here in the blogophere.
I'll ask you to forgive me as school has started and I am once again a workin' woman.
But let's catch up, shall we?

I got to visit the glorious state that I call "home" for two fabulous weeks in July.
My time there was filled with wonderful people [and babies--who are, of course, people themselves...but super adorable little people and therefore get special mention], trips to the pool, exhilarating hikes, tiring bike rides, breathtaking views, clean mountain air, sandy toes, What Not to Wear and relaxation.
It refreshed my soul.

Upon my slightly bittersweet return to Tulsa, I decided to fulfill a dream and got my own kitten :)
His name is Oliver [Ollie for short] and even though he wants to gnaw on my fingers and knock things over, he is precious and I'm entirely smitten.  Not that any of my Instagram followers would know...

Pretty quickly after that, the days started to fill up with teacher-y preparations and events.  Of course there was also time for friends, lunch dates, fireworks and drive-in movies :)

Then there was a random and rather spontaneous trip to Texas to return to my old stomping grounds [Teen Mania] to see the class of CCMers I met on the New York trip graduate, as well an excuse to go back to campus after six years aaaaand celebrate the ten year anniversary of CCM.  It was fun!

We started school [my fourth year of teaching--how nuts is that?!] on the 19th and this year is filled with all kinds of new adventures and even more surprisingly, some consistency!  I am at the same school and in the same grade level as last year and while that may sound like nothing to you, it's never happened to me before and I am grateful.  But to keep life interesting, there is a new classroom, a new position as lead teacher and an OSU intern for the first two weeks :)  I have a sweet bunch of kiddos this year and things are going swimmingly thus far.

Labor Day is around the corner and will launch one of a few upcoming trips this fall--St. Louis, then Columbia, Missouri just a few weekends later for Kaley and Bekah's half, hopefully an October jaunt to Arkansas with the lovely Chelsea, and fingers are crossed for a Fall Break adventure to Florida with my fabulous friend, Lauren.  

If that wasn't enough to stay busy, I begin training next week for my second half marathon, am staying involved at church with babies, singing, photography, small groups and running, and am filling my weekends with the pursuit of photography :)

Life is good and I am blessed to live it!

I'm sorry...what?!

Sometimes I have moments when I realize, "Crap.  I'm a grown up.  An adult!"
It happens when my married friends celebrate multiple year anniversaries.
And when I hang out with my people from high school...and all their children.
And when I've been teaching long enough to be team lead.  And to have a student teacher.

Where did the time go?!
I still feel so green and new and naive, but I am better than I used to be and I am constantly growing!
Plus, even though I have a "big girl" job, I'm still allowed to love playing on playgrounds and ordering off kids' menus :)

And the even better news is


*life is good!

#encouragementforsingles

I am single.
It's not a curse.
It's just a fact...and sometimes even a blessing :)
I am content in my life.  I work hard.  I have hobbies.  I pursue my passions.  I am surrounded by fabulous people.  I am involved at church.  I come and go as I please.
I am not waiting for a man in order to "start my life."
BUT.
I have the desire to be married.
To share my life with someone.
To love someone with my whole heart.

And every once in a great while, the enemy whispers a very specific lie to me.

"It's never going to happen for you."

On a rough day, I believe it and I get discouraged.

But then I remind myself of what I already know:
My Jesus is faithful.
The desires of my heart are from Him.
He has big plans for me.
He loves me more than I can even imagine.
He wants what's best for me.
His timing is perfect.
His ways are higher than my ways.

The word says...
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. [Psalm 37:4]
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:6-7]
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. [Jeremiah 29:11]
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [Romans 8:28]
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! [Isaiah 30:18]

So.
In those moments when being single sucks, I will stand on His word.  I will remember His promises.  I will fill my heart with hope.
And I will live a purposeful, fabulous life in the meantime :)

Short and sweet.

New York.  Parties, showers, Sip 'n Sees.  Field Trips.  Picnics.  Awards Ceremony.  Shoooooting.   Business meetings.  Worship Team Audition.  Zoo.  Weddings.  Super Kids Day.  Pack Up Classroom.  Say Goodbye to Kids.  California.

April--check.

May--check.

And now it's...

SUMMER!

Once we're done hiding from tornadoes, I'll be ready for summer school, yoga, pool days, reading, NOT moving, lots of shoots and a trip home to see my family and the bestie :)

The Story of New York.

Back in April, I mysteriously disappeared onto a sleeper bus, leaving most of my Facebook friends and co-workers a little confused.

I'm here to fill in the blanks, but it requires some background information. 

Rewind to the year 2004.

After I graduated from high school, I moved to Texas and did an internship with Teen Mania Ministries.  During the day, I did promotional calling for the on-campus production company, which also functions as a film and television school called the Center for Creative Media.  I stayed a second year, this time as a student at CCM on the Production Management track and a Peer Advisor for the first year CCM girls. 

Fast forward to March of this year.

I'd been stewing and dreaming about missions and photography, and decided that my old boss from CCM would be an ideal person to include in my plans.  We met up at Tulsa Acquire the Fire and he immediately got me connected with other photographers and started making suggestions for my next steps.  Just a few weeks later, he called and gave me an incredible opportunity.  He was taking all the CCMers to work at the greater New York area ATF and needed a photographer to take some stills at the event!  I was ecstatic and started working out the details right away!

The experience was amazing.
I loved meeting new people, seeing the magical city of New York and working this incredible event.

There was this moment where time stood completely still.  I had my camera in hand and was suddenly and entirely overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord.  I stopped and looked around me at the thousands of people worshiping and felt so completely fulfilled.  What a blessing to be doing something you love and glorifying the Lord with it.  I couldn't have asked for a cooler way to spent that week.