nobody likes you when you're 23

This weekend my house was filled to the brim with dogs and people. I like to think they were all in town for my birthday on Saturday. I turned 23 and I spent the day up on top of Schweitzer at Fall Fest with my favorite boy, our friend, my aunt and uncle who were in from out of town, and my family - minus Jim because he was too cool to drive over from Seattle (insert winky face).

The view from the top of the mountain was gorgeous and the hard cider and elephant ears weren't bad either. Plus, I'm pretty easy to please so I was just happy that everyone was here and that I didn't have to work. 

Birthday weekend celebration was in full swing yesterday too on the lake in a tube behind the boat. Every wave is a personal challenge and it takes quite a bit to throw me off into the water. The only downside I have found to this comes the next day when my shoulders and forearms scream at me every time I try to move them. Worth it.

And come tomorrow I will be walking into a classroom full of sarcastic teenagers who aren't ready to say goodbye to summer and hello to homework. It's so crazy that this time last year I was a student teacher and now I'm the one who's large and in charge. The world is not ready for me yet! I'm taking the education world by surprise. I will warp values! I will twist minds! All in the name art! Muahahahaha!

All in all though, as I look back through all of the things I have done this summer, it has been a good one. I started out in Honduras and then I spent time with Nathan. I went camping, I went to Silverwood and Boulder Beach. I went fishing. I went tubing. I cliff dived and jumped off a rope swing. I worked in a restaurant. I made new friends and caught up with old ones. I herded cattle in a truck. I took Daniel's senior pictures. I soaked in a hot tub underneath a sky full of stars. I went to the fair and ate elephant ears and jumped on a trampoline. I fell asleep to thunder and lightning. There were adventures galore. I'm not ready to see this summer off just yet, but I am excited to walk into my classroom tomorrow and start my first year of teaching.

I don't know what this school year is going to bring and I can't predict the challenges that will come my way, but I do know that this is going to be one of the greatest life adventures I will ever embark on. I am so happy that I have the family I do, that I have Nathan, that I have God watching out for me, and that I'm in the position I am in now.

I remember I used to wonder what it would be like to be 23. I wondered where I would be, what I would be doing, where I would live. I would have never imagined that I would be in a full time salaried position living in the same town where I grew up. God is so good and I am so blessed.

a long post with lots of pictures. you've been warned.

So basically Houston rocks my socks off. Spending time with two people I love dearly and their three beautiful children was just exactly what I needed. And even though I didn't really want to leave Texas, I feel more rejuvenated to live life and make decisions. It was good for my soul.

Anyway, after we hit up Galveston we moved on to the zoo and spent the day taking a bazillion pictures of different animals. Lions, tigers, leopards, chimps, lemurs, jellyfish, sea turtles, giraffes, you know the drill. Sometimes I think I could go to the zoo every day.

After our crazy zoo adventures that involved terrorizing various wild animals and sketching giraffes while eating pepperoni pizza, we felt like we'd been run over by trucks. It was time for a nap. And also some Shipley's donuts.

On Thursday Joel and I hit up the Museum of Fine Arts. Holy buckets, you guys! I could have stayed there for days. Days I tell you! The Picasso Black and White exhibit was there and if it hadn't been 17 extra dollars I don't think we would have looked at anything else in the whole building.

But as it was, we walked around looking at all of this historical painting! Good gravy there were rooms upon rooms of all this amazing artwork. I almost couldn't handle it and I'm pretty sure I took pictures of almost everything just like an art crazed teenage girl. I mean, I got to look at pieces of art created by masters. Masters! People who lived in the 1700s and the 1800s and can you just imagine for a second what that is like? To stand in front of a painting that van Gogh himself created. Van Gogh is my BMW of the art world. It seriously doesn't really matter what it was that he painted and I will still love it just because it's van Gogh. For real. There wasn't much of his work though, so I took pictures of everything else. And then I collaged them on Instagram like a wannabe hipster. I'm the coolest.

there is a tunnel that takes you from one building of the museum to another and it is crazy awesome. it changes from red to violet lighting and it was probably one of my most favorite parts of my visit!

this is a detail shot of that awesome skull artwork. the whole thing was filled with all sorts of crazy awesome stuff. I think we stood in front of it for at least ten minutes finding different gems. It was fantastic!

i wanted to buy this mug so bad!!

Friday night was my last night in good old Texas, so we spent it watching Wreck-it Ralph, eating ice cream and soaking in the hot tub. Saturday morning came way too early and saying good bye to the Humans and Joel and Mandy was not something I really wanted to do. The week flew by too fast!

i had to take a picture of the stop lights. they are sideways! which is super weird!

7:00 in the morning came waaayyyy too early. But the sunrise was gorgeous.

Monday got here way too quickly bringing with it the start of the work week. But here we are, back to the daily grind. Basketball and library books, high school students and homework. Gearing up for the start of the 4th quarter and ultimately the end of the year. I can't believe how quickly time is flying.



So Monday, hit me with your best shot. Let's do this.

the theme park

August has been the busiest month of my life, I think. I've been pulling lots of long hours at the local theme park where I spend my time dressed in a somewhat Victorian era costume making not even remotely somewhat Victorian caffeinated beverages for people of varying coffee knowledges and expectations.

You know, I was accused of "probably just learning" to make coffee drinks based solely on the fact that I did not put one man's idea of enough ice in his mocha. I tried to play off like it was no big deal, but inside I was outraged. How dare you tell me how to do my job when you have zero experience in the coffee world? Past and present baristas being picky, I understand. But everyday people? I know you have your favorite coffee house, but you are not there so don't be offended when it's done a little differently, mkay? Mkay.

And now that we cleared that up, lets move on to bigger and better things. Like The Boy's first Silverwood experience.

Check out that girl in the background. Photobombing at it's finest, I assure you. 

We got to the park right as it opened, so we milled around main street drinking coffee and eating rock candy. It was my first experience with rock candy. I chose watermelon. It was tasty, but I could only take so much of it before I was just over the whole thing. Not a big candy eater right here folks, don't look so shocked.

Once the park rides opened we spent basically all our time riding roller coasters and making fun of each other. Then we found this store with a million hats out front and we had to try them all on.

Our best Neal Caffery impressions.

I can't get enough of this kid. He rocks my world. 

Before we left the park for the day I wanted to ride the train. It was the first attraction the park ever owned and it's one of my favorites. Silverwood actually out-bid Walt Disney for old engine number 7 and really? I just think that's cool. Plus there are train robbers and a cute little skit, which I just love. 

But The Boy was running on an hour of sleep and the effects of his iced mocha had completely worn off, so he was sleepy for the train ride and actually napped in the car on the way back home. 

I couldn't not take a picture of this. I was trying not to laugh.

All in all I think it was a successful day. It was definitely the highlight of my week. I mean really, I had The Boy, I had roller coasters, I had a cheesy good time. Me and That Boy, you know, we get pretty cheesy. I forget why but I called him cheesy and he called me cheesecake. And well, but at least I'm sweet.