Cheesecake Conundrum

I normally don't like cheesecake but this cheesecake was epically amazing! It was so good but also really difficult to cut. It was about a ten minute process to cut and serve the cake, which including arguing about how best to do it. Veronica started and then Eric's mom had to take over because V was taking too long. How many college doesn't it take to cut a cake? About five apparently.

Getting Older

You know you're getting old when your younger sisters turns 21. This marks the year that I turn 23 (even though it's only six and half months away - it's still a scary thought). You know what else is not fair - that she is done with school and I am not. What kind of universe do we live in where she gets a month head start on summer vacation?

Hey Jude

I love this picture of Robyn and Danny. They had a beautiful ceremony (and are also the reason I'm really behind on blog posts, editing all their pictures). I think the best part was Robyn walked down the aisle to "Hey Jude" by the Beatles. It was epic and amazing.

Oh Bryce

I love this kid. He cracks me. I hear he is a very active child but he somehow manages to be shy around me all the time. Well I will break him of that this summer. Yes his dad is my project director and I get the joy of hanging out with him a lot.

Tyrone Wells

Two years ago my wonderful area cord decided that our area meeting (which met during the UU concert hour) was best served by seeing the Tyrone Wells concert. And to see him come back - made me want to tell him my story. While I never told Tyrone - I did tell everyone sitting around me.

Graduation Cupcakes

So my boss today made graduation cucpakes for myself and Kate who are both graduating this year. She does something like for every person who graduates from our office - I also received a Worst Case Survival Guide: Work book. It has everything you need to know about surviving work such as how to deal with a mean boss to how to get a job you aren't qualified for.

Team Awesome

This was my SGLT group (small group leadership training) for this year. The future small group leaders are awesome and put up with me taking a million pictures of them with my camera. I think we are couple of studs - well we are Team Awesome.

Four Years....

My cork board is a lovely collage of the last four years - maybe even more (there are a couple of mementos from high school on here). I love this board - it's fully of crazy things - my favorite thing in my room (minus my wall of love/pictures)

Brunch and a New Camera

Stephen invited me and some other friends over for brunch today. And of course it was a great chance for me to pull out my new camera.

So of course I was taking a ton of pictures of everything and with my new speedlight flash - I was extra annoying at it too.

But then you get beautiful pictures like this one and everyone is ok with my constant picture taking.

Downtown Adventures

Evening begins at Firestone where Claire has her first "full" alcoholic drink as a legal adult (which she had me finish). We then went to Bali's to see the a bunch of kids going to their prom and we shared our own prom horror stories. We then looked at Barnes and Noble (because it's the only thing open) and met up with Claire's high school friends. After a sufficiently awkward moment (enough to fill my quota for the week) we had a cake celebration on Marsh Street. Only in SLO.

Banquet without Food

Every year we have the IVSLO end of year banquet and if you let me stand on my soap box for just a second - we should really change the name because we always have to eat dinner beforehand. There are desserts and appetizers sometimes but never a full fledged meal - so people let's get an accurate name here.
Anyway, this is the picture of my lovely area cord team and as Robyn was shouting at me to get down there, I was surprised because it was to actually be in a picture, instead of taking it.

Toasts

What you may not be able to tell from this picture is there is about 50 people in my house right now, and each of us has a plastic champagne fluke full of sparkling cider because this is what our leader meetings look like. If only this was every meeting, that would be amazing. No, this is a special occasion, where we toasted to God and to each other for what happened this year. No tears - that I saw - so that was pretty unusual.

Wednesday Nights

Where am I at 10:30 on a Wednesday night? Why I'm on campus of course because it's bible study night. It used to be Tuesday night as the typical IV bible study night and we used to always meet in the dorms when I was a young freshman but how the times have changed. I guess the UU really is the IV kicking spot.

Area T-Shirt of Awesomeness

First of all - purple t-shirts are amazingly cool. Second of all, who doesn't like their face on a t-shirt. And it's of my wonderful area leaders. I love our new t-shirts and I can't wait to wear mine all the time.

Thanks Greg

I love making the IV slideshow - not just because I get to control how it looks (and I'm very picky about how slideshows should look) but I also get a ton of free pictures. Including this amazing one from Urbana that my friend Greg took. I love it in so many ways - the black and white, the off center arch - it fills my heart with joy.

Picture Wall

One thing I love about Nautical Bean (other than the coffee, the people, the food, the couches, the study space) is they always have different photos on the wall. This one was a wedding/couple photographer and made everyone look really cute. My dream one day is to be able to put one of my photos up on the wall - it would be a magical dream come true - especially if it came with free coffee.

Twenty Two!

It was Nicole's 22nd birthday so we went out for drinks at CPK. For some reason the 22nd birthday is an easily overlooked one because the 21st is usually so epic. I completely forget to celebrate with my friends (add in finals and Christmas holidays to complicate it) and suddenly I realize that I'm getting nearer to being 23 than I was to turning 22. Ok maybe I'm prematurely freaking out about getting older - I just don't want to be a real adult yet.

Unity Night

This is the second year in a row I've participated in Unity Night Last minute. Last year I was in a skit that we asked to put in the program like a week before, this year I asked our worship leader if he needed help and three days before I was put in the worship band.

Ferris Wheel

"Life isn't always beautiful but it's a beautiful ride."

So this is one of many art projects around our house. THe perks of living with an art major - free decorations.

My New Baby

Ok it's not a real baby of course but it's my new joy. And it's coming in a week and a half. I'm so freaking excited! In spite of all the frustration that graduation brings (you know figuring out my future and all that) this is the real perk - graduation presents. That's not meant to sound snobby - but I love that I am able to upgrade my camera to take better pictures than before.

Senior Portrait

So I was reminded (if not slightly - ever so slightly reprimanded) for not putting up a self portrait for May. Kari's wedding was on May 1st and that was more important than my face (as pretty as it is and all). So here it is on May 11 - just an extra 1 so don't worry.

This was taking by my Jr. High small group leader at my High School campus for my College senior portrait. Fun yes?

Graduation Photos

I love taking grad portraits for my friends because not only do I get to spend time with them, take pictures of beautiful people, but I also get to free food. Because that is my rate for photos - free dinner (made or treated). Of course this is only for my friends. :)

Firestone Fun

Firestone french fries and tri-tip sandwiches. What more could a person ask for. SLO is very white when it comes to their food choices (especially those they do well) - this includes a variety of bbq and sandwiches. I do love eating here. 

Why Did the Turkey Cross the Road?

I don't know why but I do know that there was in fact a turkey crossing the road. In SLO. Weird...

Bosnia Breakfast Burrito Bonanza

Yes it was a Bonanza bash of epic proportions. This is the standard fundraiser for the Bosnia team. But the alliteration used here reminds me of in the 7th grade my teacher had a review game for one of her test called the Bodacious Bible Bumble Bowl and my team was the Bodacious Bible Bumblebees. But that has nothing to do with this picture.

Speechless

Really what else can be said? Except I go to school here! Take that smog!

Cliffnotes

Guess what I did today? Yes I studied for the CSET exam - all four English subtests. I know I'm crazy - and I get to spend five hours out of my Saturday taking this test. Oh the joy. This book has now replaced Virginia Woolf as my best friend. Don't worry V.W. - it's only temporary.

Plaid

We went out to Red Robin for Jeanette's birthday (because she gets a free hamburger) and Meghan, myself, and Josiah all wore plaid. It is definitely the cool thing to do.

Thank You

Laura and Ben Rutter stayed at our house while we were in Washington and they left us the most beautiful flowers as a thank you. Which was funny because we stole some of the flowers from the wedding before left and left them as a thank you to our hostess. Ben and Laura probably paid for these - they aren't poor college students.

Seabeck

This is the view from the house we stayed at while in Washington for Jimmy and Kari's wedding. It was amazingly beautiful. It looked like another world. It's this tiny town called Seabeck - north of Seattle. And this house is huge too!

Mr. and Mrs. Dixon

I can't believe that Kari and Jimmy are married. This was of course their getaway car - that they drove around the block. Anyway, Kari comes up to me and asks me to take pictures of her and Jimmy with the car. When I asked where her photographers went, she told me their time limit was up. So I was the replacement.