FL

... was amazing! so basically all the pictures will be appearing on the family blog (see here and here)... but i couldn't resist putting up some of my favorite photos here! :)

the water is perfectly greenish-blueish! aaahh

...and my sister is adorable!

one more comment about the water... it was WARM!!!!!

the sunsets at siesta key are breathtaking

but when the sun was out... shade was crucial!

as usually, daddy went fishing on a few of the days we were there...

while he was out this one time, a dolphin came swimming right up to him.

it was really cool! :)

not sure how easy it is to see its fin in this picture, but we could all see it from the shore...

the whole time (i think) cj had something in his mouth :P haha!

one other thing... my favorite color is yellow and while we were walking around st. armands circle (a beautiful florida shopping island) we saw it...

a YELLOW. CONVERTIBLE. JEEP!

ooooh my. it was cool. and i took a picture with it... :)

we also did a photo shoot on the beach, annnnd mom and dad even took us to epcot!!!

so basically, it was a fun, relaxing vacation! :)))))) goodbyee siesta key! until next time! <3

I Hear the Words of Love - Horatius Bonar

I hear the words of love,
I gaze upon the blood,
I see the mighty sacrifice,
And I have peace with God.

’Tis everlasting peace,
Sure as Jehovah’s Name;
’Tis stable as His steadfast throne,
For evermore the same.

The clouds may go and come,
And storms may sweep my sky;
This blood-sealed friendship changes not,
The cross is ever nigh.

I change—He changes not;
The Christ can never die;
His love, not mine, the resting-place;
His truth, not mine, the tie.

My love is oftimes low,
My joy still ebbs and flows;
But peace with Him remains the same,
No change Jehovah knows.

yuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuum

i get this daily post in my igoogle homepage from simply recipes... and this past one was SO amazingly amazing! i want.

however, since i *stink* at cooking! i couldn't make it :( very sad...

but for all those of you savvy enough... and with enough time... make yourself one of these!!! or better yet, make meeeeeeeeeeeeee one. haha.

http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/sausage_peppers_and_onions/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+elise/simplyrecipes+(Simply+Recipes)&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

4 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

until... dundundundunnnn!

FLORIDA!!!

yes, i am going to SIESTA KEEEEEEEEEY! with my family in four days!!! :D it is the beeeeeesssst. i looooove it.

I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

party funness!!! :)

so these are pictures from last thursday, may 6... right before our fredrick trip. we made lauren a scrapbook album full of pictures and memories! it blessed her, and hey! we had fun making it! :) awesome party pictures...

apparently everyone else got the memo and smiled... but for whatever reason, i frowned... hm :) hahaha! yes, i'm just grumpy...

"quick! everyone pretend to be scared!" "uuh why?" "i don't know, just do it!" hahaha!

ok, so then we ordered pizza, and juan dropped it off at the berry's house... and let's just say abby suddenly had a strong desire to... leap across the hallway in front of him just for the sake of being awkward and... yeah. :) it was hilarious... she pretty much killed us laughing... aaaah. :)

and while assembling the album for lauren, we had to watch a chick-flick! come on!

ok, not much to say here... they paused it just to get a picture... girls, girls... :)

so... fun times! i love you girls so much! :)

Comforts from the Cross

...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be hold and without blemish. || Ephesians 5:25-27.

" He has clothed you in a 'robe of righteousness' (Isaiah 61:10)... When he looks at you, he smiles with contentment and deep affection. He has cleansed you completely so that you are radiant, without any stain or shadow of guilt or impurity. Your wedding dress is as it should be: glistening, white, pure... think: He won't fail to present me to himself 'in splendor' (Ephesians 5:26) because it has, in fact, already been accomplished. "

-Elyse Fitzpatrick, Comforts from the Cross

Your Hands - JJ Heller (Painted Red)

I have unanswered prayers
I have trouble I wish wasn't there
And I have asked a thousand ways
That you would take my pain away
That you would take my pain away

I am trying to understand
How to walk this weary land
Make straight the paths that crooked lie
Oh Lord, before these feet of mine
Oh lord, before these feet of mine

When my world is shaking
Heaven stands
When my heart is breaking
I never leave your hands

One day you will set all things right
Yeah, one day you will set all things right
I never leave your hands, your hands

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me, they hold me still
Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me, they hold me still

history class

... is done. :( i'm so sad! the past two years with my favorite girlies are all over... I'LL NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok, so maybe i will... but not every week! this was the funnest class. ever!

the first year, we had a cute little blog!

we were nerdy little middle schoolers... oh my it was bad.






we did fun, "adventurous" trips to Monticello and D.C. in the middle of the year, and Fredrick for the end party.
then this year, we went to new york city during the 3rd quarter... it was amazing. epic. hilarious. yeah. okkk! haha.

see more pictures from the trip on nicki's blog!

then, today... to cap it all off, we went back to Fredrick... we walked around, went to starbucks (duh!!!), laughed very loudly, and went shopping at vibrant artwear... then we ate at five guys for lunch. we gave lauren (best history class teacher EVER!!!!!) and ally (best lit class teacher EVER!!!!) their presents and cards. since it was laur's last year teaching (sniff, sniff) we gave her an album/scrapbook filled with pictures from the past two years. ooooh memories!!!! we did a fun photoshoot while poor ally voluntarily stayed by the water to watch our purses! we all fell over and jojo and janelle got red stains all over their clothes (and elbow!!!!!!! haha) from trying to go into an abandoned house or something. :)))) hahaa.

then we drove through Mount Airy singing disney songs at the top of our lungs, and of course since we were in the area, we HAD to stop at Jimmy Cone!! we said goodbye and went home... tired, and (at least i was) feeling fat! haha! jimmy cone and starbuck within four hours or so! :PPPP haha! good thing we walked around a little!

retiring history teacher :( i'll miss you lauren! it's been amazingly fun!!!!! aaaah!

yay! ally's still teaching next year! see this adorable pictures of her and her little baby boy, caleb! :))))

oooh abby abby abby.... :) you kill me. 'nough said. haha! i love you!

this is nicki, one of the sweetest girls i know!

my good friend kayla... i'll miss you next year!

and of course my darling rachel! she wasn't in history, but she was in lit... so i included a pic of her! :) haha! <3

jojo... and no, matt damon was NOT in our class! ooooh jojo. "where's my phone!!?!?!?!" "mom!? just tell me where the cigarette lighter is!?" :)))) haha!

ellie wikipedia!!! :) go gangsta!!! haha! love you girlie!

ellie martha stewart! haha! i love you muchoooo! :)

ohhhhhh! you girls are the best! i have so much fun with you all!

lauren! I'M GOING TO MISS YOU!!!!!!! :( this was such a fun class! thanks for teaching!

gypsy earrings!

ok. so random thought.

i saw THESE on etsy (which is by the way, a very cool place to buy handmade cute things online!) and they are very cool / weird. i dont know...

not so sure i'd actually wear them. but, yeah. i like them...

:)