I am a graduate!

dress: urban vibe // belt: thrifted // shoes: famous footwear






Can you even believe it? After twelve years and five different schools, I've finally graduated. It's so crazy and weird to think that this (long) chapter of my life is finally over. I'm thankful and sad, but mostly thankful that I can put these years behind me and look forward to real life.

Here's a little bit of history because I love history: I went to CHA from the last half of kindergarten until first grade, then we moved to Alaska where I was homeschooled until the second half of third grade, I went to Mt. Spur on the base for the rest of third grade, then went to ACS for fourth grade. Our family then moved back to Oklahoma and I attended CHA again from fifth to tenth grade. Then we moved back to Alaska where I fought through the last two years of high school. It's been a crazy journey and I could go on for hours about all the adventures from each school ... it's amazing how much I can remember; and I look back and see how everything has shaped me into who I am today.

And now it's all over. Can't say that I'm sad about it. The last two years were rough. I didn't take very kindly to moving away from all my friends, but the few friends I have made in Alaska really saved my life. They are the best ever and I truly don't know what I would do without them. Yeah, yeah, cliche saying, but if it weren't for the people that truly care for me, I wouldn't be me.



For my graduation outfit I wore the pearl necklace Matt got for me in Hawaii and the cat necklace his mom got for me as a graduation present. I love his family so so much and I'm so glad I get to be a part of it!

And now for all the photos from May 15th, the big day, the day to end all days! ... okay here we go.




It started off with the grandparents' lunch at school, which I really enjoyed because my grandparents flew all the way up from Oklahoma to watch me graduate and it was awesome being able to spend time with them. They both have such amazing stories and I just love hearing all the random adventures they have together.

Just to warn you, there are a million and one photos coming up, but that's okay because they're awesome photos, haha.





If you'll peer closely, you'll see me handing off a little green army man to our principle. Nearly everyone had one (except for lame people who pretended to lose them because they're silly) and it was so hilarious watching our principle laugh even harder after he shook another hand with a little green army man! By the end there was a huge green pile where our diplomas used to sit.




Woohoo! I GRADUATED!!




This is my lovely family, minus my father who was taking the pictures. We're attractive, I know.



Look at how smoking hot my mom is! But she had shoulder surgery so she's been wearing a sling, but hey, that is one sexy mama.







Aah my siblings. My partners in crime. I'm going to miss these hooligans. (From left to right:) William is obsessed with plants and violins, and his latest scheme is to major in music in college. Moriah loves loves loves Harry Potter and owls. She wants to be a writer and is pretty much exactly like me. Nicholas is my pretty boy quarterback, even though he's probably never touched a football in his life. He is extremely talented when it comes to guitars and random car knowledge.

Together we make awesome videos, get into trouble, and are just a little bit too loud at the supper table.


This is Annika, the girl I tutor in math. She is the sweetest girl ever and I'm going to miss all our crazy math sessions together!










My two best friends (minus Rory, who was talking to some chicks when this photo was taken). I love you guys so much!
Jacob is the computer genius and can hack into any computer. He drives super fancy cars and has awesome hair, obviously.
And Matt is, well, awesome. He's my boyfriend. He's going into filmmaking and is going to be a famous movie director one day.


Aaah there's Rory! He used to have a lisp when he was little and whenever he went to the supermarket he asked his mom for suckers ... so she taught him how to say lolipops. He's full of awesome stories like that and he is the funniest person I know.


This is Aly! She's made an appearance on this blog before. She and I like to get in trouble a lot. And that's all I'm allowed to say. ;)


This is Wolfe! He likes to dent cars and get stuck on the mud flats. He says he hates when people talk about that, but he secretly loves it. He makes all the ladies swoon and is going to be the next American Idol.


And this is my friend Shannon! She was my very first friend in Alaska and really helped me feel welcome when pretty much all the other girls ignored me. She's a wizard when it comes to sign language and acting and tries to give her best effort in everything.




I also took a lot of film photos so hopefully I can get those developed soon (and have them actually be somewhat decent). It's still hard to believe that high school is over. It probably won't hit me until I get on the plane to go to college.

But in the meantime ... IT'S SUMMER!

the great escape from our feeble minds

day 39



I've been busy trying to get done with school work early because I'm flying to Oregon tomorrow! I'm attending a scholarship competition with my future college, plus I get to see the campus for the very first time. I'm incredibly excited and nervous and I really hope I do well and can actually talk to strangers articulately for once.

I had a revelation today in my school's chapel program, and I really wish I had this revelation a lot sooner. I've been so bitter about people who don't care about others, specifically because I've personally been hurt by their apathy. I've been judging people based upon their amount of concern for others (which it's wrong to judge people anyways), but then I wondered if other people judge me by my amount of concern for others. And though we aren't supposed to care about what others think of us and instead be who we want to be and step to the beat of our own drum or whatever, I don't want to give others a legitimate reason to not like me. And I've been so filled with myself that even though I see the hurt of others I do nothing, and my excuse is that people should reach out to me because I've been hurting. But that's a horrible awful way of thinking. It should never be about me.

There's an age old saying that says in order to make a friend you have to be one. We've all been told that since we were little. At least I have. It's been imprinted into my mind. But I guess it never was a conscious thought that in order to make a friend, I have to die to myself and seek to help those who are hurting instead. Who cares if I'm hurting? I can't wait around for someone to be my friend, or even for someone to just come talk to me. I have to be the one--I get to be the one person a hurting person wishes would come to them.

So I guess that's my revelation for today. Let us see how long it will stick. And I'm hoping it actually will because I feel as though once I reach out to people instead of waiting for someone to help me, I will automatically be healed because I actually have a friend. (And this is not to say that I don't have any friends ... I know it always sounds that way when I talk about this. I'm really only referring to a few people who used to be my friends but then completely left even though we still see each other everyday. And that really hurts a lot because they claim all these righteous actions and yet it was as if I suddenly didn't matter to them. Plus it's just hard going through life without a close girl friend.)

But anyways. I'm not sad at all. Quite the contrary. Because tomorrow I'm hopping on a plane (I love planes!) and I'm flying towards new opportunities. And no worries, I'm definitely going to take a million and one pictures and videos of everything. Oh it shall be spectacular.

I'll try to keep everyone up to date through the 365, but honestly I don't know what my schedule will be like so I don't know if I'll be able to even post.

In the meantime, have an awesome rest of the week!