Happy Birthday Tommy!

Today is one on my little brother's birthday. He turned 11! Wow. Seems like just a couple years ago he was born... (and that wasn't cliche or anything...) We spent the day with my Dad's first cousin and his daughter from AZ and some dear family friends who are my adopted family. :) Here are some pictures from the day. Enjoy!

Heading out to Red Rocks Open Space

 

 

 

 

 

Nate on the Teeter-Totter

Steve kinda crashed

The guys

Teeter-totter side 1

Teeter-totter side 2 (aka trying to launch Tom)

Nate and Steve being Nate and Steve...

and again, Nate and Steve, being Nate and Steve.

Everybody piled in the Jeep with Ed and Jessie

Happy Birthday Tommy!

Lunch at Chick-fil-a!

Swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's :)

Needless to say, it was a very good day :) Happy Birthday, lil brother!

the top 10 best things about summertime

10) Wildflowers. There are amazing flowers. Indian Paintbrush, Columbines, Sweet Peas (one of my favorites), and Wild Roses (another favorite). 

Wild roses 

9) Fresh Produce. All of the seasonal items like, watermelon, fresh peaches, and fresh herbs cannot be beat. The flavors are a great part of summertime. 

8) Afternoon Thunderstorms. Yes, I usually don't like rain and I do complain about these storms occasionally (mainly because of the lightening...) The loud claps of thunder, cool refreshingness after the rain, yes it is a good thing. 

7) The Prospect of Sleep. During the semester, sleep is a precious commodity and usually hard to come by. So far this summer, sleeping hasn't really happened a ton...but the prospect and the thought that it could and might be possible is lovely. 

6) Catching Up on Reading. I love reading and being able to read something other than text books is amazing! 

5) The Long Daylight Hours. I love how light it stays so late. It gives me way more time to do things outside 

4) Being Able to Run Outside. I love being outside. In the winter, running outside is a miserable ordeal. In the summer, it is just a purely amazing experience. 

3) Hiking. It's one the best stress relievers and one of my all time favorite activities. 

The Cadet Area from Eagle's Peak 

A random waterfall 

Another view from Eagle's Peak 

Me overlooking the Cadet Area at USAFA

2) Hanging out with friends. Having time to do random things with my friends is one of the best things about summer. 

Em and I on Eagle's Peak 

Us and the WLE gang at Stanley Canyon

Me and my people on Eagle's Peak

1) Spending Time with My Family. They sacrifice so much and we don't always get to see each other a lot. Summer gives us time do that more.

My awesome siblings 

Reggie 

Viv and I before a party

These are just a few of the reasons why I love summer <3 

{in the pursuit of excellency}

why do we do what we do? why do we push ourselves? why do we care? i've been asking myself these questions on a fairly regular basis, recently. why do i care so much about school? why do i push myself through it? why do i run the stairs until i can't breath and have no control over my legs? as i listen to one of my friend's homework to do list (which is always miles long, but she get's it done and gets on with her life.), i ask myself "why do we do it?" is it to get attention? is it to impress others? is it that we're trying to reach an ideal? are we trying to change ourselves into someone we want to be someday? are we trying to achieve greatness? i'm not sure. there are things we push ourselves through just to say that we did them, like snowboarding down a black when i am terrified of heights (well that and my brothers told me i either had to or else...and we were at the top of the mountain....) Other times pushing through something physically (like running) helps me process things. it is important for my mental sanity. i am taking a summer chem class. i keep asking myself  "why? why? why?" (as i bang my head against the wall). why am i doing it? well because it's 5 credits, in 4 weeks and it's getting me one step closer to my end goal of my biochem minor. when it's all said and done, i will be happy that i pushed myself through it. very similar to the way that i am happy after a hard workout . in the end pushing through, working towards greatness, attempting to better yourself is a powerful tool. if you have that drive, what is going to stop you? yourself. so just keep pushing through and enjoy the high and the happiness along the way.