Sunshine and Padawans....AKA the Beginnings of Summer

Slowly, despite the current Easter cold....summer is ticking closer and closer. So, to commemorate this upcoming change, I've got a few summer looking pictures to share. 

Pretty blonde hair. 

god Clara you are SO FREAKING PHOTOGENIC! IT'S NOT EVEN FAIR! 

And Olivia you too?! Ugh. 

More of an artsy shot I suppose. 

Shadows. From left to right: Olivia, Clara, and me. 

Clara is going to have to beat the guys off with a stick...or at least have me (her crazy friend) scare them off for her. 

Awww, country....um....jedi? 

And, as the title said, here are the padawans. 

Um.....sweetie I don't think you're supposed to hold the lightsaber there.....PS that's my sister in the blue shirt.

RUN!!

Yea, brief post....trying to get back in the swing of things if at all. I mean, I feel myself drifting slowly away from blogging as I am really busy in "real life" and also more focused on writing my book--draft fourteen....yay. So who knows....maybe I'll blog more...maybe I won't.

Photography in the Past...What....Three Months?

I'm gonna be brief with this....I AM NOT DEAD. End of story....now here's some pictures.

I Went Downstairs for Food, I Came Back with Chocolate and a Baby Name

There are things in our lives that come along when we least expect. For instance, your pajama pants getting snagged under your feet while running, causing you to do a somersault across the lawn and ending with your hands and legs bloody, was definitely something you were not expecting this morning when you quietly shuffled out of bed.

Or submitting three photos to a magazine--expecting to wait three to four weeks for a reply--and getting a personal email from the editor three days later complementing your work and letting you know that all the photos you submitted have been accepted.

Or dying to go out and get some new photos and then getting a call from some old photography friends who want to drive out somewhere cool for a photoshoot.

Those are the kind of things that come in without warning, some little, some big, some annoying, some pleasant. Either way they come swarming in throughout your day whether you notice or not, and granted some days are slower than others--but I can gladly say that today has been filled so far by these unexpected moments. One of the most monumental being the possible name choice for our new baby brother.

As you have all been hearing, for the past several months, my family is in the process of adopting another child from China--and we recently underwent the terrible tragedy of a failed adoption.

Katie, the young seven year old girl my family was planning to adopt, had a sudden downturn in her health. Her mental state was deteriorating, and that therefore made her adoption a special case--one in a special classification. My family fought hard, but we were unable to adopt dear Katie. We still pray for her, and it has been a very hard time--especially for my mom. We prayed, and we waited--not easy for us. The odds seemed to be against us and NOTHING was lining up. It was very bleak.

But then, things started to change. In what Joyce Meyer likes to call a "Suddenly" things started to move again. Weeks after the failed adoption--nearly two months actually--my family received news about a new child, a little boy.

We accepted and today we received our letter of acceptance (meaning the orphanage has agreed to continue the adoption.) And therefore, after accepting the referral, we have been busy with preparations.

Picking a name was one really big thing that needed to be accomplished. Today, we believe we have come to a decision.

Levi.

It's a toss up between that and Jonathan, which I personally love, but so far Levi is the number one choice.

Please pray as we continue down this road, and wait to see where the Lord wants us to go next.


And that I don't do anymore acrobatics on the lawn.

Let's All be Nervous About the New Year Together!

Let's all be nervous together, all of us sitting in our homes tucked away and anxiously watching the clock tick closer and closer to 12:00. Goodbye 2013, hello 2014! 

It's not an unusual thing really, to see how many of us are nervous about the new year. It's actually pretty normal. The new year is an unknown, filled with goods and bads--and we have no clue which side will out weigh the other. It's frighting, exhilarating, daring, and new. It's the new year! 

I have no plans tonight, nothing note worthy or exciting. I'll sit tucked away in my country home watching a movie or two with my family. It suits us just fine, I'm not much of a party goer--so sometimes a relaxing day/night is perfect. 

But there is still the pervading sense that tomorrow the new year begins, and that the slate is wiped clean. For me, it's leaving what has become comfortable, and jumping into something that will either be good or bad. It's a challenge, and a new chance at adventure. And I'm scared of it. 

But 2013 was a wonderful year for me, and I feel blessed. I've learned a lot during it, and while sometimes it took a swift kick to get me to learn my lesson--I never the less learned and moved forward. I feel more comfortable with being me than I did at the start. 

I no longer feel that I have to hide who I am out of fear that others will not accept me--because, after all, if you're not yourself, and you are just projecting a false image of yourself, then the people who like you don't actually like you, but rather the image you have sold them. 

I've also learned that people really don't care a whole heap of a lot about every move you make. Therefore, I shouldn't be worried about what others will think, because most people are busy with their own stories and are concerned about managing their lives. The people who do concern themselves with every move others make aren't the kind of people I want around anyway, so I learned that it's not worth my time to worry about making them happy. 

I've learned so much more over this year, but this was one of the highlights! I've done a lot over this year too, and I've been blessed in amazing ways! :)

I got to be apart of my local theater's production of "The Dixie Swim Club" that was the first big thing that happened in 2013.

Me and my theater friend Taylor! 

I also survived my first semester of college with two A's and a B! That semester also taught me that college isn't the horror story I'd previously thought it was. 

I was a part of my theater's version of the Grand Ole Opry again! Loved being a part of that, though I do regret that there are no pictures to show. :(

I queried agents for the first time about my book, and while none of my letters got me published--I still learned a lot about the publishing world and how to approach an agent. I look forward to trying to use my new found knowledge in the upcoming year!

I had a lot of fun over the summer, but I think the highlight was my trip to Florida! 

Look me! 

We went boating quite a lot! It was one of my favorite things to do during our trip! 

These dolphins were fascinated by our boat, but still remained a respectful distance at all times.

My perch, from which I wrote a lot of my novel!


I also turned 19! One step below the big 2-0 so that was lots of fun.

Yea....not exactly grown up yet am I?

My birthday was beyond amazing, and I'm so grateful to the family and friends who made that possible!

This was night before my birthday--I believe--Jessie spent it with me and we ate lots of Subway and watched "Say Yes to the Dress". Perfect girls night in if you ask me! 

I also developed my interest in photography! I believe the quality of my pictures has grown with time--as seen below. 

The one on the far left is the first time I took Clara's picture--the one at the far right is the most recent time. She's grown so much! She's turning into such a beautiful young woman of God!

I even started doing some pictures for people I knew, which was a huge honor for me! ;) 

I spent a LOT more time with my friends! 

We've grown closer as the year has gone by, and I'm truly grateful for their friendship! 

I also had my first date this year--and while the guy and I didn't stay together, it was still nice to have gone on a date.

My friends and I had a photo accepted into a art magazine, which thrilled us to no end! 

I had my first real job, and enjoyed nearly every minute of it. I worked at a local tourist destination during my fall semester and it was great! I hope to work there again over the summer! 

I made it out of my fall semester with all As and I made the Dean's List for the first time! Yay! Huge blessing there! 

I got an iPod for Christmas, and so now I can terrorize my friends on Instagram! My iPod is my baby right now. :)

Those were just some of my blessings in 2013, and while there was a lot of bad too--I will try to remember the year by the good instead. 

There is also a lot I look forward to in 2014--though I hesitate to say it. 

First off, in the new year, I will be changing my blog name from Just me--which has been it's title since its beginning--to Within Me a Lunatic Sings. This is a big change, but I've been wanting to do this for a while and what better time to make such a big change than at the beginning of the new year, a time when changes are welcomed and exciting! :) But don't worry, I won't be changing my URL, but my blog's actual name will be completely different. 

I look forward to a new year of school, and what new people God will bring into my life. 

On a nerdy note--I look forward to seeing Sherlock, Supernatural, Doctor Who, and The Walking Dead in the new year--I've missed those shows so badly! I also look forward to the first installment of Mockingjay and the final installment in The Hobbit! 

I look forward to all of the writing I hope to accomplish in this year. 

I look forward to turning 20, which is a HUGE milestone when you think about it. My teen years will be gone, and I'll be starting a new part of my life!

There are no New Years resolutions for me, nothing of importance I can think of other than trying to be the best person I can be. 

So whatever your new year brings, I hope it's good and blessed! :) 

Happy New Year, my lovely bloggers!