Living Life to the Fullest

Random Old Favorites

2012-01-05T18:42:00.000-06:00

I was going through some of my old photos tonight and thought I would share a few of my favorites.

Week 13: "Light"

2010-06-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

52 Week Project: Week 12- "In Action"

2010-06-02T08:41:00.000-05:00

52 Week Project: Week 11- "Pop of Color"

2010-05-23T20:05:00.004-05:00

52 Week Project: Week 10

2010-05-14T20:59:00.004-05:00

"Wood"

52 Week Project: Week 9

2010-05-11T17:36:00.005-05:00

"Textures"

This week was a fun one. My mom and I both wanted to work on capturing diffferent kinds of textures. It is so much easier to capture the rough ones. Soft textures just don't take as well. But, here is what I caught!
(The furry one is seal fur from Alaska)

Here is the site my mom and I have together for our pictures:
http://www.williamsproject52.blogspot.com/

52 Week Project: Week 8

2010-05-04T14:59:00.005-05:00

"New Beginnings"

This week was a little tough. I figured flowers are always a sign of a new season and a new life. I really wanted to go to a farm and take pictures of baby chicks or lambs, but time didn't allow for it. So, this is what I came up with for this week!

52 Week Project: Week 7

2010-04-26T12:56:00.004-05:00

"Black and White"

52 Week Project: Week 6

2010-04-18T18:04:00.004-05:00

"Yellow"

52 Week Project: Week 5

2010-04-13T08:17:00.007-05:00

"Old"

This weeks theme was "old". I really wanted to get creative this week and try to think outside the box. Unfortunately, I came down with a bad cold and was out of commission for most of the week. I was able to go out and get some pictures Easter weekend before the cold hit hard. New England has such a rich history, and I knew I wanted to take advantage of that for this weeks photos. I explored a few old cemeteries, which were really interesting! Quite a few of the other pictures were taken around Strawberry Banke, which where the original settlement area of Portsmouth was.

52 Week Project: Week 4

2010-04-03T22:06:00.007-05:00

"Hands"

52 Week Project: Week 3

2010-03-27T11:00:00.008-05:00

"Footwear"

This weeks theme has been my favorite so far. I really had to consciously make an effort to plan the photoshoots. I wanted to try new things and it was fun to experiment with different lighting and backgrounds. I also wanted to focus on the details of some of the shoes. For example, the picture below is of a very well loved heel of a shoe. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

l

52 Week Project: Week 2

2010-03-21T09:57:00.004-05:00

"Dogs"

This week proved to be a little harder. Not having my own dogs to shoot, I had to take pictures when my friend brought her dogs over. Her dogs Miles and Shorty, were so cute, but a little camera shy. For some reason, Miles climbed into our bathtub to take a nap. It scared the bee-jeebies out of me when I heard rustling from behind the shower curtain. All of a sudden a little nose poked out and it was Miles, just hanging out in our bathtub! I thought it was so funny, that I couldn't resist getting a pitcure of it!

52 Week Project: Week 1

2010-03-13T11:17:00.003-06:00

"Signs of Spring"

Spring has arrived here in Exeter, NH! All of the pictures below were taken at a park within walking distance of my house. It is so nice to see people out and about enjoying the sunshine!

52 Week Project

2010-03-13T11:12:00.002-06:00

After being inspired by our family friend Kari Douma of Kari Douma Photography, my mom and I decided to do our own photography project! Each week we will pick a theme together. We then have to take pictures according to that theme. At the end of the week, we will post our pictures on our blogs and share them with each other and all of you! It'll be interestng to see our different perspectives each week. How different will our pictures be just because of where we live? Will the differences in our generations show? I am so excited about this project!

2010-02-03T14:47:00.003-06:00

I didn't actually mean to post my last post on here! Opps! It was meant for my photography blog. But, oh well. Most of you have probably seen those pictures before, but there they are again!!

Things are going well here. My nephew Jackson is doing great! He is so adorable and I love his little mohawk! hehe. :)

The past two weeks have been really busy at work. I am part of the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee and all of our events have been going on. Last Thursday was the opening of the art exhibit done by multicultral high school boys. I had some great conversations with the boys afterwards. It was great! Sunday was the spiritual celebration at a local church. It was neat the see the church packed with people! Tomorrow is the big day. We have the poet, Nikki Giovanni speaking. There's both an afternoon and an evening event.

In other news, I was asked by my boss if I would be interested in starting up a local youth group through the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People). I am really excited about it, and presented by idea at the NAACP meeting this past Monday. It went really well!

Pictures of the MLK events to come! I have to find my camera cord!

Catching Up

2010-02-02T18:57:00.015-06:00

Finally an update!! So much has happened in the past few months, that I decided it was best to just post some of my favorite pics. A few of these were taken in Ashland, WI, some in Northern Michigan and most were taken in my new home; Southern New Hampshire. Enjoy!

I'm an Aunt!!!

2010-01-10T18:29:00.004-06:00

Jackson Wayne Williams was born at 4am yesterday. He is 9 lbs. and 15 oz. He is a gorgeous litte chubby thing with black wavy hair. I am so in love with him already!

My dad called Friday afternoon to let me know that Kimi was in labor and that mom was in the hospital with her. I then got a call around 9 that things had stopped progressing due to the fact that Kimi had a fever and they had her packed in ice. My stomach was in knots and I didn't know what to do with myself while I was waiting for more news. A few hours later dad called again to say things were underway again and Kimi was doing better. I attempted to get some sleep and dad called again just before 4 to let me know that Kimi went in for an emergency C-section. Just after 4, mom and Nikki called to let me know I was an Auntie! I could hear Jackson screaming in the background, which of course set me to tears! I was just beside myself with joy!!! It felt like he was never going to get here! I spent a good chunk of the day yesterday checking my email for new pictures and talking to my family on the phone. This morning at 9:30 dad called again to tell me that Jackson was being taken by ambulance to Marquette General Hospital because he had pnuemonia. My mom was able to go and be with him, after convincing the doctors that she should have the right to go, since Kimi can't leave the hospital until Tuesday. Kimi also still has a fever, but is doing a little better. Mom will be staying with Matt in Marquette. Nikki and Sierra (our very close family friend) are taking turns being with Kimi in the hospital. My dad ended up in the urgent-care himself with a bad sinus infection and can't be in the room with Kimi until he is better. It's been a huge emotional rollercoaster. Prayers would be much appreciated and as soon as I hear anything, I will update.

Slow Recovery

2010-01-04T10:45:00.003-06:00

Saturday, my parents drove me to Marquette to stay with Matt for the night. My flight for Sunday morning was at 6:45 am, so it was easier to stay with Matt rather than have my parents drive the two hours early Sunday morning. We met up with Nikki, Steve, and Matt at Hudson's for dinner.

Saturday night, my stomach pains grew worse and I barely slept at all that night. I woke up yesterday at 4:45 am to finish packing my things up and head out to the airport. My stomach hurt so bad and my whole body was shaking horribly, that I knew there was no way I could handle 10 hours of travel. After consulting with my parents, I rescheduled my flight for Tuesday and had my brother take me to the walk-in-clinic. I loathe going to the doctors and anything that has to do with medical stuff, but I had been in pain for 6 days, without much sleep or food, and I knew I needed to make sure it wasn't something serious. They took my blood and later on ruled out appendicitis and a gallbladder infection. The doctor said she thinks it is just a severe viral infection. She said to eat the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast) and to drink lots of fluids and that it should only last 7-14 days. I wanted to cry! There is no way I can handle another 8 days of this! Matt and I picked up the BRAT foods and some stomach meds and headed back to his apartment. I was able to get some sleep on and off and even took a shower! That night I was feeling worse and felt like this was never going to end. I finally fell asleep and slept straight through the night with little pain. Thank goodness! This morning I got up, drank some Gatorade and have had 4 crackers with no problem. I am keeping my fingers crossed! I am thankful to have such a good brother who lets his sick sister crash at his apartment, takes care of me, and will wake up early to bring me to the airport tomorrow! I owe him big!

So, hopefully, I am on the road to recovery and will have a good flight home tomorrow! I will keep you posted!

The Rest of the Pictures

2010-01-04T10:19:00.009-06:00

Kimi's Baby Shower and the Gift I Made for Baby Jackson's Nursery

Beautiful Winter Scenes

A Pajama Christmas Breakfast with the Bishop Family

A Holiday Tradition: Dad Reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve

Baking Cookies at Kimi's Apartment and Decorating Them Back at Home

Visiting Mom and Nikki during there holiday parties and concert

Trip to Carleen's and NYC

At my friend Sherry's Holiday Cocktail Party

The Grant House Admissions Office Holiday Party

2010-01-01T13:15:00.000-06:00

Our fireplace and the first snow.

2010-01-01T13:11:00.001-06:00

I went to upstate New York with my roomate and her family for Thanksgiving. We drove through the Green Mountains of Vermont to get there.

2010-01-01T12:57:00.004-06:00

Here are a few pictures I took while on a walk on the beach on a 70 degree November day!

New Year

2010-01-01T11:23:00.005-06:00

I'll be completely honest. I have not updated my blog in over 2 months because I have so much to write, I am not really sure where to begin it. So, once again, I will do it in chunks.

LOSS:
The past month and a half have been really hard. I lost my grandpa the day after thanksgiving. I was in Northern New York with my roomate and her family for Thanksgiving, when I got the call from my family. Even though I knew it was coming, it was still much harder than I thought it would be. The hardest part about the whole thing, was not being able to fly home for the funeral. The day of the funeral, I went home from work early and Nikki put me on speakerphone so I could at least hear the whole thing. It was pretty scratchy and I couldn't make out everything, but I could tell who was speaking, when people were laughing, when there was a prayer, or music, etc. At the end, I heard them do the 21-Gun salute and I heard a solo bugle playing Taps, which, of course, made me bawl. It was a beautiful memory and a wonderful testiment to his amazing life. In May, I will fly to Cassopolis for his spring funeral, which will be just for family. It has been vey difficult, but I know that he is probably running around in heaven right now, using the legs he couldn't for 20 years. That is what makes it a little easier. He was an amazing man. He lived through the Korean War and a hunting accident that left him a quadrapeligic. He was a brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was strong, brave, and faithful. I love you grandpa.

About 2 weeks after Grandpa passed, my mom called to tell me that Gramdma Vi passed away. She was a dear family friend and had adopted my family as hers since I was in 6th grade. She lived for 90 full years. Everyday after school, Nikki and I hung out at G-ma's house for almost an hour, having a snack and watching trash talk t.v. shows. She took care of me when I was sick, listened to the events of my day, told me her amazing life stories, and was truely a great friend. She was one-of-a-kind and will be missed dearly. Two days after she passed away, I was cleaning my room, and there in the middle of my bedroom floor was a picture of Grndma and I from Nikki's bridal shower. It was so random, that I am sure, it means she must be thinking of all of us.

Then, as if we haven't lost enough, my mom told us that my Great-Uncle Jack passed away this morning. He went in to the hospital Christmas Day. We are all so thankful it was quick and that there was no suffering. I think everything finally hit my mom this morning, and we had a good cry together.

LIFE:
Kimi is due any day now. Her baby will be named Jackson Wayne. Jackson, after my uncle Jack, and Wayne was my grandpa's middle name. What is really neat, is that she picked the name before we lost either of them. The circle of life is a funny thing. I am praying she has him before I have to head back to New Hampshire, but that only gives her one day, so, it's looking slim. We had a baby shower for her on Monday, which as really fun! It was great to see all our family friends and to see all the cute things for Jackson and Kimi. I cannot wait for my nephew to be born!!!

A TRIP TO CONNECTICUT:

A few weeks ago, I drove to Connecticut to see my cousin Carleen and her husband Aaron and to meet her two little boys. Her boys are so cute and I had a blast playing with them. They were a little shy at first, but that didn't last long at all. I got to go to Carleen's mid-wife appointment with them, as she is expecting a baby in May. We got a little Christmas shopping in afterward, and then did a quick driving tour of New York City! It was amazing and was everything I dreamed it would be. I even got a little teary-eyed when we drove through the theater district and I saw the sign for Broadway. We drove through Times Square, Harlem, and the Bronx. It was a dream come true. Carleen and I are planning on seeing Wicked on Broadway sometime this spring. That is my lifelong dream and I am so excited!! Saturday night after the boys went to bed, we caught up on life and family stories. Sunday we went to church and caroled around town afterward. The boys were so good and we had a blast! Before I knew it, the weekend was over, but I am planning to visit often. It is so nice to have family only 4 hours away!

THE HOLIDAYS:

After 7 hours of delays in the airports, I flew safely to Marquette on Tuesday, the 22nd. Matt picked me up at 2 am and we stayed at his apartment that night. Wednesday, we drove home. It was so great to see my family! Matt, Kimi, and I went to surprise Nikki and her 2nd graders during there holiday pajama party. It was so much fun! We hung out there for an hour or so before heading to surprise my mom and her kindergartners just before their holiday concert. They were so cute and it definitely gave me a little more Christmas cheer. Thursday, mom, Nikki, Kimi and I went to Kimi's apartment to make Christmas cookies. Our oven broke earlier that day, so we made the best of the situation and did our baking over there. It was also nice to be able to see her apartment. That night, when the whole family was together, we opened our family gift from Santa. It was a game called "Wits and Wagers" and we had a blast playing it. Then dad read us "Twas the Night Before Christmas", like he always does, and we settled in for the night. Christmas day was wonderful. I got a book about blogging, which is what motivated me to write this today, a sewing book, a beautiful copper U.P. necklace, a bag for traveling and more. That day we laid around in the living room by the fire and all read our books. It was perfect. That night we had a great ham dinner, cooked on the grill, since the oven was dead, and I read The Christmas Story from the Bible to everyone.

Sunday, we had our Christmas with the Bishop family. I love seeing their two little kids and we had so much fun playing with them. They are such great family friends!
The rest of the week, we did a little shopping, made some earrings, helped dad take down his hunting blinds in the woods, and relaxed. It has been nice. Today is my last day home, before heading to Marquette tomorrow and flying out on Sunday. It has been a wonderful week and a half.

THE NEW YEAR:
Honestly, the start of the new year hasn't been so great. I have been battling a rotten stomach ache for 3 days now. My mom and I are thinking it may have been caused by the cold medicine I have been taking. It only seems to come on shortly after I take it. I hate being sick, but it was nice to be home and my mom still took care of me. I don't think it matters how old you are, it's always nice to have your mom, when you feel sick. She is a saint of a lady.
Then, we found out about Uncle Jack this morning. Yuck. Just when we thought "Good Riddens 2009, bring on 2010", all of this happened.

But... I am a firm believer in the power of positive thinking. Yes, we have had a rough few months, but we also have had so much to be thankful for. We have an amazingly strong family who sticks together through thick and thin, the comfort of a warm home when we need to be nursed back to health, wonderful memories of loved ones, the ability to laugh at lifes hiccups, good jobs that pay for the food on our tables and the clothes on our backs, and a new little nephew on the way. We are blessed in this New Year and have much to be thankful for.

A New England Fall

2009-10-28T08:02:00.008-05:00

Since my last post was a little heavy, I decided to add some fun fall pictures to cheer up a bit.

I love the fall here in New England. Fall is my favorite time of year and I have taken full advantage of all the fun fall-y things.

A few weekends ago, Chelsea's sister and her boyfriend came to visit and we had a few other friends over. We hiked to the top of a lookout tower for a great view of all the fall leaves and we could even see the bridge to Maine from there. That night we had hot apple cider, apple crisp, and a fire in our outdoor fireplace. Sunday we ventured out to a nearby farm. They had beautiful horses and a bunch of newborn lambs. Chelsea and I had a blast watching the little lambs try out there new legs by running around and jumping on their mom's backs. It was hilarisous. Then we all headed out to the farm's corn maze. It was shaped like a skunk and throughout the maze there were mailboxes with skunk trivia questions inside. If you got the answer right, you were sent in the right direction, if you got it wrong, you were sent to a dead end. We did pretty well; 7/10 right.

The next weekend, my friend Tim and I headed to Keene, NH, about an an hour and a half away for their famous Pumpkin Fest. This is the world's largest jack-o-lantern gathering! People bring their pumpkins into town and the main streets are lined up to display them! There were food and craft vendors all over. It was really fun! Nikki had called me the week before to say that Rachel Ray mentioned Pumpkin Fest in her food magazine and that I should definitely go to it. I am super glad I did!

This weekend I had to work at a a visit day on Saturday and then I went home and warmed up by our fire and watched movies with Chelsea, since it was so cold and drizzly. It was the perfect lazy fall day. Sunday, was gorgeous and almost 60, so my friend Tim came and we carved pumpkins out on the back deck in the sunshine!

:(

2009-10-28T07:35:00.002-05:00

I have really not been as good at updating this as I want to be. Sometimes I even forget that I have the blog until someone mentions that they read something on here. I wonder how many people read it anyways? I wish there was a way to see how many people view this. I assume it's just my family, until a random friend brings up something I blogged about. Hmmm.... Anyway, I think I will keep it going, just as a way to write about what is going on in my life, even if it's for my own sake.

So, things have been a little rough in the past two weeks. My Grandpa Williams has been in the hospital. My mom called last week and said that it was probably going to be his time. He has been a quadriplegic for over 20 years now and with this has come a myriad of health problems. Last week his was hospitalized for pnuemonia in both lungs. Of course, getting the phone call was really hard to hear, but it's even harder to be this far away from home. I slept with my phone right by my pillow and had it right on my desk at work everyday, just waiting for news. The call still hasn't come. He just keeps pulling through! I am just praying for him and especially for my grandma who is going through so many emotions and struggles. I am sending all my love their way.

Then, just a few days ago, my mom called to tell me that Nikki and Steve lost their baby. My heart is just breaking for them. I wasn't going to blog about it, but since I already wrote that they were expecting, I feel like it's important to post this as well and just ask everyone to keep them in your prayers. As a sister, it is almost unbearable to know that someone you love with all your heart is going through such a hard time. I want to fix everything and make it better and I can't and I hate that. More than anything, I want to physically be there with them. I want to hug my sister and hold her while she cries, and I can't. I absolutely love living out here, but it's at times like these that I wish I was with my family.

Becoming an Auntie!

2009-10-12T08:59:00.003-05:00

I am so excited right now, I am about to burst!!

I am going to be an aunt twice!!! Kimi's little boy, Jackson, is due on January 8th. I cannot wait until he arrives, and am secretly hoping he will come a little early, so I can be there to see the birth when I am home for Christmas!!

Then, Nikki and Steve called yesterday and are expecting too!!! I am overjoyed for them! Their little one is due in June. I am so excited to have two babies to spoil!!

God is truly amazing and I cannot believe how blessed our family is!

I am on top of the world with the great news!!

Congrats to my both my beautiful sisters (and of course, Steve too!)

Boston

2009-10-05T13:31:00.005-05:00

This weekend was busy! Saturday I had to work at our University Open House for prospective students. It was a long day, but went really well. After work, Chels and I drove to Boston to hang out with friends in celebration of Chelsey and another friend, Tim's, birthdays. It was so much fun! My friend Ally lives in a super cute apartment in South Boston, so we stayed with her. She lives on the top floor and has a really cool roof balcony that overlooks the city. We even had birthday brownies as we overlooked the lights of the city. Yesterday, we all walked down to a cute little breakfast cafe from Ally's place. They had fantastic turkey hash! After that, we headed down to Castle Island on the harbor. We watched people fish, planes, take off at the airport, and got to see the old fort there. It was a great weekend, but it flew by so fast!

Pictures of the Kitchen and Living Room

2009-10-05T13:28:00.003-05:00

Here are the pictures of my living room (although now we have a big flat screen t.v.!), kitchen and dining room!

Out on the Town

2009-09-28T15:07:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures of me and my co-workers!

Sherry and I with Gnarles; our Wildcat mascot during University Days on campus

Me with my co-workers, Jaclyn, and Sherry

Danny, Chels and I went out to a Mexican restaurant after a successful Saturday Visitors Day.

Roomates

2009-09-28T14:55:00.002-05:00

I am so lucky to have found such a great roomate! Chelsea was on my interview committee which is how I met her. After my interview I asked her where most people live and what the cost of living is like in New Hampshire. She said a few of the girls there were looking for roomates. So, when I got the job, I asked her if anyone still needed a roomate and she said she did, so a week later I moved it!! We are so alike in so many ways! We have the same car, are the second child of four, and both have a purse and shoe obsession. I think we will get along just great! Here are a few pictures from our roomate photoshoot!

New Market

2009-09-28T14:49:00.006-05:00

I live close to the cute little town of New Market right on the river. The other day after work, I stopped to take a few pictures. Here they are!

Exeter

2009-09-28T14:42:00.005-05:00

I live in the historic town of Exeter. It is so gorgeous! I love the traditional old New England Buildings and the fact that the town runs along a gorgeous river.

The Ocean

2009-09-28T14:37:00.002-05:00

I love living by the ocean! The beaches are less than 15 miles from my house and you better believe I am there every chance I get. The water here is pretty cold, but I am used to Lake Superior, so I get right in and swim! Not to mention that there are a lot of cute surfers here too!! ;)

Mount Major

2009-09-28T14:28:00.006-05:00

A few weekends ago my roomate, Chelsea and I along with a few friends drove up North to hike Mount Major. The summit showcases a gorgeous view of Lake Winnipesaukee; New Hampshire's largest lake. I was a little slow getting to the top, but once I got there, it was so worth it!

House Pictures I promised

2009-09-28T14:12:00.004-05:00

I am finally putting pictures up of my house!! Enjoy!

My back and side yard. My roomate Chelsey just bought a patio set. That's a picture of her and her friend Mike.

My bathroom

My sunny bedroom with my new bed!

I am not sure why I don't have pictures of my kitchen and living room on my computer. I will add those once I find them!

So Much to Tell

2009-09-09T16:19:00.002-05:00

Wow! Once again, time has escaped me and it's 2 months since I last blogged! Well, there has been a big change in my life. No, I am not getting married, 'nor have I had a baby. I moved!! I am now living in Exeter, New Hampshire! It is wonderful and I love it. So, now, the details, although, I will try to be brief.

In early June, I began applying for admissions positions all over. As I think I might have previously mentioned, rumors were flying around Northland that there would be massive layoffs, so I thought it's better to be safe than sorry and started sending out apps. Well, about 6 weeks later, I got a call from the University of New Hampshire for a phone interview. I was super excited and as soon as I got off the phone I begin checking out the college more and it's location. The phone interview was tough, but I made it to the on campus interview portion. I was called on a Tuesday afternoon about the interview. So, Wednesday after work, I drove the 4 hours to the Minneapolis airport to fly out the next morning. I got to Durham, NH at 9 that night and interviewed the next morning. The interview was really intense and lasted almost 4 hours. I somehow felt really at peace though and was more excited than nervous. After the interview, I checked out the area and loved it!! I knew I wanted this position. After 2 weeks of not hearing, I had assumed, I hadn't gotten the job. Well, lo and behold, I was offered the position of Diversity Admissions counselor! I accepted and last week drove with my wonderful parents on the 23 hour drive through Canada to get here! We drove through the Green Mountains of Vermont, which are amazing!!! We arrived on a Friday night, where I was able to see the house I am living in for the first time! I was blessed to have found a place before moving here. The girl who interviewed me, is also an admissions counselor and was looking for a roomate. The house is awesome!! We moved all my stuff in that night. Sat. we bought some things for the house and unpacked. That night I drove my parents up the shore of Maine where we got to see the waves crashing against the coastline in the aftermath of a hurricane. It was really cool. We had a wonderful lobster dinner that night too right near a lighthouse and continued to watch the waves! Sunday I took my parents to campus, where they bought their UNH gear. It was really cute to see how excited they were for me! My mom even asked, "do you think we should get the dogs UNH dog dishes?" haha. Then I drove then along the beach to see all the ritzy houses. That night we went into Portsmouth, which is the happenin' town nearby. It was awesome. My parents left Monday morning after I left for work. It was so wonderful to have them there! I cannot imagine doing all of that alone! They are angels!

Last Monday I started work and I love it! It will definitely push me a lot and I know challenges will arise, but I also know that God put me in this position for a reason and I am excited to see how he uses me here! My co-workers are great and super helpful. One night after work last week, we all went out for appetizers afterwards. It was so nice! This past weekend, Chelsea, my roomate, and I had people over for a backyard fire. We made nachos and smores and my friend Eric, who is a co-worker brought his guitar. It was so much fun! Saturday we did some shopping and Sunday I went down to the beach to watch all the surfers and sea-kayakers. It was so cool! Monday, a group of us went and hiked Mount Major which overlooks NH's biggest lake. It was gorgeous! I know I can definitely get used to all of this!!

Okay, so that was the short version and I have lots more to say. But I am off for now. I will post pics very soon!!

I'm a Quarter of a Century Old!

2009-07-09T10:07:00.006-05:00

Yesterday I turned the big 2-5! It was the best birthday ever! I met mom and dad in Crystal Falls, MI for breakfast at a little cafe. We then all drove together to Wallace, MI to the DeYoung Family Zoo. It was more like an animal educational rescue center than a zoo. This guy just started making a zoo in his backyard in the middle of nowhere U.P.! It was so awesome. They take animals that other zoos can't take anymore and give them homes here. When we got there, we got to watch the "Big Cat Feeding". It was cool to watch the zoo keeper chuck huge chickens over the fence and watch the lions and tigets jump in the air to catch them. This zoo has the biggest Wild Cat exhibit in the midwest. There is even a dad tiger who is helping to raise his cubs, which is the first time to ever happen in the world!! Animanl Planet is coming to film it soon! After the cat feeding mom and I got to go into the fawn pen with all the orphan fawns. They were so cute! One sucked on our fingers! Then we went to the Baby Animal Show. Mom and I got to hold baby bobcats, cougars, and a joey (baby kangaroo). We also got to see a baby grizzly wrestle with the zoo keeper and pet a coyote pup. It was amazing!! We ended the day with a picnic of grilled chicken, potatoe salad, and strawberry shortcake! What a wonderful birthday!!

4th of July Weekend in Duluth, MN

2009-07-09T10:00:00.002-05:00

Megs and I spent all day Saturday and Sunday laying on the beach. It was wonderful!! It was so relaxing and felt like summer! I jumped in Lake Superior quite a few times. The weather has been pretty chilly this summer, so the lake hasn't warmed up at all (not that it ever gets warm), but it still felt good to cool off quick. Sat. night we went down to Canal Park and watch the fireworks by one of the tall ships in the harbor. Afterwards we went to "Grandma's", which is a popular place to dance. It was so much fun!!! I love dancing!! Megan and I danced until the place closed. It was a perfect weekend!

Rose Garden in Duluth

2009-07-09T09:56:00.002-05:00

2009-07-09T09:52:00.002-05:00

I took Wed, Thurs, and Fri, of last week off for the 4th of July. Wednesday night I drove to Duluth to meet up with my friend Megan. She is leaving to head off to grad school in Denver next month, so this was our last big bang girls weekend before she leaves. We then drove up to her family's cabin on the North Shore of Minnesota, near Tofte. We got in really late on Wednesday night. Thursday morning I woke up and was able to see the view for the first time. It was gorgeous!! The cabin overlooks a little cove on Lake Superior with wild lupine growing all over. It was breathtaking! I am so often amazed by how blessed I am to live in such a gorgeous place and to have the opportunities to see the things I do! Thursday we relaxed at the cabin and wondered around to some of the other beaches. We even saw a little fawn on the way. Friday morning we got up to a gorgeous day and headed to Duluth for the rest of the weekend.

Pics from Meg's Cabin in Tofte, MN

2009-07-09T09:47:00.002-05:00

Ashland Sunset

2009-07-06T16:24:00.001-05:00

Pics from Mom's Garden

2009-07-06T16:21:00.001-05:00

Mom's garden is gorgeous, as always. So I had to sneak a few pictures of the garden in while I was home!

Father's Day at Da Camp

2009-07-06T16:11:00.005-05:00

Father's Day weekend was a lot of fun. I drove home after I went to a college fair in Ripon, WI. Mom and Nikki were visiting my grandparents, so dad and I had some father-daughter hang out time Friday night. Saturday we went down to Da Camp where Nikki, mom and Matt joined us. Sunday, we had a Father's Day "Surf and Turf" dinner with our family and Steve's Dad. Nikki and Steve brought crab from Alaska and Matt brought steaks from his favorite butcher. It was so good!!! Nikki and Steve also brought their new edition to their family; a 10-month-old black lab named Halibut, or Haley for short. They got her on their trip up to Alaska. She is adorable and all the dogs had a great time playing while we ate! We also got to see some little baby birds chirping away outside. There was a little nest that was built on top of the lantern we hang outside of the door. They were so fat and so cute!

2009-06-15T16:12:00.002-05:00

This weekend finally felt like summer! Yay!! It was much needed!
Friday after my shift at the gym, I headed down to the waterfront to check out Relay for Life. I always love the excitement there, and of course, the cause. I walked a lap for my grandma and my uncle (who are both recently in remission), my aunt (who passed away after battling breast cancer), and a co-worker whose mom was just diagnosed. I started to get a little choked up thinking about it, but also prayed for all of those people and thanked God for his hand in healing too! When I got back I talked to Maggie (my grandma) and Dewey (my uncle) on the phone for quite awhile. It was great to talk to them. I miss them!
Saturday I administered the ACT's on campus for 5 1/2 hours. I really don't mind doing them at all since I get to bring a book to read while the kids are testing and it's like $20 an hour! After this, Claire and I had planned to hit up the beach for the first time this summer, but that idea crashed and burned when a big thunderstorm came through. I love storms though, so I didn't mind it and it made it feel like summer!
Oh yeah!! I almost forgot, there is a store downtown who will sell my photography! So, Sat. I made a bunch of prints and matted all of them and brought them to put up in the store! I am not sure how popular they will be, but it's still kind of cool! After that, Claire, Charissa (another friend) and I headed for a quick impromptu trip to Duluth. We went out to eat and then wandered around the mall (I am poor, so there was no spending, but it was fun to window shop). We had a great time!! I also found a cute dress on sale at Khol's for a wedding I am ushering in this summer. I was really excited about the deal I found! We didn't get home that night until 11:00!

Sunday, Claire and I got a bunch of great summer food and brought it to the beach. Chrysa and our friend Kate met up with us there. It was the perfect summer day!! The sun felt great, the sound of the waves was perfect, the food was delicious, and the company was fun! We were there for like 5 hours! When I got home, I decided to go for a run/walk. It was great! I went for 6 miles along the Ashland Rail Trail, which winds along the lake shore. It was wonderful.

2009-06-10T09:17:00.004-05:00

So, last night was another crafty night. I wasn't really satisfied with my photo collage wall. It just didn't look put together at all, so I decided to try something different and use my crafty clothespins too. I put pictures as well as cards on the wall. Kind of a fun was to mix it all up. Still not sure what I think about it, but I like it better than just the frames, I think. Here is what I did.

I have also been trying to figure out how to organize my earrings. It drives me nuts to dump out my jewelry box every morning searching for a matching pair. So, I decided to make my own earring organizer. I took 2 old frames and staple-gunned window screening to the back of the frame. Then I took some ribbon and staple gunned that to the back too. They look pretty cute and are really handy!

Brand-new Fawn

2009-06-09T11:34:00.003-05:00

The other day, there was a brand-new baby fawn curled up against our building. It was so tiny. We all figured he must have been born in the past 24 hours. The mom was wondering around, but wouldn't go right up to the fawn. We were afraid that we were spooking her, so we went inside and watch from the window as she came to her baby. It was really cool to watch!

2009-06-09T11:13:00.003-05:00

The past few days have been super lazy and a bit crafy too! It's really nice to relax! I used to have phonecall nights at the college on Thurs, worked at the gym on Wed. and Fri., and belly dancing on Thursday. Now that it's summer, I no longer have phone call nights, belly dancing is off for June, and I only work until 7 now on Fridays instead of 9! I have so much extra time! This weekend was wonderful and much needed. Friday, I had a touch of the stomach flu, so I called it an early night after my gym shift. Patti and Claire stopped over for a bit to say hi and then I went to bed. Saturday morning, I had Saturday duty at the college and then Claire and I drove up to Bayfield to check out some of the cute little shops since it was a cold rainy day. That night, we had invited some friends for a bonfire on the beach, but the rain bombed that idea, so we cooked hotdogs on Grant and Claire's grill instead. Our friend Chrysa joined us and we even cooked smores over the grill too! We sat under a tree which protected us from the rain. It was really fun!Sunday, Nikki and Steve stopped by on their way to the airport to head to Alaska for a week. It was good to see them, even if it was quick. Then I ran to Walmart to print off some of my pics. I realized that as much as I love taking pics, I don't have any up in my apartment. So I got a few more cheap frames to add to my collection and framed a ton of pics to put up in a photo collage. I am not sure if I really like it, but it's nice to have some personal pics up now! Then I decided to be a little crafty while I was watching movies. I took 50 clothespins and decoupaged them with funky paper. I am going to make some into magnets to hold papers on my fridge and with the others, I am going to hang cute ribbon on one of my walls and then clip the pins up to hold papers and photos on. We'll see how it turns out. I just thought the clips were cute! Yesterday, after work, I headed to Washburn (10 minutes outside of Ashland) to pick up an application to waitress at a restaurant. I am in need of extra cash even more now that we took a paycut. I think I could make more as a waitress tham the 6.50/hr I make at the gym. I might get some good weekend hours too!
Then I came home and cleaned my much neglected bedroom! It feels so much better to have my room all cleaned up now!! Sigh!

Here are a few pics of the rainy cookout, the clothespins and the picture collage wall:

2009-06-05T13:23:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was such a great day!! When I was at home for my lunch break, my friend Claire calls from the office and says, "hury back! You are missing a lot of great stuff!" So, I went back to the office as quick as I could. My friend Ashley, who used to work in our office brought her 4 month old puppy over to play. He was so cute and fun! Then our boss Paul bought all of us Dairy Queen! What a great boss, huh?!

After work, I went home to power clean my living room and kitchen. It looks so much better now, I cannot even believe it! I always feel better when things are straightened up. Since we have the month off of belly dancing, I invited the girls over to go for a walk. It was such a great day, and we walked down to the water along the little trail there. I will definitely be walking down there more often. That part of the trail is so green and peaceful. I am really glad I now know about it. We then walked back to my place and ordered pizza, which was ate on the porch with a glass of wine (although, I am not much of a wine drinker). It was so nice to be outside that much! After everyone left, I crawled into bed only to be awakened at midnight with a horrid stomach ache. Yuck! Maybe it was all the ice cream and pizza! Opps! I have not felt that sick to my stomach in a long time. It was awful! I ended up taking the morning off because I was so tired from being up. I am back at work now, but am still feeling a little gross. Hopefully, it will pass soon enough! I want to be able to get out and enjoy the weekend!

Trip to Florida

2009-06-04T10:13:00.002-05:00

So, I don't think I mentioned that I was going to Florida for a few days!

Well, I just got back and it was wonderful! I went with 2 of my college roomates for a quick 5 day trip to Orlando. Originally, I had booked the trip so I could audition for Disney World. In case any of you didn't already know, being a Disney character has been one of my dreams! Well, due to the layoffs at Disney, the open-call auditions were no longer being held. Guess I will just have to go back and try again! It is something I have always wanted to do, and thought, why not! Tickets were cheap and I had plenty of vacation time and the travel bug was itching at me again. 2 years ago at this time, I was snorkeling on a remote Fijian Island, last year I was exploring around the island of Crete Greece, and so I needed to do something fun to keep me sane!

On the flight there, I got an email about the decision being made towards my job on campus. I still have it! Phew!! But, unfortunately, I took a paycut. It's only 3%, but with money as tight as it already is working 2 jobs, I am left a little nervous. But I pushed my worries aside to relax and enjoy the trip!

Our first full day there, we did all 4 Disney parks in 1 day; Magic Kingdown, MGM Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. It was exhausting but so awesome!! I love rollercoasters, so it was great. We even did the Tower of Terror, which was so freaky! I think it was scarier than skydiving! when we were at the Magic Kingdom, we saw this little girl who was all alone, she was yelling for her mom, so we went up to her and asked her if she was lost and what her mom looked like. We searched around and didn't see her mom, so we brought her into the store and told the clerk what happened, figuring she could make a call to help track down the mom. As we walked out, I glanced up the street and saw a woman a ways off that looked like the description on the girls mom, so we took off after her. When we caught up to her she was panicking and talking to another store clerk about her lost girl, so we told her we knew where she was and brought her to her little girl. When they saw eachother they were both hugging and crying. Sometimes God just puts people in the right place at the right time to help out. The day ended with fireworks over the lake at Epcot. It was so great!

The next day, we got to go and see my Aunt Joni and Dewey. Dewey was just recovering with chemo treatments for cancer, so I was really excited to get to see them, especially because he is now in remission! It was so wonderful to see them. Aunt Joni gave us girls a tour of her place and then took us our in the gold cart for a ride. Katie and Kayla sat in the back and I took shotgun. She showed us the little community where she lived and we went gator-hunting. We found a little alligator in one of the ponds. Then we went back for some lunch and my friends left for the beach and I stayed to hang out with Joni and Dewey a little longer. It was so great to catch up with them and to see Dewey was doing so much better!! I couldn't believe how good he looked! They talked about his cancer a little bit, and then Aunt Joni and I just had some good girl talk.

The next day, my roomies and I went to Universal Studios. It was SO much fun!!! I loved all of the crazy wild rides. I wanted to do all of them over and over. Sigh!! I love rollercoasters!! The day went by so quick though!

Sunday was our final day there. We went on an airboat ride, recommended by Aunt Joni. It was awesome!! I absolutely loved it!! We saw some huge gators, some were almost 12 feet long! We even bumped over one on the boat. Then the guide took us into the cypress forest. It was so neat and peaceful. I loved it!! I would totally recommend it to anyone who goes there!

Then we hit up the beach and went body boarding. I haven't done it since I was in New Zealand, so it was really fun to do it again. We couldn't bring our boards back on the plane with us, so we gave them to some little kids who'd been watching us ride the waves. They were so excited! They grabbed their brothers, sisters, and cousins, and ran back out into the water to test out the boards. It was really cool!I swear I could spend the rest of my life just laying on a beach and playing in the waves. It was wonderful. I got to see Aunt Joni again that afternoon for about five minutes because we were running late for our reservation at Al Capone's Dinner Theater Show, which was also very fun.

I posted some pics of us below and the others are on my photo blog. Check 'em out!
http://www.bethwilliamsphotography.blogspot.com/

2009-06-04T10:08:00.001-05:00

Belly Dance Video

2009-06-04T09:35:00.002-05:00

I forgot to post this awhile ago! Here is the video of us dancing from our show. We messed up a few times, but not to bad considering we learned the last 1/2 of it the night before! Enjoy!

Dance Show

2009-05-20T14:39:00.003-05:00

Well, we had the dance show last night! It was really fun! We messed up our song a little bit, but it still went well. The sound person, started our song before we got on stage, so we were a bit rushed and then thrown off a little, but it was really fun anyway. The other dancers were great! There were these 2 really cute little girls who did a ballet piece and they were adorable! I wish I would have taken better pictures of them, because they were so darn cute! The dances were all really cool and fun to watch. I have always wished I was a graceful dancer!

Here are some pics from the show. Enjoy!

2009-05-19T10:00:00.003-05:00

Well, it was another wonderful weekend!!
Saturday, I got up early and hit up the city-wide garage sales. I found a few great things for crafting this summer. It was freezing out and there were even some snowflakes in the air! But it was still really fun. I love garage saleing!
I had to run up to Northland then to work for a few hours. After that I drove to Duluth to go to a bridal shower for a good college friend of mine. It was really fun and great to see her too! Then I hit up Michael's for a few more crafty things. When I got back to Ashland, my friend Sarah came over and we had a blast hanging out and catching up. I think we both really needed it! Before we knew it, it was midnight! Sunday I slept in a little and then went to do some yard work for a guy from the gym. A week ago, I was talking to him about my money shortage and he said he would pay me $10 an hour to do yard work for him this summer. So, since the weather was gorgeous on Sunday, I headed over there. We ran to the hardware store to get me some new work gloves and some garden fencing. Then we went to work hauling dead trees and branches out of the woods. He even taught me how to use a chainsaw, which was really fun!! I got to saw up a tree! There is lots to do, but it's great to get cash on the spot and know that whenever I am short on money, I can call him up and do some extra work. Plus, I get to be outside and get a good workout too! After I got back, I headed over to Grant and Claire's for a BBQ with Claire's family who was up visiting. It was really fun. Sigh! What a wonderful weekend!

Last night I had rehearsal for my belly dance show tonight. I am a little nervous about it, but we only have like a 1 1/2 minute piece to perform and there are 7 other dances, so it's not a big chunk of the show. It should be fun though. I am excited. I'll let you know how it goes!

2009-05-15T13:51:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I was crazy busy! I picked up a few hours at the gym for one of the girls there and right afterwards I had to lead my belly dancing class. My teacher was gone for the week and our show is next Tuesday, so we really needed to rehearse badly! So, I opened up the studio and went through the routine with the two other ladies in the show. They have only been to class a few times, so they hadn't had much practice with the dance yet. It'll be interesting anyway. But we practiced hard and I think it went pretty well. After class, I went over to my friend Kate's house. It is so cute!! She pays what I do for rent, but she also pays utilities on top of rent, but she has a house with a porch, little yard, garage, and washer and dryer. It is so cute with hardwood floors and a wood stove. I am in love with it!!! We had a blast catching up and talked about everything for a couple of hours. It was great to spend time with her and just talk.

This morning I got to sleep in because I have Saturday Duty this weekend, which means I didn't have to be to work until noon. I got up and went to this cute little shop to look for a bridal shower gift for a friend. While I was looking I noticed they had a new little sale room. Everything in it was $2!! I went wild and bought tons of stuff for craft projects. I am super excited about the things I found. I am also really pumped that garage sale season is starting! I hope to go out and look for fun things for craft projects. I cannot wait to check out the City-wide Garage Sales tomorrow morning before work at 10:00. Should be fun!

NEW PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE

2009-05-13T16:14:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone!

I am super excited because I just started my new photography blog! I posted it above to check it out and tell me what you think!

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-13T09:36:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was fantastic!
Friday was my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom!! My parents spent the day down at Michigan's State's Masters of Social Work Graduation where my dad was honored for being an advisor to their students. That is a huge honor and I am so proud of him! Congrats Daddio!

After working my gym shift, I came home and watched "Twilight". My friends Grant and Claire have Netflix and got a thing to give to friends for a free month membership. So, I have been able to rent movies for free. They come so fast too!! Twilight was pretty good, although the book is much better. I brought my tv into my bedroom so I could clean it at the same time. It felt so good to get all my clothes off the floor!

Saturday I drove home to spend Mother's Day with my family. As soon as I reached the U.P. it started snowing! I mean, it was snowing pretty good actually, which is weird since the weather had been so great that week! Anyway, I drove to Da Camp (my family's hunting camp in Baraga) to meet up with my parents. It was so great to see them! We sat around the campfire and when it got a little chilly we went in and relaxed in the trailer. My brother came and brought amazing steaks to make for dinner. They were so good! I don't cook meat to much for myself, so it was extra wonderful! After Matt left to go back to Marquette, mom and I did some beading and made 3 necklaces each. It was so fun. We got a chance to catch up and laugh.

Saturday morning, Dad made a wonderful Mother's Day breakfast. Then, mom, dad and I went for a hike with the dogs. It was so nice! The sun was shining and it was beautiful. We hiked up a hill where we saw tons of fiddle-head ferns and then to a swamp where Milly and Noah had a blast playing in the muddy water. I even saw a little pod of frog eggs. Spring is here! When we got back to the camp, Nikki and Steve were there. We had a great chicken, potato, and salad dinner with a Mother's Day/Birthday cake from Nikki and Steve. It was great to see them too. I miss my sister so much sometimes. I love being able to goof around with her and just catch up on everything, so it was great to see them! After lunch, Steve took the windows out of the Jeep and took all of us for a ride. Dad and Steve sat in front and Nikki, mom and I sat in the back. They had taken the back seat out, so we sat on the floor. Throughout the ride, mom was squealing and laughing so hard, you would have thought we were on a wild rollercoaster ride. It was hilarious! She is pretty easy to please! It was so much fun bumping along the dirt road. When we got back, we packed up and headed home. Mom and Dad gave the dogs a much needed bath and afterwards I attempted to blow-dry Milly and trim her fur up in between throwing loads of laundry in. It was fun having so much time with my parents alone. I usually have to share my time with my siblings, so it was kind of nice to have them to myself. On the way home on Monday, I stopped at a really cool cemetery. Not to sound morbid, but it was really gorgeous. There are these amazing wildflowers growing everywhere, so I had to take a few pics.

I just want to do a little shout-out to my mom for Mother's Day. I really do think I have been blessed with the best mom in the whole world. Not only is she a mother, wife, and daughter, but she is a mentor, inspiration and friend. She has always been there to lean on, to talk to, to be a shoulder to cry on. She is the first person I go to with good news or with bad. She is smart, goofy, compassionate, energetic, resourceful, strong, creative, and beautiful. I cannot imagine a world without her. If I could be half the mother she has been someday, I would be happy. I love you more than you could know Mom!

Gorgeous Flowers at Cemetery

2009-05-13T09:33:00.001-05:00

Mother's Day 2009 at Da Camp

2009-05-13T09:12:00.007-05:00

2009-05-06T10:06:00.003-05:00

I got to see a spectacular rainbow yesterday! Rarely can you see the full arc of a rainbow, but yesterday it was clear as day, and it was even a double rainbow. I tried to get a few pics, although it was hard when the rain was coming down, so some of the pictures are blurry through the rainy windshield of my car. The yellow house in the pictures is mine. Kind of cool that the rainbow wrapped all around my house! It was beautiful. It's hard not to believe in God when nature produces such wonderful shows for us to see!

Floral Photoshoot

2009-05-05T12:27:00.005-05:00

2009-05-04T12:23:00.001-05:00

I got to see baby Cain! He is so cute! I usually get nervous to hold newborns, but he was so sweet! He slept the whole time. He was so warm and fun to hold, and it was so fun to watch his little face move as he slept. You wonder what goes through their little minds while they sleep. It was so great to see Patti too. I really miss her in the office, so it was so great to catch up with her and see her glowing as a new mom. I told her I was always available to babysit! :)
Claire and I rushed off then so I could head off to belly dancing. It was really fun. We are going to do a show! My teacher just told us that there will be a little dance show at Northland theater. I think her other classes are doing something and we are just going to do a few minutes of the number we have been learning. I am so excited!! It's May 19th at 7:00. That means that we will be learning a lot more in the next few weeks! I am super excited!

This weekend was pretty good too. I worked Friday night and Saturday I had all day mandatory Life Saving training for the gym. I got certified in CPR and other things as well. It was supposed to go from 8-4:30, but we got out at 2:30. So, I napped when I got home, ran to Wally World, made some good pasta for dinner and watched a chick flick. It was really nice to be lazy! Sunday, a friend came up to visit and we checked out a church in town, which went well. Then we got coffee, toured Northland, went up to Bayfield, and laid on the beach. It was so gorgeous here yesterday! Today is beautiful too!

Fun Views Around Bayfield, WI

2009-05-04T12:20:00.001-05:00

Baby Cain

2009-05-04T12:18:00.002-05:00

More Belly Dancing Pics

2009-05-04T12:05:00.002-05:00

I Can't Wait for Tonight!

2009-04-30T11:27:00.003-05:00

I forgot to mention that Patti had her baby last week! Patti was the lady I work with who we had the baby shower for and the one I took pregnancy pictures of. They had a beautiful baby boy named Cain Ryan. He and mom are both doing very well. Claire and I told Patti that we wanted to see the baby (of course!) but that we would wait until things settled down and Patti was ready for us to come over. Well, she called yesterday and asked if we could come by. So, after work, Claire and I are going to see them! Woo-hoo!! I will try and sneak in soome pictures to post later, if I can.
After we get back from Patti's, I have to run back to get all dressed up for my belly dancing class tonight! I am super excited!! I cannot wait. I will definitely take some more pics too!

FuN NiGhT ahead!!

The Lovely Economy

2009-04-29T09:43:00.002-05:00

So, people around the college have been a little nervous about the financial situation. Obviously, we, like everyone else, are nervous about losing our jobs or taking a pay cut. The college board meets tomorrow and Friday and will be deciding how to take care of the financial situation. Maybe it won't be as bad as everyone is suspecting. Rumors are going around about a 4 day work week with salary cuts, or major job loss, or 11 month positions rather than full year positions. But who knows? Nothing has even been talked about officially. So, I guess we will see. We will find out on Tuesday what is going to happen.
As scary as it all is, I know that if things didn't work out, it's because God has a better plan for me somewhere else. So, we'll just have to wait and see what pans out in the end. I'll let you know what I find out.

Girls Weekend

2009-04-28T13:20:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was wonderful!! My mom and Nikki came to visit me!
When they came on Saturday, I showed them my apartment and we caught up before heading to lunch and hitting the shops in both Ashland and Bayfield. We then drove out to a campground in the middle of nowhere, so my mom could check it out as a potential camping spot for her and my dad this summer. It was gorgeous. Right between a river and a lake. I am super excited that they found one close to me, so I can see them for the weekend! Then I took them to check out Northland's campus. It was really fun to show them where I work! We then went to a little Mexican restaurant in town, where we laughed a lot and had a great time! We went back to my place and I showed them my belly dancing I had been learning and then my mom attempted it while she sang "Aquarius (Let the Sun Shine)" from Hair. Nikki and I were dieing laughing. It was great! Haha! The next morning we woke up and lazed around in our pj's while I made them cinnamon rolls and coffee. We hit up a few more shops in town and went to the little local coffee shop before they had to leave. It was a quick visit, but so much fun!!! It was just what I needed! I am so lucky to have such a kick-butt family! MWAH!

Belly Dancing

2009-04-28T13:14:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday we had a pre dress-up day at belly dancing class. Some people wore their full dance costumes. It was a blast. I didn't wear anything special because I didn't know we were going to do it since I was gone the week before. But we learned some new dance combinations and had a great time! It was so much fun! This week is the real dress-up week. So, I will definitely, take more pictures this week and post them!!

Jamestown Settlement

2009-04-28T13:01:00.004-05:00

2009-04-28T12:58:00.002-05:00

I drove through Delaware and Washington D.C., where I could see the Washington Monument and the Capital Building from the road.

Virginia Beach

2009-04-28T12:51:00.001-05:00

The Rest of My East Coast Trip

2009-04-28T12:28:00.002-05:00

So, I have been bad about catching up lately. Opps! It seems like the longer I go without writing, the more I push it aside. So, here it goes.

The rest of my trip went great! I had two days of fairs in Gaithersburg, MD. The fairs were really successful and lots of fun! The first night of fairs was really rainy and muddy. The fair was held at the fairgrounds, so all of the roads and parking spaces were dirt and gravel. Well, walking to my car that night, I saw a family that was stuck in the mud. There were like 4 other people trying to push the car out, but it wasn't budging, so I went over and helped too. After 5 minutes or so, we got them out, but I was covered in mud, so I had to make a quick trip to get new dress pants and then I had to scrub my shoes. The next day, after the morning fair, I drove down to Newport News, Virginia. On my way, I saw a sign pointing towards Jamestown, the historic first settlement. So, I followed the signs, which took my through Williamsburg, which was really cool, to Jamestown. It was so awesome!!! It was a nice day for walking around too! I got to see some of the old ruins they were excavating. It was really neat to think that this is where the first settlers arrived and was the start of our nation. I cannot fathom all that they went through. Then, I drove around to Newport News and grabbed some dinner before heading back to the hotel to hot tub. The next day, I had 3 high schools to visit. After hitting up those schools, I drove down to Virginia Beach. It was probably just above 60 degrees but it was still cool to see it and there were quite a few people on the beach! Some were wearing parkas while others were tanning in their bikinis. It was kinda funny. I ate a great salmon wrap on the patio of a little beach restaurant and then headed for the beach. It got much breezier as I neared the water, but I was determined to lay in the sand in the sun. I did for awhile, until I was uncomfortably chilly. So, I walked along the boardwalk and checked out all the little shops instead. I then went to get my hair cut, which was a mistake since I ended up with sort of a mullet bowl-cut. Oh well. Hair grows, right? I then grabbed some great Greek food to go and headed back to Newport News to pack up for the flight home the next morning. Saturday, I got up and headed out allowing myself and extra hour and a half for traffic. Well, I still didn't almost make it. Traffic was crazy! But I got out and my flights went well. That night I stayed at Kayla and Phil's new house in the cities (they were my college roomates). Sunday we went to their church, ran errands and made dinner for Katie and Ryan (other college friends). It was great to see everyone again. Sunday night, my friend Megan came and stayed with me at my hotel because she took Monday off of work. Monday, we slept in and lazed around before heading to get spa pedicures and hitting up the Mall of America. It was great! That night I had another college fair, which went pretty well. Tuesday, I slept in a little and then went to Panera for lunch and to make some work calls and emails. That night I had my final fair of the year and headed back to the hotel to hang out with Megan again. Wednesday I headed back to Ashland, where I went into the office for 2 hours and then 4 hours at the gym that night. I was totally wiped out by the end!

The Famous Ocean City Boardwalk

2009-04-15T23:24:00.001-05:00

Assateague Island and the Wild Horses

2009-04-15T22:46:00.005-05:00

William Paca's Colonial Mansion and Gardens

2009-04-15T22:39:00.003-05:00

Harbor Boat Cruise and Naval Academy

2009-04-15T22:36:00.002-05:00

Random Sights Around Annapolis, MD

2009-04-15T22:27:00.004-05:00

Capitol Building in Annapolis

2009-04-15T22:22:00.001-05:00

On the Road Again

2009-04-14T21:46:00.002-05:00

So, here I am. Out on the road once again. This time though, I am in uncharter territory, well... at least to me. I am on my long-awaited trip to the East Coast.

Let's start at the beginning. I had Good Friday off of work at Northland. I woke up really migrain-ey and feeling really sick and tired. I laid in bed until noonish and decided to get up and try to get some things done. Well, I just felt worse, dizzy and achey. So, I laid on the couch until my shift at the gym. I made it through work and went right to bed when I got home. Saturday morning I woke up feeling worse. I had a wretched ear ache on top of everything else. After taking advice from my mom, I called the doctor's office. I needed to make sure I didn't have an ear infection before I flew the next day. Well, the doctor's office was closed, so after consulting the on-call nurse, who told me to come in immediately. I went in to the walk in clinic to find out, luckily it wasn't an ear infection, it was plugged eustation tubes (ear, nose, and throat tubes). I was in and out quick and was given some ear numbing meds to bring on the plane with me. The nurse told me the plane ride would probably be really painful for my ears. Great. So, after going back to my place and packing up, I was off. I made a stop in Duluth for lunch and a walk through some shops on in Canal Park before heading to the Twin Cities. When I arrived I met up with my bff Katie for lunch. It was so great to see her!! I haven't hung out with just Katie in a really, really long time. We talked for 3 hours at the restaurant. It was great!! I think we both needed it. And after 5 hours of sleep back at the hotel, I woke up Easter morning and headed to the airport. I was a little nervous about my ears on the flight, but it turns out, there was no need to worry. The flights went fine and other than the normal ear popping, my ears were not an issue. I flew into Baltimore and from there drove on to Annapolis. The weather here was in the 40's, but the grass is gorgeous green and all the trees are blossoming and beautiful. When I got to Annapolis, I went straight to the visitor's center. From there, I ate Maryland Crab Soup at a little cafe and then walked around the historic district. I took a tour of William Paca's Colonial Mansion and Gardens. It was interesting. Then I explored the Capitol building to see the Senate and House Chambers. After this I hit up the Pier and took a boat tour around the waterways of Annapolis and the Naval Academy. Then I went to a crab shack for dinner. It was family style eating on long tables with benches and brown paper on the tables. People were all over cracking crab and littering the table tops with the shells. I opted for fish n' chips since I had my fair share of crab in Alaska.
Yesterday morning I woke up feeling groggy again but got up and at 'em. I drove through Washington D.C. to a Science and Tech. high school to drop of college info. and talk to the guidance counselor. Then I drove back past Annapolis and up the shore to Ocean City. I stopped on Assateague Island, which was the thing I was looking most forward too! I read these "Stormy and Misty: the Wild Horses" books when I was a kid. This is where the books where based from. Right away, I saw a young horse right on the side of the road. It was so cool!! I saw 13 wild horses, including a new colt, and some deer. I even stepped into the Atlantic Ocean even though it was not even 40 degress out. I spent probably 3 hours there. I was freezing by the time I left, but I loved it!!! So, amazing!!!!
I then drove to my hotel in Ocean City where I walked on the famous boardwalk. It was kind of eerie and ghost town-ish, but I can only imagine what it would be like in a month or two. After a good fish dinner, I was exhausted.
This morning I woke up feeling cruddy once again, but headed out for a high school visit and then I drove to Gaithersburg. So, here I am.
I am about to fall asleep typing this right now. So, I am off to bed. MWAH

2009-04-08T10:33:00.005-05:00

So, I have a chance to catch you all up now! Last week, I got to stay with my grandparents while traveling to college fairs for work! One night my cousin Jennifer and her husband, Sean came over for dinner with me and my grandparents. It was great! We had rigatoni, which my grandma knows is my favorite! Then, we played cards, which is a must while we are there! It was great!! The next morning I was supposed to go to visit a high school in Lansing, but I called before I left and there were no students signed up to visit with me. So, I got to sleep in another hour and spend the morning with my grandparents. A good family friend, Uncle Al, came over with a man he knew who has Parkinson's. The man was recently diagnosed and was talking to Al about it. So, Uncle Al brought him over to talk with my grandpa, who has had Parkinson's for 20 years! It was really interesting listening to them talk about it.

After they left, I went with my grandparents down to their little cafe for lunch and then I had to head out to Ann Arbor for a high school fair. The fair was crazy!! It was extremely busy for a high school fair, which is great!! The students were fantastic and again, I ran out of all my materials, which is a good problem to have! I love Ann Arbor. I love the plethora of cultures that are represented. The downtown is really cool. There were all sorts of great restaurants and neat shops. It makes me really want to live there! I just love the hippee, urban, cultured, collegiate feel of it all. That night I drove to Midland, which was almost a 2-hour drive.

The next morning I got up at 5:45 to leave by 6:15 so I could get back to Ashland before my gym shift. I was exhausted and was not looking forward to the 9+ hour drive! But, I packed up and headed out in the early morning rain. About 20 minutes into the drive, the rain turned to snow, making the roads very slushy. It was impossible to go more than 45 mph in a 70. Along the route, my stomach was not happy with me, making me take 4 emergency gas station bathroom stops along the way. Between the snow, and my stomach, I knew I would not making to Ashland before my shift. So, I called in and my boss said they would get someone to cover until I could get there. Ugh. I called my dad, to see what the weather was like in the U.P. He said it was gorgeous and he was right! About 30 minutes after crossing the Mackinaw Bridge the sun was out and the roads were bare. At one point I pulled over to take a picture of a bunch of deer drinking by a stream near Lake Michigan. When I went to turn the car around to get a good shot I glanced out over the ice shelf on the lake just in time to watch a coyote running across the ice. I sat and watched him for awhile. He was running like mad, and then he would slip on the ice and slide around. It was hilarious. He was really far off, so I didn't get great pics. But I will post a few. I also stopped to take a few pics of a light house in the southern U.P., I think it was in Escanaba. I finally made it back to Ashland afte 12 hours in the car!! I was beyond exhausted and barely made it through my 3 hour shift at the gym.

The next day I had to be to Northland's campus at 7:30 am to administer the ACT's. I was so tired, but it's an easy $100! So, I really can't complain! Then I went home and took a 2 hour nap before Patti's pregnancy photoshoot, which was so much fun!! When I got home a little after 8 that night, I put on my pj's and relaxed for awhile and went to get some much needed sleep!

Sunday morning, I drove out to Patti's to snag a ride with her to her church. I have really wanted to find a church here, but have been having a hard time. It's always weird to go alone. Her church is a tiny little thing in the middle on nowhere, but it was full of people! There were so many kids there too! It was a good sermon too. I think I will be going back soon. The service made me think about a lot of things. God provides for us in strange way sometimes. And sometimes it's the little things that help the most. Fpr example, lately, I have really been struggling with money, and as much as I try not to let it get to me, it has really stressed me out. I was getting nervous about my next set of bills and knew that I would just make them all, but had no money for food or gas for the week. I didn't know what I was going to do. Then I got an email saying that a payment went through to my account from something I sold on ebay. I wasn't expecting the payment for another week, so it was perfect! It was really like an answer to prayer. Even being asked to do the ACT's was great, because I really needed that extra money. God provides and never leaves you alone. Even when we feel really discouraged and don't know how things will work out in the end, they always do. Sigh. God is good. I know He will help me figure all of this money stuff out. :) I totally was lazy the rest of that day, which was wonderful!!

Monday, I took a half day so I could meet with college friends at the Twin's Home Opener. I picked up my friend Johnny in Duluth and then we headed to Minneapolis. We had some good chats on the way there, since I hadn't caught up with him in ages! We finally made it to the dome and found parking. Outside of the dome was crazy! The game was sold out since it's the last home opener in the Metrodome (they are building a new outdoor stadium). There were people everywhere! It was great! We found our other friends and after hugging everyone, we settled into our seats. It was so much fun! The Twin's lost big time. But it was really fun. I am not a huge sports person, but I love going to sports games. I love the excitement of the crowd, and of course being surrounded by friends, especially friends I don't get to see to often, is always great. The game ended around 10ish, so we then headed to Old Chicago in Uptown for 1.99 personal pizzas! I hadn't eaten much since breakfast, so I was famished!! Then I headed across the cities to stay at Megan's house for the night. We chatted in her room that night until we both konked out. I headed out from there yesterday at 7 to pick up Johnny and head back. After dropping him off, I headed back to Ashland and staight into work.

Oh yeah! Another story! I have a new boss now! I am really excited, because I think he will be great for us. He is currently the Director of Financial Aid, so he worked with us before too. He has implemented a work night for each of us, where we work from noon-8 and call students. So, yesterday was my day. Which worked fine, since I could take the morning to drive back from the cities.

Whew!! Okay, I think that was all!!

Here are some pictures of the events described above:

Pregnancy Photoshoot

2009-04-06T08:56:00.002-05:00

I have so much to catch everyone up on, but I don't have time to write it all right now. I will get to that tomorrow.
But... I did a pregnancy photoshoot for my friend Patti at work. She is 8 months right now. It was so much fun!!!!
Here are a few of the shots.

2009-04-06T08:50:00.002-05:00