If you just smile...

Have you smiled or laughed today? If not, find something to smile or laugh about. Life is too short, ya know?

Some of my favorite smiles (sorry mom and Lauren, I don't have any direct smile pictures of you, but you're favorites too)

I sat with my mouth open

when I saw... these.

The Chicago pictures are my favorite.

Time

Lately, God has blessed me immensely with an over abundance of time. Time is something I've always struggled with, the one thing I don't feel I can catch up to but He (in only the way He can) has been providing me more time to sit back and breath. I feel this time allowance is an insensitive to read my Bible, since I have become so lax in that area; however I also feel that He's taking away the stress of everyday and giving me time to simply enjoy life. For this I am truly grateful. Praise God for time.

Hope you had a bearable Monday!

"And then the senior boy walked by and said, you're fat"

I have the worlds bestest friend. You probably think you do too, but no one beats my best friend. We haven't been friends all our lives (though we will be) but she is IT. There is no one else that compares to her, she's always been there and she always will be. I love her more then words can say,  I hope she knows that... but I love her because of her wonderful attitude, he kind and meek heart, and her outgoing personality. I don't know why but she puts up with all my craziness and insanity, but she does and I have an amazing respect for her. She's just my favorite person and that's all there is to it.
Best friends are just wonderful, ya dig?

Who's your best friend? What's he/she like?

I love you so much my darling interpreting redneck.

Hallelujah, I love her so

Dear Friends,
Since today is my dads wedding day (insert happy party time, here!) and since I LOVE music with all my heart, I am going to take the time to tell you what you need to be listening to.
I'm so nice sometimes it kills me? Okay that's not true, what I'm really trying to elude to is that I cannot contain myself when it comes to music. I just can't. So here, on this very wedding-ly Saturday indulge yourself with some good tunes.

What?

I'll shut up now, here's the stuff

1. Fleet Foxes- Fleet Foxes (MAGICAL CD)

2. Modest Mouse- Float On

3. Kings of Leon- Come Around Sundown (I can't get over this CD, it doesn't get old)

4. Ra Ra Riot- Ghost Under Rocks

5. Mat Kearney- Fire & Rain

6. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

7. Here We Go Again- Celebrating the genius of Ray Charles (Willie Nelson. Wynton Marsalis. Nora Jones. AMEN!

8. Esperanza Spalding- Chamber Music Society

9. Tears for Fears- Songs from the Big Chair (and my favorite band will always be Tears for Fears...)

10. Jason Mraz- The Remedy

Love,
Rachel

Paul David Hewson

Everyone. This is my hero, Bono. Well, he's one of my heros... But who else do you know who makes glasses look THAT amazing and who can't really sing but is one of the best rockers the world has ever known? Who can scream "In the name of LOVE!" and who can take care of children in Africa and be totally cool all at the same time!? Bono.
When every other girl in America (and everywhere else, for that matter) is screaming about JBiebs, I would out scream them for Bono. And Bob Marley, but that's another story for another day.

Who's your celebrity hero?

Somewhere Else

I've been dreaming about summer lately. I wish it would just come tomorrow... Spring is so wonderful, but I want the freedom of summer. PLEASE HURRY SUMMER! Please!

These were the best times in my summer, I'd give a lot to have them back!

Aspirations

Do you ever think to yourself, "Wow, that's really cool I think I'd like to do/ try/ experience that." That thought crosses my mind daily and instead of dreaming about it, I think of a way to accomplish my dreams.  In a way, I have a long laundry list or bucket list of things to do, but my list is not a conglomeration of unreachable aspirations, its a list of to do's. Stuff like getting into a really great college, an internship I've been considering, studying about certain subjects, ect. You get the idea; however, there is so much more than the basic "bucket list." I want to draw my own map, pinpointing the places I plan (and might end up in) to visit. I also want to learn about tea, the different flavors, ingredients, and how to grow certain tea leaves. This was so inspired by my cousin who wants to do the same thing, thanks Evan. Along with these random "things to get done" I plan to run a marathon during college, doing the MR340, (a 340 mile kayak race across Missouri) learning a few languages, becoming a genius mathematician, learn about architecture, and a few other things along the way.

I have recently been realizing my youth and taking advantage of the full life ahead of me to accomplish much and become something great. People who have paved the path before us, great men and women who did something with their lives did not get up one day and save the world. Instead they worked. They worked hard and they had a burning desire to be great. They knew certain tasks cannot be done alone, decisions are best made when decided with other people, and the importance of putting others first. These great leaders knew that they could not eat an elephant alone or at one time. 

Because people encouraged me, I want to encourage others to set goals and do the seemingly impossible.