More Black & Whites

While I am by no means a professional photographer, I do enjoy shooting my film camera. Film has a way of capturing the essence of life in a way that digital can't always achieve. I am absolutely not dissing digital photography, because that takes a great amount of talent to capture life with those photos--I'm just not patient enough to figure that out haha. But I just love the delayed gratification of waiting to see how your pictures will turn out. Sometimes you've shot the photograph at exactly the wrong moment and what you thought would be an amazing picture turns out to be sort of awkward. And then sometimes you are surprised with a decent looking picture. 

Either way, I have an appreciation for the moments captured and a small memory comes along as I remember where I was and who I was with during the photo. 

 The simple happiness of friendship, captured right here :)

Indiana.

 The cutest.

 This is one that I probably just completely forgot to focus, but I like the accident.

He had no idea I was taking this.

 Lovely Birmingham.

 I had completely forgotten I'd taken this. Another nice suprise of happy people.

 Boo and River, adventuring together.

 Whitney + Garrett

 Kenslie.

 August.

Taylor, in her perfect happy place.

Sarah. 

River, running straight for me.. aaaah!

 #jimmy

My #1 man forever, no matter what that other boy thinks ;)

Consumed

When you're in nursing school, you begin to think about nothing other than nursing school.

People: "what do you do for fun?"
Me: "…uhhhhh….." "…."
People: "….."
Me: "…..study?"

And then I usually get a funny look or a laugh. But really.. It's actually very difficult to remember what I like to do when I don't have any weight of school bearing down on me.
I was sitting with my cousins eating dinner and we went around the table saying what we wanted to do before we died. "Sail around the world," "travel into space," me: "finish nursing school! pass my boards" and then a few minutes later I actually remembered one of the things I want to do before I die, hike the Appalachian trail. But anyways, I have to remind myself that I have less than a year left!! That I can make it through these next three semesters! And maybe pass???
I don't know who will want to trust me as a nurse, but I also remind myself that I will be more comfortable over time.

I can't wait to not have to study every day and stress out over everything, and actually do fun things!
But for now, I must get back to studying about labor and delivery, gestational complications, etc.




Also, I miss my babies. So, so much.

Almost there

One. More. Final.

One more final and then I will be done with my second semester of nursing school.

What?!??!
You mean I'm going to be starting my THIRD SEMESTER OF NURSING SCHOOL!? I've made it this far already??

To be honest, I feel like I don't know anything more than when I began the program in August, but hopefully that is not actually true.


So here's to my one week summer break starting tomorrow after 2:30 pm.

Cheers!!!

Late Nights

Sometimes I sit on the couch in our living room late at night, surrounded by the white twinkle lights, the only one awake at this late hour.. and then not wanting to get off the couch, because I have to be the one to turn off all the lights and make sure everything is secure for the night (and I'm scared of the dark.. get at me bro). Anyways.. doing what I do best and procrastinating this mini research paper I should be working on that's due tomorrow, I wandered back over to my blog. I realized the last post was very discouraging. Not too long after I wrote that, I had a sort of "come to Jesus meeting" with myself. I realized I was not living up to my potential. at all. I've been consumed with all of this worldliness--school, social media, relationships, vanity, and everything else. So what am I living for?? Well. The answer is simple. I'm living to honor God in all that I do. But I wasn't doing that. I wasn't acting this out. It's often so easy to just go through each day, and not realize the immense blessing God gives us every single day. It's a magnificent blessing to wake up again and see the sunshine. This in itself should be enough to rejoice in everyday! So I decided to use and appreciate what God has given me. And while I've come off of that high a little bit, there's still this rejuvenated sense of why I'm doing what I'm doing right now. Nursing school kind of sucks sometimes, but every minute is worth it. And God is truly showing me SO much through this experience. And I'm thankful for every minute. 

Also, in honor of the time I use to have to take pictures, here were a few favorites.

A few ordinaries, and a few travels.

 My brothers, the wannabe models

 River, not much more needs to be said about this crazy child :)

Here they are again, my favorite boys.

The simple joys of life in both of these.

The lighting in this was a nice accident

The streets of Edinburgh

Such beautiful places to visit

this place and this girl

P.S. at this moment, it is about 7:30 am in Rome, Italy right now. It's weird that I'm getting ready to go to bed, and Mary-John is probably getting up and ready for the day.  I'm missing my best friend so much. 

Where did you go?

I've lost my motivation for school. 

And I've become an even worse procrastinator. 

So, naturally, I'm blogging. 

Instead of reading the thousands of chapters and studying for my test on Tuesday.

Good thinking, Chels. 

The power of vulnerability

For anyone that still reads this little blog, I highly advise you to take 20 minutes out of your day and watch this. It is probably my favorite TEDtalk, and everything she says is spot on.
Watch on, friends.

Just Dropping By...

I cannot post much, but I just wanted to pay some attention to this little blog. 

First off, I can't believe it's already 2014!!! 

2013 was a year of change, some very heavy and heartbreaking change, but also some very good change. 

Everyone keeps saying 2014 is going to be a big year, so let's hope so!

So far this year I've been to San Antonio with the Blevins family, 

said goodbye to Mary-John as she flew off to Rome for the semester, 

and started my second semester of nursing school. 

My first day of classes and I'm already behind in reading… what??!

So may this year be full of greatness and joy.

I have a feeling God will bless us very graciously.

Picture time with the crazy babies before I came back to Birmingham for the semester!