tacos, easter eggs, & tornadoes.

well, lots of stuff has been going on here since i last posted. first, we had one last big hoo-rah before everyones finals a couple of weeks ago. it not only was our traditional taco party, but we added a fun twist- a mexican fiesta with "bigotes!"- thats mustaches, for all you english-speakin folk. it ended up being a HUGE success. so much fun- pinata included! 

 

my group for everything this semester. such good folks. =]

and not only was the night so fun with my knoxville folk, but my boyfriend and biff, ang, surprised me by coming up just for the party! theyre the best. =] 

 

they make me happyyyyy.

then, last weekend, i had the honor of taking some engagement pictures for friends. they were a beautiful couple. its always an honor to shoot engagement pictures because its such a special time in their lives and it represents a beautiful season in their lives. 

 

cory & kelsey. 

easter was such a good weekend. i got to go home and spend it and see people i care about the most. me and canaan got to go see water for elephants friday. one of my new faves for sure. the cinematography alone was amazing, not to mention the storyline. a recommended must-see! saturday was spent helping canaan move the rest of his stuff back home and then meeting up with mom and the arnold crew for some frisbee and corn hole, followed by easter dinner, easter baskets, and harry potter. 

this week finally just got done with all of my big projects, papers, and presentations. hallelujerrrr praise the Lawd! but my last class of the day ended with my professor leaving us with words of wisdom. i found this sign & thought it was appropriate for this time in my life as well as others. it blows me away that this season in my life is almost over. but how exciting at the same time. 

 

true that.

 

 

 

 

rejuvenation.

can i just tell yall- this weekend has been one of the best weekends ive had in knoxville this semester. thursday, after class, i got to lay out during the afternoon. it was a glorious day and i dont care what anyone says, theres nothing that makes you feel better than a good 'ol tan. 

friday brought a lot of excitement. my girls came in. lindsey jo and anna were in knoxville for the weekend to celebrate our dear friends that are about to get married. it was such a God-given time of relaxation, laughter, sharing life together, and fun. i dont have as much fun with any other group of girls. i just feel like myself with them and can tell them my heart. i pray that everyone has friends like these in their lives. people who are doing big things and thanking God for their season. emily, anna, lindsey jo, and i all started in the same season- we were all new to a big campus. goodness, where the Lord has brought us in 4 years. there have been weddings, babies-to-come, graduations, small groups, sign language, parties, tears, worship, art nights, food, talking to all hours of the night, fire alarms, road trips, dancing, letters, people to hold us up when we fell, people to understand our mistakes and still be there. i dont know if its the nostalgia of almost graduating college or just truly enjoying the weekend with BEST friends, but i am so so thankful for each of them in their own specific and beautiful way. thank you for being weird with me and figuring it out. love you girls. =]

saturday brought such a fun fun time. us girls woke up and had anna's famous pancakes- as good as i remember them. =] and then that afternoon, we set up for beth-ann's lingerie party. that night was a blast! we made beth-ann blush a little, we all laughed so so much, played fun lingerie-party games [wink wink], and talked about marriage and weddings. its a blessing to hear beth-ann talk about how exciting and fun everything has been. that her and jared have had such a God-shaped journey and are truly enjoying their time of marriage counseling and getting ready for their life together. its so refreshing to hear a couple that isnt freaking out but truly relaxed and being thankful for this season instead of rushing it. their testimony definitely had an impact on my life. 

the weekend as a whole was a time of rejuvenation. it was warm, sunny, and full of warmth from good, meaningful relationships. 

heres a more updated picture of us from the last post. 

10 big things.

1. what a wonderful weekend. i got to go home this weekend and see my grandparents! they came in all the way from pensacola, florida for a friends birthday, so they stayed the weekend with me & mom. friday night we had a dinner with my grandparents, aunt & uncle, canaan, and the arnold's. it was an amazing night of first-time meetings, whipped towels, jello in laps, and angry birds. 


2. while being in town on saturday, canaan and i got to spend a day with his family. first, we went to go see his little sister izzy play soccer. then, we got to see his other little sister off to prom! she was beautiful and it was an honor to come along and see her!

...and here's canaan's mom, and his two sweet little sisters, lydia and jayne. they wanted to dress up from prom too. =]

3. im looking forward to this weekend as well. there's a lot going on! my core girls are coming in. its going to be a blast of a weekend! heres a flashback for everyone. yay for lindsey jo & anna coming into town!

4. this weekend is also our friend, beth-ann's, lingerie shower. so so excited. just you wait for the festivities beth. itll be a night worth remembering. =]

5. next weekend, i get the honor of taking some engagement pictures for some dear friends- kelsey & corey! were going to be taking pictures all around knoxville. i am so excited and honored to be doing this for a great couple. what an important time in their lives!

6. april 22 marks a big day. its the opening day for water for elephants! its a film based on a novel. i read the novel over spring break and fell in love. now im super excited for the film- plus its robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. cant get much better than that. 

7. im looking forward to easter. easter candy by far is my favorite. last week, i went into walgreens, and discovered my favorite toy of all time. its a cow that poops jellybeans. i laughed by myself in the aisle for 5 minutes- its the cutest little thing! i wanna get you all one. who knows? maybe i might...

8. also, with the wonderful easter weekend will be an opportunity for another interview! i will be interviewing for a part time event specialist position. im so excited/nervous. hopefully all will go well, as i know it will. 

9. last thursday was refer-a-friend week in zumba. at least, me & lauren made it that. we brought our friends gerica and grant to zumba. it was so so fun! i do believe theyll be returning. let me know if you wanna go too. we always encourage visitors. 

10. no tests this week. PTL!