Life in its Ordinary Form

Days 6 & 7 Out West

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 22:35:00 +0000

The next 2 days we spent driving, we hit the Four Corners - because you HAVE to do that tourist trap. Headed back up through Colorado, and to Mesa Verde - our final National Park on the trip.

Four corners was the most expensive site we visited - all for a quick picture standing on the little 4 corners medallion. TOTAL tourist trap. But, when else can you say you've been in 4 states at once?

Taken before selfie sticks were in :)

Our last stop was Mesa Verde in Colorado. Mesa Verde is full of cliff dwellings that date back to around 1200. It is amazing to see these "mansions" built in the side of the cliffs - and to see that so many of them are still in tact. We even had the opportunity to take a tour of one of the dwellings on our second day in Mesa Verde - and I definitely recommend doing it. Tickets are cheap, the national park guides are so knowledgeable, and you get to crawl through the dwelling and stand inside each of the rooms. TOO cool.

We spent one night in Mesa Verde at the hotel in the park, finally got to try a Navajo Taco, and then set out for Grand Junction to fly home the next day.

We passed through Telluride on our way back to Grand Junction, and many other scenic towns on our drive. It was absolutely beautiful - there was still snow in some areas.

We had such an incredible trip. Utah is unlike any state I've ever seen, the National Parks we visited are some of my favorites, and I can't express how beautiful these places are in person. Pictures simply don't do them justice - everyone should have these places on their bucket list.

Day 5 - Page, Arizona

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 22:13:00 +0000

Horseshoe Bend at Sunset on Day 5 of our trip

The next morning we woke up early to head to one of our most anticipated stops of the trip - Lower Antelope Canyon.
Lower Antelope Canyon is run by the Navajo, and it's not the best facility (overflowing porta potties #ew). But, when we were there they were currently under construction with a new building for the site so it may be better now. They offer a photographer tour - which allows a private guided tour in order for you to take a professional camera and get the National Geographic type shots. Daddy took that tour and got some incredible photographs, and we took the normal tour and got some pretty good shots on our phones.

One of Daddy's shots

It's amazing to walk through these canyons, and see the way the water has shaped the structures.

Me and mama climbing back out of the canyons.

After visiting Lower Antelope Canyon we headed over to Glen Canyon Dam and to see Lake Powell - which was beautiful.

And then before sunset we headed back to Horseshoe Bend one last time, because it's just too beautiful not to visit twice. Yet again, the place was swarmed with people capturing the beautiful sunset.

Day 4 Out West

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 00:27:00 +0000

The next morning we woke up and began our drive towards Monument Valley.
The road is incredibly picturesque - it is so straight leading up into Monument Valley.

Monument Valley is operated by the Navajo - and when you arrive it is a dusty road with warning signs about going into the valley loop if you don't have 4 wheel drive. We took that as a challenge and took our Ford Edge in. We made it! But it was certainly nerve wracking in some of the areas with sand. The roads are not maintained very well - and the driving is just a free for all. Definitely one of the worst "roads" I've ever traveled on - but we saw a Camaro do it, so I guess anyone can make it work!

The weather was not ideal while we were there - it was so cold! We packed for the desert - not 50 degree weather.

After that, we loaded up - hit up a McDonald's for some Big Macs, and then headed towards our next stop in Page, Arizona. We checked in to our hotel, and then quickly headed to see our first site - Horseshoe Bend.

Horseshoe Bend is one of the most breathtaking sites, and it's a fairly short distance to the view from the parking area. It is a shear drop off at the edge of the cliff, and the water below is such a beautiful color. We were able to see the most beautiful sunset, and the line of photographers at sunset is impressive along the side of the cliff.

Then we headed for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, and hit the hay before our adventure to Lower Antelope Canyon the next morning.

Day 3 Out West

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 00:13:00 +0000

Day 3- We woke up and hit the road to head to Blanding, UT
Right outside of Moab we stopped at a total tourist trap called Hole in the Rock

Next, we stopped at Hovenweep National Monument - where Ancestral Puebloan cultures built dwellings along a valley. The dwellings were several stories, and remarkable considering how long ago they were constructed.

Then we continued our drive to Natural Bridges National Monument. The natural bridges area was incredible, and very few people were in the park because the weather was beginning to get bad - but this made for some pretty cool cloud coverage.

The bridges were stream-carved, and it's truly amazing to see the height of the arches. The bridge pictured is the Sipapu bridge, and at its arch it is 220 feet high.

After we saw the bridges we headed back to the hotel after a long day in the car, to prepare for our next day's drive into Death Valley.

Day 2 out West

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 15:00:00 +0000

{ Day 2 - Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park - Moab, UT }
We stayed in Green River, UT which is about 45 minutes out of Moab, so the next day we woke up at 4:00am so we could drive in to hike and see the sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park- the Island in the Sky district. It was an EARLY morning, but definitely worth it. The sunrise at Mesa Arch is stunning. It literally creates a glow beneath the arch as you look out over the canyon.

Above is a picture of the view through the arch.

Below, me and Mal as the sun began to rise overlooking the view beside Mesa Arch.

Above - the Sunrise view from the overlook by Mesa Arch.

Below - Sunrise glow beneath Mesa Arch.

Above - Daddy capturing his shot at Mesa Arch.
Afterwards, we went into Moab for some much needed coffee and a delicious breakfast at Jailhouse Cafe in downtown Moab. Then we headed back into Arches National Park to view more of the arches.

First up - Double Arch.

The view was stunning. Every time we saw something new we thought, "nothing can top this," and then we would get to the next site. It's just amazing how beautiful our country is.

Then we went to North and South Window Arch.

and we finished the day at Landscape Arch (pictured above) before heading back to Green River for the evening. Pictures don't even do these place justice, the size of these arches is insane.

All of these pictures were taken with my iPhone, so you can imagine how beautiful the ones my dad captured on his camera are going to be!

Also this day we visited within Arches National Park: Devils Garden, Turret Arch, and Skyline Arch. I just don't have them pictured within the post.

Utah.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 16:23:00 +0000

It's been ages since I've blogged, and a lot has happened in the last few months. Finished up my first year of pharmacy school, enjoyed the pledging process as I joined Kappa Epsilon at school, and took our first family vacation in YEARS.

The day after school finished we all packed up and headed out West for 8 days, and it was an absolute blast. You may have seen a bunch of our pictures on my instagram, but I have to blog about it before I forget all of the stops we made. :)

We flew into SLC, then had a connecting flight in Grand Junction, CO. We got there late that night, so the next morning we woke up and drove into Utah. It's so crazy how different it looks as you drive out West compared to Georgia. We loved getting to see the change in geography as we drove between our destinations.

We spent the first day stopping in two ghost towns, seeing some Indian petroglyphs (cave paintings), and ending the day at Arches National Park hiking to the Delicate Arch for sunset. My dad is a photographer, so we spent time in both of the ghost towns we visited taking some fun portraits.

The first was taken in Cisco, UT, a tiny little ghost town on our way to Moab. The shot below was taken in Sego Canyon, in what used to be a general store.

We still haven't had a chance to go through all of the shots we took, so I can't wait to post more after we do!

Above is a picture of some of the petroglyphs in Sego Canyon.

Next up, we headed into Arches National Park - probably one of my favorite places we went. Below is one of the first picturesque scenes you see as you enter the park -- Park Avenue. It takes your breath away.

Below is a shot looking back through Park Avenue shot from the Courthouse Towers viewing area.

Below is me and Mal at Balancing Rock.

Next we hiked up to Delicate Arch, and WHAT a hike. It was definitely a lot more strenuous than we anticipated.. granted, I'm super out of shape.

It's the coolest thing though, because just when you're starting to question how much further you have to go, you round the corner of this cliff and there it is. Absolutely breathtaking.

It was just so cool up there. I could sit there for hours and take it all in.

After a while we headed back down so we could head back to the hotel to gear up for our next day.

Can't wait to share more pictures of our next days of our trip.
Sorry it's kind of a picture overload, but really I'm not that sorry. :)

I wish I was back there!
#bentleygowest

All the best,

Quick Recap of Life

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 15:05:00 +0000

That whole "blogging more regularly" thing was short-lived. I had no idea how limited my free time would be this semester apparently.

But since I've last blogged -- I've enjoyed quite a few snow/ice days, watched the Winter Olympics like it was my job, wined and dined at a few cool places in Atlanta, Netflixed it up with Dexter, and of course -- studied pharmacy.

The girls from my freshmen hall all got together to have an Opening Ceremonies party for the Olympics - it was so fun to catch up with everyone again. We even had our own little Russian (picture - middle with the hat on). We got really into the Winter Olympics our freshmen year of college, so of course we had to go all out for the Opening Ceremonies. :)

Then I went through the Rush Process in Pharmacy School, which was so laidback.. I love it. I'm currently a KE pledge and I'm loving getting to know all of these sweet girls.

Masquerade Rush Party

And we enjoyed a fun night in Athens with our crazy crew of friends..

Basically, that's all I've been up to. I lead SUCH an exciting life... haha #sarcasm

BUT, today I'm going to the Roswell Beer Festival with one of BFFs from school, so I can't wait to blog about that. (goal: to ACTUALLY blog about it.)

Happy Weekend Friends!

1.15.14

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 21:04:00 +0000

I like to think I'm not the only one who has fallen off the blogging bandwagon lately, because I hate that I never find time to post anymore. Blogging used to be my outlet. I looked forward to sitting down and writing my posts, reading other people's blogposts, and I spent a ridiculous amount of time brainstorming new ideas for posts.

I feel like too often my excuse is "I'm so busy" or "I don't have time." That isn't exactly a lie, I really am busy with school and work, and life itself. But, when it comes down to it, I could make the time to sit down and post.. it's just it's the last thing I want to do with my spare time these days. And that makes me sad.

So I'm back.. in an effort to fall in love with blogging again, and hopefully find myself wanting to make time for it again. I want to be able to have these days documented in posts for my little future self.. because there's nothing I love more than looking back on old blog posts and seeing how much I have changed.

December was a busy month for me, as I'm sure it was for many of you.
I completed my first semester of pharmacy school, surviving finals week was a success in and of itself, and then spent all but a few days of Christmas break working-- splitting my time between a slew of monogram orders and earning some pharmacy intern hours. Christmas was an absolute blessing, and so very needed. I enjoyed spending time at home with my family more than anything.

I loved catching up with some of my sweet friend's to celebrate a birthday.. with some good food and a much-needed night on the town. (Oh how I had missed Athens!)

And cuddles with my sweet Millie were not in short supply. She was my little shadow while I was home and followed me everywhere. :)

But of course, all good things must come to an end. Back to the grind of school, but honestly? I was kind of getting ready to head back. It's time to knock out another semester and be one step closer to my dream job. Work work work!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

All the best,
Leslie

November.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 00:56:00 +0000

November.
It's a month full of thanksgivings, recognizing and acknowledging all of our blessings.
The last few months have been so full of blessings for me.

I've watched one of my best friends marry the sweetest guy ever.

I've been working most weekends, and learning so much about pharmacy in practice.
I've been able to go to a UGA game in Sanford, and be still my heart. Athens will always hold a special place in my heart.

My sister and I have been overwhelmed with business, and it couldn't be more wonderful. We literally bought an embroidery machine on a whim, hoping we could at least break even. And at this point? We've done more than break even. We've had so much fun sewing, and can't wait to see what the next few months bring. (Sewing may or may not have taken over our free time though... ) Our etsy shop link is HERE; and facebook HERE.

And last but not least, pharmacy school.
As hard as it has been the last few weeks, I still feel so blessed to be learning and under stress. Challenging, but rewarding-- that's the best way I can describe it.

I am looking forward to Thanksgiving break SO much.
I can't wait to spend time with my family,
and of course... eat a TON of good food.

My life--- it's busy.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 01:13:00 +0000

The last few weeks have flown by.
I feel like I blinked and it was October.
School has been wonderful, and ohhh so busy.
In fact,
LIFE has been wonderful, and ohhh so busy.

I haven't posted in ages,
and it's literally because I'm spending most of my time doing schoolwork.
And those free moments of time?
I usually like to spend NOT looking at a computer screen.

Thus, the blog hiatus.
But I've started to miss it,
So here I am. :)

There's so much that's been happening in my life,
and it's hard to make it short and concise.

In the past month I have....

turned another year older... and 23 is not nearly as exciting as 21 once was.
started a new job
gotten more adjusted to life in Atlanta (I still miss you ATHENS!)
been sewing like I work in a sweat shop... our Etsy page is booming. (more on that soon!)
welcomed fall with open arms
learned a tremendous amount of pharmacy-related stuff, and have grown to love the profession EVEN more
been guzzling caffeinated beverages like it's my job
saw my boyfriend, aka John Mayer, in concert
been consumed by Scandal, and I want Olivia Pope's wardrobe

Hopefully I can post more than just once this month. ;)

All the best,

Goodness in the World.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 23:44:00 +0000

These days when you turn on the news, or read the latest headlines it's hard not to see the world as a cruel and scary place. It's filled with so much violence, hatred, and horrible crimes that occur on a daily basis.

But then, just as soon as you start to lose hope in humanity.. you see something that completely restores it. Something that shows you there is still goodness out there.

Watch this video and then tell me your heart doesn't fill up with joy.
There is still so much goodness in the world.
It makes me look forward to having a love like this sweet man has for someone.
But have tissues ready, because it'll make you cry!

Much love,

Beginning with the End in Mind.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 14:34:00 +0000

Friday was our White Coat Ceremony for the entering class of Pharmacy school.
The white coat symbolizes a commitment to professionalism and dedication to patient care. During the ceremony, we each went on stage to be presented with our white coat and then we all took a Pledge of Professionalism to begin our time has professional students working towards our Pharm.D.

It's a pretty meaningful ceremony, and I would be lying if I didn't say I've dreamed of the day I'd get that white coat for quite a while now. It's silly how an object can make things seem so real for you, but that white coat made the fact that I'll be in pharmacy classes this week seem MUCH more real.

During orientation the day before our WCC, one of the professors talked about what professionalism means. How would we define professionalism, and what does it mean in the pharmacy profession? You don't realize how hard it is to define professionalism without the word profession until you're asked that question. We spent time going through the Pledge of Professionalism, the Oath of the Pharmacist, and the Code of Ethics for Pharmacists, taking the time to recognize what they all meant to us and what the ultimate outcome of pharmacy school will be-- focusing on our duty and role as pharmacists.

"Beginning with the end in mind," is quote that she shared with us. That's the way we should begin pharmacy school, keeping a large focus on why we're here, why we're entering the profession of pharmacy, and what professionalism in our field means. That quote she shared with us is ultimately what the White Coat ceremony symbolizes.

We ended the ceremony with a reception, where we each signed the Pledge we recited.

I was so thankful to have my family there to celebrate the mark of the beginning of my Pharmacy career, I can't tell you how supportive they've been of me up to this point. And I'm sure all of the pep talks they've given me aren't over yet. ;)

Now, the rest of my weekend is dedicated to studying. Class hasn't even started yet and I'm already behind... pharmacy school has arrived!!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Orientation

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 13:00:00 +0000

My first day of the beginning of pharmacy school was yesterday-- Orientation.

My gosh, can words even describe how weird it is to sit in a room alongside 175 other people who share the same passion and goal as me? I have worked so hard for so long to get to this point. And sitting in the room being prepped for these next four years of coursework, the expectations of us as student pharmacists, and the importance of professionalism in our profession really hit me-- I am going to be a pharmacist. It's no longer an "I hope to be..." it's an "I will be...".

The Dean shared a quote with us that really stuck with me, "People won't want to know what you know, until you show that you care." As we looked over the Pledge of Professionalism, the Oath of the Pharmacist, and Code of Ethics for Pharmacists, that quote continued to resonate. The profession of pharmacy revolves around patient care, and as much schooling as we have ahead of us, and as much knowledge as we will all have after the next four years-- it will all mean nothing if we don't have the care and compassion behind what we do.

I know that these next four years won't be easy, and I know I'll probably end up complaining about all of the studying and assignments before it's all done with.. but I hope I never forget this feeling right now. This excitement that I've been feeling about getting started. I never want to take pharmacy school for granted, because it has taken so much work to get to this point, and there are so many out there that don't even make it here.

May 2017-- I can't wait to see how much knowledge I hold upon graduation. Going into our White Coat Ceremony today we're all excited, nervous, and anxious to get started. A class full of strangers that I can't wait to get to know in these upcoming weeks.

And I swear all of these sappy pharmacy posts are almost over... :)

Leaving.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 22:26:00 +0000

Last week I sat down to write a post, and in the midst of it I got so emotional I had to stop. I tend to get overly attached to places and people, and as I've said before.. goodbyes aren't easy for me.

It was a blogpost about my last day of working at the Pharmacy that I've worked at for the past two years. The place where I spent countless hours falling in love with the profession of Pharmacy. The place that not only confirmed my love for pharmacy, but taught me how rewarding the profession can be.

There's something to be said for a small town, family-owned pharmacy. From the employees, down to the patients, it's a different atmosphere than your big retail chains. To say I was blessed with the opportunity to work there would be an understatement. I'll miss the abundance of laughs we shared at work, all of our quirky patients who made work so much more enjoyable, and just the people in general. I'll miss the people.

I can't even put into words how much all of the people at work have meant to me. The friendships I built with each of my coworkers, and the time we spent together is something I'm so grateful for. I have learned a tremendous amount about patient care, and how to handle situations that I never knew I could potentially encounter just from watching the pharmacists I work with. I feel more ready than ever to take on Pharmacy school and eventually join them in the profession.

Now bring it Pharm school!! ;)

Kayaking.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 12:00:00 +0000

A few weekends ago, we took an impromptu kayaking trip with some guys from Jasmine's softball team. I had never been legit kayaking.. and didn't really know what to expect. But I CAN tell you, I didn't expect them to just dump us out at the top of the river with zero instruction.

Also, let me mention that this was during the month of monsoons that Georgia was having.. so the river was beyond full. When we crossed the bridge on our way to the kayaking place, and saw the river below, we started wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. And then as we started driving on the winding, muddy roads to get to the kayaking place we reeeally started to wonder what we had gotten ourselves into.

But we caught on within no time.
Yeah, we may have fallen out a time or two.. or three...
but it was a blast.

We all just kind of formed a big party barge, 8 people/kayaks across, as we let the river carry us down for the first few miles. Midway through we stopped for lunch, and those boys mean business when they plan a kayaking trip. Portable grill, bratwursts, the whole shabang. I think that may have been the best bratwurst I've ever had.

Then it was back onto the river for the last 7 miles.
We ended up doing 11 miles total, and we literally spent the whole day out there. Arriving at 9:30, and ending around 6:30. We were worn out.

The first half of the river was pretty laid back and easy, but the second half was more fast-paced with the rapids. At one part we went over a waterfall, which was terrifying.. but definitely worth it. ;)

Around the last mile it started raining pretty badly on us, and we came to some fast-paced rapids that were pretty scary. It's like you can't paddle hard enough to get you where you need to go... and I ended up getting dumped out of the kayak in the midst of the rapids. My adrenaline kicked in and I managed to grab my kayak, but I got swept along in the current and it was pretty scary. My legs were slamming against rocks.. and it feels like you're literally helpless when you're in fast-moving water like that. There's nothing you can do to stop yourself. It all ended up being fine after we passed that rough patch, my kayak just suffered some damage-- it filled with water all along that last stretch. And my leg had an awesome battle wound for the books. ;)

We survived our first kayaking trip though, and we can't wait to go back.
And you best beliiiieeeve we devoured some McDonald's Big Macs and french fries after that day on the river. That was some serious work!

And... the waterproof camera survived the trip too. That's a success! I forgot how to operate the old school disposable cameras... they're so much fun to get developed. The pictures are a mystery. ;)

Goodbyes

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 03:06:00 +0000

Lately I feel like I've been running a million miles a minute, constantly.
The past month has been so busy between finishing up my summer class, packing things and moving into Atlanta, finishing up at my job, getting last minute things in order for pharmacy school, and starting a new business venture with my sister (more to come on that later). Oh.. and squeezing in a bit of a social life in all of that. So needless to say, finding time to blog has been difficult.

There are a lot of exciting things happening in my life right now. Big changes that I've worked hard for for a very long time are about to take place. But it's also a bittersweet time, leaving a place I've called home for the past two years being one of the more difficult things.

It's no secret that I have a strong love for Athens, GA. Packing up our apartment and reminiscing on all of our wonderful memories we've made in that sweet town made it very hard to leave. And I know that at some point good things have to come to an end for better things to happen... but it doesn't make it any easier to say goodbye to a place that's become such a big part of your life.

My roommate, Jasmine, and I have talked a lot about how much our lives have changed just within the last two years.. and how crazy it is to think about how much they'll change in the next four years. There are a lot of opportunities to be had in Atlanta for both of us, and I'm excited and a little anxious to see what all that city holds for us in the coming months.

I started off in a small college town in the mountains, ventured to the big ole city of Athens, and now it's time to tackle Atlanta. I can't wait to see what all unfolds for me in the future, and I can't wait to share it on here.

Just pray that I survive in that ATL traffic. ;)

#leakeywedding

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 01:06:00 +0000

Saturday I went to Jamie and Adam's BEAUTIFUL wedding.
Pictures don't even do it justice.
It was THE wedding of the summer, if you ask me ;) , and every last detail was pinterest-worthy perfection.

She was stunning.
I am in love with her dress, her hair, everything.. but did we expect anything less? Jamie is beautiful! And I'm so happy for her and Adam. Their love for each other is just the sweetest.

And since Jamie invited some fellow bloggers to the wedding.. we had a blast sharing a table and getting to know each other in real life. Blogging. is. Awesome. These girls are all so wonderful!

bre // me // nicole // jamie // jess // savannah

gotta love blurry iphone pics. ;)

Congratulations Adam and Jamie!! Enjoy your honeymoon in St. Lucia!!

Coke Bottles and Paper Straws.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 20:43:00 +0000

The Sunday after Mal's graduation we threw her graduation party,
and with our luck...
it started thunder storming, and pouring buckets of rain around 4:00 that morning.

We had planned to have her party in our yard.
We had strung wire between the trees to hang the pom pom balls we made,
Mama and Daddy had rented tables and chairs,
we had put in hours of yard work...
and it. was. pouring. BUCKETS.

So around 7:30 that morning we all started scrambling to clean the house, and move the party indoors.
Around 50 people were expected.. and we had to find places to put everyone.
But it turned out just wonderfully regardless, Mama and Mal did a great job with all of their decorations.

AND, how cute was Mal's little dress with those bottled cokes?
Her color scheme was on point.

Mama and daddy did the barbecue for the party, and it was incredible.
The bottled cokes, paper straws, mason jars for sweet tea, and monogrammed petits fours.. just too cute for words.

All in all, the party was a success.

And it quit raining as soon as it was over, so we had a photo shoot.
Those I'll have to share next ;)

Lake Recap.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:02:00 +0000

Finally, I'm getting around to posting pictures of our lake weekend.
We've had some people leave for vacation at work this week, so I've been filling in.. making my schedule full time from 9-7 each day. When you're not used to being on your feet that long, it's exhausting. But I love every minute at our sweet pharmacy, getting to see our patients every day is a treat. :)

Anyways, as for the lake.
My grandparents joined us this weekend.. but I didn't get any pictures. FAIL.
I took a lot of video footage in an effort to compile a sweet video like Jamie did of the Bachelorette party. (she inspired me) But I haven't had time to sit down and get to that just yet. So... one of these days it will happen.

My sister Mallory lives for the lake.
She waits all year for that first day in the summer when she can slip on her ski and hit the water.

But we all love sitting on the dock at that perfect time of day.
When the lake starts to clear out for dinner time,
the sun starts to set,
and the temperature starts to cool off a bit.
It's a little slice of heaven,
and my mama's "happy place."

NOW, back to reality.
My summer class starts today...
and I've kind of put it out of my mind that I actually have a summer class.
So today will be loads of fun ;)
A 3 hour Microbiology lab followed by a 2 hour lecture?
That's exactly how I envision my summer. #not

My Summer.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 21:14:00 +0000

Summer is that time of year when I try to spend every bit of free time at the lake.
There's not much in life that can relax me as much as a weekend spent at the lake house.

Sitting on the dock,
feeling the breeze roll across the water,
the sun on your skin,
the occasional rock from passing boat's wakes...

THAT is Summer to me.

We spent the weekend at the lake house with my sweet grandparents, and I can't wait to share more pictures tomorrow.
Happy Monday!

Bachelorette Weekend in Charleston

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 30 May 2013 13:59:00 +0000

This past weekend we headed up to Charleston to celebrate Jamie's last fling before the ring! ;)
I had never spent time in Charleston, and now I'm dying to go back.. it was so much fun.

I only knew Jamie and her maid of honor, Jessica, going into the weekend, but by the end I got to know all of Jamie's sweet friends. We laughed, because all of them kept asking how we knew each other... and "we met through blogging" sounds odd to people who don't blog.

We had so much fun going out in Charleston. It's much bigger than the little old Athens night life I'm used to, and the restaurants were incredible.

Now we're one step closer to her beautiful wedding! I can't wait.

Check out Jamie's post, she made a video compilation of the weekend.. mad skills.

Mal's Graduation Day.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:40:00 +0000

Mal's graduation was Friday night, and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.
We took a ton of pictures, so pardon the overload. ;)

Graduation ceremonies in Barrow County aren't exactly the most reverent things around. There's a lot of yelling, bull horns, cow bells, and obnoxious balloons that obstruct your view. BUT, it's kind of become a joke. People literally wear cut off jeans and wife beaters... it's a sight. Best people watching around.

My dad and I both graduated from WBHS, so now that Mal is a graduate we have 3 WBHS alumni in our family. And each one of us walked across the same 50 yard line to receive our diplomas, so of course we had to get a little picture with the W. Clair Harris Stadium behind us.

Mal with the boys from her Youth Group and their Youth Leader, Todd.

Mal looks so happy in all of her graduation pictures. I'm so glad she had a wonderful graduation, and can't wait to share pictures from her graduation party with you! We had such a fun weekend celebrating Mallory and all of her achievements.

Graduation.

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:46:00 +0000

It seems like just yesterday I was told I was going to be a big sister.
I still remember sitting in the hospital bed with my mama and getting to hold her for the first time.

And tonight she'll be graduating.
Walking across the same 50 yard line that I did 4 years ago, and that my dad did when he graduated high school.

Mallory, I couldn't be more proud of you.
I can't wait to see what the next four years bring for you.

Love,

A Moment in My Day

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:22:00 +0000

Blog Everyday in May: A Moment in Your Day.
If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen this picture from a few weeks ago. But typically, when I'm home.. this is how every morning begins.

A cup of coffee shared with some of the sweetest company there is, my little dog Millie.
Every morning she greets me as soon as I wake up, and is my shadow the entire morning as I go through the motions. Making my coffee, drinking my coffee, she lays on the bath rug outside of the shower until I'm out, and then she sits at my feet while I do my hair and make-up. Not a bad little face to look at though, am I right? ;)

Letting Failure Define You

noreply@blogger.com (Leslie) — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:17:00 +0000

I didn't know about the "Blog Everyday in May" until.. yesterday? So I'm joining in late. It's such a good idea, and has so many thought provoking writing prompts. I've really enjoyed reading others posts.

Today's topic: A Piece of Advice You Have for Others
There's so many things I thought about writing for this one.. but I feel like a lot of things have already been said here and there.

Don't let the fear of failure keep you from pursuing your goals.
I have a fear of failure. I hate the unknown, and knowing that I could potentially fail at things I may unexpectedly encounter terrifies me.

When I initially started college, I chickened out of my major and switched to a non-science major. I was afraid I wasn't smart enough to go the pre-pharmacy route. I didn't know anything about the science courses I would be having to take, I wasn't even sure about the path to get to pharmacy school and how it all worked. I let the fear of failure overcome my dream of pursuing pharmacy.

I always seem to relate things to school, because I feel like that's my life right now. But this advice holds true for other settings too. Fear of pursuing a job because the interview process is intimidating. I don't like the idea of looking like a fool in the interview process, but letting that deter you from the job you desire? Your fear of failure is winning.

Running a half marathon was something I always wanted to do, but I felt like it was just crazy. I wasn't capable of doing it. That's one of those things other people do, and I just always dream on the sidelines of doing it. I would never be able to set out and even run ONE mile, so never in a million years could I run 13.1.

I let the fear of failure define what I was capable of.
We are our own worst enemies. We talk ourselves down constantly, and a lot of times I think it's because we are scared of failure. YOU are capable of anything you set your mind to. Don't let those minor obstacles you encounter on the way to your goals count as failures. Failures and bumps in the road just make the end result THAT much better.

Thankfully I switched my major back during my freshmen year of college, and I begin Pharmacy school in the fall. Challenges along the way have just made me appreciate where I've ended up THAT much more. And I know that it's not an easy road ahead. As for my fear of failure with running? I overcame that in November last year when I completed my first half marathon. Don't give up! Doors may slam in your face, but others will open. And it's better than never even trying in the first place.