Fishing in the bay

I finally got the film developed from Florida!  Yayyy! 

I took a waterproof disposable camera down to Ft. Myers at the beginning of the year and then I didn't use it again til this most recent trip to Ft. Walton Beach.  I guess I didn't find myself in water/underwater in between January and October? That obviously means I must not have been doing summer right this past year.  Hrmpf!  (Note: add water activities to next summer's bucket list.)  

Anyway, these photos are from the day of my cousin's rehearsal dinner.  The dinner was at my aunt and uncle's house and everyone staying at their house helped with it.  Spenser and I were one of the first ones up to get our assigned jobs done, so we could have some extra time.  Thus, we baked desserts fast and furious first thing in the morning, then we went out to the dock.  My aunt and uncle's home is right on the bay and they have a great long wooden staircase that leads to a dock walkway, which you can see in the photos.  Spenser tried his hand at net fishing and caught a crab really quickly!  Neither one of us knew what to do with it!  After taking some Lion King pride rock-esque photos and snapchats with it (think Rafiki holding up Simba), we ended up putting it back in the water.  We then tried our hand at catching small fish, but to no avail.  We tried waiting patiently, very still, and then going for them, but the fish outswam the humans.  We still had fun just swimming in the bay, enjoying the sunshine. 

Also, here is a video of how to pick up a crab in case you should ever need to.  

And just in case you didn't get enough of my face up, close, and personal above, here's one more lovely shot.  Have a happy weekend!

Sunday musings

I wish I could go back to this moment.  Everything about it.  My open smile at Spenser.  Us laughing.  Surrounded by friends.  The sun just getting to that perfect time of late afternoon going into evening.  The afternoon-evening light that comes with it.  The feeling of unending summer.  All the love and joy.  The freedom to run around and just be outside.

This photo just captures such a easy, relaxed moment brimming with love and happiness.  It's lightweight, simple, but perfect.  It's what I wish for and really what we all wish for.  I hope everyone can remember a time like that; pure and wonderful.

I guess I'm feeling pretty nostalgic tonight.  Do you ever do that with pictures-where it really creates a longing for feeling/time/event gone by?  I certainly like to look back and just smile over certain memories.  But tonight I want to be in that photo.  I want to be who I was at that time and be able to feel exactly what I felt.

Thank you summer 2013 for this precious gem.

Goodnight, and best wishes for the holiday tomorrow.
    

thought for today...

please read this love letter.

thanks. xo, c

Monday Confessions

So here are some things to spice up your Monday morning...or not...maybe just some odd, slightly embarassing thoughts?

I like the movie 17 Again.  Yes, that's right: the one with Zac Efron.  I first saw it at a girls' night a few years ago.  We had watched a bunch of sad, sappy, depressing, bad movies (eek, sorry girls!) and then at three in the morning they decided to put in 17 Again.  I was sooo charmed! I was ready to give it an Oscar.  Afterwards, I decided my liking must have increased exponentially due to tiredness and lack of liking the other movies.  However just last Friday, a high school class I was subbing watched it at the end of the day and I realized I still very much liked the movie.  I didn't actually watch it (I had work to get done), but I could hear it and I still give it two thumbs up.  Also, how could you not be touched by this scene?

I wear my contacts longer than I'm supposed to...like a lot longer. :/

I could listen to this on repeat.  Can't you? Doesn't it get you dancing or at least a smile?

Now on the other hand...when I listen to this, I feel like this little guy.

Sometimes I can't decide if I'm a messy person or an organized person.  It's so strange, but I'm so much of either depending on the situation.

I think Bradley Cooper in American Hustle looks like Lindsay Buckingham back in the day.

Well, that's it for now.  Happy Monday!!

*picture found here

friends.

Last night, these ladies and I went out and had a splendid time.  That was to be expected.  What wasn't expected was the overwhelming feeling of gratitude that we experienced.  My friends and I have often joked that we are a dysfunctional family.  We have grown up together, we have the same memories of random experiences, we roll our eyes at each other, we have parents and families that treat each of us like their own even if we aren't theirs, and lastly we have an unseen connection that binds us inexplicably.

Becca, Laura, and I were sitting, giving each other a hard time-preying on each other's weaknesses-and I said, "Isn't it great that we know everything terrible about each other and yet we still completely love each other and can laugh about it?"  Laura replied promptly, "Of course!  We're stuck together forever, for better or for worse.  This is it."  Becca agreed.  I agreed too.  A few more words were spoken about how well we know each other and how we're glued together for life.

Even though it is now the next day, I still am reeling in gratitude for my friends.  What a beautiful thing it is to know someone's greatest attributes, but also their greatest faults and to still love them unconditionally.  I think we'd all like to believe we do that, but it's not as easy as it sounds.  It's easy to be around for the fun times, but a friendship is nothing if it can't weather the not-so-fun parts of life.  These girls have stood by me numerous times and I'd like to say I've stood by them as well.  They are friends that have transcended environment and event.  It's easy to have high school friends, college friends, work friends, etc.  But how many of those remain through the years and life changes?  Usually you have your high school friends in high school, college friends in college, work friends at the job, etc.  Part of that is because it's easy to find camaraderie in belonging to an institution, sharing activities, and being in close proximity.  But the friends that can last through different phases of one's life, they are a treasure.  I would even go so far to say they are the "really true" friends.  I love these girls wholeheartedly and as time goes by, I realize just how much it means to have them as true friends in this world.