Oops

I've done it. I went the entire summer without blogging. It makes me wonder whether or not I am truly a blogger or not? There has been so much that has happened that I felt slightly overwhelmed with everything I should write down. So, instead of chipping away at all the things I wanted to write, I just didn't write at all. Because we all know that makes the most sense. This summer has been spectacular. God has been so very good to me.

1. My graduation party weekend was so incredible.
2. I went to Seattle.
3. I went to Hawaii.
4. I climbed a 14er.
5. I got accepted to UCD.


That's just naming a few things I have done. Okay. So now that I have written out big five highlights- now I will go back and blog about each one. Ha. Who are we kidding. Get ready. This is just gonna be a long post.

1. I "graduated". And it's so complicated so I will just say that if I was a normal child, this year I would have graduated. So we pretended I was normal and had a graduation party. And I had friends from all over and from forever come to it and it made me feel so loved, blessed, and special. God is so very good.

2. I went to Seattle. It was enchanting. I also went to Canada. That was beautiful too. Seattle is so radically different than Denver. So different. So much more farmers markets where this girl can get her favorite flowers for wayyyyy less than she can in Denver. I also got chocolate croissants, killer shrimp, and yummy mussels. All things I don't normally get here. I also got to be with my cousins whom I love to death and see my aunt and uncle- it's been a while and also see my grandparents. What would I do without my family?

3. I went to Hawaii. And I was left utterly breathless so many time because of God's creativity when he created those islands. I am in love with that place. I went cliff jumping, snorkeling, kayaking, racing on the beach. I went to Pearl Harbor and was honored to be able to see the USS Arizona Memorial Site. I was with my lovely family and I had fish for every lunch and dinner for a week and it was delicious. I have so many memories from there that I will treasure forever. I saw so many homeless people there. It was shocking and sobering. The culture is so different there. People walking into Starbucks with their swimsuits on and no shoes and no one blinks. The open air places and the warm welcoming atmosphere. The hula dance lessons I got and the beautiful leis. The breathtaking water and the warm sunsets. The private beaches and beached turtles. The hours in the sun with my cousins and the afternoons in the water. I can't even begin to describe how much I treasure these memories and the adventures I had in beautiful Hawaii.

4.  Yesterday I climbed a 14er. For those who don't know what a "14er" is- it is a mountain that is over 14,000 feet in elevation. Us, Coloradans, affectionately call them 14ers. I hiked up it and ran down it. And it was the most incredible sight and I was ever so thankful I run because my lungs weren't dying for oxygen. I loved being able to reach the summit and sitting there in awe as I am in the clouds and the tree line is far below me. I loved being able to jump up and down rocks as I navigated the boulder canyon and look out and see beautiful colors far beyond me. I loved being able to be with friends as I climbed it and when we reached the top simply enjoying being up there. My knees hurt like crazy which is weird because that hasn't been a problem before but it was ever so worth it. It was so cold! 32 degrees but I loved wearing lots of sweatshirts and enjoying the breathtaking backyard I live in.

5. I got accepted to UCD. Or University of Colorado Denver. It's been a long process and I am finally signed up for classes. I can't believe this is my junior year and next year I will be a senior. And then off to law school I go. God has been so very good to me and I am so excited about the witnessing opportunities I will have as I ride the Light-Rail and interact with unsaved people every day on my campus. God has given me a mission field that I am so easily able to connect with and this year I am praying that God gives me the words he wishes me to say and gives me his eyes so I can see the hurt around me. There is so much to learn this year both academically and spiritually. I can't wait to see what the school year of 2014 holds for me.

If you're still reading this- WOW! Good job. Thanks for reading and I promise during the school year I will be much more consistent. Also, I am working on a blog post about all my favorite places to eat around Denver so stay tuned for that! Have a wonderful week!

Love y'all,
Sarah