[Letters]

Dear Dad- Sometimes all I want is to hear your voice. I really miss it. When you talked, it meant that we were about to hear something hilarious, radically important, or a great story. Dear Trent and Lexie- It makes me all kinds if happy that you two are dating. I'm so pumped to see what God has in store for your lives. I'm even more pumped that I get to be loved by you both. Dear Stressful Week- You are a blessing in disguise. You are showing me how to put community above my love of my GPA and accomplishments. You are also teaching me the applicability of putting others above myself.

[A Year In Review: 2012]

[2011 Year In Review]

Favorite New Experiences of 2012

1. Loving my birthday. Celebrating the precious gift that life is. 
2. Discovering my love of public speaking. 
3. Learning the importance of and developing a craving for solitude.
4. Developing my love of crafting.
5. Sleeping outside in a tent for a summer, just because I felt like it. 
6. Completing my first triathlon.
7. Learning to cook and bake and experimenting with new recipes. 
8. Discovering my true identity in Christ and what it really means to follow Him. 
9. Getting a tattoo. 
10. Becoming a leader in an intentional community.
11. Running my first half marathon with my mom and my sister. 
12. Learning the power of prayer.
13. Voting in the 2012 Presidential election.
14. Working with students in the EBD program at Ferber. 

Favorite Travels of 2012

1. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania [Leadership LLC] - February 2012
2. Orange City, Iowa [to visit Hannah] - March 2012
3. Austin, Texas [to visit Garrett and see the city] - July 2012
4. Milwaukee, Wisconsin [to celebrate Jamie's birthday] - July 2012
5. Kettle Moraine [bike trip with Lara] - August 2012
6. Monroe, Wisconsin [Cheese Days with the Hetricks] - September 2012
7. St. Paul, Minnesota [Zimmerman Christmas] - December 2012
8. Cascade, Wisconsin [King Christmas] - December 2012

Favorite Media and Entertainment Discoveries/Releases

1. Puzzles
2. Babel - Mumford and Sons
3. Uncaged - Zac Brown Band
4. The Carpenter - The Avett Brothers
5. Believe - Justin Bieber 
6. Imagine Dragons
7. Fun.
8. Downhere
9. The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis 
10. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
11. Rules - Cynthia Lord
12. The Hobbit
13. The Amazing Spider-Man
14. Captain America
15. Avatar: The Last Airbender

Top 5 Favorite New Recipes
1. Crab Cakes with Chipotle Mayo (recipe c/o Garrett Hetrick)
2. Avacado Orange Bulgur Quinoa Salad (modified from here)
3. Pistachio, mushroom, and zucchini veggie burgers (modified from here)
4. Roasted Strawberry + Chocolate Grilled Cheese
5. Sweet Potato Quinioa Chili 

Top 20 Favorite Songs (In no particular order)

1. Time To Pretend - MGMT
2. Barton Hollow - The Civil Wars
3. Forever Reign - Kirsten Stanfill
4. Soldier - Gavin Degraw
5. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz
6. Never Say Never - Justin Bieber
7. Call Your Girlfriend - Erato
8. The Axis of Awesome - 4 Chords
9. Quiet Your Mind - Zac Brown Band 
10. Cruise - Florida Georgia Line
11. I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
12. Hopeless Wanderer - Mumford and Sons
13. I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons
14. One Foot - Fun.
15. Beautiful Things - Gungor
16. On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons
17. It's Time - Imagine Dragons
18. 10,000 Reasons - Matt Redman
19. For Life - Downhere
20. The Alter of Love - Downhere

Things I Am Most Grateful For

1. My support system of brothers and sisters who love on me and pray for me.
2. The opportunity to pour into others. 
3. My family and the strength we have gained despite the trials in the past 2 years. 
4. An incredible roommate and 4 halfie roommates who make my life so much more interesting. 
5. Physical well-being, especially the ability to run, bike, and swim. 
6. Education and the means and motivation to continue to pursue it. 

Blog Stats 

1. Rejuvenated - July 2012
2. Reinspired - November 2012

Looking Forward to in 2012

1. Whatever God has in store for me to serve Him this summer.
2. Being a bridesmaid in Hannah's wedding this June!
3. Living in Eau Claire and the opportunity to be around people I can be filled by this summer.
4. Going to the Pine Ridge Reservation for spring break and loving on the people there. 
5. Growing as an emcee at IV Large Group. 
6. Furthering my relationship with my sister, hopefully including a trip to Montana. 
7. Running the Eau Claire half marathon in May. 
8. Welcoming a new roommate into my life this fall. 

[Over the Weekend]

I am thankful...

for Christian community and a never-ending support system.

for pit stops on road trips for delicious coffee.

for friends who God has given the ability to drive during snowstorms, pray during every circumstance, and make snow angels during 2 am gas stops. 

for 5 wonderful roommates who jazz up the halls with balloons...

and surround my bed with streamers. 

for birthdays that include games of cribbage, 

productive use of self-timers, 

and free desserts from kind waiters, shared with both of my friend groups. 

for family that drives long distances to spend a day loving me, 

Photocredit: Meghan

and abusing me.

Photocredit: Meghan

for opportunities to be silly,

real,

and adventurous. 

Highlights: a four-hour car ride with Molly that included conversation, laughter, and Allen Hood sermons, dancing around UW-Platteville swinging glowsticks with Sam Ham, a six hour car ride through a blizzard that proved the power of prayer and the love of God for his children, sleeping in on my birthday, taking the edge off with an Americano, getting to open gifts that show how well my friends and family know me and love me, a hilarious photo shoot in silent study, half-priced apps and free rubik's cubes, visitors from home, oatmeal from Randy's, walking in the snowy woods, caramel chai and cards at the Goat, and a continued thankfulness for the people that surround me. 

[Over the Weekend]

I am thankful...

for friends who give me haircuts, free of charge.

for honest conversations and a new vision for a relationship. 

for gifted chacos that hug my feet and remind me of the people that love me. 

for the reminder that this is the ultimate truth. 

Shoot. Just shoot. 

for a newfound energy in these weekly excursions...

and the sights I get to see along the way. 

Highlights: folk worship music at Beaver Creek, interpretive coloring with Jim, the most hilarious and ridiculous adventure walk on the creek, tears that brought a fresh layer of healing, hugs that made me feel grounded and loved, learning how to play cribbage, getting the first shamrock shake of the season, taking naps, and having thought-provoking discussions at bible study.