Go out for adventure...go home for love!

I know you have all been waiting for my list of exciting things for

JULY!
(or you probably don't even care...or forgot..because it took me SO LONG TO POST THIS!)

If I were smart, I would have kept up with it throughout the month
to make it easier to post....

we all know I'm not that clever.
Let's hope I get this posted within 48 hours of the time I started

1
I GOT MY NEW COMPUTER!(need I say more?!)

2
Rachel threw a SWEET party!
ROCKBAND
COOKIE CAKE
JUNK FOOD
HIDE-AND-GO-SEEK
SARDINES
FUN FUN FUN PEOPLE
GIRLY THINGS
DRESS UP
SLEEPOVER
(how much better does it get?!)3
We had lunch and went swimming with the girls and
....FINALLY got new sunglasses!
4
Church!
FHE!

5
Rachel and I went to the LAKE!
Good food
Tubing like NEVER before
FHE was a BLAST
with the flour game
the whipped cream game
and the m&m game
and let's not forget
MONDAY NIGHT VOLLEYBALL
6
TOY STORY 3! For FREE!
(if you haven't seen it, go, it's SO good)

7
Saw KNIGHT AND DAY!! For FREE!!
Got pulled over and didn't get a ticket! :)
and let's not forget VOLLEYBALL!
8
CHASE'S BIRTHDAY!
For those of you who don't know...Chase is my car! Every day, I am thankful for that lovely day last July when I was in a crazy mood. I was sick of driving other people's cars (that weren't always reliable) and set out on an adventure with a {car} in mind, that I honestly wasn't sure I was going to be able to get. I turned my phone off for a couple of hours, and went to Carmax....
I don't even think I told anyone what I was doing.
I had a goal and I was determined to reach it.
After being there for a good...three hours, I drove away in my new car. I have loved it ever since. Having my car has given my the chance to embark on SO many fun adventures (and a couple not-so-fun ones) with some of my best friends!

9
We had a fun GIRLS NIGHT up at the Fredrick's LAKE HOUSE
Mini roadtrip (with singing and dancing)
Mexican train
Tubing/boating
Movies
Girl talk...
always fun.

10
LAKE PARTY!
It was a BLAST as always...
good food
good people
good sun
good times
Thank you...
(a month and a half late)
Ali
for hosting the party!
Brother and Sister Fredrick
for driving the boat...and SO much more!
Stephen
for driving the other boat, and for not killing us
Jill
for enduring to the end, and not complaining about having to hang out with a bunch of YSA's for the day
EVERYONE ELSE
for coming
for bringing DELICIOUS food
but most importantly...for enjoying yourselves!

(this is the MOST unattractive picture of me, but that's what I get for not taking pictures and having to take Ansley's picture)

11
Church was amazing as always.
Mom made Jell-O cake!
I went out to Logan's Baseball game in Columbiana and...
I got to see Amy's NEW HOUSE!
(side note: I am so proud of Amy. Just a couple of weeks before, she called me in tears one afternoon. She didn't know what she was going to do and she was so scared and so stressed. She figured it out, and for that: she is awesome. I love you, Amy!)
FHE (of course!)


12
I got to skype with Alice and see her adorable twin nephews...Austin and Bentley.
(I would put up a picture but I'm not too sure
how their parents would feel about that)
FHE and Monday Night Volleyball!

13
I got to go to Oak Mountain State Park with The Rachels (as I call them) and Orla to scope it out for an upcoming YSA activity
(that ended up getting rained out...bummer).
I was reminded, once again, at how BEAUTIFUL Alabama is
and how much I love living here.
(wouldn't you agree?)

14
This day was not PARTICULARLY exciting. I spent the majority of the day working
(to get ready for the birthday blow-out weekend ahead...so it was exciting)
But participated in a little Capture The Flag with the YSA that night.

15-17
BIRTHDAY BLOW-OUT WEEKEND
see here

18
Church :)
We made a delicious chocolate cake for a new family in the ward
...and made another Chocolate *birthday* cake for ourselves
and don't forget FHE

that glow that you see...
is leftover from the AMAZING weekend we had just experienced

19
This day I was excited and especially grateful
that I made it through the weekend alive
and not sick from lack of sleep and nourishment
FHE
MONDAY NIGHT VOLLEYBALL

20

My BIRTHDAY, of course.
I feel that it deserves its own post, as well. So stay tuned...

21
YSA POOL PARTY!
pizza
marco polo
surprise attacks
fun

22
FAMILY TIME!
I was so excited to get to see my family and spend time with them!
I also got to BABYSIT! and get ready for
Rachel's Surprise Birthday Breakfast

23
Rachel's Surprise Birthday Breakfast!
We had told everyone earlier in the week to be at Rachel's house at 6:15 (I think...I can't remember now)
Rachel Dean and I made signs the night before
Woke up at the crack of dawn (totally worth it for Rachel) to prepare the goods
I was especially excited for
biscuits and gravy
(one of my mothers many specialties)
Snuck a few of people into her house
decorated her kitchen
(with help from Christy and Maria)
and
SURPRISED HER!
(not only with food...but with an appointment for a birthday massage)
(Rachel and I posing by our favorite sign)

Later that day, I also got the pleasure of bringing Charity, Alex, Samantha and CJ to THE slip and slide
a good time was had by all, and believe me...
we all felt it the next day
...except for the CJ because he was lucky enough to be tossed, thrown, and carried the whole time

24
YSA SLIP AND SLIDE
FAMILY TIME!
I got to see Charles, Ashley, Charlie, Ryan, Josh, and Cody for the first time in years!
We all went to the park and just had fun
let the kids run wild
told stories of forever ago
stayed up way too late
and made memories together
:)

25
Church!
this particular day at church was pretty funny
to me at least
we had all stayed up late the night before
our family was sitting on the 3rd row
and
more than half of them were sleeping
not trying to hide it at all
way to go, family, i love you
Charles and Ashley left and headed to the beach after church
so we snapped a few pictures of everyone all dressed up.
I really do love my family.
It's an amazing one and I dare you to tell me otherwise.
(aren't my nephews studs?!)After church we made another chocolate cake for the Stanley family
(most of them had gone through some sort of surgery the week before, so we figured it would cheer them up)
It turned into a little bit of a disaster
(but they say it tasted great)
I had my family birthday party at Dad's that night with some GOOD FOOD
as always
I also took the liberty of teaching CJ how to snitch
as if he needed help...

26
FHE!
Monday night volleyball

27
My friend, Nathan, has this sweeet VCR Clue Game
A few people came over to play
(I'm pretty sure we're the only ones around that still have, and use, a VCR)
we were having a good time
until we were so RUDELY interrupted...
we're still waiting to finish the game

28
I got a FREE Vera Bradley bag for my birthday!

29
I got to sleep in!
...and I went swimming with Nathan
finally got my tan back

30
I gave my car a much needed bath!
Got massages with The Rachels
Night swimming at Smith Lake :)
and let's not forget Zaxby's milkshakes

31
ROCK CLIMBING!
RAPPELLING
(the scariest I've ever done)
more family time :)