memorial day/day of memory

are they dead that yet speak louder than we can speak,
and a more universal language?
are they dead that yet act?
are they dead that yet move upon society and inspire the people
with nobler motives and more heroic patriotism?
                  -henry ward beecher

i hope not. i hope they live on in us. i hope we honor our ancestors by living faithfully (DTC): as, "the Lord has sent us to be strong, to honor Him, to do His work, and to call upon Him."

i always love memorial day. visiting the graves feels like i get to visit them. to know them.

so what of my life? what do i do to honor them? i hope i:
           begin to build,
           and am able to finish.           -luke 16.

so i guess this is a memorial to the past year of my life. picking up pieces & starting a grand adventure.
the thrills, the heartbreaks, the exhilarating breakthroughs--all comprising faith-filled steps through this new walk of life. i love it. take me to the summit.

who kept the faith and fought the fight;
the glory theirs, the duty ours.
                  -wallace bruce

sometimes you just need anne of green gables & mamma

that was a lovely 3-day weekend we just had.

sometimes when you work so hard at life you just need to escape to the mountains. or ok maybe that yearning is always present. for me, at least. and mamma always somehow knows all the answers and has just the recipe for rejuvenation. this being homestyle (only homestyle) popcorn + red vines + anne.

that was a really good president's day, mom.

the vision

day of love is winding down. capri blue volcano candle is casting its glow across the golden walls of my room. nat the king is serenading. 


i love this day of the year. never does it fail to lift, to fill, to warm, to excite, to girlishly giggle and remember what it means to truly love. 


tonight i saw this:

i love this story: the music, the romance, the enchantment--fill my life with these, please! in the ballet, the prince's name is Desire, and the fairies bestow gifts of Kindness, Beauty, Joy, Temperament, and Wisdom. what more beautiful qualities to enhance the life of a princess? my favorite act is called "The Vision" when the prince is shown a glimpse of his love-to-be, and what their future life will be like. then begins his journey to find her through the deep forest and past all evil forces against him. 

bless this day for valentines past, present, and those to fill our hearts one day. 

delight

to celebrate the life of a dear one: my definition of delight.

to celebrate your own life with dear ones? yes, please!

i have a mother who places great emphasis on studying personalities. benefits for us kids? endless. benefits for our birthdays? tailor-made perfection. it has made me a lover of all things surprise, anticipation, and excitement--whether for myself or anyone else. this birthday was no less than this: a day/weekend of loveliness. because why only celebrate one day when you could make it last the weekend??

an early day with just class: theory, voice, choir. then mamma & pedicures! thank the heavens for whoever founded this industry.

then a stop at les madeleines:

then of course, what birthday is complete without a stop in heaven for a few hours?

a gift from dad:

main street park city dinner. oh the romance.

then waking up to chocolate, as i believe every girl should on her birthday weekend:

curling up with shakespeare's sonnets:

and culminating the grand adventure with a night of crepes, dear friends, and hello. more chocolate.

truly, however, as i believe life is to be celebrated each & every day of the year, a birthday is just my excuse to bask in it even more. or ok maybe a lot more. but also to thank the angels in my acquaintance that make my life such sheer bliss. thank you for teaching, guiding, leading, laughing, talking, comforting. for your patience, examples, and giving of yourselves.

you make my february 4th complete every year.

happy february!

ah, the loveliest month of the year. welcome, come to lift us from our january drear!

i have a 7:30 class on t/th mornings. i relish these mornings. the frosty hike up the hill to my psychology class as the sun rises pink over the purple mountains to the crisp icy blue skies. time to welcome the day.

today was especially frigid, though. we're talking a high of about 18 for the day. so, yes, around 8 frostbitten degrees while i was having my excited february musings as i wandered back to the music building for the rest of the day.

i needed to grab something from the marriott library, so i ran in and took care of that and treated myself to a burning hot vanilla steamer. classic. and oh-so-warming-to-the-chilled-bone. as i stepped back out into the wind, i smiled to myself. students running, flustered, upset at the sudden temperature drop. but it only served to heighten my thrills for the coming month: february! love has returned to life. (was it ever really gone?) the freezing air brought back crystal clear blue skies, sun, giant white fluffy clouds, and a (however distant), hope for the nearing spring. i soaked in where i was, where i walked, that i can actually walk here, the daily opportunities with which i am blessed, and i took another sip of my steamer.

welcome, dear february.

while it is called today

life is beautiful. 


with each pink dawning sunrise a day brimming with opportunity presents itself. 
a brand new day.
to discover.
to find. 
to experience. 
to feel. 
to touch. 
to give. 
to receive with grace. 
to witness a miracle. 


what is your miracle today?
carpe diem. while it's still called today.