oh, not much.

Pathetic, I know.  But people (including myself) are perpetually talking about how pathetic their blogs are, and how they don't have any good reasons why, and how they really need to start posting again. So I'm going to skip that goop, as much as I can, and get right down to business.
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I...am...exhausted.  I spent the morning finishing up thank-you notes, cleaning my room, and scampering around the house doing little things.  After lunch, Moriah (who is here for two weeks!) and I rode horses for awhile, and then jumped our hot and sweaty selves into the pool.

I'm sunburned.

But see, this is how my summer is shaping up, and it is so very grand.  I made a list of things I need to accomplish this summer (besides the pure fun that is riding horses and swimming), and not one thing on the list is unpleasant.  It consists of things like run, tutor Kennen in reading, and scrapbook.  It's going to be a fantastic summer.
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My graduation party was beautiful, and everything went well.  I loved my jewelry and my dress, and 100 people came, and all of the people I love the most were here for several days.  I have never given so many hugs in one afternoon before.

But, as fun as it was, and as much as I loved seeing so many people, I'm glad it's over.  I'm glad school is over.  I'm glad winter is over.  And, just like every other teenager in America is saying right now..."yay for summer!"

we make it fun

Bandanas? On! Taylor Swift? Turned up! Rags? At the ready!

Commence cleanage!

Well then Mom disappeared downstairs for a few minutes so we took the liberty of adding a little fun to our major clean-out-and-clean-up-the-upstairs afternoon.  Here's how it went:

"Ok! Everybody do Audrey!"

Note sweet, serene faces all around.

"Ok! Now everybody do Merrill!"

So we all get crazy.

Then some of us decided to put our bandanas on Indian style.

We're saying hello in Indian, I think...

The simple act of moving your hair from back to down and flowing changes you from an Indian to a Hippie. Woo!!

so much spring

It is HIGH time for a blog post..."good grief" is just about all I have to say on that score.

It's spring in Nebraska.  Here are four reasons why and some odds and ends.

Cows. 

 Every spring, we bring our herd home for calving season.  Seeing calves frolicking out in the pasture with a gigantic blue sky stretching all around leaves me in awe of life and God's beauty.    

Dandelions? Dumb reason, but true.  And I like how I edited this picture. =P  

My graduation in a mere two weeks.

Uh-huh.  I have begun the mad scramble to get things ready.  School finished up (big job!), invitations mailed, food planned, room cleaned, house cleaned, dress altered, jewelry bought...

I am pretty excited to graduate. Ok, more than excited.  Thrilled.  Ecstatic.  

Mother's Day. 

I love my mother very much.

(Was somebody planning when they put Mother's Day right around graduation time?)
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In light of the ensuing graduation party which is accompanied by plenty of delightful house guests, I have begun the tedious, vicious, but very rewarding process of cleaning out my room.  This is a more major cleaning than throw-the-clothes-in-the-hamper-and-make-the-bed.  I started with sorting through my books. I had three lofty stacks of books sitting atop my bookshelf, but through cleaning off old school books and such from my other bookshelf, those stacks are now down from lofty to just tall.  Sorting through, smelling, skimming, and organizing one's 220 books is an automatic mood-adjuster.  I adore every one of my books and get so happy spending time with them!

This is rather sad, but because I am moving to Michigan this fall, I have an extra desire to construct a memorable summer.  I'm planning to work, ride my horse, swim, scrapbook, and meander my way down an extensive reading list (which became more extensive yesterday after I realized I had yet to read many of the books on my shelves) for sure.  But I also want to fill the beautiful summer days with lovely little spur-of-the-moment things that bring joy.

-horses-

-Audrey and I at a baseball game-

"We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit."

Romans 5: 2-5