hello again.

Summer is a beautiful thing. For me, it's a time when I feel the most alive. Because I have freedom & choice & opportunities for extra fun & most importantly, no school.

This past summer, I was more aware than ever that there could be an end to summer as I know it. I'm a junior in college, I don't know if the job I'll do after graduation will end up casually giving me a couple months off to enjoy the bright sunshine, no questions asked. It's the real world. Ew.

So, I lived it up. I spent my days around the country, nay the world. (Who knows if that's a correct statement, but I really wanted to use the word nay...) I lived adventures. And I didn't blog. Whoops. Not sorry.

I'm a fan of doing things differently every once and awhile, just to change up how I see things and how I live my life. In summer, I don't need to stick to a schedule and continuously have a planner as my third limb. And this summer, I didn't feel the need to document every fun thing I did.

Oh, the fun happened. Don't worry. You may have heard about it, you may have not. But, either way, I'm freeing myself of the guilt and obligation to try to blog about every single bit of awesome that was my summer. New year, new blog posts...new me???

A little secret though: I'm pretty sure the real reason I blog is not because I want my family to know what's going on or because I love writing. Both true. It's because I just looooooove to procrastinate.

So, who knows? Maybe one long Thursday down the road, I'll be sitting at my desk, asking myself, "To read or not to read?"

And I'll pick blogging.

"mom, mama, mommy, mother, LOOORII!"

This is what happens when three best friends get together after six months of absence. Most proud moment of my summer.

congraduations jared.

It's the end of an era in the Miller household. The end of being Lambkins. The end of living across the street from school. And the end of a free education (sorry, mom & dad). 

Watching Jared graduate was a bittersweet experience. I have loved watching him grow up over the last  few years. And a big part of who he has become is because of our high school. Jared will testify that I repeated the phrase, "FCHS was SOOOO good to us," probably about twenty times a day for a week straight. I just really loved my high school, my time there, and everything it stands for. 

So, even though the Miller children will no longer walk the halls of Fort Collins High School, we can now head out to the world because of what we learned there. The whole graduation weekend made me feel extremely nostalgic. I may have cried during the Alma Matter song. 

Once a Lambkin, always a Lambkin. 

There were too many failed jumping pictures to count.

Jared apparently really struggles to keep his eyes open during pictures. 

Congratulations graduate...or as those who have already received our diplomas say...

Congraduations. 

missing this

(maybe this one was supposed to be posted awhile ago too....not sorry)

I love being home. I love Colorado. I love being with my family and friends and not having to worry about school & homework & my schedule.

But, right now, I really do miss the other half of my life. I miss Butler and Indianapolis and my Alpha Phi friends and my Young Life people and going on fun adventures and trying to make the most of college.

I'm missing Brady & Meredith, my roommates from last semester. I'm missing watching Friends with them. And having 30-second dance parties. And having last minute mattress sleepovers.

I'm missing Avery, the one who goes on all the crazy adventures with me. I'm missing sitting on a roof. I'm missing going on walks. I'm even missing lugging all of her crap down stairs and packing it into her tiny car.

It's hard to realize that I can love two places as much as I do. I want to be in both at once. So, can we just put Indianapolis smack dab right in the middle of Colorado? So I can go to Butler and still be able to hike and see my family at the same time? Okay, I'm glad we're all in agreement.

some quality time with kelle & ellen

Over the past week, I've read two books. Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres and Bloom by Kelle Hampton. So different, but so great. Both highly recommended.

I'm pretty sure Ellen DeGeneres would be one of the people I would invite to my fictional famous people dinner. She is hilarious, down-to-earth, and loves to dance. What more could you ask for in a dinner party? Throughout her book, she talked about how to be a supermodel, the secret of life (it's kale), how awesome it would be if Jesus bought her book, the pros and cons of making pros and cons lists, and how awkward dreams are. 

My favorite chapter was about what to do when you're bored. Here are Ellen's suggestions for what to do:

1. Clean my house.

2. Look at your pets. If you look at them long enough, you can almost figure out what they are thinking. Usually it's "Why has she been looking at me for so long? She must be really bored." 

3. Cut up fruit.

4. Sext.

5. Make a smoothie.

6. Volunteer.

7. Volunteer opinions to strangers.

8. Hitchhike.

9. Photograph geese.

10. Put on a blazer and pretend to be a docent at your local museum. 

Bloom was a different kind of great. Less laughing out loud to myself awkwardly, more tearing up at how real and touching every single word was. I love how she encourages everyone to just be themselves, to "fly their freak flag." I love how she uses words like rockstar, fabulous, and badass. I love that she makes me excited for motherhood. So I can try to encourage and celebrate my children, in ways like this.

I love that she is all about community and friendship. She calls hers, The Net. With all that life throws at us, she knows that women can "empower, inspire, and lift each other up." 

And remembering all of the great people that are part of my community, makes me want to celebrate. Which is another thing that Kelle Hampton does really well. We should celebrate not living a life full of perfection and white picket fences. We should love that life makes our fences color and fabulous because it means that we have grown and learned and experienced things and loved. 

"Happiness with all its messiness and not-quite-thereness. It's knowing that life is short, and the moments we choose to fill our cup with should be purposeful and rich. That we should be present for life, that we should drink deeply. And that's perfection." 

home sweet home

(let's just pretend this was posted in May, shall we...)

Two weeks at home does a person good. Mainly because the past two weeks have been filled with nothing more stressful than how sweaty I get after hot yoga. (It's gross. Seriously.)

I love being able to wake up in the morning (ish) and decide what I want to do. Whatever strikes my fancy. Like eating Mac & Cheese for breakfast. Or going back to sleep.

Being home reminds me to slow down and enjoy things. I can't go go go all the time. I need to spend time reading & making fun plans with my friends that aren't too ambitious.

Some of my top ten list from the last two weeks...

going roller blading 
  it's actually such a great work out...or at least is to people who don't participate in physical activities (aka me). and you look so great doing it!

grad parties
   i love that my life revolves around celebrating other people's accomplishments when i first come home in may. i love seeing all my younger friends who are just finishing up their time at high school and are about to head out into the world. it's literally the best time of life...everyone is filled with anticipation & conquering the world-ness & maybe a little bit of cockiness. we've all been there. and it just helps that i get to eat good food & cake. and spend time with my grad party buddy.

spending time at everyday joe's coffee shop
   i wish there was a place like this in indy. because i would definitely be a regular. because i love that it's nonprofit and everyone working there is a volunteer. and i love that it's in an old abandoned building. and i love that there are people's artwork on the wall. and i love that they have concerts. like my friend zachy's brother, brent. he's been the lead singer of a band called you, me & apollo for a few years now. and because zachy always makes us go to his concerts, i feel kind of like a groupie. which may not be a good thing, but i feel like i have a great relationship with brent. one where he sings to me and i laugh at his funny & awkward jokes he tells on stage and i pretend like i know everything about his life even when we have only ever actually talked twice in real life. i think that qualifies me as a groupie.

going to the drive-in
   if my children don't get to go to a movie at a drive in, i will literally cry. they are one of my favorite summer activities. it's the best way to watch a movie. where i can lay on giant piles of blankets & pillows and eat as much junk food as i want while not worrying about how loud i'm chewing & talk A LOT during the movie. (i'm one of THOSE people.) amanda, ellen & i attempted to watch the avengers , which is great and all...but maybe not for a drive-in...or for people who like to talk and not pay attention...or for girls. not my fav. but, the second movie was the lucky one. what a much better choice. a movie about love and zac efron. we loved it.

going to the thrift store
   for some reason, katie & i always go to the thrift store when we're home. we rarely buy anything, but love looking. this time, we both made some real quality purchases though. katie bought two picture frames & a decorative bird house. (finally!) i bought a flannel shirt, some black & white patterned exercise leggings, & OVERALLS. i'm preparing my wardrobe for the awesomeness that is camp. katie & i are great thrift store shoppers.

making cake balls
   funfetti. sprinkles. yum. enough said.

indy food tour 2012, part two

After deciding to start Indy Food Tour 2012, Avery and I decided we needed to go out with a bang on the last weekend of our time in Indianapolis. Which is why we chose to do a special edition. The Broad Ripple Walking Tour version. It was a one-time, only on television special. All for the pleasure of our stomachs.

We decided to go to several different restaurants and only order one thing to split at each. Get more bang for our buck. And to make a night of it. And to experience as many restaurants as we could. And to just eat lot. Which is really the whole purpose of the whole Food Tour. We gave our obsession with eating a name and so it sounds like there is more of a purpose than just getting fat on...well....lots of fats & sugars & deliciousness.

The Indy Food Tour 2012: Broad Ripple Walking Tour Special Edition was extra special because two great people, Jessica & Mary Ellen joined us. We started at a Greek restaurant called Canal Bistro where we got feta cheese fries. Let me repeat that...fries covered in feta cheese, the cheese from the gods. They were delicious. I don't even know if I tasted them, I ate them so fast.

The second restaurant was Broad Ripple Brew Pub. We ordered beer cheese. Yes, more cheese. Except this one we ate with bread. Totally different. And just as delicious.

Our third stop was called 10-01, pronounced ten-oh-one. Very fancy. Most expensive one of the night. But you could totally tell. The food was DELICIOUS. Even though I've used that word like twelve times already. I'm just really passionate about food, okay? We ordered some salmon. The picture speaks for itself. It's making me hungry just looking at it.

Our food tour was interrupted for a short commercial break shopping at a cute boutique store. Where they were giving away free cupcakes. So that counts as a stop on the food tour. We all tried on fun outfits & I really just loved their decorations. I will definitely be going back there. Maybe not to purchase, but just to hang out.

Our last stop was for ice cream. Of course. The night wouldn't be complete without it. Don't mind the fact that we eat had already eaten three cupcakes. Brics, also known as Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station, might be my favorite restaurant in Indy. I'm serious. I would eat their ice cream for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And then probably a late night dessert.

All in all, the food tour went out with a lot of food on the last weekend. I mean, Avery and I had to sustain ourselves on Indy food until we get back in the fall. Until then, the Indy Food Tour 2012 is on summer hiatus.