Followed By a Rainy Day

A day filled with sun often is followed with a day full of rain. I do love the rain, just not on vacation. 

After waking up late and realizing it was raining, the majority of us went back to sleep. Once everyone was up and present at breakfast, we began working on the days plan. 

Our first thoughts were to have a lazy day-hang out, watch some movies, and pop some popcorn. It did not take us long to realize that by now, we had gone through most of the movies. 

We were now forced to get out and about. So like the troopers we are, we popped some trash bags on over our heads and climbed in the open aired Jeep (both not having a closed car and not having rain jackets worked against us for most the day). 

Four sopping wet teenagers whining and a few miles later, we pulled into the Dollar General. Those employees did not know what hit them when a group of trashbag covered people walked in. We roamed up and down the isles, buying everything from movies to tweezers to dry socks. 

After deciding we could not make the fourty minute drive into Branson in the Jeep, we decided to continue our movie day indoors. So a couple of movies and multiple popcorn bags later, here I am writing about my very exciting day. 

I guess you can not climb cliffs and fry fish on your own island everyday. A lazy day once in a while never hurt anybody.

More adventures to come. 

Best wishes,

Grace

A Day in the Sun

After a couple hours of driving (which were convientley a few hours of sleep for those who were not actually driving), we pulled up to our next stop. Even though it was ten o'clock at night, everyone was hungry. The dads fired up the grill and we had some onion burgers before finally hitting the sack. 

Following a good night's sleep and another full meal (if you haven't caught the hint, cooking is a big deal on these trips), we finally got on the water. The second we got out of the no wake zone, people jumped out and the tubing began. 

After a full day of tubing, swimming, and cliff diving- my heart is happy! Spending time with the people I love sure makes summer's "last hoorah" enjoyable!

More adventures to come. 

Bet wishes,

Grace

Go Fish

Our first stop was Nor Fork, Arkansas. For one day, I got to call this sweet, little town home. 

Now call me old fashion, but there is something so fun about a day long fishing trip. From seven in the morning to five in the evening, we got to fish the river. Our guides, Kenny & Leonard, had a treat for us. We caught twenty fish in the morning to cook up for lunch. After getting permission from the owner, we pulled up on a private island to have our own fish fry. While the guides & the dads cooked, we got to explore the island and the river (which was freezing!! I scored $40 yesterday by being the first one to dive in!). After a few hours of setting up, prepping, and cooking- we got to chow down. Salad, potatoes, and the fish we caught all filled our stomachs in record time. After a morning of hard work, that fish tasted out of this world. 

On the way back, we fished a little, letting all the fish go, and played in the river. It may have been freezing, but it felt so good after being in the hot sun. 

Since we were on the boat for most of the day, I didn't have the chance to keep my camera with me. These were a few shots I took with my phone at lunch and when we got back to town. 

After everyone showered and a quick gas up, we have hit the road. Our next stop? Table Rock Lake, Missouri. 

More adventures to come. 

Best wishes,

Grace

Open Road

This week, I am embarking on one heck of an adventure. With some great company & a massive RV, I am taking on the open road. 

"Because we can't be young, wild, & free forever. Or can we? I'm looking into it."

More to adventures to come. 

Best wishes,

Grace

10 Things

Life is about learning from your mistakes. You have to mess up, see what you did wrong, and change your ways if you do not want the same thing to happen again.

There are so many things that I wish I would have figured out earlier, things that have made my life easier since I learned them. So why not share them with you all? If they have made my life easier, maybe they will do the same to yours.

1. Who cares what others think?
       Nothing else matters than what you think of yourself. Stop living life to impress others. It is your life and one day, everyone else will be gone. At one point or another, it will be just you. If you spent all your time changing yourself into something that someone else wanted, then you will not be happy when that time comes.

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2. Nobody can hurt you unless you let them.
       People can only hurt your feelings if you let them. Once you give up the power, then others can knock you down.

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3. Smart is beautiful.
       Whoever said being a geek is a bad thing is flat out wrong. Sure we use the word to poke fun at certain times, but being smart is nothing to be ashamed of. In 10 years, the popular kids will no longer be popular. The people who took the time to learn and make something out of themselves are going places. The extremely successful people in this world are well educated and well rounded.

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4. Popularity is for mediocre people.
       What is popularity? Who sets the limits on who is popular and who is not? Let me let you in on a little secret, for the most part, popular people do not have substance. They strive for attention to cover up their insecurities.

5. Time does not stop.
       Time is not guaranteed. When we are born, we are not stamped with how many years, days, or hours we have to live. Tomorrow could never come. Live out today. Be the best person you can be today.

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6. People are always watching.
       I know I said you should not care what others think, but there is a flip side. Sometimes, you could be the only source of light in a person's life. You could be the only source of Jesus. You could be the only smile they see all day. So watch yourself, and be mindful of your actions.

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7. You are a masterpiece.
       God made you to be you. It hurts him when you are not satisfied with what you have. Be proud of your body, your looks, your life. God does not make mistakes.

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8. People change.
       People come in and out of our lives for a reason. We loose people from out lives each day but we gain some as well. They each alter our path someway or another for some reason.

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9. You are stronger than you believe.
       Your body can physically do so much more than you think, it is your mind that sets you back. Push through the barrier and see what you can do. Set goals and work hard to reach them. Once you clear your mind and simply look at what you want more than anything, you can achieve anything.

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10. You grow up fast.
       Like #5, time does not stop. Childhood is such a crucial developing stage and so many kids want to race through it. When you look at your life as a whole, under 20 years is spent "growing up." Yes, people will argue that you are always argue, but you are only a child for so long. You spend 18(ish) years at home and then you are off, into the real world. Children want to be adults and adults want to be children, it is a viscous cycle.

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Best wishes,
Grace

Prayer

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“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.” Mother Teresa

"The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." Psalm 145:18

Prayer is so important and is something you can so easily do. One does not have to be a scholar to be able to talk to God. You do not even have to say you are praying, simply having a conversation with your God.

I believe in the power of prayer with every part of me and therefore, I am here to ask for a few prayers.

First off, my trainer and dear friend is sick. He has not been feeling well for quite some time. He also strongly believes in the power of prayer. When the sick feeling rolled around today while we were working out, he said something that was really inspiring. Even when his body was feeling its worst, he still managed to say how he just keeps praying about it. He acknowledges that is sure is scary that he does not know what is going on, but praying is one of his top priorities.

Also, one of our family friend's daughter is having open heart surgery this upcoming Monday. They are traveling out of state to have the procedure preformed. My prayers are for the doctors working over her; that they will have the Lord within them while they work. My prayers are for her family; that they accept what ever comes their way with grace and knowledge that the Lord is behind all of this. Everything happens for a reason. Finally, my prayers are for this sweet, ten-year-old, little girl; that she has strength and a calm heart while accepting this struggle-filled, but hopefully rewarding, journey.

God works in mysterious ways, and a miracle sure would be appreciated for these two incredible souls. They both deserve the best and I know the Lord has great plans for them.

Best wishes,
Grace

Grateful

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Never forget to be grateful for what you have. 

Expression

Fashion will always (I hope) be one of my biggest passions. There are very few things that compare to the confidence that a perfect outfit will give you. Feeling comfortable in your own skin is something that every girl should achieve. A great outfit can do just that.

I think I got my love of style from my parents. My dad has always been looking through fashion magazines and keeping up with all the latest trends. He loves to take my sister and me shopping and help us put together outfits. My mom and I are the same size. We are always sharing clothes, shoes, and bags that my dad picks out. Nearly everything fashion related thing I know was taught to me by them.

Now sure, many people argue that your outer beauty does not reflect your inner beauty and clothes are merely just objects, which I understand. However, there are studies that show that put together women are more respected and taken more serious.

The greatest past about fashion is that you do not have to be mega rich to put together a great outfit. Yes, I have expensive taste and would love to wear Haute Couture, but I love finding treasures. I love going through thrift shops, resale stores, and trading posts. I love finding pieces with stories behind them.

People always say that when a person talks about something they really love, their eyes light up. Talking about style and fashion has that affect on me. From now on, I am going to do more fashion posts. Maybe outfits I put together or simply pictures from my pinterest boards like these.

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Best wishes,

Grace

Dream On, Dreamer

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Just what I plan on doing, thanks tumblr.

Best wishes,
Grace

Home Sweet Home

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Home, home, home. There is nothing quite like the feeling of walking back in your house after being gone for a long period of time. Something about the familiarity is just so relaxing. Of course, my heart is already longing to be back on the beach but that will just have to wait. My mind is so full of new ideas to share and apply to my life.

Just as I had hoped, the beach has refreshed me. On the plane ride home, I shamelessly filled 10 pages in my journal. Some things just cannot wait.

But for now, I am going to take the rest of the weekend to readjust to reality and take care of some housekeeping that got overlooked this past week.

So with newly tanned skin, sun bleached hair, and a revamped attitude and outlook on life, I leave you to enjoy this wonderful weekend.

Best wishes,
Grace

Sunshine State

it isn't the beach without some fresh fruit

forever silly with my best friend

the second lil sis

"let's take a selfie!"

a "yolo" car we rented for the day

liz has been breaking the rules since day 1

Found this slipped under the glass at my place during dinner. God sure does work in mysterious ways!

The best of times with the best of people. My heart sure is full and happy.

Best wishes,
Grace

Be Kind

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Ocean Air & Salty Hair

our own boardwalk

just some post-rain play

down the beach

care holding a sea star

some of the beautiful nature

Our Father, Creator

You hold our hearts together

There's no one higher than You

Redeemer, Defender

Our great and mighty Savior

There's no one higher than You

You are always with us

Gracious to forgive us

By Your power we've been set free

And Lord we stand amazed in Your presence

Astounded by Your mercy and love

Our hands are lifted high in surrender

Your grace for me is always enough

And there is no one higher than our God

There is no one higher than our You

Majestic in wonder

You reign with love forever

There's no one higher than You

Your beauty, Your splendor

Your glory knows no measure

There's no one higher than You

You are always with us

Gracious to forgive us

By Your power we've been set free

And Lord we stand amazed in Your presence

Astounded by Your mercy and love

Our hands are lifted high in surrender

Your grace for me is always enough

And there is no one higher than our God

There is no one higher than our You

Let my life forever praise the glory of Your name

There is no one higher than You

There is no one higher

No one greater

No one like our God

There is none more able

Christ our Savior

Great and glorious

And Lord we stand amazed in Your presence

Astounded by Your mercy and love

Our hands are lifted high in surrender

Your grace for me is always enough

And there is no one higher than our God

There is no one higher than our You

Let my life forever praise the glory of Your name

There is no one higher than You

"No One Higher"

Aaron Shust

Cottage Like

All of these are decorations from our home this week! It sure is hard to not have a good time when you see signs screaming "BE HAPPY!" everywhere.

Maybe I won't ever come home? Guess we will just have to wait and see.

More to come.
Best wishes,
Grace