Our Summer so far.....

Because I know y'all have just been dying to know what the Hill's have been up to...{just go with it}

A little slide show of our Summer---so far. 

In no particular order. I was too lazy to chronological-ize. {yeah, that's not a word}

this happens when she gets my phone. which is often.
there are a million more just like it.
i will spare you the presley-selfies.
only a mother could love them {a million times over}

happy birthday paw paw!

a little run with the girls. from left: mari, erin, melissa, me
a rare occurrence during the summer.
side note--Presley took the picture, which explains the great view of
the cemetery to our right. love my little photographer!

my sister did my hair for the FIRST time at her school salon!
and my mom's too!
i am so proud of her!!!

Womens ECC SHINE event
{LOVE these ladies!}

my little darling after braces.
yes, i cried.
are you surprised?
yeah, i didn't think so.

i mean, seriously.
these two cannot come from my loins.
impossible.

Jordan {my nephew} is home from the Navy...briefly.
isn't he handsome?!
We are so proud of this kid! {i mean-- man!}

girls night out--Japanese dinner!
presley and her tongue-sticking-out face.
it never fails.

she does this day in--day out.
i hurt all over just looking at it. 

because i knew you needed a good laugh.
you're welcome.
{side note---i now see where presley gets that tongue-sticking-out thing from.}
yikes.

this totally may be our Christmas card. yeah, not kidding.
VBS at ECC 2013

oh the silliness never subsides.
i find random pictures like this on my phone...daily.

20 years, say what?

I cannot believe it's been 20 years since I graduated high school. I mean, I remember when my parents went to THEIR 20th reunion!

It makes me feel ancient.

However, I am so excited to see everyone. Due to social media, the big surprises of how people look, who they married, etc...are kind of not as surprising. Most people can find out what you are up to these days.

It takes a little of the fun out of it, I think. But, that's just me. I love surprises!

I'll spare you from posting high school pictures. Yikes. I still shudder when I think of some of the things I wore, and some of the things that I did back in those days. {double yikes}

I wasn't that bad, but I wasn't that good either. Despite my maiden name being " Allgood". :)

I'm truly forever grateful that my parents were so strict on me. It's a blessing now. My mistakes could have been much worse.

Sometimes, I wish I could take some of the things back that I said, and did. But, I can't.

I just ask the Lord to cover those times, and cover any that I hurt in those times.

High school was a very insecure time in my life. I hid who I really was, at times.

I became who people thought I should be.

If I were to be able to do it all again, or talk to my 16 year old self, I would tell her this:

• be who you are
• you are beautiful even if you don't feel it
• treat others as you would want to be treated
• don't take things too seriously
• write more
• try out for more things--be more courageous
• wear less makeup
• don't look for a serious boyfriend in high school, you are too immature
• go to church more
• read your bible more
• spend more time with your parents
• call your grandparents more
• drink more water
• learn to cook now--not when you are a newlywed

I know that my past experiences have created who I am today. I cannot change that.

With time, comes wisdom. With time, come some regrets. With time, comes perspective.

Life looks different from this season of life. It looks fast. It looks short. It looks beautiful.

When you are 16, life just looks like forever. It seems you will never grow up, never get a boyfriend, and never get married.

The years go by like molassas when you are 16.

I long for molassas days.

I just want to sit in the syrupy sweetness of life and enjoy every sticky second of it.

Life is beautiful. Life is fleeting. Life is now.

So, to my 16 year old self---I would say:  Enjoy these days. However, know that better days are coming. Better than you could ever imagine.