The Big Orange Mess...With a Summer Like No Other!

In less than a month from now, I will be starting my final year of college and all the classes, studying, and exams will once again be part of my routine. Many people I know are excited to start their senior year, preparing for a whole new school term, and anxiously awaiting their friends to arrive back in town. But honestly, I am dreading when this time comes and I have to say good-bye to these summer days. I say this because this summer has been nothing like I imagined it would be...it has been even better!
    I know these next few weeks will be tough as I already had to say one of a few good-byes, or what my friends like to call  "see  ya later" this past week and it was anything but easy for me. But, as I was going through all my pictures this summer, I realized that this was one of the best summer's I have had. I decided to spend the summer in Knoxville and without a doubt in my mind, it was the best decision I could possibly make. I got the opportunity to hang out with some amazing friends, while also forming new friendships. We spent countless nights going on adventures and creating memories that I will always cherish. We spents hours and hours playing games, watching movies, eating delicious food, doing random crazy things, rapping, and my favorite..laughing so hard that we cried!     
    Looking back over these past two months, I see how blessed I am to have such wonderful and caring people in my life. They have made this summer amazing and they have become some of my best friends! I know I will look back on this summer and I will automatically start laughing because I will remember all the great times we had together...all the inside jokes, all the stories, and everything. As much as I dread the summer ending and people leaving, one quote comes to mind. "Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened."

                                             

So, here is a reflection of these summer months and some of the best times ever!!

We took a roadrip to see the Braves for my friend's 21st birthday! It was one of my favorite things this summer because I love the Braves and got to spend time with great friends!

This was in Chicago, and if you can't tell from earlier posts, I clearly fell in love with that city. This picture was from the day we saw the David Crowder Band.

This was at Litton's..one of the best places to eat in Knoxville.

Free Chick-fil-a day!

Lake Day!

Dinner at Aubrey's!

"I still recall every summer night like it was yesterday; the times would never end and my friends were family."

"I cannot even imagine where I would be today were it not for that handful of friends who have given me a heart full of joy. Let's face it, friends make life a lot more fun." - Charles Swindoll

                                           

The Big Orange Mess...and a RAPPING career?

It's the summer of 11 and we're actin like some felons
We went to Taco Bell where we learned we're hot as :0
We be jammin to some Starry Night as I wish I was Chris August wife
I like trees and my boy Chris is the bees knees, pleaseee
I made a baby with Tsweezie and a kitty, don't judge people just have pity
I sucked down a milkshake at a drug store, but no crack or meth that ain't me no more
I must confess I am still the Big Orange Mess
God Bless.

Yes, I am a mess and I may regret putting this on here later, but as you can clearly see my rapping career will not be going very far!

Things I have come to love this summer...

Before I know it, summer will be coming to an end and school will once again be starting up. But, this summer I have had many adventures and experiences that I have learned from. I have tried new things and learned how much I have been missing out on, while also realizing how much I enjoy the simple things. So, here is my summer lists of things I have come to love..                                                           

1. OUTDOORS: This summer I have been very busy, whether it be hanging out with friends, going to class everyday, or catching up with family, that I had very little time to actually sit down and watch TV. I have always had my certain shows that I try to follow, but this summer, I hated the fact of just watching TV. I even tried sitting down to watch a 30 minute show and couldn't do it. Instead, I enjoyed spending time outdoors...even though it was so blazing hot. I loved going to the pool, even though I had one growing up, I just forgot how much I really do love it.

2. CHICAGO: This summer I have come to love the great city of Chicago. This may be a given, but I fell in love with it. It was my first time there, and hopefully not my last.


3. FLOWERS: I have also come to love flowers. Yes, I have always thought they were beautiful but after going to the gardens in Chicago, all I do is look at flowers. I have lived in my apartment for a year now and have never noticed the flowers until I got back...they are quite pretty. If anybody gives me flowers, they will have my heart :)

4. RAINY DAYS: Another thing I have come to love is rainy days. Usually, I am the sunshine-kind-of-day person, but this summer I have had a few enjoyable rainy days. For instance, one rainy day consisted of going to the mall and trying on a billion dresses...it may not sound like fun to some but it was indeed!!

5. PURPLE HAIR: This summer I have gotten the chance to hang out with some great friends, but we never seem to have just a normal night. I thought it would be a great idea to dye some of my hair..purple. Don't worry, it was only a small strand that is temporary, but I enjoy trying new things haha

6. TWITTER: Yes, this summer I have joined the bandwagon. I have never been big into twitter...until my friend decided to create one for me. Now, I have learned all about twitter and what is considered tweet worthy. Don't have tweet regrets :)

                                                      

                                                      
  

The Big Orange Mess...Takes Chicago

A few weeks ago, I was presented with the opportunity to go to Chicago with some great friends of mine. I was so excited to get this chance because I have always wanted to go, but as much as I wanted to, it didn't seem like a very logical decision for me. I just started my sesond session of summer school and going would mean that I would miss two of the first three days. As suprising as this may be, missing class just doesn't settle right with me. Therefore, I had to make a decision and I seriously went back and forth and as cheesy as this may sound, my heart was telling me one thing and my head was saying the other. I would have to decide between choosing the safe option or taking a risk. For many, there probably is no comparison, but with me it was a very hard dcecision (I even made a pros and cons lists). The point came to where I had to tell them a final decision and at one time I was dead set on not going. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a great experience this can be. I realized that if I didn't take this chance then I would be sitting around regretting every minute of it...and what is life without taking chances..it's how you learn and grow. So, I made the final decision to go on the trip and I was filled with excitement once again.
  So we packed up and left on Thursday and stayed until that following Tuesday. Between those few days, there are so many adventures, stories, laughs, and inside jokes that were created, that I could seriously talk about it for quite some time. But, from the first day we were there, I knew without a doubt that I made the right decision. I fell in love with the city and I got to enjoy it with some incredible friends! One of the highlights of the trip for me was the day we were on the beach. I just sat there for a second, with the water in front of me, the city behind me, and my friends next to me, thinking about how peaceful it is right now and how very fortunate I am to be there.
  The more I think about the Chicago trip, the more I think about a message I heard in church a few weeks ago...how every decision can affect your life in some way. I think about the fact if I made the decision to stay, how I wouldn't know these inside jokes, I wouln't have these stories to share, or I wouldn't even be friends with Sam. But, I believe I was presented with this opportunity in order to take a chance and live life to the fullest. Chicago Roadtrip 2011 was one of the best roadtrips...I love Chicago, but honestly I think it was the people I went to Chicago with that made it worthwhile. I know I can look back on this summer and know it was one of the best I have had. Chicago...a trip like no other!

This is a small glimpse into what our week in Chicago was like...