Thoughts At The End of The School Year

Holy cow. The past few weeks have been all over the map. So difficult and yet so good. I'm not feeling very eloquent but I want to get some thoughts down, so I give you a list. Do what you will with it:

• A couple weeks ago I called my mom and accidentally ended up crying for two hours to her over the phone. I love her so much and the more I grow the more I realize what an amazing individual she is. I am constantly blown away by her knowledge, compassion, and patience. I think about how much she truly, deeply cares about her patients and her family and I hope that one day I will be able to mirror with my work and family even a fraction of the good she has accomplished in this world. I love you so much, mom. You amaze me every single day. (You too, Dad. Love you!)
• I'm grateful for good friends that will stay up till 2 AM and talk about art and feelings and drink herbal tea and suggest movie nights and Sodalicious runs right when you need them. 
• I'm planning on about a thousand posts with all the beautiful things and epiphanies that I have come to over the course of the semester in 'Intro to Film,' but for now suffice it to say that I know that this is what I want to do. What a beautiful way to change the world.
• This photo acted as a catalyst for me to chop my hair when I saw it Wednesday night, but don't worry—I'd been wanting to try shorter hair for months! I chopped it yesterday and currently feel like a new woman (see photo at the top of this post). Here's to just a spoonful of spontaneity now and then. 
• Right now I need to be heading to a Biology review—speaking of Biology, pray for me because I need to approach like 20 strangers later today and ask to take their portrait for a project on genetics. SO SCARY
• Finally, I am grateful for figurative growing pains. I know I'm not the same person I was when I moved out here in August for that I am grateful.

NYC, As Seen Through an iPhone Lens

From Christmas Break.

DSLR photos here.

Catherine & Christian Engagements

They're getting married!!

 

 

 

James VanDerwerken at 12 Years Old

 

During the process of avoiding a thesis (and research paper in general) that needs a lot of work and 2D homework that has yet to be finished (or started, really), I came across a to-do folder on my desktop. In this to do folder: a PDF of The Ransom of Red Chief, by O. Henry and a folder of damaged family photos that I need to fix  for my dad. What better way to avoid things that need doing than that? Above is my grandpa at age 12. 

And to my Dad, I'm working on them slowly but surely. But I think after the easiest one, I should probably get back to my homework. I love you!

I Love My Family

9/11

This is a paper from an Exhibit at the Smithsonian, showing how 9/11 impacted children. I was seven when I drew this. See more here. I think it just shows how young you are at age 6.

I remember the day. I was in my first grade classroom when my teacher answered her phone. I remember she told us that a plane had crashed into a large building in New York City and we would all be going home early. We turned on the television but a room full of six-year-olds didn't understand what had really happened. And we shouldn't have. 

Later that day I remember talking to my Mom—she had been in Pennsylvania and immediately crossed the bridge to come home, lest she be stuck there in all the chaos. I was so sad because in my innocent six-year-old mind, I had thought it was an accident. I had imagined one of those planes that did tricks—I thought it crashed by accident when it was trying to do loop-de-loops. 

That's what I remember. I remember watching the news and having most of it go over my head—as it should—but I could feel the difference. This was not the world we lived in yesterday. 

Loop-de-loops. 

I don't remember a world where you could meet people at the airport gate. Movies like Sleepless in Seattle and Love Actually aren't possible in the world I know. 

I remember September 11th and I remember the world after it. But I don't remember a time before strict TSA regulations. I don't remember a world where you could run and stop the love of your life from getting on that plane. 

I don't remember.

God bless America, and I hope that all those who lost on this day can feel our love and the love of those who may not be on this Earth anymore, although they are still with us.

Throwback To Storybook Land

Earlier in August, our cousins came to visit us in NJ. One day, we went to Storybook Land. The next day, we went to The Franklin Institute and made a little video. I looked through our old photos before I left New Jersey to find these gems of Storybook land when my sisters and I were just little kids.

  

Storybook Land, Cousin Style

  

Our Cousins Came To Visit

A weekend with our little cousins.

[soon-to-be] Graduate!

I'm graduating from high school on Friday and I can't believe it! I'm so happy and I have a feeling that my two months of summer before BYU are going to feel especially short. When I'm not working I plan to be swimming, sketching & watercoloring, as well as re-reading the entire HP series just for fun. I'm also planning on many a movie night and hopefully a few beach days of course!

Also as kind of a pointless side note, as I write this, I'm home on my lunch break from work watching HP7 part 1 and I love this song from the score.

Face-Time from Italia

My sister Emily has been face-timing me a lot from Europe while she is on her study abroad — today she caught me while I was outside snapping some photos. We discussed important things like The Great Gatsby and gondolas. I miss her but I'm glad she's off having fun in Europe! I'm going to die of sisterly pride/joy/envy (all in good fun) when she instagrams her Parisian adventures for ten days at the end of the month. I actually might have to unfollow her. ;) I took these photos while face-timing with her. Not bad, I'd say. (hahaha)

Apparently European wifi is crappy, so sometimes face-timing looks more like this:

Love you, Em!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LIZ!

 I'm pretty sure that once this picture existed, you were the coolest sister for life. Emily and I just had no chance anymore...

It's funny how people often say that the three of us sisters are "so alike!" and "practically the same person!" ...And I see their pont, we are all very alike. But then again, there's the distinct differences that come from knowing each other so well that make us so different from each other.

So, here's to you! To your Dove peppermint bark obsession (it's a seasonal candy, I totally get it), love for design, and passion for all things Italian! I love you!  

P.S. I know I'll (hopefully) be busy making lots of friends and getting good grades in the Fall, but lets make lots of time for sister stuff with the three of us! (Remember when we watched all of The Mindy Project in Emily's bed and ate those pizza things she made? That was fun.) Because who knows how long all of us will be living in the same place again. I literally cannot express how excited I am to be living so close to you guys again! Ahhh!

Family Tree

How I spent my evening a few days ago: fixing this damaged photo of my Dad's family. 

It feels good that there's something so simple but important that I can contribute to family history & genealogical work.

Happy Birthday to the Best Middle Sister on the Block!

First things first: birthday wishes from Ryan.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Emily!! I love birthdays. Aren't they the greatest?! Sorry I haven't been able to be there for the last three years. Hopefully that'll change next year, and we can celebrate up the month of February together in P-town. I can't wait.

Thanks for making work on the farm for the past few years so fun! Thanks for always catching my references. And thanks for always humoring my puns. 

I know I can always count on you for good advice and a night of our favorite chick flicks, and I know you'll always be the voice of reason when I'm exhausted and decide it's a good idea to lie on the floor and reevaluate my life ---  it's never a good idea. Someday we'll learn... ;)

I know you'll always be able to understand what I'm talking about when I'm laughing way too hard to actually articulate, or when I'm reeeeally tired and my words start to mush together.

I know you'll always be on my side for important matters, like how we feel about Cosette and not going ring shopping before you're engaged. Don't worry, I'll make sure your future husband picks out the perfect ring all by himself. So much more romantic that way.

I love you, Emily!! You're thebombDOTcom. Happy birthday! I hope your Provo friends take you out for a night on the town, since I can't be there! 

"call it 'classy christmas!'"

this is what happens when the 10 year old in the room says "let's spell SWAG with our hands!!"

and this is what happens when the girl taking the photos wants to be in on the fun and decides to be the exclamation point after the new and improved word swaggy:

gotta love the wanderwerken family antics at the dinner table