graduation celebration.

Moment of surprise number one. 

Item of surprise: 1999 buick. It's all mine. 

Moment of surprise number two.

Item of surprise: Fujifilm Instax camera. 

Note: all photos from my grad party were taken by my sister Megan. 

It was a day filled with laugher and smiles. 

It was a day filled with surprises and hugs.

It was a day filled with music and fun.

It was a day filled with memories. 

Saturday was a day I never thought would arrive. My graduation party seemed so far away just a few weeks ago and then all of a sudden it was here. The big day. The night before was a late one. I'm so thankful for my friends Kaylee and Rebecca for helping me go through hundreds of old photos and arranging display boards. 

Saturday came and to be honest, I was super nervous. Getting up on stage is not something I like to do on a regular basis. It freaks me out. As I was freaking out, my friends were there to give me "pep" talks and stand with me before I went on stage. I love them. so. much.

Senior recitals and grad parties are no easy task to put together. It was work. But the end result was nothing but fantastic. Saturday will be a day I remember for a long time. 

photo set.

senior year | thoughts

I remember when I was a kid. I couldn't wait until I was in high school. Even for a home schooled kid, high school was a time in the future that you looked forward to. Reaching it meant that you were finally growing up. You were doing difficult level courses, making sure you had a plan to be sure you had enough credits and figure out what you were going to do after high school. 


During those four years, you realize that life isn't all fun and games anymore. Those days when you could finish school before noon and spend every waking hour outside are gone. High school is work. You suddenly find yourself with hardly any time to do the things you used to be able to hours on end. That pile of books you still haven't touched even though you got them for christmas and it's now May first, are just collecting dust. Your free time has been constricted and you now have to learn how to schedule everything into the day. 

Freshman and Sophomore year come and go. You develop close friendships, you grow and change and slowly figure out who you are as a person. You realize that things aren't always plain and simply like they were when you were a kid.

Junior year you begin to thinking about life after highschool. You learn to drive. You grow even more as a person. At times, you really wonder if you will actually reach what seems like a never ending school year. You just want to make it to senior year. The last year. 

Senior year hits. You start out excited. You've made it. Its the last year of highschool. You plan senior recitals and graduation parties. You finish up the last high school courses you will ever take. You audition for scholarships and visit college campuses. Excitement builds up as you await that one acceptance letter.  

Then, all of a sudden, it hits you. This is the last year. The last year of life as you know it. What has been you life for so long, is about to end. Standing still, you look back on your life. You childhood. The carefree days. Thinking to yourself "where did the time go" you realize that you miss those days. 


The days when your clothes never matched. The days when you were 10 and your only worry was what mom was making for dinner. 

Taking a look at your life now, you realize you will miss cuddling with your youngest sister in the morning, while watching Arthur and eating cheerios. You'll miss staying up until one in the morning talking with your oldest sister. You'll miss the random facts your middle sister tells you about animals and watching action movies with your brother. 

You realize that you are going to miss your friends, the people who have been with you all these years. Through the good and the bad, they've remained by your side and listened to you. It'll be hard not to see them for so long, but you know that keeping in touch will be on top of your priority list.

This new chapter in your life, while it will surely be a grand adventure, is also something completely unknown.  Leaving friends and family, in order to embark to this adventure will be one of the hardest things of your life. 

You'll be on your own, in an unknown place, fending for yourself. It'll be all new and nothing will be as it used to. You feel as if you are in a dream at times. It's all so surreal and bittersweet.


The first eighteen years of your life have come and gone. The next chapter is starting. You can't see beyond the next step, so you take it slow. Basking in the moments. Remember everything as you walk up to the door, of the next adventure. 


"Memory is a way of holding on to the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose." 
| Kevin Arnold |


photo set. 

monday to monday

coffee | senior recital practices | ice cream trips | grilling hot dogs | avengers mid-night premieres | visiting the camp grounds | receiving college acceptance letter | watching kittens play | photo shoots


There are a few things I learned this week:
- I'm pretty sure I'm obsessed with instagram
- Driving in storms with zero visibility and tornado warnings is not extremely enjoyable.
- When the internet goes down at our house, we can't really function. (kidding... mostly)
- Yotty's just has the best ice cream you guys. the best.
- I love super hero movies (okay, so I already knew this about myself)
- Cleaning the camp grounds for a couple of hours will make you super excited from summer.
- College acceptance letters are the best. ever.
- Megan's hair just looks awesome at all times.
- I drink a lot of coffee. (actually... i already knew this too.)


how was your week? Are you getting excited for summer?

much love-
Marissa

the coffee house

There is this place that I find myself spending a lot of time at. Maybe it's because I work there. Or maybe its because I have an extreme love for coffee. Maybe it's because I just like spending time there, hanging out with the people, taking deep breaths of the coffee scented air... This place, is the coffee house.

The coffee house is a cozy little place. With plenty of tables and chairs, comfy couches, soft lights, big windows and good music. Not to mention the coffee is pretty rad tasting.

One of the biggest reasons I love this place is its 'welcoming' feel. Starbucks although it's often a lovely place to go, doesn't seem to have that same feel as a privately owned coffee shop. This might sound biased, but I have often found that usually these privately owned coffee shops have better tasting coffee then the "brand name" places. I won't argue with you about it though, because everyone has different tastes. 

This place which I love so much, is also a place to connect with people. Friends often get together here to chat. Bible studies come to drink coffee and discuss topics. Old friends gather to reminisce the olden days. 

We baristas love the regulars who come in, always so friendly and nice. We love to create art with coffee, try out new flavors and brainstorm new drinks. It's one of the best places, in my opinion, to work and hang out.

I love the connections and growth in friendships that have happened here. It's truly a special place. 

do you have a favorite place to get coffee?