and i'm back!

so it's been a while...i realize. i'm working on it.
where to start....i guess right where i left off. this could be a long one!

june.

i think my only excitement in june was my trip to manitowoc, wi. (it's a very exciting town, you know!) i spent a long weekend there to help sarah celebrate her bridal shower and bachelorette party. it was a great trip...lots of laughs, relaxation, and really cheap drinks! some pics are below.

s & i - hanging out the first night i got there.

s opening her gifts.

some of the girls - pre-drinking at s's.

s & s

s & i

s - later in the night.

s in the van. i think this is shortly before i yelled at c (the groom-to-be) and he walked home and slept in his car. oops.

july.

rachel slurs came out of retirement!! rachel performed at legends (a nightclub in raleigh) for the second year in a row. this was a charity event for the crape myrtle festival (cmf). cmf is now the oldest aids-related fundraiser in the southeast. the festival has raised over one-million dollars for more than thirty service agencies in nc.

chris and i met up with rachel and a few of her friends before the show. her performance was hilarious. here are some pics.

r & i

close up.

the heels.

michael came to town for the show.

shake the dew off the lily.

during july, i also volunteered for the special olympics north carolina midsummer tournament. it was a blast. i worked at one of the bowling venues again this year. super fun experience. i recommend checking it out next year! unfortunately, i forgot my camera...so i don't have any pictures from the weekend.

i also made the move to greensboro, nc. i rented a cute little one-bedroom apartment...nothing too exciting about it...except i'm living by myself (yay!!!) and my washer/dryer are in my huge walk-through closet! ;) feel free to come visit me!

august.

my last day of work at unc-chapel hill. it was a good day. i suppose a little sad...ok, not really....i hate work...of any kind. ;) since my last day was the 1st and school wasn't starting until the 26th, i took a trip back to the midwest. christian came along with me. it was a 2 week trip, starting in appleton, wi and ending in iron mtn., mi.

we spent the first couple of days at christian's parents in appleton. we were also able to have dinner with some of my good friends (ktk and moira) and party at the bar with some of christian's high school buddies.

we then headed to manistique, mi. we spent a week there...which if you've been to manistique, you know that's a LONG time to be there! haha. we celebrated cousin ella's baptism with my mom & dad, brother, soon-to-be sis-in-law, grandma, aunts, uncles, and cousins...played horseshoes and cards...had a cookout with my grandma & grandpa, uncle, and cousin...went to lake michigan beach (the water is way too cold for us southerners!)...went fishing in indian lake (chris caught 2 perch)...walked the boardwalk and went to the lighthouse...chris helped my dad and brother with the cabin...went to big springs...went to the casino...out to lunch with michelle...and watched a ton of the olympics.

after a week, we headed back to wi...to 3 lakes...to christian's cottage. we spent several days there fishing, bike riding, horseback riding, kayaking, and hanging out and playing cards with christian's parents and grandmother.

the last weekend (and i suppose the initial reason for the trip) was spent in iron mtn., mi for sarah and craig's wedding. it was an absolute blast!

it was an all-around fabulous trip...however, chris and i had eaten too much, drank too much...which translates into gaining many pounds...and so we were ready to come home after 2 weeks.

here are some pics from the trip...

night out in neenah.

christian & the boys

c & c

lake michigan

sassy - almost 13 years old

the cabin

christian & joshua

elisha - showing me her horseshoe throwing technique

tri-state champions - 3 years running

mom & joshua

soon-to-be sis-in-law & brother

christian, elisha, joshua, dad - watching horseshoes

joshua, me, grandma m

joshua & dad

dad & grandpa m

c & c - walking the boardwalk and breakwall

c at the boardwalk

dad & mom at big boy

c & c - we will never grow up

the raft at big springs

me - i'm very happy to be at the cottage ;)

chris caught a fish!

christian

kayaking. we watched A LOT of the olympics...i think chris thought he won a gold

sarah & her maids

mr. & mrs. l

sarah & her mom

d-phi-e girls - pre-reception

c & c

orange shag room reunion

cecilia

my boyfriend & the groom - dancing the night away

he thinks he's so hot

i have no idea

711...

more days to complete my 101 things...

i was born at 7:11 pm. random thought.

i'm almost done with 'the kite runner'...my 4th book for #2 on the list.

i signed up for the nyc marathon. but it's a lottery system...and i found out this past wednesday that i wasn't accepted. no one i know was accepted. meg thinks it's rigged. and so, i think i'll be running the obx marathon...or the raleigh marathon. we're still trying to figure out the details. but they're both in november...so i'll be a running fool once again. and then hopefully i'll run it under 4:45...my #3.

brother and i (and possibly mom)...have decided we have to lost 20 pounds before josh and elisha's wedding. we weigh in tomorrow...and have to lost 10 by july 11th. so it's back to ww, pilates, and daily runs. and so hopefully i'll be fitting comfortably in my "skinny" jeans soon...my #4.

i'm planning to take a little vacation back to michigan before school starts...and hopefully christian will be joining me...and we're thinking of going camping somewhere in the u.p. my #7.

and maybe we'll go canoeing too...my #9.

and maybe we'll go out on the boat on indian lake...and go water skiing. #80.

i spent the weekend volunteering for the special olympics summer games. i was supposed to be a volunteer manager for athletics (track & field). although the heat was crazy hot (100 or higher) and so they cancelled all the outdoor events (athletics and softball). i was pretty bummed...and i'm sure the athletes were as well...but i suppose it was for the best. i'll also be volunteering the special olympics midsummer tournament in july. i'll be the housing manager on that friday at the dorms...and the volunteer manager on saturday and sunday for one of the bowling houses. should be fun. and so #11 is completed.

i'm in the process of reading the bible...cover to cover. i'm in the middle of genesis. i better get reading.

ok, i think that's all for an update on "things."

weekends on the boat.

christian and i spent memorial day weekend...and the weekend before...out on the boat at carolina lakes. it was fabulous! the first weekend we went fishing (#99 completed)...pics below. the second weekend, amy and craig (and toby) came down to hang out with us on the lake. we spent the weekend enjoying the sun, eating, drinking, laughing, and playing games...and chris and craig both did a little wakeboarding. more pics below.

i caught the first fish.

my fish.

chris caught one the next day.

chris.

toby...before being thrown in.

after.

craig, amy, & toby.

us.

us again.