AWKWARD + AWESOME THURSDAY

AWKWARD.

Running into rainbow 15 minutes before it closed.

“Okay we need to be checking out in 10 minutes”, “where are the watches” “the jewelry section” “walmart has a jewelry section?!”

(pulling out of a parking lot) “there’s a police car, make sure you stop fully at that stop sign and don’t speed” “guys are they following me??”

Predicting what people were going to say about a situation and being totally right.

At home depot there are two kinds of workers, the regular ones who wear casual clothes and orange aprons and help you cut wood or find things you need and then the customer service reps who wear dress pants and dress shirts. Mom and I were looking for super thin wood to serve as dividers in our garden. We couldn’t really find it, so as we were wandering around the lumber section one of the customer service reps comes up to us and offers to help. So he helps us find the wood and then offers to cut it. He was really nice and kept up the conversation the whole time, after we were done I commented to my Mom about how weird it was to be helped by the dressed up guy. Her response: I think he was interested in you. yeah no.

Being 3 cents short at the post office.

A spider was crawling of Sarah as she lay on the ground, I noticed it she screamed and then after stomping and missing multiple times on of the other people there said: “wow Madeline you have really bad aim.”

Finding a super cute backpack for only $35, going though the checkout where I found out that the shipping was over $14 + an additional $3.45 in tax. no thank you, I’ll find a cute backpack somewhere else! Any suggestions?

Sitting on my bed journaling when a spider crawls on my bed, I jumped out as fast as possible and then my dad came and killed it.

“I love how you subtly brought up every thing we talked about the other day”

My spell check decided that “journaling” wasn’t a word…

 

AWESOME

Adventures downtown + going out for raw cheese cake at my favorite raw resturant with my amazing friend Lauire.

Celebrating the graduations of 5 of my friends this weekend at their grad parties!

Grad after parties, yay for bonfires and

When three hour conversations aren’t long enough!

Getting kicked out of caribou because it was closing time and then hanging out in the car talking.

Shopping with Care at target!

Care and I found GF cookie dough coconut ice cream at target. SO good!

A mini photo shoot with Care and Em at a grad party.

My bubble gum pink watch, its kinda obnoxious but its fun and I got it to wear for camp.

Finding good deals on things I was already planning on buying! Such as 8gb memory cards and ribbed tank tops.

Being in a bible study where everyone encourages everyone else.

Journaling! So close to being done with my current journal then I have to choose which one of my  pretty blank notebooks/journals I should use for the next one!

 

What has been AWKWARD or AWESOME about your week?

 


AWKWARD + AWESOME THURSDAY


AWKWARD.

Carrying three full gallon jugs of water up our sloped driveway in the rain while talking on the phone.

Taking photos in the mall, “okay, there’s no workers!”

“Okay wrap your arm around his (a headless “male” mannequin) muscles”

Trying to untie the boat as quick as possible because I was wearing shorts and it was freeeezing!

Dad: “Gosh those rabbits are big, they must be prego” He is hilariously awesome!

Tending to the fire and constantly covering my face with a blanket because the wind kept blowing smoke my way.

Straining a pot of beans a spilling a large amount of the liquid.

Wearing the same outfit 3 days in a row at the cabin, because I really didn’t feel like wearing anything else.

Scraping my knee while trying to climb a short wall.

“My hands are all dirty”- me “MADELINE YOUR GOING TO DIE”- Laurie

A lady staring at Care and I went we just sat down in the tea shop with out buying anything, we were just waiting for our Mom’s book club that met there to finish up.

Walking into a house where Katherine and my Mom were, taking off my shoes and right then they decided to leave.

Care and I decided to go into a thrift store, but as we drove up to it it looked too sketchy so we skipped it. Then we were going to go into a nearby consignment shop but then decided not to again because it looked too sketchy.

 

AWESOME.

2am snacks and talking about everything with Sari and Em.

Second shooting weddings.

Collecting all my textbooks because I’m done with school for the summer!!

Skyping Olivia using my Dad’s wifi hotspot in the car.

Babysitting kids with hilarious personalities!

Best friends whom you can talk about everything with and its not awkward.

My sisters, I seriously have the best family ever!

Care and I were able to go to Laurie’s dance recital and Sarah & Emily’s + more of our friends choir concert on the same day. It was super awesome.

Coconut ice cream samples at the natural foods store. yummm.

Filming videos downtown for camp.

My new camera! *LOVE*

My friend Josiah pretending to be a midget by kneeling in his shoes and talking in a hispanic elmo accent. All of us there laughed for at least 5 minutes.

 

What has been AWKWARD or AWESOME about your week?


PERFORMANCES

After Laurie’s dance recital

After Sarah and Emily’s (and other friends) Choir concert.

Tis the season for final shows and concerts! A little over a week ago, Care and I drove through the sprinkles of rain to Laurie’s dance recital. We watched all the dances, remembering what it was like to be the dancers on the stage. The hours of practice were evident as the unique and beautiful dances were preformed. This show was extra special because it was the 50th anniversary of the dance studio. At the end the finale was a special surprise for the owner + main teacher. Afterwards we waited until Laurie came out and then we took photos even though the lighting was not very good just to remember the moments. We hadn’t been to one of her recitals in at least 5 years. We were super happy that we went! Right after that we headed  north west to the church when our friends were having their final choir concert. We sat a little too close. haha. oh well ;) we could see really well…. ohmyword they sang so beautifully, the selection of songs was a perfect mix between classics and more contemporary pieces. We had wanted to go to some of their earlier concerts this year, but it never worked out until now. If your friends invite you to their performances, go. You (probably) won’t regret it!

 


RIGHT NOW|| LISTS

my signature face. pc: Kiley

A few little lists//

MAKING ME HAPPY RIGHT NOW:

Weekend plans with my awesome family.

Gluten free donut recipes+ $10 donut pans.

Being involved in secret projects with my best friend.

I’m all done with school for the summer! Bye bye Junior year, you’ve been good and hard.

Dancing with Care in the kitchen.

Regrowing romaine hearts + planting them in our garden.

Watching Katherine learn to mow the lawn.

Running with Care, even though I have to stop all the time.

A clear blue sky+ sun after 5 straight days of thunderstorms.

Fresh flowers.

Colorful straws in fruit smoothies.

EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW:

Making summer plans.

Being able to read books for my personal enjoyment and not for school!

Warm weather.

Sup’n'Stuff’s.

Working for my Dad.

Plans for my business.

My new camera is coming on Tuesday, Lord willing.

Going to the cabin.

Writing out my hilarious awks + awes from the past week ;). Coming soon!

 

What are you happy about or excited about right now?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


CARE & EM

 

Care is my absolutely amazing younger by 1 year and 11 months but taller by 3ish inches sister. Em is my absolutely amazing younger by 4 months and shorter by 4ish inches unofficially adopted sister. Basically that should explain this all. I shot these fun photos when we thought about crashing a prom photo time but decided not to, so therefore Care and Em acted super crazy (as usual). They’re the best.


AWKWARD + AWESOME THURSDAY

awkward photo of my two year old face from may 2012

AWKWARD.

The guy running around the lake wearing all neon. His shirt said “I’m your day brightener”

Seeing a lady creep on a house with binoculars.

Accidentally writing on my leg in church.

Scented kleenex. It makes blowing your nose wayyyy worse.

Tripping up the stairs because I tried to run in a straight maxi dress.

A friend facebook messaging me from the same room telling me to get off facebook because it was a waste of time.

Running or quickly walking so many times from one side of the church to another I definitely got a workout in.

Bringing my dinner to Bible study, including my cloth napkin.

While serving at a conference as an usher, an older couple kept coming to my door and remarking on my smile they called me “smiley”.

Observing a guy accidentally walk into the women’s restroom and trying so hard not to laugh and embarrass the poor kid.

Shooting my science class while they were doing a dissection. “Madeline, get this photo.”

AWESOME.

Celebrating my birthday and Sarah’s birthday together.

3 mile walks with the best friend.

Filming crazy music videos with care and em.

Making lots and lots of healthy baked donuts.

Staying up way to late because Sari and I didn’t want to stop talking.

My sister Katherine was baptized last night, It was such a blessing to watch!

I only have one week left of school, Lord willing.

Ordering + delivering high quality pro prints to my clients. I love seeing my work printed.

Care comes with me to all of my sessions, she’s defs the best assistant ever!

Getting rid of so many things and having even more I want to get rid of. de-cluttering is one of the best feelings ever!

Working for my Dad, best boss ever! I’m so grateful that I am able to work for him. I mostly ship out filters, and other small water distiller orders.

Going to plato’s closet and finding the exact shorts I had tried on in a store a few weeks prior but had chosen not to buy because I didn’t want to spend $40, I found them for $8 and then I had store credit so I only paid .50 for them!


SURPRISES ARE THE BEST

photo by a kind guy in the parking lot.

Awesome friends are worth waking up early to surprise. Laurie ( next to me in the last photo) turned 18 at the end of March. WHOOT! Her Mom planned a special surprise for the following weekend which involved a lot of her friends meeting at a local delicious pancake house. Some of the people were able to meet at her house to wake her up but Care and I weren’t :( So we just surprised her at the restaurant  which was almost as fun.  Laurie is one of my nearest + dearest friends, we’ve known her family for ages. When we were little my sisters and I and Laurie and her sisters would play the silliest games together for hours while our Mom’s talked. We have so many crazy memories. I’m so excited for summer so we can make many many more! Love you Laurie, Happy Birthday a month and a half late ;)


APRIL GOALS RECAP + MAY GOALS

Care hair chalked her ends and looked like T Swift. nbd.

What is this a blog post?! So what May is half over and I’m just now getting to posting these goals and recap. Life has been crazy and full and wonderful.

APRIL GOALS//

Run 5 days a week- this one started well but didn’t end so well… I kept on this goal for about 2 weeks until I felt like I was getting sick so then I kinda stopped. Half accomplishment is better then no accomplishment, right?

Memorize Psalm 91- why did I not do this?!

Two lessons of math a day- kinda, most days I did this some days I missed but then made up for it!

Get rid of one thing every day/ clean out and organize my room.- This did happen! YAY!! I’ve gotten rid of so many things it feels great and I just want to keep simplifying more and more!

 

Now for my MAY GOALS//

Finish school! My goal/plan is to end on the 22nd! I’m so so excited to be done and then embrace summer!

Read a book I’ve never read before. One that I’m not required to read for school. I’m crazy, I love reading but I don’t make time for it.

Shoot + blog photos I love. I want to get back to posting on my photography business blog. www.sofiahilder.com

Make RAW snickers bars. Raw desserts are my favorite. Recipe found here.

 

Do you have any goals for this month?

 

 


MONDAY APRIL 22|| GRATITUDE LIST

A short word on the above photo; it was taken in the early 1900′s when my great grandmother, Ingrid Sofia immigrated from Sweden to the United States as a young woman. She inspires me. So thankful to have this photo.

today I am grateful for:

Gorgeous snow storms.

Birthday gifts from one of my best friends who lives far away.

Old photos from when my great grandmother immigrated from Sweden to the USA.

Idea’s for the bare wall in my bedroom.

Working for my dad.

My hair is getting long.

Sessions on the calendar.

Anticipation of good things to come this week.

Watching a movie with my sisters, while editing photos.

Laughing through latin with Care and my Mom.

Overwhelming, all consuming grace.

________

Today we had yet another snow storm, MN hasn’t really gotten the memo that its spring yet. I was tempted to be disappointed and sad but then I decided that I have so much to be thankful for I need to count my blessings. How many little things do I miss because I’m so caught up in myself? I made a choice to change my perspective and praise God I’m not depressed. It’s amazing how much changing one thought  can change your attitude. Choose joy, choose gratefulness!

Here’s my challenge, write a list of 10 things you are grateful for TODAY.

 


HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY ADOPTED SISTER SARI

Dear Sari,

I can’t believe your turning 18 today, its kinda crazy! I remember when we first me when I was 11 and you were 12 and as soon as I saw you, I knew that I wanted to be friends with you. I though you were so cool, and awesome, and I was right because you totally are! I love all the hilarious and some times awkward memories we have, such as:

* drama camp- the best year was when we got to play the leads as best friends in the show.

*our first sleepover, when you insisted that we drink tea and take vitamins and not stay up too late.

*Small group and all of those crazy skits. my favorite was definitely Bubba’s budget breakfast.

*when we tried to be pen pals but that didn’t really work.

*ice skating and telling you all about my life.

*AMGR and your involuntary winking which got the parents to think we were up to trouble.

* Planning event’s together.

* that one time when I borrowed your skirt and didn’t give it back for a year. ;)

* when we took forever getting ready for the first photoshoot we did before we started this blog.

*you wrote me a quiz when you decided to stop blogging.

*snuggling on the way to the retreat.

*sharing a twin cot at the DFL retreat.

* calling me at 10:45 to tell me the most exciting news ever.

and soooo many more.

Thank you for always being there for me, for listening to me sob out my problems and always pointing me back to Christ. You are such a godly example to me. You always make me laugh  and something I found on pinterest I think totally describes us: You know two people are best friends when they are laughing so hard and seeming to have way more fun then they should. Yeah, we are those  laughing  girls. I want you to know I am SO proud of you for how diligent you are in your school, I can’t believe your dual graduating, that’s just really impressive to me. I love how we can talk for a long time and still have things to say, how our 10 minute phone calls are never long enough. How I can never figure out your Spanish emails (I’m not a banana). Your voicemail makes me laugh every time. How I know that you’ll reply to my emails on tuesdays usually, how I’ve converted you to enjoy talking on the phone to me. Your amazing and I love all of you, So so blessed by you!

I’m so thankful for you my dear best friend and sweet sister! <3 I love you so so so much! Happy 18th Birthday Sari! I can’t wait to celebrate with you soon and for years and years after this when You turn 80 and I turn 79 ;)

Love,

Mads