Time to Kick Off Summer 2012!

I LOVE going to the lake during the summer. Other than EFY and the beach, it's my absolute favorite place to go. I invited some friends from church, school, and the Cross Country team to come kick off the summer with a day at the lake, great food, and a shaving cream fight. :)

My crazy friends, Ella, Adam, Jennifer, and little cousin Noah :)

 Quick&Easy Fruit Salad

We were running short on time, but I wanted to make a fruit salad sooo much! I made this seriously in less than five minutes. I purposely bought fruits that wouldn't require any cutting, slicing, or peeling (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes [red and green], and bought-already-chopped pineapple chunks). I literally just threw it all together! And it was sooo yummy (and pretty!) :)

 Strawberry&Vanilla Frozen Yogurt Drops

Spoon yogurt into a plastic bag, snip off the corner.

Drop onto parchment paper, stick in freezer for 30 minutes. (you can tell which ones Jennifer made haha).

Sooo good!

Jen and Adam

Sun-In!! :)

Kara, Noah, and Ella

My bestie, Alyson :)

Jen, me, Kelsey, and Alyson :)

Cool shot of Bryce right after he let go of the rope!

And we had to go diving off the rock island!

I know, I'm way cute... haha

 "Princess Water"

-2 scoops raspberry sorbet or sherbet

-ginger ale

-top with fresh berries

It started pouring rain, so we played games until it let up.

Gave Al a fishtail braid :)

Had a blast with my friends. So glad we were able to get together and have fun :)

Have a great summer! :)

Healthy Start

I LOVE this easy, protein-packed smoothie for breakfast. Made with simple already-in-your-house ingredients, this smoothie doesn't require a trip to the store for anything special.

Here's what you need:

- 1 c. milk

- 1 banana (the older the banana, the sweeter the smoothie)

- 1 heaping tsp. peanut butter

- 1 handful dry oats

-ice

Blend!

               Enjoy!!! :)                  

 

My Weekend

This weekend has been pretty fun and relaxing, not to mention school is OFFICIALLY over (it's not like I skipped the whole last week of school anyway-- when exams end, I leave! No point in sitting in empty classrooms watching movies for a week when I can be earning money and actually having a life.) Friday night was graduation, and although I am going to miss a lot of the seniors, I think I'll be a little more sad to see next year's seniors leave, since I'm closer to them. Honestly, I wouldn't have gone to graduation had the band not been asked to play Pomp and Circumstance (ya know, that song you always hear in high school-themed movies for graduations? haha) But it was fun anyway :) Saturday I got paid, and after putting tithing money to the side, the total came out to exactly the amount I needed to buy my new camera! Ahhh! :) Happy girl right here :) And today, Sunday, was Ward Conference, which was an amazing one if I do say so myself :) During sacrament meeting, the Young Women sang "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing," one of my favorite hymns, led by Sister Holly Caten. I love the leaders in my stake. They are SO much fun and really care about the youth. Sister Dodge gave an awesome lesson and I had to give her a hug (or two!) after closing prayer. Sister Kaelberer and Sister Parker are just amazing, for lack of a better term (because that sure doesnt sum up how great they really are!) They're some of the leaders over Girl's Camp, and I'm so excited to see what they have planned for us this summer!

Before graduation (aka, before I cooked in that cute little black dress because it was 90 degrees outside!)

My hair! :) Loosely curled (U-Curl Wand) side-twist pony with sparkly silver flower clip.

My Nikon Coolpix L810 camera with, ohhh yes, 16.1 megapixels!

I was amazed at the resolution of this camera. You can see the craters on the moon!

My Sunday outfit. :)

Dress- Belk

Cardigan- Hollister

Shoes- JCPenney

Earrings- Factory Connection

I love these shoes! I've had them for a year, and they're still as white as the day I bought them!

I guess you can say I had a little dress up afternoon once I finished cleaning. I saw this outfit in my mind before I ever put it on, and loved it instantly!

Top- Belk

Belt- Old Navy

Shorts- Papaya

Shoes- Journey

Adore the colors!

My parents and I have a tradition during the summer that we go walk at the Greenway after lunch. It was a gorgeous summer day <3

I saw a picture on Pinterest of a girl doing this pose with a camera, and had to do it. I had fun hanging upside down haha ;)

Perfect way to end the weekend: Chocolate Oatmeal "No Bake" Cookies

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. milk

1 stick margarine

3-4 T cocoa

1/2 c. peanut butter

2 1/2-3 c. quick cooking oats

1-2 t. vanilla

Boil sugar , milk, margarine, and cocoa 1 1/2 minutes (after reaching full boil). Remove from heat, add peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Beat until blended. Drop on wax paper by teaspoonfuls. Let stand until firm. Makes about 3 dozen.

This week:
-Memorial Day at the lake with cousins Cole and Noah, and family friends Adam, Craig, and Jamie.
-Lake party on Tuesday with my friends :)
-Wooorrrk at the nursery, along with babysitting my baby cousin, Eli (sooo much fun!) :)
-Relay for Life on Friday with Alyson, Dad, and other family and friends. :)
-Saturday morning: TEMPLE TRIP! :)

Be prepared: next week's post will have LOTS of pictures! Can't wait for the excitement ahead!

Love always,
Katherine

Photography

Okay, it's Instagram. And the pictures were taken on my iPod. Not exactly "professional" but it's pretty darn close! Haha :) I'm saving up for good camera, so eventually there will be more clear pictures. But for now, here are some shots of normal, everyday objects that I found artistic beauty in. Isn't that what life is all about, finding beauty in simple things, joy in small pleasures?

The sun, and having pink nails :)

Pointe Shoes

My baby blue beach cruiser.

Window marker on bedroom window

Music and Dancing :)

Bike rides to the creek.

Small towns, a playground for photographers.

Trying out a different angle.

Best last name. EVER.

Yes, that is indeed a five-leafed clover!