Living Life to its Fullest....

I always find myself telling others to "Love Life and Be Brave." I guess one could say that its my theme or motto for life. For so long I have simply let life pass me by. For this reason, today and everyday I try to live my life to its fullest. When I have one of those random days in which I find myself reflecting back on my life and looking over those things that I have done, ok so I do this everyday, I hope that I will have no regrets. I hope to find that I have lived everyday to its fullest. I hope to find that everyday I truly lived life.

Coming up here to Aspen Grove, I knew that my entire summer would be over before I realized it. I hated to think about, but deep down inside I knew that it was going to happen. With this knowledge, I made a goal and a promise to myself to live everyday to its fullest and to have no regrets. I did not want this summer and this experience to pass me by without fully taking advantage of all that has offered and will continue to offer. In the grand spectrum of things, life is short and I cannot afford to let it pass me by anymore. Today is a gift and I am going to take advantage of it.

This past week I did just that. I loved life and was brave. I lived everyday to its fullest and as a result had one of the best weeks ever. It all started with a girl's night out, Christmas in July, and the world's largest water balloon fight.

"The past is history, tomorrow's a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why they call it the present."

Week #12:

The Jess Trio:

Christmas in July:

The world's largest water-balloon fight:

Badminton....

One of my favorite sports to watch and play is basketball. It is faced paced, intense, entertaining, competitive, and exhilarating. When I play basketball I enter into another world.Everything changes. All I can see is the basketball, the court, and the hoop. My world suddenly becomes so full of life as I give all of my efforts and energy to play to the best of my ability. Having such a deep love for basketball, other sports just don't compare, especially badminton.

I have never understood the game of badminton and probably never will. In high school we had a badminton team, and to be honest, I thought that it was the weirdest thing. I honestly didn't understand how badminton could be considered a competitive sport. I mean really, all you do is stand there and hit a feathered projectile over a net to the opposing players side of the court. Having played basketball competitively for more than 7 years you can see why I am so confused and why I don't understand how badminton can be considered a competitive sport.

Well, taking place right now, here at Aspen Grove, is a badminton tournament and no I did not sign up to play. However, two of my dear friends, Jamisyn and Albert, did and there first match was against each other. Obviously I had to be there to photographically document the occasion and let me tell you, it was not a game that I wanted to miss. Both Jamisyn and Albert dressed up for their game and the event was one to remember. I have to admit that I was completely entertained and will never forget that night for it was full of laughter and good memories. I guess badminton isn't so bad after all.

Week #11:

Okay. For the past two days I have been sitting on my bed trying to come up with the perfect words to describe this past weekend. I finally came to the conclusion that I have writer's block, bad. Or could it be that this past weekend was simply so fabulous that there are no words to describe it? I could try to explain and describe the events of this past weekend, however, I feel that my photos would tell the story way better than I ever could. A picture is worth a thousand words right?

Week 10:

Hello Park City:

He thinks he's so cool, oh wait, HE IS:

The next generation learning from the generation before:

The amazing hotel we stayed in:

The Pursuit of Happiness...

If you asked various people what in this world brought them true happiness, the list would be endless. To one it may be their friends or family, to another it may be their possessions, their religion, or their hobbies. In today's society, an individual's ultimate goal is the achievement of true happiness or joy. In today's society it is all about the pursuit of happiness. Finding that one thing in life that can bring you true joy and happiness. However, when on the pursuit of happiness we sometimes forget to pause and just be happy. We seem to get caught up in our everyday routines and activities that we simply forget to stop and be happy with the life we are living or the moment we are in. Everyday is a blessing. We must remember on our pursuit of happiness to live everyday to its fullest, to love life, and to be brave.

Quote of the Week:

"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."

-Guillame Apollinaire

Week 9: