I had an awesome Mother's Day. My whole family went to a winery about an hour and a half away from St. Louis. It was a beautiful scenery and perfect weather. It was also my sister's first Mother's Day. I gave her a card stating that the feeling of being a mother is the best gift on its own; I then wrote that being an aunt is almost as great of a feeling. My other sister and brother-in-law live about two hours from us so it was really nice being all together. I know my mom and dad loved it. The food was amazing. We all stuffed ourselves. After a delicious brunch, we decided to go on a walk to the brewery. They told us it was an enjoyable ten minute walk through this path. Little did we know, it turned out to be a wilderness hike up a hill and through the woods. My sisters and I weren't too fond of this, but it was fun. We had a blast and I was laughing the entire time at my twenty-nine year old sister complaining of bugs and sweating. When we finally got there, it was an absolutely beautiful view. We sat outside and enjoyed it and each others company. It was a perfect day and loved having my niece with us on her first Mother's Day too.

I really enjoy having a job and having my own money. I have worked mainly only summer jobs up until this year and I have worked the whole year. My very first jobs were babysitting; I was in high school and had families that I would babysit for a lot. This is how I made a little of my own spending money. I would use it to go to dinner with my friends or to the movies. My next job was during the summer and I was employed at the St. Clair County Courthouse. My friend Brendan Kelly is now the State's Attorney, so he got me a job there a couple years ago. It was an awesome experience to be in that setting but my job was extremely boring. Everyone I worked with was a lot older than me and I sat at a desk and entered data in the the computer all day everyday. I worked Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from about 8 am to 4 pm. One day, I got to sit in a courtroom and observe; that was really cool. I'm really happy I got to have this job as an experience because now, I have figured out this is part of what I want to do with my life because I want to go to law school. This was also my first consistent paycheck, which was really exciting. My next summer job I was employed at the YMCA day camp during the summer when I came back from Indiana University. This job was fun and different but it wasn't consistent. There were too many counselors so we only were scheduled for certain weeks, but I really enjoyed the kids and the atmosphere. We were outside all day long and did different activities such as hiking swimming in the lake, sports, and crafts. We also went on field trips to different places such as the zoo and splash city. I got to go on the field trip to splash city and the kids had a blast. Now, I work have been working at Logan's roadhouse since last August with Lexie. I really love my coworkers but my managers aren't the best. This has been my most consistent paycheck. I tend to spend more than I should just because I feel good about having my own money and not having to ask my parents for anything. I am really trying to save up to be able to move out and help my parents put me through school.

I hate finals week. I don't understand why they exist. If you work hard all semester long, then why do teachers feel the need to make or break your grade by one test or paper? They seem to wait until the last minute to cram everything in just to make sure they can put in on the final. Some people are just not good at taking tests, so why is it okay to judge their knowledge solely on one test at the end of the semester. These past couple weeks, I have been crazy busy with school, work, family events, and volunteering/tutoring. Unfortunately, school was shoved to the bottom of my priorities just because it is NOT fun. So, I keep pushing it off and procrastinating until the last second. Now, I have three days left and feel like I have SO much to do. It also sucks because all of my friends have finished and are home from school so they get to relax during my most critical time. It makes it even more difficult to want to sit down and get all my stuff done and study. I can't wait to be done Wednesday night!

If I didn't have to work, I think I would still work. Although it's nice to relax and do nothing for a few days, I get bored very easily. I hate being alone and specially with nothing to do. I like to have goals or something to look forward to and plan my day around. I absolutely love the summer time because schools out, but if I didn't have work, I don't know what I would do. Also, having a job makes your time off that much more relaxing and special. I don't know how people continue to live at their parents house with no job and not going to school. Time would go by so slow and I wouldn't be accomplishing anything. I will never be a stay at home mom; I definitely want to be around my kids and family as much as possible but I can't even imagine not having a work life and supporting myself.

To laugh often and love much;
To win the respect of intelligent persons
and the affection of children;
To earn the approbation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To give of one's self;
To leave the world a bit better,
Whether by a happy child,
a garden patch
or a redeemed social condition;
To have played and laughed with
enthusiasm
and sung with exultation;
To know even one life has breathed easier
Because you have lived -
This is to have succeeded.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I love this quote. It really influences me to do better and think of the little things. I hope at the end of my life, I can feel that I have succeeded and made an impact in someone else's life. I volunteer and tutor kids in Washington Park and have grown extremely close to all of them. I hope I am beginning my life of success now and making a difference in all of their lives, even if it is a small one. 

If I could live anywhere, I would most likely live downtown Saint Louis, unless my family moved with me. My sister lives downtown and I love going to her place. She lives right on Washington Avenue. I love the city life and that you can walk almost everywhere. We walk to breakfast or dinner, the grocery store, and the Cardinal's games. It's very convenient. Especially when you're young, it's perfect for enjoying nights out with your friends at the restaurants and bars right down the street. If my family moved with me, I would probably live in either California or North Carolina. My family has been going to North Carolina every summer for as long as I can remember because my grandma lives on the beach there. I would love to live there. Also, I’ve visited California and think it would be really neat to live there. Plus, one of my best friends goes to school there and absolutely loves it. It's beautiful and fun.

One thing that has greatly influenced me is a class I took in high school. It was called American Studies; it was two hours long and a combination of English and History. It was an honor class and very intensive. We also received college credit from Saint Louis University. This class was extremely challenging. I remember being up for hours every night and weekend placed in front of the computer or sitting at the table until I was finished with all of my work for the class. We had many group projects; they were not like the typical group projects people tend to throw off until the last second either. They were very involved and took a lot of time and effort from everyone in the group. I remember one night my group was at my house until about three or four in the morning finishing a project and at the very end, one of us made a silly mistake then just started crying because she was so overwhelmed. It was a cry of laughter also. We couldn’t believe we had finally almost finished and she glued something on upside down. Even though I despised all the work and tests sometimes, I now would never change my decision of taking it. Not only do I have great memories from it, I learned so much in the class. My writing is one of the things that benefited the most. The English teacher was an extremely hard grader but it made you work hard. When I received an A on my final research paper in the class, it was one of the best feelings ever.

Lucy is the BEST niece ever. My sister gave birth to my first niece 5 months ago; it was one of the best days of my life. My mom, other sister, and I had been longing for the day that my sister would tell us she was pregnant. When it finally came we were ecstatic. Now, that she's here, it's insane how life works. It's crazy how fast you can fall in love with someone so quickly. I may be biased but she is the most beautiful baby ever. Not all babies are as adorable as everyone may say (when they lie to his or her parents), but my sister gets compliments on Lucy daily. They say they've never seen such a beautiful baby before. She is absolutely precious. I can't wait for her to continue growing up. She has already changed so much from when she was first born. It's crazy to think that my sister gave birth to this little human; she laughs and gives huge smiles. She just learned how to roll over and sit up. I can't wait til we can teach her how to walk. So, I just wanted to share with everyone how amazing my niece is. :)

One of my favorite hobbies is running. Not only do I run for exercise but it makes me feel 10 times better about everything. It relieves my stress, relaxes me, and makes me feel happy and energized. Anytime I'm having a rough day or a lot on my mind, I look forward to getting out and going for a run. My dad got me into running when I was in high school; he is a great runner and has run a couple marathons. He's in his fifties and could out run me any day! I think running a marathon would be awesome and something I would love to say I accomplished. Hopefully one day we'll do one together. Typically I run short runs, about 2-3 miles in my neighborhood, during the week with my dog; then, on the weekends my dad and I go out and run up to my old high school which is about 5-6 miles. I hope to keep up my routine of running because it is great for my health and keeps me in shape and stress free!

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errors, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.
Theodore Roosevelt

This is another one of the quotes my mom introduced to me and I love it. I think everyone should try to live by it. If you don't try, you are not going to succeed or get any where in life. I have gone through many set backs and struggles trying to figure out where I am supposed to be in life but I feel that no matter what happens, everything has a reason. Like they say, it doesn't matter how many times life pushes you down but instead how many times you get back up.

"By being yourself, you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before." -Edwin Elliot

My mom texted me this one day and it has always been one of my favorites, so I just thought I'd share it!

My Top Five Restaurants

- Bread Company
Anyone and everyone can find something they enjoy here. If my family of Lexie and I can't decide on the place to go the answer is always Bread Co. My favorite (right now) is a you-pick-two with broccoli cheddar soup and the chopped chicken cob salad. It's delicious! And, you don't even have to feel bad for eating out because it's all fresh and healthy.

- Olive Garden
Olive Garden has been one of my favorite restaurants for as long as I can remember. I absolutely love pasta; I could eat it for each meal of the day. This is a place I typically go for a night out with my family, which is another reason it's my favorite. Even when I was younger, anytime my sisters or I would do well in school we would get to go to dinner, our choice. They wouldn't even have to ask me when it was my pick  – they already knew the answer. 

- 54th Street
54th Street has almost anything you could imagine on its menu. I crave it for their boneless buffalo wings and their special gringo dip. The sauce on the wings isn't a traditional hot sauce; it has a different taste to it that I really enjoy. It's a perfect combination but not the greatest for you.

- Outback
Lexie introduced me to Outback. I have always known about it but my family never really had it in one of our top choices when we would go out to eat. Now, I always have to beg Lexie to go when I'm craving it (which isn't very hard considering she would eat it everyday if she could).

-Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings has recently become on of my favorites. I used to order the boneless wings and they were good, but I recently started ordering the regular wings and I'm in love. I also really like hot foods so when I'm craving something spicy and delicious, Buffalo Wild Wings is the perfect solution.

"30% Gym, 70% Diet, Abs are made in the kitchen."

I found this quote on pinterest and after reading In Defense of Food, I found it interesting. In Defense of Food portrays this idea that we should not trust the food industry and our supermarket stores, but in actuality, the only people to blame for our eating habits are our ourselves. Yes, 'real' foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables may empty our pockets a little more, but is it worth it? In my opinion, it is. If you think about the unnecessary items you invest your money in daily, most of these things disappear or go out of style in a year but your health stays with you forever, good or bad. Your health should be one of your main investments.

I am from the microwave

From refrigerator and couch

I am from the welcoming

Comfortable

I am from the dandelions
The rose bush

Whose long gone limbs I remember

As if they were my own.

I’m from North Carolina and the humorous

From Max and Gary

I’m from tardiness and persistence

And from jokers.

I’m from Anna Banana and Bill's child

And "Beluga Whale"

I’m from the annual New Years party

I’m from Belleville and Israel

Spicy spaghetti and strong coffee

From Dana's famous look and stubborn pinches

Middle sister

Many memorable pictures

Aligned on the fireplace.