my past

Even though I could not get a close up picture of this home, I can still get a visual. This is the house that I grew up in. I lived here from age three to age thirteen. I had my first pet here, I learned how to swim here, I broke my first bone in this house. This house has created a lot of memories for me that I will never forget. I remember playing whiffle ball in the grass outside, throwing Barney birthday parties for our friends and playing my first game of "horse." This is a very special place for me and as I leave the house I am living in now to head off to school, I think of all of the more memories I created here and it makes me smile.

My second brother

This is a silly picture taken on our way home from dinner. My real brother is in the middle and my second brother is driving. I have a second family. My second family consists of my best friend Emily, my second brother above named Nic, and my second mom and dad named Judy and John. I have grown up a part of their family since I was three years old. Both of my families and I went out to try the new Zinburger Sam Fox restaurant in town and we enjoyed burgers and milkshakes. Unfortunately, Emily had already left for college so it was just me and the boys, but we made sure to make her jealous of our gourmet meal. My second family will always be there for me just like my first, and I am so thankful to be a part of it.

A night out!

This is one of my close friends Aubrey. We met two years ago and became really close over that period of time. We get along so well. She will tell you it is because our horoscopes match up, (she is obsessed), but I think it is also because we have a lot in common. We have very similar lifestyles. We started hanging out when we went to our high school's basketball and football games to support our boyfriends. We both have goals to do well in school, and our families are a big part of our lives. This photo was taken at her boyfriends new house down by the University of Arizona. We spent the evening hanging out with old friends and saying goodbye to several of them as they head off to other schools. I will really miss her when it is my time to head off but until then...

Cloudss

I know I have lived in Tucson for all of my life, but I have not ever been in a city with just beautiful clouds.   We have these clouds over the mountains almost daily. I love the city I grew up in. There is so much natural beauty that we take for granted. I never found the desert to be anything spectacular until I visited Italy this past summer. We would talk to other tourists and locals around town and they would rave about their visits to the desert. Even though the desert appears to be "dead," it is a very unique environment that is equally as alive. I will really miss the desert while I am away in Denver but I know it will always be my home.

Monsoons!

This is a Tucson summer monsoon in my backyard. Every summer from mid June to around mid August we get monsoons. Monsoons are super heavy thunderstorms. These storms are so pretty and are perfect for the desert. With the extreme heat we experience in the summers here, the monsoons are the only thing that help cool it off. I love the smell of rain and hearing it on the roof is soothing. The only downside about the monsoons is the humidity but it is all worth it when the next big rain hits. The lightening storms are like artwork in the sky and when the washes get flooded, you know your in monsoon season.

Grandma and Papa

Both my grandparents and my family travel back and forth from Phoenix to Tucson regularly to visit each other. I and so fortunate to have both sets of my grandparents alive and well. As my brother and I grow up and as they get older, it is important to me that we stay close. I love my grandparents. This photo was taken outside Flemings steak house when they came down to visit. They spent the night at our house and it was a final goodbye before college. It is not likely that I will be seeing them again before I depart do Denver. I really value my grandparent's advice. I know that they have a lot of experience and I can seriously benefit from their suggestions. I am hoping they will be able to make a trip out to Denver in the near future. I know that my grandpa is busy as a full time doctor, but I will cross my fingers that they will come and visit me!

an afternoon with my grandma

My grandma and I spent the afternoon shopping and enjoying lunch together. We went into JCrew and Francesca's, looking for some nice clothes to wear in Denver. She treated me to lunch at North, where we each had chicken caesar salads. This fly humored us as it continued to circle our table! We have so many fun memories together and I am so thankful she is able to be such a big part of my life. We ran errands to the grocery store and later I took my brother to her house to enjoy some homemade baked goods.