Adjusting Focus

Here

"Life is like a camera lens, focus only on what is important, and you will capture it perfectly." 

- Unknown

 here

I woke up feeling a bit under the weather today, and so I decided to search for some inspiration to keep me going. It's easy to get "out of focus" and forget what's truly important, especially amid the stress of finals. I want to soak in everything about these last two weeks of my freshman year and try not to let the stress get the best of me.

Happy Monday to all! 

Ps. Stay tuned later this week for a post about the Black Keys concert I'm going to tonight! Can't wait!

Procrastination At Its Finest

I think I officially qualify as an awful blogger at this point...it's been weeks since my last post. I'm sure you were all on the edge of your desk chairs wondering what in the world happened to me. Well, worry no more, I am alive and well and back to blogging.
Since Easter, life has been one whirlwind of studying and adventure. But mostly studying. I refuse to believe that there are only two weeks left of the semester. It went so fast and honestly, I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave or not. However, finals may drive me to the point of no return, and I may actually never return.
But before that happens, I want to post a few pictures to catch you up on the recent ins and outs of my life:

Sunrising with my wonderful friend Taylor will definitely be one of the highlights of my year. This one was to die for.

Frozen yogurt and good friends.

 

 

Fort Collins continues to amaze with its boundless coffee shops. Everyday Joe's might just be my new favorite

 

 

 

 My family came up for a quick little visit last weekend and while my parents and Sam went to Denver for the day, "the brown haired children" got to spend a day gallivanting through Fort Collins.

 

 Lucy, our newest addition to the family and the newest light of my life, spent the day being generally adorable and peeing on every surface within a 20 foot radius.

Yes, she peed on me right after this was taken....

I love these two

Jess and Lucy-Lu

I hope you all have had a wonderful and stress free week! Look for more finals-induced-posts in the near future!

Come Awake, Come Awake

Happy Resurrection Sunday! I hope your day is filled with hope as you celebrate our God's defeat of death. This is a beautiful video of one of my favorite songs. Enjoy!

Let no one caught in sin remain

Inside the lie of inward shame

We fix our eyes upon the cross

And run to Him who showed great love



And bled for us

Freely You've bled for us



Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death

Come awake, come awake

Come and rise up from the grave



Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with Him again

Come awake, come awake

Come and rise up from the grave



Beneath the weight of all our sin

You bowed to none but Heaven's will

No scheme of Hell, no scoffer's crown

No burden great can hold You down



In strength You reign

Forever let Your church proclaim



O death, where is your sting?

O hell, where is your victory?

O church, come stand in the light

The glory of God has defeated the night

o death, where is your sting?

O hell, where is your victory?

O church, come stand in the light

Our God is not dead, He's alive, He's alive

Of Springtime

After a two day snowstorm on Monday and Tuesday, Spring has re-sprung and is hopefully here to stay. My first class was cancelled today (which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's the small things in life, right?) and so to honor my extra hour and a half of free time, I spent the afternoon snapping photos and sipping iced toddy's in beautiful Old Town Fort Collins. My friend Cait and I have begun a weekly tradition of exploring the nooks and crannies of Fort Collins and searching for hidden coffee shops. My goal is to hit every single one (except the Starbucks of course) in town before I graduate. Do-able? Maybe, maybe not.

Besides giving me warm fuzzies, this gorgeous weather makes me want to twirl around in a flow-y dress while listening to Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. Which is precisely what I did. So for you to get an accurate feel for my day today, listen to this:

And look at these:

We found some beautiful (and cheap!) rings from some of the import shops in town

 

 

Under the lovely blooming tree

The camera loves her

There you have it. I hope your Thursday was as Springy as mine :) 

~Olivia 

And finally, Android has instagram! I'm a cool kid now.

Spring Break!

Despite the sad circumstances surrounding it (see 2 posts ago), I had a wonderful spring break. It was great to relax with my family for an entire week. I went home to North Platte, Nebraska (I know, I know, not the "glamorous" break location a lot of people enjoy....but hey, I love it anyway) with my sweet friend Taylor.
Here are a few photos to sum up the week:

 We trekked to the river to watch the mass migration of cranes that come through every year. (Ask anyone who has lived in Nebraska, it's a big deal). I got some lovely pictures to boot.

 My adorable parents :)

 There isn't anything like a good old Mid-western sunset.

 

 I met the newest member of the family, Lucy, for the first time over break. I think I fell in love. She is the sweetest little ray of sunshine.

 

Last, but definitely not least, we got to see Beauty and the Beast at the Denver Center on the very last night of break. It was such an enchanting performance! Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorite stories. Maybe just because Belle is brunette and likes to read. But nevertheless, it was my childhood dream to see it live on stage and the perfect end to a lovely week.

Sorry about the horrible quality of this photo, but it's proof the night happened :)

Happy weekend!

Winter is Dead

“She turned to the sunlight

    And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor:

    "Winter is dead.”

~ A.A. Milne "When We Were Very Young"

Happy first day of Spring! There is something decidedly beautiful about today.


That's all I have to say.

Now I'm off to American Lit.


Have a wonderful Tuesday!