a gnarly transformation

have you ever had the chance to see someone progress at something from the starting point, when they are only so-so at a skill, to a place where you are amazed by whatever it is they were training for?! check this out...

my 'little' (but not actually so little) brother scotty, or youngin' as i tend to call him, loves to snowboard. he has always been pretty good, but so are a lot of people that live in the rockies like we do. last winter i remember going snowboarding with him and standing in the snowboarding park freezing my butt of taking picture of him doing this...

it took forever to get this picture and i remember being nervous for him to do this 'crazy trick'. once we got this picture we were all smiles and we thought he was the bomb!

i look back now and laugh at us. i laugh at how extreme i thought youngin' was for executing what i thought at the time was a stellar trick. that was only 6 months ago. he now lives in New Zealand and is able to snowboard all year round (as it is winter there right now). look at how far he has come in only 6 months, do you see now why i laugh at the above picture...

these pictures are kind of small unfortunately but i can assure you that they look pretty 'gnar' (translation: gnarly, meaning high on the scale of dangerousness and coolness) as the kiwi in my brother would say.

what exactly causes someone to be able to progress so quickly and continue to experience things in life that bring extreme excitement?

it may not be the classiest way of saying it but youngin' makes a good point, 'it's all about having balls to just do it'. for those of us without balls, guts will do just fine. if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone and do things that might be scary as all get out, you too will experience a gnarly transformation.

if love's a fire, then our desire is to burn untamed

tuesdays tune
josh garrels - million miles

it's been far to long since 'tuesdays tunes' has been published so i thought i would bring it back with a bang. his voice is heavenly. turn it up loud and enjoy your gloomy day (that is if you are where i am).

a must read for females young and old.

sisterhood everlasting, a story of change, long lasting friendship, challenges, laughter, hard times, tears, new experiences, tragic loss and unconditional love.

'sisterhood everlasting' is the fifth and last book in the 'sisterhood of the traveling pants' series. it was a book that captured my attention and enabled me to function as i couldn't stop reading it. it's one of those books that you can't wait to find out what happens, but you savor every word as you don't want it to end.

while reading the book you are drawn in and become part of the sisterhood along with Tibby, Lena, Bridget and Carmen. you will find yourself rooting for them in times of excitement and grieving for them as they face life's hardest moments.

it's a book that is guaranteeing to bring a time of reflection on your own life and your relationships. be prepared to be challenged to reevaluate what you hold most dear to your heart.

though it is in a series of books it's not the kind of series that you must read all the books to fully understand what is going on. sure, it helps a bit with character development to read all the books, but i guess what i am saying is 'well i haven't read any of the other books' isn't a good enough excuse. if you are a female, you should read this book.

just a little reminder...

moving forward

the hardest part of moving on

is letting go

and finding the courage

to forgive

to regret

to love

to hurt

to hope

to feel

to rebuild

to trust

to LIVE.

twelve days.

it's crazy that a person, who in the grand scheme of things you've had very little interaction with, can flip your world upside-down, steal a part of your heart and leave you changed forever.

sometimes the thought of it all leaves you excited with butterflies in your stomach. sometimes it makes you feel sick with questions, frustrated, and wondering if you will ever forget about that person.

i can't stop watching this movie trailer. i anxiously await august 19th to arrive so i can be first in line to see this movie. maybe because part of me can relate to it.

are we gonna do this or not?

tuesdays tune
thompson square - are you gonna kiss me or not?

for all you country music loving folk, here's one for you. it's a cute song, i currently have it on repeat... maybe you will too, it's catchy!!