Boys will be Boys

Last night we went to IV large group at Duke. We were leaving pretty early... too early to eat dinner before... but we would get back pretty late so it made eating a predicament. So you may be wondering, what did we do? Tommy made us smoothies to hold us over until we could get food after large group. Now lemme just say that its my favorite when boys do nice things for girls like that. I've been spoiled with a group of really awesome guy friends who love chivalry. They always open doors for us and they refuse to let us take up our own trash. Its a beautiful thing. I just love it when those guys go out of their way to do little things for us girls, its the best kind of flattery.

I'd Take a Shack on a Rock Over a Castle in the Sand...

So this whole week has been shack-a-thon. for those of you who don't know, this is the main fundraiser for our campus' chapter of habitat for humanity. all these organizations build shacks on the brick yard and people stay in them all week and collect spare change from students on their way to class. its a huge event every year and this year has been great. IV built a shack nicknamed "the shanty". it is the ghetto-est of all the shacks on the brickyard, but it sure has bee fun. we have had some great fellowship out there in the shanty. I helped tommy and jerod build a huge table for the "lawn" in from of our shack. the table has served as a great place to eat lunch and fellowship with the coolest of the cool. It has also served as an escape from the sun. yep, you read that right. JB and i lounged under the table during lunch on wednesday to stay out of the heat. not only has the shack been a lunchtime gathering place but it has also been the sight of jerod's 21st birthday party... complete with cookies, cake and four-square. yeah... weve had some good times at the shack this week... tomorrow it will be knocked down as part of whack-a-shack. i will be sad to see it go, but i rest assured in the fact that this time next year i will be enjoying a brand new shack!

Pictures of IV Kids at the Shack
Allison and I at Jerod's Party
The boys hanging out at the shack
Lunchtime at the shack
Allison and me in the brickyard
James and J-Jiggy
Allison catching some shade
Matt and EJ

IHOP

So tonight all the girls have left the suite and I'm here all on my lonesome. Naturally, rather than spending the evening alone I got up with the boys to see what they were doing. We decided to go to IHOP for dinner, and what a great idea it was. We had a large group of 11 all line up at a huge table. While we were there one of the girls who was with us, Helen, saw the parents of one of her swimming students. She went and spoke to them, said hello, no big deal. Well it comes time to pay and the waiter comes to our table and informs us that the nice gentleman that Helen knew paid for our dinners, all 11 of them! Who does that!! It was the nicest thing that anyone could have done. That man made our night and I can't wait to pass the same kindness on!!

I wish I were a fishy in the sea...

Over the past week or so i have returned to one of my great loves, swimming. Its been great. I'm actually excercising, which is exciting. swimming is also great for my sanity. when i've had a rough day, i go to the pool and swim it off. I love it when a song gets stuck in my head while swimming too, or when i ponder life while doing laps.
Ive been able to acomplish a lot in the pool this past week, thanks James. on wednesday i swam a 500 and today i swam a 1000. thats amazing! pretty soon I'll be able to do the mile non-stop.

Labor Day Weekend

WOAH! Can you say great weekend?! I went home with Elizabeth to her river house and oh, what a time we had. We were able to go wake-boarding and it was way fun. It was the first time i had ever been wake-boarding and i did pretty well. it took me three times before i was able to get up and i was able tp pop right up after that. now don't get me wrong, im no pro. i definately ate it a few times... it was not pretty. Liz on the other hand was pretty awesome. she was busting some jumps like ive never seen. we also played some great beach volleyball. And on top of all the playing we ate some GREAT food. it was such a great weekend... but its left my body feeling a bit sore.

Some pictures:
Liz looking hot in the boat
Me on the wakeboard
Liz busting a move