Summer in Snapshots

Crazy to look back and realize all these pictures and the growing I've done around them happened in under six months! I really feel like I grew up this summer. 

Homeschool formal!! I found my dress at Goodwill and altered it a bit (added straps, some extra fabric, and shortened it). My little sis is in the green in the first picture, and my little (or not so little...) brother in the red plaid in the second. 

Yeah, that's me with my pocket knife at the dance.... I mean, what else am I supposed to do when a night of dancing rips my dress a little? This picture might sum me up more than any other. :P

Wherein I actually meet some of my college-mates. ;) We had a ton of fun at the Creation Museum, and ended up spending hours outside playing Settlers of Catan, Apples to Apples, and Liar.

Lauren and I hiked all morning at a nature preserve through four-inch high poison ivy.... but neither of us got it! :D

Gathering hay (ahem, mowed tall grass from around the property) to mulch the garden with! I also failed and then kinda succeeded at backing this thing up in a straight line. Hint: when first learning to back a tricky trailer, don't put yourself in a situation where backwards and turning is the only way out. *facepalm* A super short coupling distance + lack of experience = dad had to come rescue me.

My garden. If you've never tried mulching, you should! It keeps the weeds down, the moisture in, and adds a layer of organic material that turns into fertilizer. 8)

Love those boots! Seriously. Lace-up and waterproof all the way! Much comfier then tennis shoes, but maybe that's because I wear these more than anything else.

Lightning, Eddie, Chance, Valentine, Frisky, Rachel, Joey, Tinkerbelle.....

Alex-pony

Trail guiding on Selah

Riding downhill at work, somehow managing to not drop my phone.

Gardening - that's how I roll! 

Summer staff at Gull Lake Ministries - I'm in there somewhere (second row from the front, sixth from the left if you need help)!

Snow cone duty at camp

Hanging out at Lake Michigan on our time off

I made sauce from my tomatoes, onions, and basil! Yum. :)

Becca, our (currently very pregnant) riding instructor and Lauren. This was after our last lesson together before Lauren headed off to college - Becca's been teaching the two of us every week for five years!

Beth (hiding in Lauren's hair), Lauren, and I before Lauren left for college - fourteen hours away! 'Twas a sad day, but I'm pretty excited to see where God takes both of us.

Love this place! Not everyone gets to work in a Christian environment with plenty of awesome people, good hard work, and riding horses in the woods!

Isn't God a breathtaking artist? This is Sundae - she's got one blue eye, and I ride her nearly every week for lessons. 

Time to Stand

I stood alone in the kitchen, debating the cost. That frozen custard with my name on it? Yeah, it was pulling me hard with an invisible rope. Because what kind of girl would commit to 30 days of crazy-clean eating? Shouldn't an eighteen-year-old be enjoying life a little? These self-imposed fences: no sugar, dairy, grains, or legumes... I put them up, so it doesn't matter if I hop over them for a second, right? 

Except I had committed to this. Told friends, told family, that I was going to do this. My reasons are a story for a different day; the deal here is that I was literally ten seconds away from killing my commitment, seven days into it. After seven days of eggs and salads and sweet potatoes and simple healthy food, all I wanted was that frozen custard. I talked to God a bit, arguing with Him. He told me to go into the gorgeous sunshine and breathe. I said no, I want dessert. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. Then I chose disobedience and took a step to the cupboard for a bowl. 

He will provide a way out.

Oh hey, what was that? Dad pulled up to the garage, and my brother strode towards the house. 

Why is it I always want to indulge in secret? Well, scratch that plan....

BAM! God shot a hole in the temptation. A hole just big enough for me to wriggle through. 

I actually breathed a thank-you as I turned away. It's crazy how sin makes us miserable, but sometimes we don't realize it until we're on the other side, hmm?

Friends, listen. No temptation has you in it's grip except what we all experience. And God? He's faithful. He won't let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. When you're tempted, He will provide a way out so you can stand up under it. You can count on that one, because well, it's God we're talking about here. 

Today, I almost collapsed under temptation. But God provided a way out just like He promised. And somehow, I stood up under it.

Folks, it's time to stand. You will face temptation today. It's gonna be hard, real hard. But God will provide a way out. Listen; today, it's time to stand. 

Summertime!!

Hey friends! I'm pretty excited about this summer, and my latest post on the CollegePlus blog has tons of ways you can make a difference this summer! Check it out here!

DIY Whipped Shea Butter

This stuff looks like frosting. Or whipped cream, or something delicious like that. But I wouldn't taste it if I were you... 

Slathering it on your skin, however, is a whole 'nother story. Did you know that shea butter can soothe sunburn, eczema, acne, and insect bites? It's also known for fighting wrinkles and stretch marks! Most commonly, though, shea butter is praised for it's fantastic moisturizing properties for the skin. 

My favorite thing about shea butter is how it soaks into the skin almost instantly, keeping you free from that oily feeling some homemade lotions bestow. And this whipped shea butter is super easy to make! This was only my third batch, and my first and second tries turned out just like this one.  

DIY Whipped Shea Butter

Makes approximately 8 4oz. tins 

Supplies:

• 12 oz. raw, unrefined shea butter (if yours isn't raw, it's okay. That's just the absolute best kind.)
• 4.5 oz extra virgin olive oil (same here - regular olive oil is fine too.)
• 1.5 t. vitamin E oil
• 80-100 drops essential oil of your choice. I used lavender, but peppermint and lemon sound good too!
• tins or jars to store your whipped shea butter

You'll also need:

• scale to weigh your shea butter (at least, I needed one)
• double boiler
• hand-held mixer
• plastic baggie or frosting bag
• measuring cups and spoons

1. Heat the shea butter in a double-boiler over medium-low heat until it's partially melted. You still want big chunks in there so it looks like this:

The first time I made this I melted it completely down, and although it turned out fine, step three took forever.

2. Add the extra virgin olive oil and vitamin E oil. At this point you might want to transfer it to a mixing bowl with higher sides - you will be beating this, and a pan with short sides will probably send shea splatters all over your kitchen. Which is okay if you like cleaning. :P

3. Whip on high with a mixer for several minutes until the shea butter is cool. When it's done it will be smooth, light, and fluffy. If this is taking too long you can stick it in the refrigerator for a minute to speed up the cooling process, then resume whipping. Repeat as much as necessary. 

4. Add the essential oils and mix on low until incorporated. 

5. Dollop the whipped shea butter into a plastic baggie or frosting bag, and cut a small hole in one corner so you can squeeze the whipped shea butter out in a manageable fashion. I suppose you could just fill your containers with a spoon or spatula, but this looks cooler. Plus, it's fun. :)

6. Fill your tins or jars with the whipped shea butter and stick labels on them so people know not to eat your wonderful homemade body butter! 

I want to give credit to Organic Authority for the gist of this recipe. I used theirs as my base.

Focus

I could feel myself loosing it. I was tensing, preparing, focusing on those poles dead ahead. Canyon did too, his stride quickening and head bobbing up high. Nervous. 
My instructor - she's so wise. How an person can know just exactly what I'm doing wrong is beyond me. It's like she's the one riding, not me. Just in time she spoke:
"Don't even think about the poles. Just focus on your canter,"
My mind twitched, rerouted. The poles were there, approaching fast. But they were of no consequence. For three crucial seconds I focused on Canyon's canter, not the poles. 
I relaxed, gathered my reins, pulled Canyon up under me. 
Then they were behind me; not perfectly done, but done well. 

Get a horse in frame, collected, listening to his rider.... and the obstacles, the jumps, and staying calm around spooky raincoats... they just happen. And they happen so much better, so much simpler, than when the rider sees the jump, the jump, and only that jump. 

My God - He's so wise. How He can know just exactly what I'm doing wrong is very much beyond me. It's like He's the one living, not me. And just in time, He speaks.
Child, don't even think about your mountain-struggles. Just focus on your walk, your ride, your relationship with me.

Because when we focus on Him - loving Him, obeying Him, adoring Him.... everything else fades and it just happens. Those impossible problems, that unraveling to-do list, that dying relationship... God will take us over. 

So trust Him, my friend. Trust Him and take your eyes off that mountain. Focus. Focus on Him. And you're gonna fly.