amen.

i love visitors.

 

The two most wonderful parents in the whole wide world came and visited me this weekend!

After spending four hours in the car, I made them drive another 40 minutes to St. Joe.

My mother needed to go to The Rusty Chandelier before I leave Missouri.

Antiques, clever craft ideas, refurnished items.

We loved it, my dad loved going on his own for a bit and finding some food.

We hit up Target and TJMaxx.

Found a few bargains.

Indulged in yummy food from Cheddars.

Came back to Maryville.

Had a glass of wine before going to The Palms.

(yes, I can say I officially took my parents to the bar)

They were ready for bed by 9:30 p.m.

Woke up and had breakfast.

Drove to Conception Abbey.

Mass at the Basilica.

Monks, priests, seminarians.

Old style Catholic Mass.

Then they had to leave.

I hate saying good-bye to my parents.

I still choke up and get a little teary eyed.

Good-byes are never easy.

Especially when it is people you love so much.

Papichulos!

Maryville is moving on up...

one restaurant at a time.

The amigas and I tried out Papichulos Mexican Grill last night.

(Similar to Chipotle)

We enjoyed it.

Definitely a college hangout.

Especially after the bars.

(Open until 3 a.m.)

After dinner we came back to la casa and watched Burlesque.

I love lazy Friday nights with my favorite people.

beautiful weather. beautiful sunset.

Yesterday, I enjoyed a beautiful run/walk around my neighboorhood.

50 degrees on January 25th...

No snow.

What is this weather?

Later in the evening I was mesmorized by this breathtaking sunset.

V-Day decorations are up...!

 

 

...they have been since we took the Christmas ones down.

crossing paths

Yours truly saw this beautiful sky the other night when grabbing a few groceries.

I loved that you could see the four paths where the airplanes crossed.

I started to think about the paths I've taken in my life.

The people I've met.

The experiences I've had.

The trials I've faced.

To all my friends, family, mentors, and blog readers:

Thank you for being part of my life.

I'm so glad you're in it.

Lets keep it that way.

heyyy its life lately.

1. true story

2. i love self serve frozen yogurt toppings

3. my pink chair is one of my favorite things in my room

4. love this tic tac toe game for your coffee table

5. thats the state of missouri right thur in oranges

6. charming charlie chandelier ... ooh la la so pretty!

kitchen upgrade!

 Our kitchen at my college home went from this...

 to this.

it's beautiful.

new counter tops and back splash.

good bye ugly yellow tiles.

hello tiny glass tiles.

oh btw ... we also got a dishwasher.
amen.

everyday.

i saw this quote today while i was browsing online.

it left an impression on me...

so i decided to open up InDesign and create an image for myself to place in my room.

simple reminder that each day is special.

that i should give thanks.

praise.

be grateful.

and make everyday a special occasion.

homemade donuts

 

who has a donut maker?

my roommate of course.

chocolate donuts covered in cream cheese frosting = yummy.

Multiple choice...

Wearing high heels to go dancing  is...

A. So awesome, just love how long they make my legs look...!

B. Definitely a way to grab that cute boy's attention...!

C. Torture...plain and simple....torture.

Dear Lord, please forgive me for how I treat my feet.  Poor little guys are sore today.

I am in need (want) of a solid , good pair of heels that doesn't kill to wear.

Do they exist?

Christmas decorations...

are all officially down.

(hopefully)

sometimes they randomly appear in our house...

ahhh feels good to have them put away... along with a clean house.

cccchanges.

Dear Blog Reader,

After many tears, wrong paperwork and a trip to Chicago, I have decided to not study abroad anymore. 

It is what is best for me.

I've always been told to 'go with your gut' ... my gut said ... 'now is not the right time'

The thought of being gone for four months was hurting me mentally and emotionally.  I tend to become stressed easily and did not want to be studying, traveling, and looking for a full time job at the same time.

No, I am not sad.

No, I don't need your sympathy.

No, I don't think I am making a mistake.

I am finishing my last semester at Northwest.  I graduate on Saturday, April 28th, 2012! Mark your calendars!

Please respect my decision and support me in what I need to do for me.

Thank you,
Angela

my dad wanted a donkey...

 

...so he bought one. ( + 2 miniature horses)

i have left the farm.

i have returned to northwest.

i miss my mom and dad.

i love this weather.

Chicago Part II

On our second day in Chicago we slept in and then went to Shedd Aquarium.

Beautiful beautiful place.

We watched a 20 minute movie in 4D and even an aquatic show.

This top picture is the aquatic pool overlooking Lake Michigan.

I wish I was able to get a picture of a dolphin jumping in the air, but after a few attempts I decided I would rather watch the show and enjoy it then snapping 100 pictures.

Incredible jellyfish display.

Mesmerizing.

We spent the majority of our day at the aquarium.

After a little  bit of shopping we needed to fill up our stomachs.

We went to Union Station rather early to make sure we were on time for our bus.

The bus ride home was long and fullllll of people.

Lots of memories made with my dear friend Ashley.

Thank you to my Aunt Ann for all of the suggestions of things to do/see in Chicago!

Chicago Part I

 I spent the first day of the new year on a Mega Bus driving from Omaha to Chicago.

My friend Ashley and I decided to make a short trip to visit the windy city.

We arrived in Chicago around 7:30 a.m., caught a cab, went to our hotel and checked in (Ashley's dad works for Marriott Hotels so we had special privileges) had a quick breakfast, put our hats and mittens on and explored the city.

As we walked down Michigan Avenue we heard a radio station broadcasting.

The announcer stated, "It's a beautiful day on Michigan Avenue.......to not be here.  It is extremely cold, stay inside folks."

We got a good chuckle out of that one, but proceeded to walk down to Millennium Park.

 I thought the bean was a pretty cool piece of art if you ask me.  Great for taking some fun pictures.

 

 After a short pit stop at Panera Bread to grab some hot chocolate and another pit stop in Macy's to admire the Christmas displays, we headed to the Sears Tower, now renamed the Willis Tower. 

 All of the pain my ears endured while the elevator climbed 110 stories was worth it for the view of the city. 

  Walking out onto the glass box was a bit scary and made me red in the face... 

 We then ventured to the Field Museum.

Amazing exhibits ranging from mummies, underground life, and the world's largest book.

 As any tourist would do in Chicago, we went out for deep dish pizza.

Gino's Pizza was our choice and it was delicious.

A childhood dream came true when I entered the American Girl Doll Store.

I always dreamed of visiting this place.

It was still magical to me at 22 years of age.

 It was then time to see the city at night!

We took the elevator up to the top of the John Hancock building.

Beautiful view of the city skyline.

At 8:30 p.m. we were beyond exhausted and ready for some R & R.