6.

Last night we all decided to actually go out for once! All the roommate + a whole crew of friends headed out to Pas to celebrate Anneke's 22nd! Lucky for us, we have quite a few friends who know their way around the food scene in Pas and we enjoyed the outdoor patio at King's Row then headed to Dog Haus for the most amazing burgers on hawaiian sweet rolls - SO GOOD. 

we're all homebodies so it was hilarious and so so fun to go out all together! 

Loved celebrating Annekes bday with some of my favorite people!

 birthday girl!

 outside at Kings Row. The APU crowd kind of took over haha oops.

I love my nat's !

Dog Haus! Tater totts were amazing...see that burger made with 4 Hawaiian sweet rolls!!?

six days people, six days. 

Yesterday I walked out of my last college class...EVER.

Yupp, it is true. Yesterday I sat in my last lecture as an undergraduate student. Next week I have finals, but those don't count because I'll just walk in to class, sit down, take a test, & leave.
Can you believe it? It has been four years since I walked through the doors of APU.
I've sat through 45 classes...over the course of 8 semester...I've been an alpha leader...I've been on walkabout...I've been an RA...I've lived in the dorms...I've hiked to the A...I've taken senior seminar...
I've done the APU thing and now i'm headed towards that stage on May 4th to walk out of here into the "real world"...good thing is, I ended it on a GREAT NOTE...

This is Hauge (How-gee) one of the best professors i've had at APU. I had the privilege of taking him for Life and Teachings of Jesus last year...and this semester I had him for the General Epistles (James, Jude, 1 & 2 Peter, and Hebrews). He is pretty much a legend here at APU not only because he is brilliant, but also because he is incredibly likable, wise, and teaches his class in a way that makes you never want to miss! (the mark of a good prof) Anyway, Wednesday in class Hauge said, "I want you all to remember that you know nothing. And you have no right going around judging people." sounds harsh right? But the way Hauge is, he is like youre favorite basketball coach giving you tough love that you immediately respect. I've learned so much from taking his classes and he is right...we have just scratched the surface of our education. Just because school is over does not mean learning stops. I have learned a lot...but I still no "nothing" in light of how unending the Word of God is!!

**oh and one more Hauge quote --> "if the world makes sense to me, I prefer nonsense. If Christianity is sensible, it's not appealing." think about it. deep.
on that note. 8 days till G R A D U A T I O N.

13.

 headed off to Church in dresses + chucks. 

my good friend Colton found this hidden field and decided to hold a mini concert 

with all our friends. The weather was perfect and we all got to share a really special

moment of music, laughter, sunshine, and just soaking in what these past 4 years have meant to us.

 We had to leave Colton's thing at around 7pm...just in time to catch the best

part of the sunset. It was so gorgeous. Abbie, Anna and I decided to have some fun

before heading back home to do more homework. Notice the perfectly places cup of coffee.

 Abbie has been my friend all four years of college. Literally, from day 1, she was there.

Abbie is an incredibly talented singer and I always bug her to sing in public and she hates it hahahaa.

so she knew going to Colton's concert..that i would probably bug her to sing and she made sure to

tell me that she wouldnt! BUT....right before we were leaving she said, "okay let me just sing one song"

and i freaked out! so excited. She sang "wishing well" a song she wrote a while back...

a song she sang all freshman year so when I hear it, it brings me right back to Adams 

hall, being an awkward freshman...haha her singing that song was one of my favorite memories

of this year! 

 At about 9pm I rallied the troops and said, "we are going outside and we are going to get 

ice cream!" Everyone was getting stir-crazy from hw so we got out and drove to vons.

13. more. day. left. 

"B.A in communication studies"

Last night we had a communication studies major party. 

It's funny...sitting in a room with 40 of your fellow students who have walked through each and every class project, presentation, research paper, journal article, reading assignment, group project with you...staring at the faces of 10 incredible professors who you have spend hours listening to, learning from, complaining about, then respecting, those professors who have pushed you more than what you find comfortable, who have prayed for us, spoken gracious words over us, who have shared their life and family with us - here are some of those people...

 Natijane, britni, leslie, amanda, and lexi...five amazing women

 Funny story...we are all a part of LPE (communications honor society) that we joke is a sorority...haha so we came up with a sorority sister sign and pretended to be sorority girls. haha

 The faculty handed out awards at our comm dinner...and LOOK WHO IS AN ALLSTAR (no surprise :) natijane was the recipient of the communication student of the year award! Incredible. I'll brag because I know she wont...she is an excellent student whom all professors absolutely love and is so deserving of this award! I'm a proud roommate.

 Hartwig (prof) handed nati the award

speaking of Hartwig, this guy is a champ of the comm department. Everyone has to take him and everyone starts of incredibly intimidated by his expectations...but then we all end of loving him! He worked in residence life for many years before becoming a proff...so he really knows how to connect to us students on a real-life-out-of-the-classroom level. Hes a dad to three little girls and we always joke that they are softening his heart daily! haha. 

 These two women are incredible! I have had the privilege to learn from Wendi (professor Dykes) and Starla (professor Anderson) during my time here at APU and I couldnt be more thankful for two brilliant scholars, amazing professors, and incredibly strong women of God. Not only are they beautiful, they are both mothers to their own kids as well as to all of us weary students! So thankful for their presence in my life these past few years!


thank you APU for all you have taught me! Now I can put on a resume, B.A in communication studies :)

17

getting our communication honors cords!

These girls have been with me through almost all of my comm classes...love em!

 our sweet friend Kelli invited a bunch of us seniors out to laguna for a private

beach bonfire! One of my favorite memories of this year.

 Alumni Initiation night...which is crazy to think..we're soon to be APU alum!! 

Life is a whirlwind of excitement right now...17 more days to soak it all in.

I'm just enjoying every moment and loving being around all these incredible people!

18

my friend Sarah is doing a project for one of her art classes and her main prop is a real deer head. HAHAHA. This is something that I know my Grandpa would shake his head at...he would say something funny like, "Where in God's green earth did you manage to find a live deer head?" or like... "I see what your tuition is going towards!" haha. I miss his comments.

Well folks, EIGHTEEN DAYS TILL WE GRADUATE COLLEGE.
That means eighteen more days of being a "student"- but the reassuring thing is, that doesnt mean I have to stop learning. My professor shared with us in class Monday that "leaders are readers"  as in, if you want to make an impact, if you want to lead people towards more in this life, you must read. Read your Bible, read about what happening in the world, read old books, and new books, read fiction, and non-fiction, read it all! Stoked to spend my summer reading.

anyway, eighteen more days. here we go!

(photo cred: Sarah Klapp)

M & N

On Friday April 12th Marty proposed to Natijane

...under the most beautiful tree

...in the most perfect lighting

...at the top of a glorious mountain

here is how it happened...

 waiting for the couple....so excited!

Anneke, Natty Sue and I had time to pray for Nati Jane - thanking the Lord for the

sweet friendship he's given us!

Marty gave Nati a journal that had been signed by some of her closest friends here at APU

BOOM.

pure joy!

side note: Natijane absolutely loves sunflowers and they looked stunning in this light!

Love you two - CONGRATS!!!!