i always forget

i love being home, but every time i come back i seem to forget that i do.

i love the cold, the rain, the light traffic, the nostalgia of familiar street signs and landmarks, the autopilot that turns on in my mind, the smell of my house, the love from my family, the habits that return, the atmosphere that i seamlessly slip back into, the fact that i can't go anywhere without seeing someone that i know, the chill in the air, the leaves on the ground and the feeling of belonging.

i will always love this place, simply because its been my home for so many years and has become such an important part of who i am now.

and im soaking as much of it up as i possibly can because after this spring, i don't know where i will call my home. i just hope wherever that is, i will never disregard how much i love my hometown, and how much i'll miss it when i have to grow up and move on.

don't mean to get so sentimental, but thats just what this place does to me. mmmm.

why thanksgiving was great

thanksgiving was great because...

right when i walked off the plane i saw snow on the ground. ptl.

i closed my moleskin planner at baggage claim and didn't crack it once till monday.

i did 4 photo shoots. yeah. f o u r. (both great & grueling)

i got to wear scarves, boots, jackets and socks. everyday. mmm.

i logged copious amounts of nephew cuddling, family love time and friend fun.

i was freezing for a whole week (literally, our heater broke), and loved it.

even though i had to work more than i got to play, i was in my house, at my home, savoring the part of my life which takes place in a different area code.

the next 3 weeks will be a marathon, and i'll have the warm fuzziness of tgives to hold me over till christmas. 

here is some evidence...

pure glory.

the grandest mccord/fair/scott/pannell tradition of all time

the result of: me, lauren, childhood nostalgia and a wee bit too much Riesling.

the original thanksgiving, obv.

n o v e m b e r r r r .

i love november. 

its one of the most pleasant months. 

in 4 weeks i will be in this very spot, hopefully with another enormous leaf like this.

my soul is happiest when it's a little chilled, when i'm with the ones i love, 

and when i'm breathing deep the change of seasons. 

O R E G O N, come quickly please.

s is for summer

my bones are achey, my eyes are tired but my heart is happy and my mind is resting because it is SUMMER and i am finally HOME.

i love biola and all that i am blessed to do there and the people i get to be surrounded by, but as long as i live i will always love my dear friend oregon.

so far summer is off to a resounding start at the McCord house, as it always is... complete with unveiling/cleaning/repairing the boat for the summer, Sonic limeade/ocean water runs, communal lunches and dinners fully equipped with bevs, constant nephew entertainment and long overdue dosages of delicious family bonding.

oh summer, you are so lovely.
can't wait to catch up with old friends, unpack and start making plans to have adventures.
soon i'll have to start my 3 online classes and find a job... but for a day or two i plan to be blissfully unaware of adulthood and be a summer love child in every way achievable. duh.

p.s.. you may be sick of seeing these boys but i don't care because they make me smile until my face hurts. A N D they are deathly beautiful, proof:

my heart is home & so happy.

home stretch

woah. i'm almost done.
with three classes done, two more crits, one more project to start & finish, one more paper and i am a senior in college. 
(nuts, completely nuts)


yet as i have a few free moments to sit still, all i want to do is crochet, watch friends and drink tea... all of which i did today. oops. 
i'm just so tired, i'm so ready to stop doing my best, i'm so ready to be a summer child that i let it beat me for a few hours...


this song was t h e best motivator today as i was working away on my printmaking final (that i finished, and its due tuesday, mega success)
____________________________


Come For Me - Charlie Hall


Jesus come take me away, I long to see Your face
This world is broken yet beautifully made,
Jesus come take me away
Jesus I’ll patiently wait, till like a vapor I’ll fade
Help me fulfill all your dreams for these days,
Jesus I’ll patiently wait

You’ll come again with a shout,
like a thief in the night you’ll come riding on clouds
Finally the voice I have followed for life
has a glorious face that is lit up with light
And you’ll come for me, no more pain, peace,
No more fear, release
just lost and consumed with my glorious King,

And you’ll come for me

Jesus today I am tired, I need your music to come and inspire
I give myself to be refined in this fire,
but Jesus today I’m so tired

Come for me
_________________________

and now after my few hour hiatus of movie watching with my high school girls, crochet & friends moments and giggle time with angela, nathan and christina... it's time to get it.

tra la la lovely.

sometimes i have no problem being content.
like tonight for example.

i am compleeetely content eating nutella, wearing flannel and a cozy crotched blanket, watching 500 days of summer and updating my photography website. several things i thoroughly enjoy all rolled into one. perf.

other times i go nuts if i am in a room by myself for more than an hour without plans to go out and meet up with people or something in general. weird. im realizing just how weird i am. ha, its funny.
getting to know myself continues to be one of the most odd experiences ive ever had.
i can surprise myself sometimes at things i do/say/think/feel/accomplish/enjoy/hate.
it almost feels like im just a whacked out version of myself that is temporarily having a meltdown, but then i realize... oh, im just getting to know myself, or even worse, im growing up, yuck.

__________________________________________

in other news...

spring banquet = success.
just ended a few hours ago. lots of adorbs staff pictures that i will show you.
fully booked, over booked actually, my staff and i had to sit/eat outside, hah, worth it.

tomorrow i am taking my best friends engagement pictures. should be nothing short of wonderful.

i have only 5 weeks left of being a junior in college and its starting to get real. planning out senior year classes, jobs, apartments, internships. and realizing that i only have one more year of pre-adulthood left, one more summer left and one more chance to go out with a bang. weird weird weird. but good good good.

home home home.

is great great great.

why? here's why:
- rainy weather [which therefore requires rainy clothes, that i have dearly missed]
- fantastic easter celebration filled with family, friends, rainy egg hunts with energetic tots & cozy fires
- too much delicious food consumption
- some photo shoots lined up to keep me artistically occupied
- a bit of nature adventuring, wandering & movie night vegging still to come
- making time for sweatpants, crocheting and reality tv
- no schedule, no homework, no where to be but wherever the heck i feel like.

again, great great great.
cheers spring break 2010. let's do this.

finallyyyyy

spring break 2010 has decided to grace me with its presence.
as of now i am sitting with my empty suitcase before me, my class schedule behind me and my angela blake beside me, while i watch the OC and she reads a horrible sounding textbook [spring break will say hello to her tomorrow] and im still squealing with joy.

and tomorrow i will spend the weekend with my beautiful friend brooke in the bay and head back up home in time for easter. woot, woot.

in the mean time, my computer has decided to stage a sit in and not turn on, no matter how nicely i ask it to. so if you think of it, send some tech savvy thoughts [or advice] my way.

dear spring break,
please continue to be kind.
xoxo, rachel