I'm gonna be a Dohner

I'm overjoyed to be able to call this man my future husband! 

It's 1:05 Jamaican time

I haven't had the gut to upload this blog from over a month ago. But now here it is. 

I have a quiet moment where I can sit and reflect on my service learning trip to Jamaica. It has been an incredible journey being able to visit this country and learn their lifestyle, their music, their hearts. 

My heart is so heavy to think about the children and people I will be leaving behind. I have met some incredible children. I have sang Halo more times in one week to special education children than I will in my entire life.

I reminisce on how simple their lives could be changed by purchases of a fan or buying them a drying machine. 

I have met so many amazing young men and women at the AOC. These people are volunteers who take time out during the day to follow our groups around and assure that everyone stays together and stays happy. 

They have made me feel so comfortable, so safe, so blessed. I can't thank the people of Petersfield enough for their kindness and hospitality. I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity to meet these incredible people.

Something that really stuck with me was as I was leaving the AOC today for the last time, a 17 year old boy named Nydrae stopped me and said "Logan, I am going to miss you. I hope you are in the facebook group so we can talk."

I mean, my heart has never felt so loved by someone. He remembered my name, he remembered my face. He wants to go to college in America. Tears in my eyes. 

I reflect on the memories I have made on this trip. I reflect on the memories I hope to create with this community. I want to be back. I will be back. 

Until then petersfield, Jamaica, thanks for all you have done for me. You have reminded me what it's like to be 'one', what its like to have respect and honesty within yourself. 

God, thank you for this incredible trip of a lifetime. I couldn't have done it without you. Please watch over us as we fly home to PA. I trust in the lord with all of my heart. I trust in the lord. 

Bless the lord, bless the people and bless this rainbow on my last day here.

xoxo 

Praying for peace

I sit here with the birds chirping in the distance. The tv is sounded to mute. My dog is peacefully laying beside my feet. My belly is full. My heart is empty. 

The poor Orlando night club victims are no longer enjoying the sound of birds. They aren't sitting in silence or eating their favorite meal. I pray for their families and their loved ones. 

I pray for peace. ❤️💛💚💙💜

a big thanks to SU

The semester is winding down and I can't help but think of everything that has happened in my last four years of college. The amount of hours I have spent on projects, papers, lesson plans, and activities. The many places I have spent hours and years living, breathing, and experiencing at Shippensburg University. The number of friends I have grown to love and cherish during hangouts and the usual weekend get-together. The countless education colleagues that I've watched go through Student Teaching and come out the other end. The long, hot days of cheering in the beating sun, rooting for the football players on Saturdays with my ladies. The endless nights of staying up too late and getting up too early. The enormous amount of money spent on good food and good wine. The unforgettable amount of laughs and tears shed from long nights of chatting with my gal pals and doing insanely ridiculous things. This is where it all ends. Or is this where it all begins?

As I calmly wait for my time to shine during student teaching this coming August, I reminisce on these incredible moments of my college career. I couldn't thank my roommates, professors, colleagues, friends and most importantly, my family, enough for all their love and support.

I'm coming for you STUDENT TEACHING!!

Thank you SHIP-
thank you Shippen Hall

xoxoxo

big girl jobs

I can't express how PROUD I am of my childhood best friends for getting BIG GIRL JOBS and beginning their futures!! I am so excited to watch you both grow and succeed in this crazy thing we call life. ILOVEYOUS🌻💕

The light blue house on the corner

Wow. All I can say is wow. 

Where has the time gone? Didn't we just move in like yesterday??

It has been truly amazing living with these four lovely ladies. We are the 120 Fort Street gals and we wouldn't have it any other way. To my friends, thanks for laughing with me and 1 am. Thanks for doing the unimaginable and risky business. Thanks for always going out or staying in. To the house, thanks for giving us the best memories that college girls could ask for. Thanks for allowing us to make this place our {{home}}. 120 Fort St, you hold a special place in our hearts!! We are forever grateful to have had a place like this, even with all of its flaws and mistakes. 

Cheers to a new chapter in all of our lives! 

xoxo

9

{{nine years}} I never knew how much could happen in nine years. I miss you every day. I'm selfish for wishing i could have spent much more time with you. I wish I would have known you would be taken away from me so soon. I wish you could see me graduate in December.  I feel you with me. I wish you could give me one more hug. I love you and I miss you. 💔

Accepting our fears in life

In church today, we are expressing our fears in life and our fears with God. Jay and I had decided to make a list of our fears. (My list of fears was much longer than this..)

We want to confront these fears. 

"Fear will dominate us"

"We will depend on securities that cannot keep us secure" 

We need to see God for who he is. We need to exercise faith and he will reach out and uphold me.

My friend is engaged!!!

My best friend/roommate got engaged yesterday to the love of her life. It is amazing to see a love like theirs. Her and her boyfriend… Well now fiancé, have been together for almost 6 years!! (GOALS) Well they were moving into their house yesterday, he got down on one knee in front of the sold sign... And he popped the question. I am over the moon excited for these two love birds. Bring on the wedding planning, the extensive drinking of wine, and all the love and laughter that will go in to this exciting time. My heart is so full!! 

Thoughts on dating long-distance

Living and breathing proof that you can in fact date long distance!! My boyfriend and I have been dating long-distance for almost 3 years. I never thought that I would be able to be with somebody, not seeing each other everyday or even getting to talk throughout the day; even though he is only a little over an hour away, for this length of a time. I try to linger on the fact that I don't need to live a life, depending on a man; but it's nice to have one. I wouldn't trade the life I have lived dating my honey long-distance. It hasn't been easy but we make the best of the time we spend together over weekends, college breaks, and summer vacation. I am thrilled to be able to be moving back home where the long-distance dating comes to a close.(although moving out of my house with my roomies will be heartwrenching!!!) However, how different will life be knowing that I no longer will be away from him longer than a couple hours or days? How much will this change our relationship? 

Blessed with the best man I could ever ask for.

xoxo

These are the nights I won't forget...

Staying up until 10 pm with roommates just to get one last laugh in. Finding new things to chat about just so we won't have to go our separate ways into our bedrooms where we shut our doors and snapchat each other anyways. We won't look back on these days and think about the schoolwork that needed done or the organizing of our lives. We will look back at these nights as the best moments in our lives. These are the nights I will lay in bed at home, with my future husband and kids, look back and smile at being up until 10 pm just so we could reminisce on one more story. One more memory. One more laugh. 

Thank you e,m & d for nights like this. 

xoxo 

The last hoo-rah

Happy spring break!!

5 of my favorite girls and I traveled down to Hilton Head, South Carolina for a couple days then traveled to Augusta, Gerogia for the rest of our spring break! We had an amazing trip and conquered all of the driving too!! Can't believe this is our senior year spring break. 4 of us are graduating in May, and 2 of us are graduating in December! Hard to believe that I've been friends with some of these girls for 10+ years and some for 2 years! Blessed to have these amazing ladies in my life.

xoxo

FOR THE KIDS

It's been a long February month, but I am so grateful for all the opportunities that have been occurring this month. I am incredibly grateful to have had the chance to experience THON at PSU with my roommate to see our hometown friend and her roommate participate in dancing for 46 hours! THEY DID IT! It was such an amazing experience to watch 708 dancers and an entire university raise $9 million FOR THE KIDS! My heart was so full all weekend.

xoxo

sunflowers

I really have the crappest immune system. 

Pumping meds for days to kick this sinus thing.

I have a theory that if we were to completely open our hearts, and let in the best people, that we will live the best life. I wish my sister could find comfort in being an independent woman. I want her to open up her heart and allow someone to be the best person in her life. 

I've felt so anxious all day. I often wonder what it could be from. Thankfully some deep breaths and zoning usually do the trick. 

I really wanna take up yoga. 

Look at this patch of sunflowers and 

smile through it 

xoxo 

goodbye snow

Spring semester is here and the work begins to pile up. I often wonder what would happen if I would have never pursued my dream of becoming a teacher. Where would I be? What would I be making as a career? I often believe I should have went into Interior Designing. This will have to be a part time job in the future.
Today, a professor confessed her truest emotions about changing a child's life. If you want to change a child's life, befriend a child that isn't in your class. Tell that child that you look forward to seeing their smiling face every day. This is something I took away from class today. My heart has never felt so big.


My roommates mother came down yesterday to make dinner for us! We will never turn away a mother with food and dessert. Fresh pasta noodles for spaghetti, a salad and a peanut butter and chocolate dessert, is just what the doctor ordered. Thank you mama D!


thank goodness the 36 inches of snow is finally melting. THANK YOU JESUS!
xoxo

God has a plan for every heart

A very dear friend of mine had a heart broken within the last month. The roommates and I stayed up until 2:20 am talking with her, crying and hugging. I am blessed to have such a sweet girl in my life regardless the situation. She is beautiful, kind, selfless, thoughtful and fun. It is so hard to hear her talk about the things that she is dealing with because I know it all too well. Oh, it breaks my heart but I am so grateful that I can relate and help her with this journey. I still think of 'what could have been' and I'm sure she is doing that too. God had a plan for everybody and until she is ready to follow that plan, we will be here with open arms. We love you my dear friend!! 

A single word can make a heart open

Somebody out there always has it worse than you. When something happens in my life I try to think about what others may be going though. I'm extremely grateful for the life I have and the people that love me. Everyone who doesn't have a family that loves them, I will love them! This year already has shown me so much. Bless. 

I don't know about you...

But I'm feeling 22. Where did the time go? I can't even believe that i have been blessed with another year of amazing love, laughs and happiness. I celebrated with my gal pals at dinner tonight and going down to college this weekend to hit a local bar! So anxious to see what this year of 22 will bring. I'm already blessed with the best. I cried at dinner while opening my presents because I have the best people in my life. Thank you God. Thank you so much. 

xoxo, cue T-Swift❤️💕

hello 2016

So thankful to be alive another year.

I had the best time gathering all my friends together on New Years Eve. I invited a total of 12 people, and about 40 people showed up. Lucky me :)
I am so thankful to have attended church yesterday with my honey. I also began reading my new bible.


Back to school in two weeks.... anxious yet, enjoying this break!
xoxo