known

Name 3-4 things that, when seen by others, make them immediately think of you.

1. 50 Cent: I guarantee that whenever any of my friends or family hear a song by my favorite rapper, 50 Cent, I'm usually getting a text with a shout out or at least I know that my name is running through their head. Whenever we're out dancing, it gets requested for me. Whenever it comes on the radio, we're singing along. He's my favorite and has been since I discovered him in college at MSU. Last week when 50 Cent made a surprise appearance at the Jay-Z/Eminem concert downtown Detroit, all of my friends' heads immediately turned in my direction as we all shouted in excitement. They knew it was the highlight of my day as I was jumping and squealing for joy.

2. silver ford focus: I've driven a silver Ford Focus since high school. In fact, when the first one was totaled in an accident (aka: when the driver of a huge pick up truck backed up over the hood of my car), I bought another Ford Focus because I like them so much. We named the first one "Snapple" because the blinker sounded identical to the click noise that the cap of a Snapple bottle makes (if you heard it, you'd know). We named the second one "Izzo", because...well...we are Spartans and Tom Izzo is seriously cool. My little focus has done me well for the past 10 years or so. It just hit the 100,000 mile mark the other day, but it has scooted me around to many places over the years. Apparently I'm not the only one who likes this car though since at any given time you can look out at our apartment building parking lot and count about 5 other silver ford focuses. We won't mention the fact that I've accidentally tried to get into someone else's car thinking it was my own. Ooops. Maybe it's time to find a new car that makes people think of me.

3. green clothing/accessories: My favorite color to wear is green. This is true because as a Spartan I'm always proud to wear my school's color. This is also true because I've found that green looks good with my strawberry-blonde hair color. When I'm shopping with friends, they usually point out all the cute green stuff to me knowing I'll be interested in trying it on. Recently, I was in a photo shoot for Lindsey Nartker Designs and when I asked my friend Audry if I could borrow a pair of cute heels to wear for the shoot, she told me she had just the pair for me; green ones.

I like being known by my loved ones. Today I'm grateful for the little things that connect me with my friends and family.

the last swim

I have my own little tradition (which I stole from my Dad) of going for "one last swim" in Lake Huron whenever my vacation in Oliphant is coming to an end. This is no simple feat since arriving to water deep enough to swim in requires about a ten minute walk out into the bay from our own little tiki hut beach spot.

A week ago today I was splashing through the clear, blue water of Lake Huron for this very tradition.

Justin and I were able to spend a week in Oliphant together for what we fondly called "jk vacay." I was so very grateful to be able to spend the extended time there with him to be able to show him around the place that has found such a special place in my heart.

Oliphant is ever changing yet somehow always the same. There is the same pine tree smell driving down the windy roads to the cottage that to this day always makes a smile spread across my lips. There are the same gorgeous sunsets that make the sky glow with orange, purple and red and that seem to be shockingly beautiful time and time again. There are the same sounds of the gravel road under the car tires as you drive slowly down Queen Street to your family cottage. There are the same family traditions that are practiced and remembered from generation to generation.

Over the years there have been relocations to different cottages, new faces as families grow, missing faces as loved ones pass away, and new places to check out as new restaurants, shops, and roads are built. Each change melts into the rest of the memories and feels like it was just always that way.

I love this place. It is my "heaven on earth." It is full of family memories, comfortable routines, Bruce Peninsula adventures, late night bonfires, tiki hut dance parties, lazy mornings, brilliant sunsets, silly happy hours, lots of laughter, carefree summers, yummy Cosmic french fries, tumbling Sauble waves, sandy bottom lakes, refreshing swims, sunny days, starlit nights, delicious whitefish meals, booming thunderstorms, and refreshing vacation memories.

Today I am forever grateful for Oliphant.