Do Something.

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

-Edmund Burke

Looking back over this summer....this whole year, I can now see that it has been a long trail of steps. Of Doing Something. 

I realize now that I am now so far from where I started, but it was never a huge leap that I took. Just small steps, choices made, opportunities taken, days seized, moments experienced, life lived.

I started out my year by moving away from home. 

Strange feeling.

To Austin no less! 

{Probably the only picture of the Austin skyline I will ever post that does not have the Capitol in it}

I then worked for three months at the Texas Capitol. Best. Time. Ever.

This is the staff from the  office that I worked in.

Rep. Bryan Hughes, Desiree Smith, Cody Terry, Hannah Watts, Don Garner, me & Mase Walker

My sisters came to visit me for "Sine Die" {the last day of session}.

Dorcas, Ruth & Me

Hannah Watts was an intern in the same office as me for the whole month of May.

I became an Aunt again!!!

Haylee Grace Ballinger was born on April 17th, 2013.

{This was when she was 2 or 3 months old}

Isn't she adorable?

{Look at those perfect lips!}

Such a cutie!!!

{She was only a week old for the last two pictures}

I then spent two months working at Camp Winchester and loved every minute!

These were my sweet girls from the first week! Hanna Heideman on the far left was my JC.

Harmony Capo, Christina Hastings and I being crazy during Horse Class.

It being a horse camp I even got to ride a couple of times! :)

And now for me three favorites! 

S'mores!

Swimming!

And back massage trains!! These were definitely the best! :D

PA Arizona

In July Dorcas and I flew {my first time flying!} out to Phoenix, Arizona to attend the Inaugural Session of Patriot Academy Arizona as Senators and I was also a Committee Chairwoman. It was so good to see the young people of Arizona become passionate and equipped to fight for what they now believe in! 

My cousin Rudy got married to Ali on July 21st!

{I LOVE the lace dress!}

My brother got engaged!

On August 20th 2013 Jonathan asked Marci to marry him....and she said yes! :D

{They are so perfect together!}

I ended my summer with a week of Patriot Academy at the Capitol in Austin. 

I got to meet and know so many of these great people!

I was privileged to run against, and lose to, this amazing young woman for the position of Lt. Governor of Patriot Academy 2014. Brianna Pradia, I miss you!

My boss from this past session, Rep. Bryan Hughes, stopped by to visit.

Since my first year at Patriot Academy in 2011, I have learned to face my fear of public speaking and come to the point of almost enjoying it!

{Yes I am still scared silly every time I have to do it!}

This was when I was giving a speech made of excerpts of John F. Kennedy's inaugural speech from 1961, as part of my campaign for Lt. Governor. 

Now I am working at Castle Media until the end of the year. I am leaning new things about people, computers and the internet almost everyday, and since my car has broken down, I have had some crazy adventures on the Austin City bus!

So, at the beginning of the new year, 2014, I may be living in a new city, working on some state wide campaign {hopefully}, driving a working car {Lord willing} and engaged! 

Ok so I'm kidding about that last part! Just wanted to see if you were still paying attention. I thought I might have put you to sleep with all of those pictures 

{I hope I didn't use to many...}. 

{Not that I wouldn't mind being married...err...engaged...}

But anyway.....

In the spirit of the quote from the beginning of this post, no matter what tomorrow brings, I will go on living, fighting tyranny, speaking for those that can not speak for themselves, standing for what is right, shinning light in a dark world. 

Doing Something.

I Have a Destiny

{Gives me chills. Every. Time.}

New Beginnings

“The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning.” - Ivy Baker Priest

      Bye...... just a simple little three letter word....... until it stares you in the face. Then it feels huge, dreadful and sad!

       All of us have to say it, at one time or another in our journey of life. Right now, for me it’s “bye” to Austin, The State Capitol, the people I got to work with there, my friends I did fun things with, my desk & cool spinny chair, my state email address, watching the Texas House of Representatives’ Floor Session on the TV in the office while we worked, late night committee meetings, free food and the list goes on and on...... So many memories made and new life experiences......experienced! And along comes “bye” to bring an end to it all! A closing door, shutting forever into the past this amazing time of my life.

    Leaving a blank.

        Yet, in some other languages, like German for instance, they say, “Auf Wiedersehen”, meaning, “I will see you again”, instead of “bye”.

Now there is hope!

         Looking to the future, what is yet to come, instead of only looking back, at what is ending.

         “Bye,” now seems like such a sad word! So then, why do we put, “good,” in front of it? What is “good” about “bye”?

          So,......I had to Google it! I found;

“Goodbye” - short for, “God be with ye.”

           Which brought to my mind the old song, “God be With You Till We Meet Again.” Now we’re back to looking at the future instead of just the past. But, with an even more uplifting theme.

           God be with us. God is with us! And when God is with us, who knows what adventures the future holds!

           The immediate future, for me, holds summer camp. Camp Winchester, a Christian, mostly girls, Horse Camp. I have volunteered here a couple weeks each summer for the past five years. This year, I am going to be working here, as a Sr. Counselor/Media Director, for the next seven weeks. The first camp starts, today! In just a few short hours!

            I am excited to see what God has in store for me this summer at camp! Even if I am still a little teary eyed over leaving Austin and the Capitol behind me.

“Good bye may seem forever. Farewell is like the end, but in my heart is the memory and there you will always be.” - Walt Disney

“Don’t cry because its over, smile because it happened.”- Dr. Seuss

“If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” - Paulo Coelho

P.S. I didn’t realize till after I choose the title for this post, that it is the exact same as for my first (ever) post, from almost two years ago. So, I’m keeping it!

The King of Love

"The King of Love, my Shepherd is,

   Whose goodness faileth never,  

I nothing lack, if I am His,

And He is mine forever.

 "In death's dark vale I fear no ill,

With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;

 Thy rod and staff, my comfort still,

Thy Cross before, to guide me.

"And so, through all the length of days,

Thy goodness faileth never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise,

Within Thy house forever."

~ Excerpt from the book
"The Following of the Star"

By

Florence L. Barclay

A Favorite Quote

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." ~ John F. Kennedy

Excerpt From a Classic

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." ~ Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

Personal Responsibility

"We have four boxes with which to defend our freedom: the soap box, the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box." Congressman Lawrence Patton McDonald --- 1935-1983