Update: Photo Journal Version

The last couple of months have been so crazy I haven't been blogging and I apologize! Here are some pictures of what I've been up to. Please enjoy :)

taken from KFC center, downtown louisville

bardstown road in the morning

st james art fair

bff and i were the weasley twins for halloween

got a job at a coffee shop :)

family ice cream date!

sister pretending she isn't posing

straight a's celebration 

I'll keep you updated :)

-Bree

The Ichthus Experience

Wednesday morning I got up at 6:30, grabbed my bags and headed to church to have a short Bible study, then drove to Lexington, KY for the Creation Ichthus Music Festival. Little did I know how much fun I was going to have and how much I was going to grow.

Day 1

Day 4

On the first day, my group got there around 10, after talking to the most random people and getting lost several times. I didn't really know the people I was with because I only moved to the church a couple of months ago, so making new friends was really good for me.

If you've ever been to a camp of any sort, you know it's pretty common to connect with people extremely fast and be able to mess around and still get to know each other through deep conversations. I really enjoyed being able to do that.

Newsboys Concert

The concerts were crazy! I saw a whole range of artists from rap, to indy, from heavy metal to contemporary pop and hymns. I loved all of it, and got 2 albums. My favorites were a band called Author and a singer/songwriter named Abe Parker.

I also got a whole bunch of free stuff, but aside from that I bought 2 t-shirts that I love and really want to show you!

On the second and third days it rained really hard and since the festival was held in a horse park, everyone got muddy and gross and smelled of something quite similar to animal poo.
I had to give up my poor green flip flops which did me no good anyway, and battled the rain head on.
Everyone was stationed at a canopy pole in our camp ground during the storm so we wouldn't blow away. I secretly enjoyed the rain because it was cold like back home, instead of hot and disgusting.

God's promise after the storm :)

Saturday was a gorgeous last day. We played Frisbee with strangers and tied dental floss to the legs of one of thousands of June bugs. I couldn't believe that it was already over, and how much I had learned about God through talking to others and hearing music.

A henna tattoo I got for free (before it dried and peeled)

 :) I'm sorry to bore you all to death, so I'll wrap it up. Thank you for reading and hopefully you all have had a blast this week too!

Have you ever been to a music festival?

Travel-Photo Journal

Before I show you some of my pictures from last week, I want to say happy birthday to two old friends of mine, Maiya and Kasumi and one of my favorite aunts ;) I love you guys, hopefully we can visit soon
Anyway, here are the rest of my pictures from New Jersey last week. Enjoy

Cape May NJ

Benjamin Franklin House, Philedelphia

Menagerie Coffee, Philedelphia

Street corner in Philly

Really cute/historic room

Room where Decleration of Independance was signed

#brennaonbroadway

Yesterday I went to New York City! And it was wonderful! Since I grew up in mostly small towns and only visit Seattle or downtown Louisville every once in a while, so going to a huge city like this was a completely new experience.

Manhattan is so old, beautiful (a little smelly) and completely filled with history and music. 

I'm a big Broadway person, and the TONY AWARDS were happening. I walked by Radio City Music Hall during the big rehearsal, I didn't see anyone, but I was REALLY REALLY CLOSE to Kristen Chenoweth. There was one lady in a very fancy nude, rhinestone and black dress that looked very serious about being in New York. I wonder who she was. :)

Across from Radio City Music Hall

 I also walked past the Belasco Theatre, where I mentally met Darren Criss, who is currently starring in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. He was in Glee and pretty much wrote (and starred in) Harry Potter the Musical. 

DARREN CRISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I also sang at Carnegie Hall and saw The Lion King on Broadway ;)

Singing at Carnegie Hall

Look closely

We also visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, and it was beautiful. They were actually having Puerto Rican mass, which was completely in Spanish. I'd never been to mass before, but it was pretty cool. The building, though, was something else. Huge stained glass windows, sculptures and detailed stone walls. I bet the whole experience for a Catholic visiting the city is amazing. 

Front of St. Patricks

Stained glass in St. Patricks

Ceiling Detail in St. Patrick. 

At the end of the day, I saw the One World Trade Center, which is quite a pretty building, and seeing how smooshed together the places are, I was able to picture the 9/11 attack, and that day must have been one of the most terrifying thing anyone has ever had to experience, and America will never forget that. 

One World Trade Center

I also saw Lady Liberty from across the river, but it was too far away to get a good picture, so you'll just have to imagine it. ;) This was an amazing experience and I am really hoping to visit again in the not too distant future, but no promises. 

I hope everyone is starting off summer with fun memories and lots of sleep! 

Have you ever been anywhere really special to you?

Love, 

Brenna

Devo Monday//Talent

 

This weeks devotional is inspired by the amazing people I met at Aladdin! So talented, and only high schoolers :)
 The verse says "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." We all have gifts from God, because we were made in His image. This verse is pretty straight forward about it too.
 Use your talents, whether it be dancing, singing, writing, doing hair, playing football or anything else, use them to show the grace of the Lord in your life. 
Also, doing something you love, to serve Jesus makes that activity so much more fun! Just doing something with the intent to serve brings a ton of joy.
 Have a happy memorial day!

There You'll Find Me

There You'll Find Me
A Catholic story that takes place in and around Abbey glen, Ireland, by Jenny B. Jones.

So I got this book for Christmas along with another book (which I''m reviewing once I finish!) and I brought it along with me to Washington! Oh yeah, by the way I'm back in my own house now I read about half of it at a time on each flight. I really enjoyed it!
The main characters are Finley, a previously spoiled American exchange student and Beckett, the young Hollywood heart throb. They visit around Ireland together, following Finley's deceased brother's travel journal. As they go about their journey, a love story is created, but it's not just that. Finley's walk with God is taking some big detours. While going to a Catholic school and visiting an elderly woman in her last few months of life, Finley's life changes drastically. It kept me interested the whole time (even though I had nothing else to do...) I understood the characters thoughts like they were my own. I recommend this book! Make a note that I'm not Catholic, but I still really enjoyed it :)

COMING SOON~  SECOND CHANCE SUMMER BY MORGAN MATSON
QOTD:  Do you like any Christian fiction?

#reunitation

I'm home! The Olsons safely flew here to Washington yesterday :D

Last night my little sisters went to friend's houses, I went to Julia's and LC3 youth group!

I miss Lakewood/Parkland/Tacoma so much and I just got here! 

To be honest, it felt like I had never left, or I went back in time. Like I just got home from school or something. It's great here.  I find it kind of scary how much growing up somewhere can change your perspective on other places. This place hasn't changed at all, and it's very comforting to me.

Nashville Roadtrip

Yesterday I got back from an overnight trip to Tennessee. The drive was about 3 hours long, and since we took that really long road trip in the summer, so it was nothing. The way my family vacations is by visiting and thoroughly judging the local coffee shops. And then sometimes we  like to look at statues. 

The museums there were really expensive!!!! So instead we look at the pretty buildings. 

Crema Coffee Shop-extremely hipster

Spencer's Coffee-Great vibe, cute town :)

Barista Parlor made me want to become a hipster. 

Nashville Opryland Hotel

Off to see the Wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz!

State capitol...I think. 

The sky on the way back was gorgeous