My New Hero...

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

Wonder why? Watch her RNC Speech!

Impressive!


                                                         ****WE BUILT IT****
                                                          NOT GOVERNMENT!

We are only on Day 2 of the Convention! Things are looking good!


Happy Wednesday!


Hope life is beautiful wherever you are!

IT'S CONVENTION WEEK!

This up coming week is make or break for the Republican Party. However, I have found reporting of a delayed start due to the hurricane traveling through Tampa, Florida where the convention is being held. The convention will be 4 consecutive days with speeches from Mitt Romney, his wife, VP candidate Paul Ryan and many other powerful GOP members.

I am very excited!

Take 33 seconds and watch this video below!

This election is about our economy, unity, protecting what our founding fathers established, small government, and jobs for the American people. 

Do I still have a shot at the American Dream?

If you want a giggle watch this video! Conservative girls are hotter!

                                     

Hope life is beautiful wherever you are!

R.I.P. Summer 2012

Summer 2012: "Short lived, but never forgotten"
This summer, where do I even begin?
First of all you Summer 2012,  will forever rank in the stats books as my favorite summer...so far.

Highlights:

1) Salt River Trip, twice!

June

August

First in June, then in August! Had a blast both times!


2)  Newport Beach, CA with the most generous/fun-loving people on the planet.

Disneyland, Beach sittin', Pier walkin'....Best vacation by far!

3) New friends:

Hilarious! L-R: Zach, JB, and Taylow! 

Since I mainly spent the summer with Jackie, I became good friends with her brother and a couple of his buddies John and Taylor.


And who could forget Ruben...

NOT IMPRESSIVE AT ALL.

4) My Blog Make-over:

Ginger In The Rye is looking a little different these days! I [personally] love the new look! Do you?

5)The Dutchman and me!

While my sister and her hubby were in Europe, I had a blast with everyone's favorite Labradoodle!
Love that "little" guy!


6) Creating best friends!

Matchbox Twenty's New Album:

It's been nearly a decade since they released "Exile on Mainstream". They were my Aunt's(who passed away) favorite band. I think that in a way it is her connecting with me because I love MB20 too!  I am absolutely in love with the hit single "She's so mean"!

She would have been 50 this past July. 

Listen by clicking below!

   

Read all about their new album "North" by clicking here!


But like all good things, it was time for Summer to come to an end. Today was the first day of my Sophomore year and I am very excited because some of the classes are a direct reflection of my major! Super stoked to get focus on school and work!

I can't wait to go visit Jackie up at GCU and spend time with the people I love most! See you soon Jacks!


I started this morning off right! Coffee and a Churchill! Couldn't think of a better way to get myself out of bed the AM!

Thanks again for a wonderful Summer everyone! I hope you had as much fun as I did! We will pick up  next summer, in 2013!


Love you all! Have a good week blogland!


Hope life is beautiful wherever you are!

On a Side note: I found this to be hilarious and accurate! I have  incredible cameras, but most (all) of my photos are captured with my iPhone. So a majority of the time I look like this guy!

River Trip Round 2!

Went to the Salt River this past Monday. We had a great time. I traded my civic for a Van for the day and all 10 of us headed to the River!

It was quite the day for me, starting at 6:00am, picking everyone up, and getting gas. We finally made it to the freeway by 8:30ish.

We made a quick stop along the way and finally made it to the River by 11:30ish.

We had such a blast but we lost many items including hats, glasses (2 pairs), and someones dignity (Taylor).

Here are some pictures captured from our ALL DAY EVENT. However, unlike last time no one was brave enough to bring their iPhones on the River.

Taylor on a tree trunk.

Necessities. 

  

 

Zach

Ruben+ floating Beer-bong
=
Disaster 

Lunchables + Animal Crackers = Our childhood

I'm the designated driver, always! Caught me in slight road rage right here!
"Are you kidding me!?!"

View from the back of the van.

View from the front. 

After many hours and beers later we had reached the exit.

This was the car ride home pictures!

Zach, Zachy, Ruben, and Taylow.
Passed out.

How is this even possible?

It was Taylow's first time on the river.
Let's just say it got the best of him. 

In other news, I got burnt so bad that it still hurts to sit down. My legs, arms, and face are currently in the peeling stages. Hopefully I will be feeling back to normal by this time next week because that is the first day of classes.

My current situation. 

Hope life is beautiful wherever you are!

This November...

...I will be voting for America's comeback team! Will you?

Romney Ryan Ticket

Romney has selected a true leader, his VP running Mate. Paul Ryan from the great state of Wisconsin.  A man that stood up to President Obama at the health care summit this past year.Click here to see history.

Defends liberty with a small government ideals. Along with Romney he will defend freedom and ultimately supports small businesses. 

This is what Obama said about small businesses. A campaign slip up. Click here.

Mitt made a good Choice. Now lets crank things up a notch, shall we!

"I will strike it [Obamacare] dead on the first day"--Mitt Romney 

If you think that the last four years were a set back. Then I am asking you to vote Red in 2012.

Hope life is beautiful wherever you are!

Life Is All About Choices!

To begin, how the heck are ya blogland!?! My apologies on the lack of postings. I have been up to some adventures lately!

Life is all about choices, here are some that I have made lately.


For one, I hope that you all know that I adore Children. I understand that while I am still in the awkward stage between my teenage years and adulthood myself,  I know that the world doesn't rise and set with me or my generation (unless the Mayans come... But that is a whole different story) or that the world ends with me. We need to set and be the examples for our children and our children's children, and their children!


While I was playing with Baby Lily(good friend's niece) the other day, and had one of those weird spiritual, want to tear up moments! Even those she is not my niece or even related to me for that matter, I still feel the obligation to make her life better. What can I do to secure her future, and her wishes, hopes, and dreams? How can I be that difference? This is why I am sticking to my Political Science Major efforts because I know that I can/hope/want to be that difference!

To be honest I thought that life was all about me not too long ago. And now, I realize it is about the people that you meet, achievement that you share and dedicate.

Me and Lily a couple of days ago!

While life is all about choices I know that not too long ago I made a life altering one. I decided to purchase a brand spankin' new car at the age of 18. While others called this a poor investment, I saw opportunity. My monthly payment can sometimes be a downer, but I will all be worth it. I ordered my credit score and look at this thing! 734! AND I'M ONLY 19!  So when that day comes for me to buy a house, and It will be sooner than later,  I will be ready...and so will that bank with that LOW interest rate loan!!

Spending time with the people that you love. My sister and I are well...polar opposites. The world of tall, toned, brunette meets short, chunky, redhead. We have little to nothing in common but we are sisters  and no amount of time or distance will ever change that. So on Monday(one of my regular 2 days off) I spent the day with her. I could have been doing/buying things for me but she needed help in crunch time! She was hosting Bunco (an "old lady" dice game) at her house and needed help setting up. I helped with the fruit skewers and she said they/the party was a success! Great Job Steph! It is nice to help others and the best reward I got was a simple, "Thanks Shann!" 

Lastly, my greatest adventure. My ultimate dreams is to become a lawyer. Gradually make my way into politics, and maybe run or work for a major campaign. With that being said, every so often I hit up the Superior Court to sit in on cases and to gather as much legal mumbo jumbo as  I  can while I am still young! 

I sat in on a few child support cases (the type of law that I am leading towards studying) and the most shocking, a first degree murder trial. Remember how this life is all about choices? Well, no doubt that this man (I will remain anonymous) was seriously or mentally ill, maybe depressed. At the same token I feel that we the people have not made the right choices in his life. At some point in time he showed all the signs of being disturbed and I find in scary that no one offered him help or warned the public of this dangerous man. Or if the helped that was offered didn't work, why did we give up? Where have we failed? All I can say is that if someone in your life is suffering, talk to them, offer them help.  If there is a will, there is a way! The trial is still in progress and still has a lot of evidence to be sorted out. The final verdict will be interesting, life in prison, or death. On that note, do you support the death penalty? I have very different views, considering that my dad has worked in the federal prison systems for over 2 decades. 

  

Sign on court room door.

My hope in my current state is that I am making the right choices in my life! 

Hope life is beautiful wherever you are!

----Shannen

Updated via iPhone! 

Movin' On Up.

Have you ever moved and needed some help? Yeah, that happened to my friend Paige. With a little help from my Dad's Nissan Frontier, Zachy's muscles, and some strategic placement of her belongings in said truck, we arrived at Paige's new home!

We helped her assemble most of the big stuff including her bed and a lamp. Well, Zachy did most of the heavy lifting.


It is located exactly across the street from the UofA football stadium! Prime tailgating location!
She still has a long way to go until she is settled in but the place is great and I am sure that her and her new roommate Alyssa will love it!


Congrats Paige! Best wishes!

She's a go girl!

If you ever need a helping hand...my Dad has a truck! Just Sayin'!

Hope life is beautiful wherever you are!

----Shannen

Updated via iPhone!

P.S. Paige, I know where you live! I will hit you up one day when I need a helping hand!