When Ryan gets behind the camera...

Exam week begins: Am. History Study Session

I'm DONE! but now I've got the Roommate Blues

Fort Mountain candids

Justin and Stephanie McNeilus came down for the weekend so a bunch of us went to Fort Mountain, Georgia for a Sabbath afternoon hike.

Kelli, Katie, and Stephanie wait for everybody to get ready to go

What a view...

Justin, Stephanie, and Katie

And now, the Ryan and friends show...

Ryan and Justin

Ryan and Jonathan Carlson

Ryan and Jonathan Davidson

Ryan and Chris

Ah yes, they do have girlfriends...

Justin is like the paparazzi, there are 20 more where these came from...














Davidson and Scales do a little dance...

Run, Ryan, run!

Ryan ran in the Fitness for Life 5k on Friday

Gettting the early lead

Getting some encouragement from Dad via cellphone on the homestretch

I knew it! Too bad Stephanie helped me... slightly...

Crossing the Rubicon

As I was reflecting on my school year's accomplishments in my dazed state of mind today, this phrase came to my mind. I thought it had something to do with Napoleon, but just to be sure I decided to look it up on the easiest, "reliable" source, Wikipedia. Did you know that the Rubicon is a small river in north Italy that Julius Caesar deliberately crossed to start a war? However, the phrase commonly refers to "any people committing themselves irrevocably to a risky and revolutionary course of action." Not exactly fitting to my current feeling of relief at having finished my major projects for the school year, but surprisingly fitting in other respects. My apathy about going to school in general has made it hard for me to keep going on this school thing. After all, this is year #18, 6 of higher ed in a row, with a summer and a school year left. But inadvertently, I was reminded tonight that I have committed myself "irrevocably to a risky and revolutionary course of action" and so help me God, I will persevere! (Insert school spirit SAU icon here.) Wake up my brain 24 hours before the next due date, it's going on vacation...

In other news, I must say I was pleased to see the standing ovation given the President of VA Tech today at the convocation. People (and the MEDIA) are so quick to judge, pick circumstances apart, place blame. The reality is, we live in a sinful world and there are some things beyond our control. Anyone who lives on a university campus (and especially those who have been through any kind of campus wide tragedy) knows how hard it is to disseminate timely, accurate information to an academic community, how hard it would be to protect an entire campus from an act of violence, especially by one from within. Whether we like it or not, colleges and universities are communities, they are our homes, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.

Wedding brings the family

My cousin Brent married Kim this weekend so there were lots of family in town.

Dad takes the balcony view...

I take the 4th row with a spy lens view. I've decided in my next life Dad and I are going to be wedding photographers. (Yes, this was a Catholic wedding.)

Karina, my cousin Joseph's daughter, decides she doesn't appreciate her sister's funny faces.

Kim got her bouquets off of Ebay; they aren't even real flowers, but they were so beautiful!

Part of my big happy family


Playing Uno with the cousins' kids. (These would be my cousins-once-removed right?)

Out with the old, in with the new

Goodyear Touring tires
Cost: $350ish
Cornering and braking that feels like a new car: Priceless

LG VX 8300
Cost: $4.35 after mail-in rebate
New ringtones, a camera, speaker phone and no scratches: Priceless

Up next: hose worth more than $5, hoping it will fix the kinkage problem

SonRise takes over Southern

Welcome to Jerusalem

Ryan deals with the pushy Jerusalem salespeople

Anybody know this soldier?

The siblings

Knights and Fords: we're rarely all together!

April fools