Musings and Mix Mosh

Pintrest

2012-01-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

I am officially addicted to Pintrest. I have had an account for awhile but up until recently there was not anything that I was needing to "pin". Why the sudden pin addiction? Nursery planning! Yes, we are expecting our first child this July! We are elated and loving every second of this new journey! And shopping around for registry items has been a blast as well. Although, its a little difficult because we do not know what we are having yet. But I kind of like the idea of a nursery that works for both anyways. Its all so fun, but a major distraction!

Light at the end of the tunnel

2012-01-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

For the past year, I have been plugging away at getting my Masters and PPS Credential in Educational Counseling. I have enjoyed the program, but it has not been easy. Being 30 minutes away from home two nights a week and not getting home until 10pm has been exhausting. It took awhile for my husband and I to adjust to me not being around to cook meals and keep things organized, but by now we have it down. The crockpot has become my best friend in that department. Also, the stress alone from the rigorous coursework, that somehow I've managed, caused me to hit many walls with this program. But finally, there is light at the end of the tunnel! Starting in January through April, I only have to go one night a week. I cannot express how exciting that is! And then there's just one more course in May and I am done with the program. (Minus the 600 hours of internship - but I'm not worried about that). It is going to feel so good to be finished! I hope these next 5 months fly by!

Hindsight

2011-06-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

I often wonder a lot of "why? and what?" questions, as do most everyone I think. This reason things happen or the reason things are the way the are makes so much more sense in hindsight. In the moment, things can seem confusing or not makes sense, getting myself discouraged or frustrated. I can think of so many of those moments throughout my life, where I was at such a loss as to understanding what on earth could God possibly be thinking taking me through this or I don't understand how this could work out to be a good thing? And then low and behold, in a few weeks, months, or years, it all makes perfect sense. I try may hardest to be able to trust God when things are tough, resting in the proven knowledge that His plan always works out way better than anything I could of ever imagined - yet that is always the hardest part, the trust!
For example, growing up starting at age 3 I studied ballet and it was the first love of my life. But as my relationship with Christ became more and more important, by the end of high school (right when I should have begun auditioning to join ballet companies) I had the desire to put Christ before all else in my life. Now, this didn't mean giving up ballet, but it so consumed me that at that point I felt the need to take a break and go to college. God showed me another passion while at college which was missions. As I graduated and moved on to the working world, ballet took a major back seat and I began to miss it and regretted taking a break when I did. That lasted for a few years until God brought my husband and I to the small town we live in now. Which brought up another "why", wondering why on earth am I in the small town and not on the mission field? Well, now in hindsight there are many answers to that, but two of them being that I now have the opportunity to teach ballet AND go on missions trips every summer! Everything God gives us, all of the passions, are for a purpose - it is an incredible thing! I would have never dreamed I'd get the chance to have ballet be a part of my life again, and here I am getting to teach it - nothing is ever wasted! Thank you Lord for hindsight!

Moments

2011-04-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

On Sunday while I was worshipping at church, I was meditating on the amazing opportunities and blessings I've been given through the years. All of these significant and special moments came flashing through my mind, reminding me of what a gracious and loving God we have who has given me a life I could have never imagined on my own. I am going to jot these moments down, not to boast, but to give glory to a merciful God.
1. Walking down the aisle to marry my husband
2. Wandering the cobblestone streets of Praha along the Vlatava River
3. Looking out over Paris from the Eiffel Tower with my sister
4. Talking on the phone with my Grandpa and hearing him a say "love you, baby" before we hung up.
5. Climbing up the side of a volcano in Quito in a gondola with Dan
6. A thousand happy memories from attending CBU
7. Exploring Chichen Itza with my parents
8. Walking around England with my mom
9. Looking through telescopes at the universe with my dad
10. Picking up shells along the seashore with my grandma
11. Amazing Race in India with Janelle and Nicole
12. Going on a jog along the shore of Edinburgh
13. Dancing all night in Chico with my girls
14. Feeling the ocean breeze during naps at my grandparents
15. Eating crazy food in China

Thank you Lord for letting me experience parts of the world you created and for giving me incredible people in my life!

Michelle Lately

2011-04-19T17:29:00.000-07:00

Well, nothing is really new, therefore I haven't posted in quite awhile.
Things are BUSY! Still plugging away at the commute with work and grad school (which I'm still enjoying). This month in particular has been nice because my grad class is online so I am home everyday after work which is so wonderful - I can cook and clean more and spend more quality time with my hubby and puppy!
We've been busy trying to landscape our big ole yard, which is fun and makes me feel so accomplished after spending a day "working the ground" :)
When something out of the ordinary happens, I'll be sure to post something more thrilling!

*Blog title is in honor of my guilty pleasure tv show haha gotta love the whit and rediculosity

Get over your hill and see

2011-01-26T18:21:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been trying so hard to ignore the fact that I'm overwhelmed. It's been four months now of working full time and going to grad school - the novelty & excitement of it all being new has worn off. I now realize that I am not getting enough sleep, not getting paid enough, not getting enough time with my husband, not having enough time to cook & clean like I like too. All those thoughts have drown me into tears today - mostly because I feel so guilty & ridiculous for thinking them. I am so incredibly blessed - I have an amazing husband, a roof over my head, an incredible education, a job I love, and so much more. I hate that my thankfulness doesn't out way my worries. Part of my problem is that I hold in my frustrations too long trying to be strong instead of resting on the Lord for strength. So many people around me lately have referenced Phillipians 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Life may be crazy and busier then I've ever known, but its nothing worth being anxious about, its in God's hands and he has orchestrated it all for His plans & purposes. I am just lucky to be a part of it.

Recently I've become obsessed with Mumford & Son's music. Track 12 The Storm on their cd really spoke to me today:

And there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears.
And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears.
Get over your hill and see what you find there,
With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

And now I cling to what I knew
I saw exactly what was true
But oh no more.
That's why I hold,
That's why I hold with all I have.
That's why I hold.

The Best Christmas gift ever!

2011-01-08T21:52:00.000-08:00

Meet our little Noe (short for Noel):

She is so fun, I am obsessed! Life is a bit crazy throwing her into the mix, but we are so happy we did! I never had a dog growing up, and know I understand why they are man's best friend :)

2010-12-10T20:01:00.000-08:00

Family Story Christmas Card

Shutterfly Christmas cards

View the entire collection of cards.

Snow Fun

2010-12-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

We went up to the mountains to get our Christmas tree (will post a pic soon, its actually straight this year lol) and afterwards we took our nephew sledding. I LOVE sledding, always have, always will! Then we had my father in law take a couple pics for a possible Christmas card. Overall, a great day!

Go DUCKS!

2010-12-07T17:11:00.000-08:00

After thanksgiving dinner, Dan & I headed up to Oregon and went to the Oregon University Ducks football game in Eugene on Friday. We had a blast - Ducks fans are crazy! And they won so that was great! Go DUCKS!

Shutterfly's Cute Christmas

2010-12-06T21:57:00.001-08:00

I love doing photo cards for Christmas and this year I'm using Shutterfly. Why? Because they have the cutest designs! I love them all, its going to be so hard to choose this year! The best part is that they are so affordable. You should definitely check out what they have to offer, if you haven't already. They have every design you can think of, all colors and themes - its so fun to pick the perfect card!

We have two photos to use for our card this year, so I searched under the 2 photo cards and here's my favorites in that category & why:

This one is so fun and colorful - I love the playfulness of it!

I love how this one gives you the opportunity to list the highlights of the year - it would be so fun to send this out to family & friends! The colors are great too! I love how its not just the traditional red & green.

I really love the feel of this one - it must be the cute color combo - love blue & red together. It also has room to put a lot of text which I like!

This one is simple & sweet, I really like the font and light colors.

I love the pink in this one - it could be really fun to use!

AWWW Too many cute ones to chose from! I have no idea which one I'll use, but 'll figure it out! Shutterfly always produces such great cards - I never have had to worry about my order getting messed up or the shipment being late! Every time its been great creating with them! And their website is easy to navigate! Here's the link to their Christmas cards if you're interested: Christmas photo cards to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-photo-cards. They also have really great ideas for gifts - I love the calendars: calendars to http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars! Super easy and everyone loves them. I also love their photo books - its so fun to design it all.

They are also having a blog promo right now where you can score 50 free cards like I'm going to after I post this! Check it out at :http://bit.ly/sfly2010

YAY for a Shutterfly Cute Christmas!

Thanks for listening!

Reading update

2010-12-03T20:44:00.000-08:00

I finished "The Last Battle" a day into my week off - it was wonderful, kinda sad to send the Chronicles of Narnia :(

The other books, not so much! I never really even opened them - they seemed so disappointing compared to the fantasy world of Aslan. Oh well!

We had an awesome time in Oregon! It was so fun road tripping - and the drive was gorgeous, all snowy and green! The Ducks football game was a blast - we had sooo much fun. And exploring Eugene and then Corvallis was just as great. I've gotta say though that Corvallis won me over - its so much like Chico, a cute little college town with alot to over and gorgeous beauty. Of course it is wine country to thats a plus in my book!

I'll post pics soon!

BREAK!!!

2010-11-19T23:24:00.000-08:00

Aww the beauty of working in education...I get a whole week off! I am so thrilled and am attempting to use my time wisely by working on the house and reading.

I'm currently reading three books that I'm hoping to finish (a bit of a long shot but what the he'y):

The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis):

Queen Bees & Wannabes (by Rosalind Wiseman):

Naturally Supernatural (by Gary Best):

Here's to great reading and a wonderful week ahead!

Oh fall how I love thee!

2010-11-13T20:01:00.001-08:00

Today has been such a beautiful crisp fall day! I LOVE fall and everything about it. I think its the most romantic season - the fall scenery alone makes me swoon!

Today I wore a scarf and it made me smile! And Starbucks (and all other stores) are all holiday-ish! Its all so wonderful!

Highlight of the day:

Tonight Im working on homework so I made some coffee and mentioned how I wish it had some foam. So, my brilliant husband created foam out of marshmellows and it is oh so delicious!

Picture of the day:

This is my view of Mount Shasta as I drive to work everyday - makes it not so bad!

BUSY

2010-11-13T19:56:00.000-08:00

Busy is the only way to describe the last month! My daily routine is soooo different now compared to when I was just substitute teaching. I LOVE my new job, don't get me wrong - but the 35min commute has taken some adjustment, especially when having to be at work by 7:15. Its so worth it though. I work with wonderful people and am learning alot. The biggest change has been doing my grad school classes tues & thurs nights - its really hard to get home at 9:45 and pretty much go right to bed when all I want is to hang out with my hubby :( I'm enjoying the classes though and get more & more excited about being a school counselor. Homework and papers suck though!

And then of course we bought a house and moved in the day I started the new job & grad school - that was an INSANE week! I love this house though and its starting to feel like home. Its taking awhile to get it all finished but we've made huge progress considering our schedules. I'll post pics soon!

All is good and I cannot wait for my week of for Thanksgiving!!!!

I got a job!

2010-10-03T00:34:00.000-07:00

I landed a full time job and I'm so stoked to not have to substitute teach anymore! Woo Hoo! I'll be working as a counseling technician for a high school near by - a counseling technician is a fancy term for the counseling & registrar departments' admin & front desk person. I am so excited about this job. It ifts perfectly with what I'm getting my masters & credential in...Educational Counseling. AND it'll just be so nice for Dan and I to both be on school schedules & vacation times - i.e. lots of holidays and summer vacation! I feel very blessed!

Thought for the day

2010-09-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend and I were talking about how we know that God loves all of us crazy undeserving humans, but sometimes that is really hard to swallow. Then I got to pondering the conversation and a little light bulb went off. I started thinking about (and maybe this has only happened to me, but I highly doubt it) when you have been friends with someone for a really long time and you love them regardless of their imperfections and oddities b/c you've been there for each other through thick and thin. Then you introduce this friend to another friend or significant other and they don't feel or click the same as you do with your longtime friend and its kind of upsetting. Well if you've ever been in that situation where you hope that others will see how great your oldest and/or dearest friend is even though it may not be apparent upon first meetings, you'll know what I'm talking about. I think that God sees us all that way - he loves us all so much and sees our potential and worth because He created us and he knows us deeper than anyone else, even when others don't see that and maybe even see opposite, more negative things.
So I guess the reason for thinking about this is to remind myself that before I judge someone or assume the worst of someone, I should remember that God loves that person despite how unloveable they may seem to me or others.

Ecuador 2010 Part #2

2010-09-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

After our week in Quito alone, our team arrived and the craziness set it! We had a big to do list within a jam packed itinerary. The day after the team flew in we all flew out to a beautiful colonial city south of Quito called Cuenca. I LOVED this city - it was so much more quaint and peaceful with its cobblestone streets and red tile roofs compared to crazy Quito. We went to Cuenca to visit a church who has started a clinic and childrens home. One of the members of our team is a ENT and was able to see patients at the clinic - so cool, I wish I had skills like that! At the children's home we did tons of painting and had fun with the kids. Cuenca pics:

We flew back to Quito and had a couple days to get projects done around the orphanage and also do some site seeing for the newbies on the trip. The food in Quito is always exciting. One of the best restaurants is Crepes & Waffles - they have so much amazing meals to eat, from steak in a bread bowl to waffles covered in nutella & vanilla ice cream (which we make at home and with our youth group all the time now and you should too!). Here's me eating a scruptious dessert:

The strangest thing with food in Ecuador is their delicacy: guinea pig, which they call Qui. So weird! Haven't gotten up the guts to try it...we almost did on this trip but one Qui cost $17! No thank you!

After our few days in Quito we headed south to the sister orphanage to do projects and show love to the children. I really wanted to make sure I got time in with the children this year b/c last year I was disappointed with that. There ended up being one special baby who captured my heart - I spent every minute I could with him. He is a primi-baby and thats why he's soo little even though he's 6 months old. Here we are:

Giovanni is his name and he made this whole trip all worth it! I hope he finds a good home someday soon, if not I would adopt him in a heart beat! Its so sad to see all the abandoned kids and then know that their country is corrupt and makes it very difficult for international adoptions to happen - they charge over $20,000 and process international adoptions soooo slowly, unless you are willing to move to Ecuador for 3 years to be considered "local" (then its much easier and cheaper). I must say I'd move for this little guy!

Another highlight of the trip was meeting these two ladies:

Courtney, in the middle, joined our churches trip for her first time overseas and she was such a blessing and so fun to have along! Lizzy on the left was already in Quito volunteering for a month when we arrived and we had an instant bond. These two girls were so much fun and I'm so glad we met!

Overall a great trip and I'm already looking forward to going next year...we are going into the Jungle next year so I need to get over my fear of ginormous bugs and snakes in the meantime!

Ecuador 2010 Part #1

2010-09-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

So this July we headed to Ecuador again and it was such a great trip! I started to love parts of this country this time around...

Dan and I went a week ahead of the group from our church so that we could have some time for Dan to show me where he lived for a year. It was a great week - we stayed in an amazing hostel which was much more like a bed and breakfast...we had a huge room and private bathroom and they made us a huge breakfast every morning! Here's a pic:

During our first week of it being just us we went to all the hot spots, ate some amazing local food, went to a professional futbol game (so fun!), and helped out here and there at the orphanage. The craziest part of our week was driving around in ou

r rental car - thank goodness Dan is used to driving down there, b/c it is insane to say the least and we had many close calls! All part of the adventure though!

It was such a great week together. I love that we both have a love for cultures and adventure. It was so nice to have Dan show me all the places he's so familiar with and share all his memories!

Hume Lake 2010

2010-09-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

Back in June Dan and I took our youth group to Hume Lake Summer Camp. We were on the high school side of camp with half of our kids and had a blast. It was especially awesome b/c I got to have Janelle with me as the other counselor for the high school girls - we were a great team! It was an incredible week with our kids - they were really able to have an authentic encounter with God in a setting that made it comfortable for them to worship and grow closer to Him. It was so great to see God break down walls and heal hearts. It was also so awesome to get to spend so much time in worship for a week straight for us counselors. For myself especially it was great to grow closer with the high school girls and form deeper friendships with them. Can't wait for next year!

Photogness

2010-09-02T11:28:00.000-07:00

I just came to the realization that my love affair with my camera ended almost a year ago now and I am now realizing that not using my camera goes hand in hand with a lame blog. All the blogs I love have tons of pictures - I guess I'm a visual learner. Needless to say, I think my camera and I need to start hanging out again. I'm thinking of just putting it in my purse so that its there and maybe I'll think to use it soon. Its a shame really...life is going by and I haven't captured most of the best year of my life. Sad day!

Its my missions to post some pictures soon, I just need to go find my camera...hmmm...

WOW

2010-08-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

So I have no clue when the last time I posted was, how sad is that? Its probably okay though since I'm pretty sure any readers I did have long ago gave up on me as a blogger. But today I just happen to have had time to waste so I took myself and my laptop to starbucks to use up their now free wifi.

Anyways, because I'm not sure when I last blogged I have no idea how far back I need to go to catch up. So I'll just talk of current happenings...

After getting back from our 17 day long vacation/mission trip (we went earlier then our team to explore and have fun just us) to Ecuador (which was awesome and way better then last year b/c I didnt get sick - thank you Jesus) Dan and I felt very strongly that the Lord was telling us to stay put and realize the work (youth group & such) he has us doing at home. We have a tendency to get overly excited dreaming of living overseas which makes us discontent at home. But we are finally over that. It is so true that once you are content with where God has you life is much richer. Since being home and coming to those realizations we have been so blessed: we are buying a house, Dan got re-hired to teach after a year of being laid off, and I am starting Grad School. God is good and we are sooo amazing by His grace!

So currently my days are filled with searching for a job and in the meantime substitute teaching still. As well as taken care of all this house searching and buying business - so not easy! I start Grad School for a Masters in Educational Counseling in October, for which I'm super stoked and can't wait!

2010

2010-02-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

2010 has been great so far! Dan & I are very much settled in to our life together and full of marital bliss.

We started out the new year with friends and family - it was so fun to have my sister along with us & our friends!

We enjoyed a fun honeymoon in Cozumel at the end of January. Although the weather wasn't so great we made the most out of the trip by adventuring around the island (snorkeling, mo-ped'ing, dune-booggie-ing, etc.)!

As an early b-day gift Dan & my family hooked me up with a sweet trek mountain bike! I love it so much and its been a great source of exercise (when its not raining).

And the year is just getting started and there are so many great things ahead! In a week we leave for east asia - we cannot wait and are so excited about this opportunity!

Dan and I have been really frustrated/disgusted with American society and politics, and really desire to lead a much more simplified life then the average American. Its so weird how our society makes us think we need so much stuff. We've both been around the world and seen so many other places & people who would be considered poor in our country but are so content & joyful with what they have. It seems the opposite in the U.S. where the more you have, the more you want, and your life gets controlled by those desires and you end up unhappy. We don't want to fall into this culture of indulgence. So slowly we are trying to simplify things down and not live outside our means. The situation in Haiti is just another wake up call that all things should be counted as loss b/c possessions are not what is important in life and life is fleeting. We have a long way to go, and often feel guilty about all we have - we know we have been blessed tremendously and our desire is to give back. I would love to get to the point where if a fire were to burn our home down I wouldn't be devastated by the loss of "stuff". I'd love to live on what we need, not what we want. Hopefully we can live that out and it not just be all talk! That is what my hope is for 2010!

Wedding Pictures

2010-02-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry its taken so long to post some!

Maddness

2009-12-09T20:00:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, Dan walked into our front door to the sight of water pouring down like a waterfall from our swamp cooler onto the hallway floor. He quickly realized it that wasn't the only place it was happening...it was also pouring down all throughout the guest bedroom, closet, and bathroom. He called me and began to tell me such, but at first I didn't believe him since he's always fooling my gullable self with crazy stories. I only wish it had been a joke! But unfortunetly this time my husband "who cries wolf" was telling the truth. Long story short, a pipe froze & burst in our attic. Luckily for us, it shot all the water into that guest bedroom and hallway where we don't have many things, and nothing of ours was damaged - God was looking out for us! Our landlord on the other hand will not be so lucky. Its been a crazy two days though! After shutting off the water to our house we were able to just deal with small leaks, but much damage had been done to the ceiling and carpet. Dan has spent the last day pulling up all the carpet and taking down the soaked insolation - poor guy! I'm just so thankful it happened in that room and not any other! Hopefully it will be all taken care of quickly...in the mean time it is kind of comicle :)

Long lost friend

2009-12-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

Wow its been so long since I've posted! The reason being that my internet usage is very limited these days. Before gettting married I moved up to Red Bluff to get settled in and start nesting. And now three months out we still do not have internet. I actually kind of like it that way now...I am not spending all my down time wasted on the computer. Instead I read ALOT more, enjoy movies, cook, go for runs, and of course, all of this is time spent with Dan, my wonderful hubby! I still cannot believe how lucky I am to be married to him! The whole wedding seems like a big blurry dream by now, but it was wonderful and turned out so great...despite all the stress involved. (Note to self: encourage future children to keep is simple and maybe even elope haha).
Anyways, here's what's new:
- I've dedicated my days to subsitute teaching rather than stressing out over finding full time work: A) because it pays great and B) because its so flexible and I will be able to take time off when needed, say for travelling!
- Dan and I are going to East Asia in February for 2 weeks with the Vineyard! So excited! Also definitely going back to Ecuador this summer :)
- Life in little Red Bluff is going well - we are finally feeling like our little home is home. Yet we do get quite bored with this town and can't wait to move somewhere more exciting some day.
- We went up to the snow and cut down our first Christmas tree! Fun but tiring...seriously considering a fake tree in the future as sad as that is lol

That's about all I can think of for now! Hopefully my next post will be sooner than later!

5 days!

2009-10-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

5 days until I am a married woman! I am beyond excited! Life has been crazy busy, hence why this is my first post in quite a long time...sorry about that!
Hopefully I can post pictures of our wedding day soon! Woo hoo!!!! I feel like the luckiest girl in the world!

2009-09-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

My Life has been too too busy to blog! Sorry!

The wedding is in 3 1/2 weeks...

Im in between moving to Red Bluff...

I'm trying to find a job...

its crazy times and Im so ready to be married and settled!

Ecuador here we come!

2009-07-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

At 2:00am this Thursday I will be beginning my journey to Quito, Ecuador!
I am so excited for this trip for so many reasons! I am going with our church to help an orphanage we support: check it out at http://www.forhischildren-ecuador.org/fhcmain.php. Our church takes a team down every year, and my fiance Dan actually spent a year their in 2005. It will be so awesome to finally see the place that I have heard so much about from him! We will be helping at two of their orphanage sites doing various projects they need help with and of course doting on the children!

I ask that any of you reading this would please PRAY for our team! Here's some specifics you can talk to God about for us:
- Safe travel
- Health: that no one gets sick from food, altitude (Quito is about 9,800 ft above sea level!), or anything else that can attack our bodies!
- Spiritual, Mental, & Physical preparedness & health
- That we would be culturally sensitive & humble
- That we would be used mightily for His Glory alone!
- That any fears would be taken away & replaced by His peace

I can't wait to tell you all about the trip and post pictures! Its a short trip, just 8 days, but I know amazing things will come of it!
Thank you for joining with me in prayer!
~Michelle

VIVA LA VIDA

2009-07-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight Dan and I are going to the COLDPLAY concert at Sleep Train Amp! I CANNOT wait! I surprised Dan with these tickets awhile back and we have been eagerly awaiting its arrival!

The Countdown Begins

2009-07-09T12:42:00.000-07:00

100 days until the wedding!
YAY!
I cannot wait! Lots of little things to still get done, but oh so fun!
October 17th, hurry hurry!

All alone

2009-06-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

So Dan left for Hume Lake early Sunday morning with his youth group kids. I know they will have an incredible experience and the kids will hopefully come back changed and on fire for God. This year Dan is taking 40 kids! Its very exciting to see the youth in our church growing and becoming these awesome and bold followers of Christ. Its also neat to see how God uses Dan to guide them in His ways. Dan is so great with them and its cool to see how they respect him. I'm excited to eventually work along side him with the youth group once we are married :)
But, not being able to see Dan for a week is just awful. After my boring lackluster days at work, seeing him makes everything all better. Without him this week to brighten my days pretty much sucks! He is my favorite person in the whole world and I cannot wait until he returns!
Meanwhile I'm trying to keep myself busy after work each day so that I don't just go home and sulk in my loneliness (haha). And luckily my best friend Kara and our friend Chrissy are coming to visit this weekend!! I cannot wait until they arrive - it'll be a great girls weekend of too much fun!
Anyways, here are some recent pictures of Dan and I from our trip to SoCal in May! He emailed them to me before he left to cheer me up!

Confession

2009-06-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

I love Angelina Jolie.

Haha not really, but I do admire her (all adultery put aside) for the life she now leads. Her activism as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador is awesome. Despite being possibly the most famous person in the world, she tends to completely ignore that and focus on using that fame for good causes, namely sharing the plight of the world's refugees. I also love that she has adopted so many children from the war torn countries she has visited. Bottom line...she leads a pretty sweet life. I've always said that if I had to choose one celebrity to be saved by Jesus it would be her because she is so remarkable now with bringing awareness to humanitarian issues, just think how awesome she'd be if she was combining that with bringing awareness to Jesus!
All nonsense aside... yesterday was World Refugee Day. You may or may not have seen one of the various interviews Angelina did to help promote it. Either way, here are some facts:
2008 IN REVIEW – STATISTICS AT A GLANCE by the UNHCR:
• There were some 42 million forcibly displaced people worldwide at the end of 2008.
This includes 15.2 million refugees, 827,000 asylum-seekers (pending cases) and 26
million internally displaced persons (IDPs).
• Women and girls represent on average 49 per cent of persons of concern to UNHCR.
They constitute 47 per cent of refugees and asylum-seekers, and half of all IDPs and
returnees (refugees). Forty-four per cent of refugees and asylum-seekers are children
below 18 years of age.
• Developing countries are host to four fifths of the world’s refugees. Based on the data
available for 8.8 million refugees, UNHCR estimates that half of the world’s refugees
reside in urban areas and one third in camps. However, seven out of ten refugees in
sub-Saharan Africa reside in camps.
• Pakistan is host to the largest number of refugees worldwide (1.8 million), followed
by the Syrian Arab Republic (1.1 million) and the Islamic Republic of Iran (980,000).
• Afghan and Iraqi refugees account for almost half of all refugees under UNHCR’s
responsibility worldwide. One out of four refugees in the world is from Afghanistan
(2.8 million) and Afghans are located in 69 different asylum countries. Iraqis are the
second largest refugee group, with 1.9 million having sought refuge mainly in
neighbouring countries.
• Pakistan hosted the largest number of refugees in relation to its economic capacity.
The country hosted 733 refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per capita. It was followed by
the Democratic Republic of the Congo (496 refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per
capita) and the United Republic of Tanzania (262). The first developed country is
Germany at 26th place with 16 refugees per 1 USD GDP (PPP) per capita.

And then today, it has been announced that World Hunger has reached the billion mark due to the world's economic crisis.
So many in our war torn and devastated world need our help and aid. There are so many ways to get involved. One easy way is by making donations to the various humanitarian organizations out there that are on the front lines helping where we are not able to: The International Rescue Committee; The World Food Programme; the UNHCR; The International Red Cross; World Vision; Save Darfur; and many many others.
Another way to help is to stay informed and spread the world to others. Most people aren't aware of the tragic crisis going on all over the world and in our own backyards. Whenever I am struggling and think that I have it bad, I try to remember those that have it so much worse. There is so much that myself, and most lucky Americans, take for granted when others are struggling to just have their basic needs met!

uh oh

2009-06-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

North Korea is scary.

That's all.

post scriptum

2009-06-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

P.S. God is so faithful and so good! All glory be to Him forever!

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing." - Zephaniah 3:17

Photographs

2009-06-04T12:31:00.000-07:00

Just in case you were wondering...yes, I do realize that my last several posts have had no recent pictures from my life posted onto them. Why? I just haven't had the spare time to upload my camera onto my computer, edit the pics, and post them. Sorry! I promise I will soon since its been over two months!
Anyways... nothing much is new. Still have my boring desk job....but not for long! I will be moving on to something new by the end of the summer. Its been a long 2.5 years working at my current job. I could go on and on about why I don't like it, but in the end I've been lucky to have a job that pays decently and gives me benefits. So many other people don't have that right now, so I realize that despite the lack of passion & overwhelming boredom, I am thankful that I've had this job. BUT I can't wait to be done! Since I'm starting grad school in the fall, I need a more flexible job, so in a couple weekends I'll hopefully be passing the CBEST test so that I can become a substitute teacher. I KNOW, most of you are probably thinking I'm nuts for doing so, but I really am looking forward to it. I'll stick with the younger grades, not going past junior high, so I should be able to handle the brats. haha. I think it'll be so great to go to work and have it be completely different each day! I also am going to start working part time at our church which is what I'm REALLY stoke about! Its not all set in stone yet and it has to still be worked out, but I will be helping with secretarial work AND their hope is for me to begin a more focused missions ministry. I'm so excited! Finally something up my alley!
Needless to say, I can't wait for the Fall! All these new changes are so wonderful!

Blessed Weekend

2009-05-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is the first weekend in months that Dan & I have nothing to do! Its oh so wonderful! I can't wait to just relax and veg and get some rays!
HAPPY WEEKEND!!

Help Save Darfur!

2009-05-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hey friends,

"A big lie." That's what Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations called a U.N. report that "over 1 million people are at life-threatening risk" due to the government of Sudan's decision to expel 13 aid groups.

But we know the truth: there is a dire crisis in Darfur. We can't wait another day for bold, agenda-setting leadership. That's why I just added my voice to a letter from the Darfur activist community calling on President Obama to take bold action for the people of Darfur, and I hope you will too.

http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/jointletter

If we can get 50,000 signatures on the open letter by midnight tonight, the Save Darfur Coalition will bring copies to the White House during the March for Darfur on Friday. So don't delay—this could have a big impact!

Make sure President Obama hears from you!

The rainy season in Darfur is coming soon, and it will only make matters worse for those at risk without the aid groups. We must help the groups get access to Darfur again.

http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/jointletter

Sincerely,

Michelle

Secrets

2009-05-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever visited Post Secret's blogspot?
It's quite fascinating. I stumble upon it from time to time. It always makes me sad. Most of the secrets people send in are from people who seem to have deep rooted issues and fears. Some kind of freak me out, some are laughable, and most are depressing. I think though that being able to get their secrets out is helping them...I hope so at least.
Needless to say, its a very cool project. I was trying to think of what I would send into post secret. I'm having a hard time coming up with anything b/c I don't really have any deep dark secrets. Those who are close to me know everything already. But maybe the key is to speak out loud all the thinks you say in your head but keep to yourself. Now there's a long list lol hmm....

http://postsecret.blogspot.com/

2009-05-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Today is day 105 of Gao Zhisheng’s imprisonment in China.
If you know ANYONE who hasn’t signed the petition yet, please direct them to http://www.freegao.com so they can sign it and learn more about what is going on.
PLEASE PRAY for Gao and his family and for justice to be brought to the situation.
Pray for all of the people unjustly tortured & imprisoned because of their obedient faith in Christ!

Road trip!

2009-05-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow Dan and I will be starting our road trip down to So Cal! Its a bit of a surprise trip for his birthday, although he pretty much knows what it consists of by now. First on the agenda: The Angels vs Red Sox game Thursday. I cannot wait! I'm a HUGE Angels fan and he is a HUGE Red Sox fan...needless to say it will be very fun!
The rest of the trip consists of meeting family & friends and other surprises along the way. I can't wait to show him where I'm from and my old stomping grounds. It'll be a great trip! It'll be so nice to have two days off work - Hallelujah!
Hopefully I'll be seeing some of you soon!!!

Blah!

2009-05-08T13:29:00.000-07:00

Its been kind of a tough week for me, work wise. I am one (of the millions of people I'm sure) who hates their job, but can't leave it. I've worked for my father for over two years now in what was supposed to be a short term job doing administrative work. Well, like I said its been over two years and I'm still at this boring boring boring job because I'm trapped. I'm trapped by wages; the flexibility; and the economy. So I'm sitting behind a desk for 8 hours each day trying to stretch out work that would only take me an hour to finish. I'm unchallenged. I'm purposeless. I am bored to tears. But I'm stuck. Especially because I start grad school in the fall and no other job would give me the flexibility of hours. Which means I'll most likely be working here still for the next year and a half unless a miracle happens. Oh how I wish a miracle would happen so I wouldn't have to be miserable for 8 hours each day. I'd honestly rather work at McDonalds b/c I'm pretty sure it would be more exciting...but they aren't hiring lol.
I hate to complain about my job, especially when so many are unemployed right now. I know I should just sit back and be thankful, and I am to some extent. Its just getting very difficult to do so as its been over two years now with no end in sight.
Luckily, everything else in life is so great right now and I have Dan to look forward to seeing at the end of each day ~ that makes it all better!
Sorry for venting, but it made me feel better so I'm not that sorry haha :)

SAVE DARFUR

2009-05-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hey,

The rainy season in Darfur is coming soon, and it will only make
matters worse for the over 1.1 million people at risk due to
Sudan's expulsion of major aid organizations.

We can't wait another day for bold, agenda-setting leadership.
That's why I just signed a letter from the Darfur activist
community to restore aid and end the violence, and I hope you
will too.

Click below to sign the letter!

http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/jointletter/ix7w8u5ra7x768tm ?

If you would like to update your account information, please
visit your subscription management page for Save Darfur
Coalition at:
http://action.savedarfur.org/savedarfur/smp.tcl?nkey=ix7w8u5z2n&

Tomorrow Rain or Shine

2009-05-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'll be working at this:
Walk for Life is an annual fundraiser dedicated to the mothers of Butte County. All the proceeds benefit the Women’s Resource Clinic, which exists to help women, mothers & babies of this community in difficult times. They are a free pregnancy crisis clinic. The Walk also honors the Sanctity of Human Life.

I have the privilege of being a volunteer at the Women's Resource Clinic in Chico and its been such an awesome experience so far! I'll be helping out with face painting tomorrow so if your in the area come on down to PV high school!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hungry

2009-04-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

I've come to realize that I'm going through a super "spiritually hungry" season. Anything (Christ-centered) I can read or listen to I am just eating up. I found this cool website that helps you read the bible in one year: http://www.ewordtoday.com/year/ and I'm loving it! I'm able to each day read passages from the Old & New Testament - its pretty awesome. I found a daily women's devotional in my bookshelf that I don't think I ever read, so I brought it to work today and so far so good ~ it'll be a nice little perk to my workdays! Speaking of my bookshelf, I was looking through all my wonderful books that I collected from being a Global Studies minor at CBU and have decided that I want to re-read them all since I won't have to write reflection papers on each chapter haha. I just can't decide which one first, its between: Discipling the Nations by Darrow Miller; Let the Nations be Glad by John Piper; or The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. All great, all heavy...its a toss up, maybe I'll do enie meanie minie mo! I've also been downloading tons of podcasts from John Piper and Erwin McManus - good good stuff!

I'm not sure why I'm sharing this information with you. Maybe to suggests these great sources for your own spiritual hunger. Or maybe I'm searching for more suggestions. Whatever the reason, I'm liking this type of hunger...I'd say its probably the best hunger and I hope it lasts and lasts. I'm thinking that maybe I'm being prepared for my summer trip to Ecuador ~ I'm so excited for it and cannot wait to see what the Lord is doing down there and how he might use those of us who are going!

Above all, God is Good and God is Just and God is Love...no matter what, no matter how messed up the world is and no matter how messed up we are. He is the ultimate Comforter in hard times when things don't seem to make sense around us. We are able (however unworthy) to know such a faithful God who will guide us and give us strength when we are faithful to Him.

Great weekend

2009-04-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, the weekend was as great as expected and more so!
Fishing was awesome, minus the freezing weather w/ random hail storms in between sunshine: to my fiance's suprise (but not mine hehe) I caught 3 trout w/i 20 minutes, and caught my limit & then some before everyone else. He was quite impressed that I do it all on my own - I set up my line, tie on the hook, bait the hook, cast out, set the hook, net the fish, squeeze the fish & dig out the hook, line the fish, and start it all over again. I guess my noram super girliness had him thrown off! Hehe it was awesome! P.S. He's a good fisherman too!

Having my sister Laurel & her husband Dan up was fun! Us ladies ended up going wedding dress shopping on Satuday while the boys went out to the race track. GUESS WHAT?
I HAVE MY WEDDING DRESS!!!!!!
I tried on sooo many dresses but when I finally tried on the one it was perfect! Just what I had hoped for! I can't wait to wear it in October!

Pill popper

2009-04-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

I went to the doc and got a bunch of allergy meds. Woo hoo. I'm already feeling better which is awesome but I hate being medicated, but for now its worth it!
On more exciting notes...
This weekend is going to be great!
I am going fishing with my dad tomorrow for our annual opening season fishing day! We go the day before b/c we know the secret of our favorite little lake that stalks it a day early - its awesome. Last year I caught my limit and then some. Then I switched to fly fishing and hooked 30+ trout! Its a blast! And this year my fiance Dan is coming along which should be fun & interesting. He's quite competitive so I'm guessing he's going to have a difficult time when I out fish him HAHA

THEN my sister & her husband Dan (yes, we will both be married to a Dan) are driving up from San Fran to spend the weekend with us. I love those two ~ they are so much fun:

Hope everyone else has a great weekend!

With all the evil & madness going on in the world...

2009-04-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either . . love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:27–29, 35–36)

Sleepless nights

2009-04-21T09:30:00.000-07:00

If you've been a devoted reader of my blog :) then you'll remember my posts on how I've discovered through many colds that I am allergic to NorCal. I was put on two inhalers and then I went on vacation to Cancun back in February and I was all better....until now. Spring is the worst time for allergy season up here and its been hitting me pretty bad the last two days. So I finally bough some Claritin and popped one in Sunday morning. Well I had bought 24 hours NON-DROWSY Claritin to be exact which was a BIG mistake. I have been waking up about every 15 minutes at night, its been aweful. [Notice the table to the left unger Decongestants disadvantage = LAME]. But I keep taking it b/c its takes away all my allergy symptoms and since it was so expensive I don't want to waste it. I love living up here and all but I am really longing to someday live on the coast again, but that won't be happening any time soon :(
SO in the meantime I am just going to buy some cheapy nighttime allergy meds to counterattack the non-drowsy Claritin (aka Crack/Speed in a pill)

My Ears are Happy

2009-04-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

Pandora just made my day. I recently deleted my myspace (yay!) and the only downside to that is that now I don't have access to all that music and all the playlists I had created. But AH HA! I remembered Pandora and now I'm listening to the Alternative/Indie station that is rocking my socks off with The Shins, Postal Service, Radiohead, and Death Cab! Ahhh its like a little music heaven!

Been awhile

2009-04-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

So I haven't blogged in awhile...mostly because I don't know what to say. Things are BUSY! Between working my 9-5 job and volunteering at the Chico Women's Resource Clinic (so so wonderful!), the rest of my time is spent with Dan and my parents. I've been watching a lot of American Idol this year since Dan is pretty much addicted to it (it must be b/c he can actually sing and play guitar as well if not better than most of the contestants minus Allison & Adam....but I still prefer Dan hehe). My weekends are booked through June, and now those are starting to fill up!

This weekend I'm going to the Red Bluff Rodeo with Dan & his family lol! It should be interesting, definitely a different culutre then I'm used to. I'm beginning to think Dan is more of a cowboy then I ever thought considering that today he is off branding cows! I definitely didn't know much about that side of him when we were just friends the past 2 1/2 years. Its pretty cool, and I think its pretty sexy haha! (Disclaimer: he's not a stereotypical cowboy; he doesn't wear a cowboy hat, he doesnt talk with an annoying hick accent, and you would never guess he knows how to brand cows when you meet him). Anyways...I think the bull riding at the rodeo will freak me out. Mostly I'm excited to be a poser and wear my cute vintage/antique cowgirl boots! :)

I don't know what else to write so here are some random thoughts for the day:
- I'm getting bored with my music - I need some new stuff and it'll be awhile until my usuals (damien rice, rachael yamagata, feist, imogen heap, coldplay, etc.) comes out with something new. Any artists you'd like to share with me???
- The flowers Dan sent to my work last week (for no reason awwww) still look pretty
- I ordered bridesmaid's dresses and can't wait to see them!
- I wish the spirit of Easter lasted longer then just a day filled with pastels

Hope you're having a happy day!

Grad school here I come!

2009-04-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

I must say I feel both very privileged AND very nerdy to be starting Grad School at Chico State University next fall! But I am super stoked! I've missed school the last couple of years. After all, its what I have been best at my entire life. It'll be so nice to get my brain stimulated again! It's going to be one crazy fall starting Grad School AND getting married, BUT I'm up for the challenge!
Here's my possible classes for my first semester - I need to pick three out of the four:
POLS: International Organizations
POLS: Seminar International Relations
POLS: Economic & Global Finance Issues in Health
HCSV: Grant Writing & Fundraising
Which three would you pick??

Here's a pic of Chico State Univ:Its quite pretty with all its bricks and trees! It'll be interesting to spend so much time in Downtown Chico being studious rather then shopping & sipping margaritas haha!

The Sweetest Day!

2009-03-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Yup that's what Oct 17th, 2009 will be...and not just because I'm getting married!

How It Started

Over 60 years ago, a Cleveland man, believing that the city's orphans and shut-ins too often felt forgotten and neglected, conceived the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this through the distribution of small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he distributed these small remembrances on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to participate in the celebration ceremony, which came to be called "Sweetest Day". In time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the underprivileged was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small remembrance. And soon the idea spread to other cities all over the country.

What It Is

Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged, and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.

Sweetest Day is not based on any single group's religious sentiment or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning.

Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift-giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a tangible way.

Sweet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apologizes

2009-03-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been MIA for the last week or so ~ I apologize to me dear readers (all 3 of them haha)!
Head on over to my Facebook to see pics and a little explanation of the engagement! I'm STILL waiting for pictures from everyone, ugh ugh! Here's my favorite from the few I have so far:
Since the engagement I've been super busy making plans! Luckily I have a super boring job so I basically spend a lot of my work days working on wedding stuff (hmm...not sure if I should admit that, oh well!). We have set a date and location! Oct 17th @ the SF Theological Seminary in San Anselmo (Marin County) - they have a gorgeous chapel and beautiful outdoor terrace for the reception that overlooks the valley! It's what I've always dreamed of for my big day! Dan has been so sweet about everything ~ he doesn't care about much of the planning, which is what I've always hope for in a fiance hehe, so it makes planning pretty easy! Of course, I run all the choices and decisions by him, and he kindly agrees! I'm doing a good job so far on keeping the cost low, we've gotten some amazing deals already, its a huge blessing! I can't wait for October!!

2009-03-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

I'M ENGAGED!!!!
Details and Pics coming soon!

Text messages from God

2009-03-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right, texts messages from God....via my brother in law. Let me explain:
Last Saturday was Cassie & Jason's wedding as I previously mentioned. Being the Maid of Honor one of my last duties was to give a speech at the reception. Even typing those words makes my stomach ache... I am one of the millions of people to have a fear of public speaking. Fortunately, I have done a Maid of Honor speech in the past for my sister's wedding and learned the trick to calm my fears. The trick would be...da da dada: RED WINE! I know I know, that's not very wise and God didn't not think so either because as I was sipping, er gulping, my glass of red wine to get into my nervous system before my speech I received a text message. It read: "You are going to speak well my dear one. Now put the wine down. - God". It was a good call on God's part (and that of my brother in law's, who by the way claimed to be God's messanger for the night). Needless to say, with help of God (and some wine), the speech went very well! And the rest of the night was awesome! It was a beautiful and super fun wedding! Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Halley for allowing us to celebrate you!

Cassie!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-06T10:03:00.001-08:00

My best friend Cassie is getting married tomorrow to her wonderful fiance Jason!
I am honored to be her Maid of Honor these last nine months! Its been so fun! I am just more than excited for these two! They are such an awesome and rare couple! They've been together six years tomorrow! I know they are going to have such a great life together and that God will continue to bless them and use them wherever He leads!

I don't know what I would do without Cassie! She was my first friend up in Nor Cal and she has been my rock. She is an incredibly strong woman of faith and she's blesses my life everyday! We've had so so many fun times together!

So here's some pictures of me and her over the last few years!

Love you guys! Congrats on your big day!

Read the News (World News that is)

2009-03-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

Until a college class with Jeff Lewis, the news was not a part of my daily life, or life in general. The news irritated me, made me overwhelmed, and was pretty depressing; so I stayed clear of it. Well, Jeff Lewis and maturity, made me realize the importance of knowing what is going on around the world. We can't just be consumed with our own little bubbles, because there are larger bubbles with much larger problems of more importance going on all around us. And those larger bubbles matter because they are opportunities to pray - to pray for wars and crime, poverty and injustice, sickness and death, the lost and fellow believers.
So every morning I scan through various world news sections from AP, Reuters, etc. (I've chosen to read the news versus watching/listening to it b/c there is so much corruption in the media). There's no way for me to know and read about everything going on, but over the years certain issues and places around the world peak my interests and stir my heart. Like today for example, a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Sudan's president Bashir due to him standing by while a horrific genocide, rape, pillaging, and fleeing goes on and on in his country. THIS IS A BIG DEAL! Yes its a great thing that the international court has recognized this and is making efforts to bring this to an end, but it also could be at the expense of more violence and retaliation in the region because of the warrant. The region of Darfur, the people of Sudan, the aid workers in Sudan, Christians in Sudan, need our prayers! Please join with me in praying and staying up to date with world crisises such as this one in Sudan. Unfortunetly, its not the only crisis going on in our lost world...just look over the headlines today. May God grant us mercy and hear our prayers!

Rain Rain Rain

2009-03-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

Its been raining non-stop for three days now, and it will continue to do so. I have to keep reminding myself that its a good thing, we need the water, we need our lakes full so that So Cal has water (yes So Cal without Nor Cal you wouldn't have any water). Anyways, my point is that I HATE RAIN! The only time rain is nice is if I'm in Hawaii or if I'm snuggled up at home watching a movie. Part of why I disdain the rain is b/c I have a very strange fear of slipping. You see when the ground is wet, its slippery, and in my mind when I'm walking and its slippery I imagine myself falling and cracking my head open - yeah pretty gruesome. It all goes back to the 3rd grade and this boy slipping and cracking his head open right in front of me and me seeing all the blood (I should add that he was okay, he didn't die or anything). So see, my fear of slipping gives me a pretty rational reason to hate on the rain. But luckily living in Nor Cal has given me a little bit more of a hippie environmentalist view point and in turn I appreciate the rain more and more. Its what makes this area, and all areas around the world where it rains, so beautiful all year long.
So on such days as today, where it won't stop raining and I'm sitting in my closet of an office peering out my little window getting slightly depressed (haha don't worry I'm not really depressed)...I decide that if I can't beat it join it. So I wear my cute rain boots, listen to slightly depressing yet beautiful music (i.e. Damien Rice and Rachel Yamagata), drink hot tea, maybe right a poem, and just go with it! And in all actuality, I then don't mind the rain all that much...except if I have to walk in it :)

Fellow readers...if there are any...

2009-02-27T13:47:00.001-08:00

If you are reading my blog right now, go add me to your blog roll please so that the greater blog world knows I exist! Thanks! XOXO

Golden B-day Pics

2009-02-27T10:40:00.000-08:00

As you can see I was decked out in gold! haha It was so fun! My sister got me all this great gold stuff for my b-day: gold glitter, gold eye shadow, gold pouch, gold gold gold! It was a fun night: great friends, great wine, great dancing, just great!

BIRTHDAY

2009-02-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

Today's my 23rd Birthday! I love birthdays! This one has special in that its my GOLDEN BIRTHDAY! Meaning I'm 23 on the 23rd!
Me and my friends went out Saturday to celebrate, it was a blast! I got decked out in head to toe gold! Pics to come!
Tonight my parents, Dan, and I are going out to eat. I picked an Indian restaurant, I'm super excited. Although, I think they are all nervous haha!

Thanks to everyone for making my birthday so special! Love ya!

Cancun Pics

2009-02-23T14:09:00.001-08:00

So I got back from Cancun a little over a week ago! It was an amazing vacation! Our hotel was glorious and the ocean was so incredible! Here's a pic on our hotel from our balcony, and another pic of me standing on the ruins (which I wasn't supposed to do) that were right next to our hotel!

We spent alot of our days drinking margaritas, pina coladas, etc. and eating amazing food!
.....
We took at tour of Chichen Itza - which for a history nerd was so incredible to be able to see! The Mayan civilization was so advanced and truly remarkable!
We also took a trip to the island off of Cancun, called Isla Mujeras, where we swam with dolphins, I zip lined this crazy zip line that went over the ocean while my parents snorkled, visited a sea turtle reserve, and relaxed in the sun!

...........

Overall it was fantastic! I would go back in a heartbeat!

Prepare to be jelous!

2009-02-05T15:30:00.001-08:00

I am leaving for Cancun tomorrow! I am oh so excited! I'll be heading there with my parents - this is our first trip using their new Westin timeshare. I can't wait to be in the sun! I think it will do wonders for my cold/allergies that have plagued me the last two weeks. It'll be a very relaxing trip since its just me and my folks - mostly ancient ruin exploring and sun bathing...I'm stoked!
Here's where I'm staying:
Westin Lagunamar
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Yeah, pretty amazing! I'm a lucky lucky girl!

Here's a pic of our last Mexican vacation two years ago in Acapulco:

Oh the little traveling family - I'm very blessed!

So here's my farewell, via con dios muchachas! :)

I just fell in love...

2009-02-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

...with Gwyneth Paltrow's new website GOOP.com - Ladies, CHECK IT OUT! I always knew I loved Gwyneth Paltrow, she's just so classy and her style is so effortless. Well now there's another reason to love her, this website! I was particularly intrigued with the article on Detoxing...and now I'm contemplating it...any other takers??? Also, the newsletter on London made me really really want to get back there and now I can't stop thinking about how wonderful that part of the world is. The travel bug is ALWAYS biting at me! I love Europe, I believe I probably should have been born there, but all my ancestors were so that must be why I crave it so much and fit right into those realms. Someday, maybe someday, I'll live there...oh how I wish!
P.S. If you've never see or read the book Possessions you need to! Its one of my favorite Gwyneth Paltrow films!

Oh wine how I love thee...

2009-01-29T14:14:00.000-08:00

I spent the past weekend in Sonoma and Napa for my dad's birthday. He is a wine club member of Sebastiani and so we (my parents, my sister & bro in law, me and my friend Loni) got a private wine & cheese pairing tasting party there. It was absolutely wonderful...as Loni said "its like heaven"! Sonoma itself is quite a fantastic little town. I took a couple trips there over the summer to visit Loni who had moved back there (its her hometown) from Chico, so I'm quite familiar with it now. Its very small and quaint, has amazing wine all around, amazing restaurants and food, and great local bands...check out the Whiskey Thieves and Sean Carscadden Trio. On Sunday my parents and I headed up to Napa and stopped by a business aquaintance's private winery, the Bremer family winery. We spent the afternoon there tasting the wines...which was honestly some of THE BEST wine I've ever drank, and I've drank a lot of wine haha. Needless to say, it was a great weekend! Can't wait unitl I return!

I miss...

2009-01-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

PRAGUE!

I guess I always am missing Prague. Today I've been thinking about it a lot b/c one of the couples I worked with there had a baby girl today! I wish I could be there for that. I was surrounded by such an amazing group of people when I was there, and I learned a great deal from each other them. They were all so warm and welcoming, its because of them I had such an incredible experience. It almost seems like this crazy far off dream I once had, but no, it was a real adventure that I really did take. Its almost been two years since I was there...two years...wow that's just crazy to me. I thought I'd have been back to visit by now. Its sad to think that by the time I do ever get back there, some of the people I worked with probably won't be there anymore, like the two journeyman girls who were my roommates. Luckily for Facebook we are able to keep in touch, and I get to read about all the amazing things the Lord is doing over there and through them!

But I still miss it - I miss the cobblestone streets that I thought were going to kill my feet, I miss saying hello (ahoy!) in Czech, I miss taking the metro and the cold wind you feel before it pulls up at the stop, I miss its fairytale beauty and color, I miss not knowing what the heck I was ordering from menus, I miss exploring it and taking long meandering walks, I miss the hustle & bustle of Old Town, I miss the parks, I miss Cream of Dream gelato and Bohemian Bagel, I miss going to the ballets and operas, and I greatly miss the people I worked with! Within my two months in Prague, I probably made some of the best memories of my life! My brother in law asked me yesterday where I would move if I could just pick up and go...guess what my answer was!

Sick

2009-01-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

So I'm sick AGAIN! Its really frustrating and let me tell you why...I just got over bronchitis a little over a month ago and previous to that I had about 10 colds in 2008! What the heck! I'm a healthy person, I eat right and exercise, I shouldn't get sick so often! I even got a flu shot in November, but two days ago on came the chills and the fever, ugh ugh ugh. It doesn't make sense, no one else is sick. These are my possible reasons why: 1) I have a super weak immune system, 2) I have an overload of mucus (sick I know!) that never goes away no matter how many antibiotics they give me, 3) My body doesn't like being in nor cal...
Luckily I'm heading to Cancun in a couple weeks - the warm weather always makes me healthy again! I can't wait!
Apart from getting sick things have been great - last weekend was fun celebrating my best friend Kara's b-day!

She's hilarious b/c she hates her birthday but I forced her to celebrate, and I think she enjoyed it in the end!

In memory...

2009-01-14T15:38:00.000-08:00

So 2008 was a pretty rough year. I had a lot of ups and downs...a boring & unfulfilling job (which I'm still at but more about that some other time), heartache, and lots of craziness. Of course there were many good times as well and some great things came about and I can't really complain, I'm very blessed.
But for the most part it'll still go down as one of the worst years ever because of how it ended...
December 26th, 2008 my friend Ryan Joshua Armstrong was unjustly killed. You can read about what happened here. I knew Ryan from high school - everyone loved him, he was incredibly smart, very funny, lived life on the edge, and knew how to make you smile. I have so many great memories of him that I can forever hold onto. I'll never forget the day I went to visit him at his college and and we spent the day at the beach, just relaxing and talking about life. I always knew RyRy was there for me. He was there for all of his friends - he would stick up for you no matter what, he was a protector. His funeral was the saddest day of my life... he is missed by so many because he made such an impact on everyone. I'm thankful we could all come together and be there for each other to celebrate his life. Its not easy to grasp why a life is taken so early, we'll never be able to make sense of it. Life will never be the same without him...
See you in Heaven RyRy....Thank you for changing our lives!

Inviticus Maneo

The last two years....

2009-01-13T15:54:00.000-08:00

So I figured I should probably bring everyone up to date on where I've been the last two years, considering the majority of people reading this will be fellow CBU alumni whom I haven't seen very often since I graduated Dec 06.
So, here we go...
I moved up to Chico and would not have fallen in love with this area if it wasn't for these three lovely ladies:

I spent 2 months Spring 07 in Prague volunteering with the IMB:

On my way home I stopped over in Paris:

Me and my Chico peeps went 80's dancing a lot:

I enjoyed my first white Christmas up here:

Took many trips to San Fran to see my sis & bro in law: Like going to see the Hotel Cafe Tour w/ Ingrid Michaelson: (Oh and I chopped my hair off!)...
....
Went with my mom to Fort Lauderdale & Disney World:

Partied like a rockstar for my 22nd B-day:

Experienced VEGAS for Cassie's B-day:

Had an awesome summer - My best friend Kara moved to Chico! We floated down Sac River a bunch! Took trips to Sonoma to see Loni & wine taste!
........
Went to Tour de Fat in San Fran...pure maddness:

Threw a crazy Halloween party:

And winter hit and I fell in love...meet Dan:

Well now you are pretty much up to date!

Hello blog world

2009-01-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

So I finally gave in and got a blog. I've been "blog stalking" all my friends for quite some time and realized I no longer wanted to be a mere observer. I'm not really sure how well I'll do in the blog world but I hope to post as often as I can! Really, I hope this helps me keep all my long distance friends updated on my life! Knowing me, some blogs will be rather random and others will be super detailed & deep, but bare with me while I figure this all out!