Sunday

This morning,

...I woke up without using my alarm.....such a good feeling!

...I played badminton with the seester at the tennis/volleyball court ..........(which feels super wimpy after playing tennis yesterday)

...and got super sweaty in the 100+ degree weather

...and then jumped in the nearby pool to cool off

...ate some yummy leftovers from last week

...and then a yummy quesadilla on the George Foreman via the seester

...showered, did a random assortment of things, and then headed off to church

...helped the seester with 2nd & 3rd graders at Kids Connection

...got a BRC burrito at El Pollo Loco

...went to 'the 7' (7pm church service) ............& was challenged, fed, and stretched

...went to Target for some un-fun essentials

...came home, ate some ice cream & watched the finale of Castle


Needless to say, it was a lovely day.
: )


And a Song for Sunday:

{The Altar}  -Nichole Nordeman

I'm at the end of myself,
I just dropped out of the running
I don't recall when I last pulled the shades and said
"here comes the sun, here comes the new day"
Someone remind me again that joy might show up on ocassion
I'm sitting here with my hands on my head, and my eyes on the ground, wondering if I'll be found by You

Will you make me new? Will you take what's left of me?
I guarantee that it won't be a fair trade.
Will you set me free from what's keeping me afraid?
I know I've prayed it all before, but I'm back on the altar

I don't believe what they say about one foot in front of the other
If my life was a map, you'd see every last step just circling around, still lost, never found by You

So will you make me new? Will you take what's left of me?
I guarantee that it won't be a fair trade.
Will you set me free from what's keeping me afraid?
I know I've prayed it all before, but I'm back on the altar

Maybe last year I'd have made empty promises
Maybe last month I'd have tried to pull strings
But I don't have one single chip left to bargain with
The only thing left is me needing You to make me new

Will you take what's left of me?
I guarantee that it won't be a fair trade
Will you set me free from what's keeping me afraid?
I know I've prayed it all before
But I'm back
On the altar

Yesterday

Yesterday, on the first official day of summer,
 there was a forecast of 110 degrees.

Which translated to icky-hot-YUCK heat.

Which also made me think that it would be a horrible, no good, very bad day.

However, after surviving said 100+ degrees of nastiness,
I can say.....
 I showed the first day of summer who was boss!

The happs:

woke up lazily, chatting w/the seester on ma bed


quick lunchy

frozen yogurt date w/the seester & lovely friend Alex
{where I had thin mint + strawberry yogurt + strawberries + watermelon}
*don't even get me started on how much I love watermelon + frozen yogurt
I kinda love it. and I'm not a froyo girl


went 'paint looking' with the seester
(aka looking at paint colors)


spent 30 minutes in Home Depot.
-that's a hardware store-
not exactly my main spot.
'twas lovely & fun!


spent 30+ min. in Michael's
....and didn't buy a single thing.
-major progress people-
left super inspired!


library'd it up for 1+ hour
got TONS o'books.
eep! : )


went to the 'f-market'aka Farmer's Marketbought lovely green beans for dinner
+
romaine for crisp salads
+
sugary sweet strawberries
-for reals. they taste like sugar!-


dinner w/seester & lovely friend Katie
kebobs + sauteed green beans + couscous

sadly the only picture taken all day since I forgot the camera : (


trip to grocery store for ice cream

speed scrabble w/seester & katie
-slowest round(s) ev.er.-


read 3/4 of a new library book


'twas a lovely day.
for sure!

ch-ch-ch-changes

Anyone else remember the 'ch-ch-ch-chia!' commercials?


After spending way too much time on the computer last night,
I then decided to start an account on picnik.

Which then ate up a few more hours of time.

oops

: D

But, the end result is a brand, spankin new header!

That I designed myself!

And

 

!
!
!

It took me quite a few tries, a tutorial, and encouragement from a few girls (Molly & Rachel).

Now, I feel like things finally look  ..just..  right.

Phew.
Took long enough : )


And an unrelated photo.
Cause I was on a picnik roll last night......

cheers!

Tangential

....Here's what I wrote on March 22nd.....

I had a dream last week that I went to rehab.

This is how it went:

I walked up to a plain-looking stucco building,
and opened the dark double glass doors.

Then, I walked up to a high counter
and checked myself into rehab.

With all of the drug users, alcoholics, & other addicts.

And why was I there?
For shopping.

Yeaaah..... hmmm.
I think I fell asleep with a guilty conscience about my latest impulse buy or something : )

Isn't that all just ridiculous?!
I woke up feeling like I was the strangest person for dreaming about being in rehab.

Come on! That's just cra-zay!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it bad to know walking into an eatery that you're only going to sample, and not buy anything?
Because I totally did that last week.

click here for more

But geez, it was darn good gelato!
: )

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A good friend invites you to get a pedicure with her.

An awesome friend pays.

: )

 On Tuesday, my friend called and asked if I wanted to hang out since she was in town for a few hours.
She said that her husband suggested we 'get pedicures- and don't worry- it's my treat!'

Of course, I said yes.
Because, why wouldn't I?!

Hanging out with friend. yes.
Pedicure. yes.
Free pedicure. yes.

Oh, it felt amazing to be pampered!
And we even had the paraffin wax stuff- it felt so strange, yet good!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I've been studying Jonah over the past few months at church.

And every time I have to turn to a verse I have to sing the song in my head to remember where it is   : )

And sometimes I have to jump around to different places in the song to get to Jonah.
Because it's not as prominent as say, Genesis, or Psalms, or Matthew : )

Kind of like going through the alphabet song to remember if U comes before or after V.
Or am I the only one who does that?
Please don't laugh.
It's a sad fault, I know.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My sister keeps baking things in the morning.

But then I'll go downstairs and she'll tell me I can
only.
eat.
one.
(cookie/muffin/etc.)

(Said in the voice of Gru from Despicable Me...)

Not cool sister.

Not cool.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh and last but not least, I got my diploma in the mail last week!

+
newest House Beautiful!
=
ecstatic Grace!

on the right  -->

Try to ignore the messy bedroom & frumpy sweatshirt.
Oops, now that's all you see.
Kind of like when someone says, "Don't look now, but...."

Want to know something interesting?
John Welty signed it.

Oh, you don't know who that is?
He is the president of CSU Fresno.
Well I saw him two times the whole time I attended my school.
And once was on tv :)
Yes, sometimes I smile slanty like that.


 Also, I had the Governator (Ahhnold Schwarzeneggar) sign it!
Right before his term was over! Score!

Aand, I didn't even notice I got Summa Cum Laude until my mom pointed it out :)

And yes, I just did a wikipedia check to see what that meant.
Because, in fact, wikipedia is always true and never has anything false on it.
And ohmyword I did not know I was that smart!
Although I guess I did only get A's and like two B's at State.

Anyyways,
my sister pointed out I got a Bachelor's of Science.
Yeah, ..........uh-huh? Your point?Well, I think I'm the first one in my family to get one :)
Since I'm the only one who didn't continue the family business of teaching (a la Bachelor's of Arts).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bi-dee-
bi-dee-
bi-dee.

martes, martes

Yesterday, I got an e-mail that said I could get one extra ticket for my graduation.

And that ticket is most definitely going to my oldest almost sister, Becca.

Who, in fact, graduated herself just last weekend with her Master's of Arts & her teaching credential!!
Woohoo!

So proud of this shorty : )

Saw this video on this blog.
Seriously, you are going to NEED some tissues, esp. if you're on your period like me : )


So precious : )

Can't say I didn't warn you......right?

Happy Tuesday!

this morning & a song

Here's an ironically relevant song for this Monday.....


My morning routine ended up in my bedroom, laying on my bed with pounding ears, and wiping away tears.
Why?.....

I eventually got up and went into the bathroom but wasn't feeling good (i.e. everything was sort of spinning & hazy when I went into there).

When I started to wash my hands, things were getting much worse.

I told myself, 'just wash your hands and go get in bed.'

All the while, things were increasingly becoming very dark and hazy.

As I washed my hands, I think I squirted out some soap and I possibly dried my hands a little when I heard a lot of noise and felt myself falling.

Then I kind of -came to- on the bathroom floor, hearing the shower door banging and seeing the sister's makeup on the floor. I was disoriented and couldn't figure out why her blush was on the floor.
Apparently, she had gone into her bedroom and heard me moving her makeup around (that I moved on the counter while trying to hold myself up) and then she heard a lot of noise, thuds (from me falling), and the shower door crashing (as I hit my head on it). That's when she looked in and found me laying on the ground.
She was freaked out (not in a helpless way- but in a shocked way) and asked me what happened and what to do. She helped me to my bed and then rushed to get the washcloth I requested.
After she brought it in, I had her turn on the fan, and asked her to pray.

{I was scared}

I had to ask her to pray louder because of my loudly pounding ears and the noisy fan.
As she prayed, the pounding in my ears lessened and I stopped blinking tears back.

Gradually, things started to slow down and I calmed down. Thankfully, I pretty much feel fine now.

It was so cool how God worked things out.
He gave me the clarity to make it to my room. He allowed the sister to get ready later than usual so she was in the next room when it all went down. If it had happened a little earlier or later, she wouldn't have been there. He gave me peace and protection as she prayed. He allowed my body to calm down, not remain in shock, and he stopped the cramps and dizziness I had been feeling since earlier that morning. He provided a friend to fill in for the sister so she could arrive late to help me for awhile. He gave us a time for conversation, allowing me to calm down and feel better. He gave her long legs to quickly run up and down the stairs getting me the stuff I needed. It may seem silly, but I'm confident that He gave me the foresight to buy an extra box of mac & cheese on Saturday so that I had an easy lunch to prepare. He gave me a caring, thoughtful sister who didn't freak out and was able to help me when I needed it.
He blessed me with:
perspective (no, good health is not guaranteed),
peace (remembering other times I had fainted and always recovered), and
love (from my caring sister and from his loving character as my Elohim).

This forced day of rest was sure unexpected,
but I think I'll dwell in it and continue the praying I started earlier this morning
: )

*After I was feeling better, I told the sister, "Well, I didn't know that would happen!"*

New song! the *asterisk* part was my morning : )

You Lift Me Up -The Afters

You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up

Waiting for the sunrise
Waiting for the day
Waiting for a sign that I'm
Where You want me to be

You know my heart is heavy
And the hurt is deep
But when I feel like giving up
*You're reminding me

That we all fall down sometimes
When I hit the ground

You lift me up when I am weak
Your arms wrap around me
Your love catches me so I'm letting go*

You lift me up when I can't see
You heart's all that I need
Your love carries me so I'm letting go

You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up

I know I'm not perfect
I know I make mistakes
I know that I have let You down
But You love me the same

And when I'm surrounded
And when I lose my way
And when I'm crying out and fallen down
You are here to....

Lift me up when I am weak
Your arms wrap around me
Your love catches me so I'm letting go

You lift me up when I can't see
You heart's all that I need
Your love carries me so I'm letting go

I can see the dawn is breaking
I am feeling overtaken
With Your love, with Your love
I don't know what I can offer
In this moment, I surrender
To Your love, to Your love

You lift me up when I am weak
Your arms wrap around me
Your love catches me so I'm letting go

You lift me up when I can't see
You heart's all that I need
Your love carries me so I'm letting go

I can see the dawn is breaking
I am feeling overtaken
With Your love, with Your love

You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up with Your love
You lift me up

texty-texty

In the past few months, I've had some interesting
conversations with my sister Rachel via texting.

My favorites:

Thu Mar 24 12:10 a

R

Why am i awake? So
tired and want to hug
you!
_________12:10 a
MeAww. I meesss you!
_________12:11 a

R

What? Oranges,
jeggings, laundry. (her to do list for me)
You're coming back
tomorrow right?
_________12:22 a
Me
I'm on it. Like gum.
 ----------
No, Saturday silly :)
_________12:25 a

R

No. Tomorrow. @ my
3:00 break to
surprise me with a
hug. I would LOVE
that- for future
reference.
_________12:30 a
Me
Well that would be
difficult bc i don't
actually know where
your school is. For
future reference.
_________12:34 a
R
Use your fingers to
google valley prep
academy. On hughes
@ ashlan. Look for my
truck in the parking
lot. Hug me.
_________12:36 a

 Geez that girl is too much!

A few more from the seester:
R
I loaf you. You are
beautiful. Inside an
out. Ride your bike
tomorrow! I am
sleepy. Nighty!
Wed Mar 9 11:46 p

uhh, never deleting that one!

Another convo with the seester on Fri Feb 25 11:30 am,
R
Hi loafy! Come homee
today. That way if it
snows tonite/early
tomorrow, we can
make snow angels
together!
_________11:30
MeHaha! Wish i could!
(And then I proceeded with sane normal conversation)
_________11:32
R
In no way was i
joking. Possible snow
is a serious matter.
_________11:34
MeYeah, since it has only
snowed twice in our
lives, I don't think
it's going to snow.
_________11:35
R
For reals! Get yo
booty here!
_________11:37


R
I. Loaf. Ewe. Now don't
stay up too late! I
want to squeeze you
tight! Gnh.
Thu Feb 24 1:14 a

After suggesting she teach her after-school program kids origami......
R
P.s. Swans were a
huge hit! And then
there were flying
swan fights. :) and i
loaf ewe!
Wed Feb 16 11:13 p

R
I got my credential! I
am so happy I cried!
Wish I could celebrate with you!
Fri Feb 11 8:22 p

(After mistakenly asking if we were free to go to a potluck on friday....)
R
Potluck is saturday.
but yes, short hair.
Thu Feb 10 9:31 p

After asking her why she was still awake.....
R
I oant know. Barely
wake. Hmphglr. Need
hug. Need lovey.
Peas?
Fri Feb 4 12:59 a

R
Have i told you how
much i loaf you?
Fri Jan 21 12:21 p



another convo with the sees on my last! day! of! college! (during finals week).....Wed Dec 15 3:47 p
(after going to four offices trying to get a class approved)Me
Coming home
now, k? Sweaty
from walking around
the Whole school :)
_________3:45 p
R
Yes. And me some
warmth. I am brr
cold. And you are
pretty.
_________3:47 p

Later....after finishing my last final EVER....
Me
I'm on my way home!
I kind of screamed
when I walked
outside! I'm DONE!
_________7:35 p

That girl.

She's a keeper

:)

silly thoughts

I intended to include this with something else but wanted to simplify things, so here it is!

I made four awesome dinners, four nights in a row.

This is definitely progress people!

A few months ago I was thinking about something silly.
About how I didn't cook much at all or pack lunches (for work/school) anymore.

I felt as if I had 'lost my touch,' and I even went so far as to think that I might not be good at it anymore.
Cooking, that is.

I was thinking silly things like:
"If my sister keeps doing all of the cooking until I eventually move out, I won't be very good at it [cooking] anymore. And if I end up moving [away from her] by this summer then that doesn't give me much time to actually start cooking more."

And then I continued with some other outrageously silly thoughts.

I say silly only because looking back now (even just a few months), it seems like a silly thing to worry/stress/even think about. I mean, really?
I wasn't starting to worry or freak out or anything, but I was finally starting to think about how good I had it how I wasn't cooking much at all.

But isn't it funny how God gives us what we ask for?

Because just a short time after I started thinking about my cooking dilemma/problem/uh.... status, God gave me a solution!

Because my sister gets home later from her job, she slowly started asking me to start dinner so we could finish making it earlier.
So, I did.
And then a few times I just made dinner early so we could eat right after she got home. (And then rush, rush, rush off to life group:)
And there were some awesome dinners.
Thank you very much.

And then, since I started going home to Bakersfield, to help out my parents every week,
I slowly started making every meal we ate when I was there. (Except for breakfast- I like to sleep in, or at least later than when my parents get up at 5 :)


And there have also been many awesome dinners there too.
made by me.
Thank you very much.


Honestly, the only reason I am slightly tooting my horn right now is because of my previous concerns.
I truly was wondering how I would start cooking again.
Without a need, reason, or desire to, it seemed like it would be hard to start cooking all the time for myself/others.
Also, I was wondering how I would start planning meals and getting everything done + cooking in one day.

But I did it.
And I found out I could.
Because God gave me just what I needed.
A need, a reason, and a desire to, of all things, cook!

I also discovered that cooking can be a very draining thing for me.
Sometimes, it feels like a chore.
Planning, buying, making, eating, and then washing the dishes just from one meal is very draining for me.
So, with some trial and error, I realized how to:
-plan easier/heavier nights,
-create variety within a week of meals,
-consolidate grocery shopping trips,
-when I needed to start making dinner/do prep work (earlier is better for me, I'm slow & make tons o'mistakes), and 

-when to ask for help.

Getting food from a restaurant is easy, less hassle, faster, and sometimes cheaper.
Thus, this is a huge source of help.
Also, I've tried to incorporate my parents' input into the meal planning which has helped a lot.
Everyone likes what they're eating if it's an old favorite or something they already know how to make.
And then when it's all made, everyone enjoys everything a pinch more because they helped (or were just involved at some point :)

Also, I've got another post coming soon about what God has given me what I've asked for.

Stay tuned.

Or something internet-y like that.
:)

randomness for 3.11.11

Anyone else think this is random? And super funny?
Because it is :)

via: my seester @ Prone To Wander

Favorite lines:
"You ran 15 miles on purpose? You mean with your legs and feet? I do not drive that far in my commute to work."
"Your legs cramp up very badly, and you cannot walk in a straight line for days. You should try it.""That is stupid. I thought only winners got medals. So they also give medals to the losers. You seriously need to get a life."
"And I'm going to go talk to everyone in the break room about how you are an id-i-ot."


When we heard that some Girl Scouts had their cookies stolen from their car, my mom thought it was 'so sad.'
I thought it might be because their cookies are so.dang.good.

Just sayin'.


I rode my bike today.
After not having ridden it in, oh..... fourteen+ months.
Yeaah. Not the best idea.
Except it was. It was super sunny, clear skies, not too warm, not too cold, breezy, with the best hints of spring!
Except that I went too far, certain areas of my posterior are now sore, and I worked up a big (stinky) sweat.

My afternoon haiku for my sister:

Rode my bike today
first time in forever. Ah!
legs like Jello now.

My sister was falling asleep while I was talking to her (via fb chat).
At one point she said this:

"i am not awaaaaaaaaaaaaaake
my fingers just type things"

I told her that she is a very strange, precious person.
Because it's the truth.


Last but not least, I am soo excited for this weekend!
I'll be hanging out with friends, eating yummy food, going fun places, & I'll be with my sister! eep!
Basically, I'll be having a blast :)

Side note: my new weekend is from Saturday to Tuesday.
That's when I'm back in town with my sister, I get tons of stuff done, & I just go with the flow!
Also, It's soo strange not having a real schedule or much of a routine.


I had a dream on Monday that I checked myself into rehab.
Yes, rehab.

I was there for my shopping addiction habits.
With all the drug addicts and alcoholics.You know, just the usual.


To say the least, it hit a little close to home.
(Since I can't remember the last time I bought something without feeling guilty about it.
Ugh! It's such a frustrating problem!)


Lastly, here is something interesting:

source
 anyone else confused??

{Bam!}
Posted

as of late.....

On March 1st I wrote:
I have had one of the best past few days that I have had in a long time.

However, let me preface this by saying that at the beginning of last week (Feb 21-27),
I was truly a HOT MESS.

No joke.

Not even lying.

Seriously, it was not pretty.

Instead of turning to write on this blog, I decided to keep things private in a handwritten journal & took a break from emotionally throwing up...uh writing it out via blog.

So, to sum up, I was a hot mess.
Took awhile to get that figured out.
Cleaned up my act.
& had a great week!

What did I do?

Well I'll tell ya!

had my LifeGroup girls over for Nacho Libre nacho lunch + movie (sans movie.oops)

I read some awesome blogs,   can't forget this one either!

cooked some awesome food,   (not my #16 from my 23 things, but it was a new recipe!)

tried out some fun new outfits,

had quality hang out time with mom&dad,

learned how to make the <3 symbol on fb, (I'm a slow learner what did I tell you?)

went shopping, just 'cause,

went to church & heard an AWESOME message,

had a lovely, lovely conversation with a dear friend,

wrote a real, handwritten letter to an old friend,

only wore makeup 3 days,   (and somehow forgot how to put on eyeliner.wha??)

did lots o'blogging & commenting,

worked out & felt great,

went to one of my favorite places -Two.Days.In.A.Row! and walked myself silly there :)

went to the library quite a few days,

took my sister's super cute dog on a walk-er-run,   (it was freezin people!)

put about 400+ miles on my little blue car driving to & from my hometown,

listened to The Tale of Despereaux on cd whilst driving,

saw The Dawn Treader with two best friends,  (as my favorite book, I noticed a lot of differences from Lewis' original :(

ate maybe two Wendy's frosty's    (chocolate, duh.) (more on that later)

did my LifeGroup book study  (more on that later too)

added some buttons, over there ------------------------------->

made a pom-pom pencil topper,

had my sister's old roommate spend the night,

crossed off many-a-thing off my to-do list!,

trimmed my nails,      (how DO those things get so long so quickly? there was a time when I had to trim them all.the.time :(

my sister made me dinner,

watched some American Idol,       (ugh, my Mom got me hooked!  -I held off for 4 years though.)

took a long, glorious NAP!     & then woke up super spunky :)       for longer than I intended :)

bought some new peep-toe embellished lilac flats that make me think of Spring!bought a quart of Honey Greek Yogurt. I'm kinda crazy 'bout it.

made dinner for the sister,

got a fun friend to join my LifeGroup!

went to LifeGroup
read fun blogs,
wrote neurotic things (see above for crazy range of emotions),
found some tear sheets of inspiration,
fell asleep while talking,
watched more Friends,
and enjoyed sunshiny days!

What about you?
What were some things that made you smile really big on the inside?
:)

Random tidbits

Here are some pretty unconnected thoughts/experiences I've had in the past week.

I went to the grocery store with my Dad on Saturday night.
We mostly had produce items on our list.
But, every time we would get one.thing. into the cart, he would then race ahead of me. As in, practically out of the entire produce section.
And then he would have to come all.the.way. back with the cart.
Where was he even going?
Sheesh it was frustrating.
Back on topic.
We were shopping in the produce section (albeit a little bit frustrated at this point,) and a song by Owl City started playing.
My dad then turned to me and said, "Isn't this the guy who sings Fireflies?"

I was completely blown away.

How did he even know that song?
He is definitely not up on pop culture, into 'secular' music, or into current trends what.so.ever. (i.e. music a la Owl City)   :)

It was soo strange people.


I kind of went on an rampage of entering blog giveaways but I don't remember half of the ones I entered now.
Which makes it kind of hard to see if I won.
oops :)


At the grocery store on Sunday, I wondered aloud to my sister, "Beef liver. Who actually buys that stuff??"

And a follow up question:
What about gizzards & other obscure body parts from poultry & etc.
Who buys those things??
Why would they?
And what do they actually cook with those things?             So strange.



Also, my laptop keyboard is missing the '/?' key.
It's rather frustrating sometimes.
It was the result of a rather silly mistake & had a tragic ending.

A few years ago I hung up new curtain rods in a rather un-stable way on the window next to my desk (i.e. thumbtacks pushed into soft plaster).
The curtain rod crashed down one day and ended up falling onto my open laptop on the desk.
Sadly, the silly little button bit the dust, and I soon discovered how keys are connected to a keyboard.
A vital piece was cracked in two when the curtain rod crash occurred, and I couldn't find an easy way to repair it.
Hence, my pinky finger hurts every now and then because it jams into a itty-bitty metal piece that should be underneath a key.

Seriously.

Every single time I type a forward slash (/) or question mark (?) my pinky hurts a little.
twice in one sentence = ouch.

Poor, poor pinky.
Is it sad that I started to want a new computer just so I could have a functioning   /ow?ow  key? ow :)


Lastly, my sister made rice krispy treats 'for her students' on Monday.
The reason for the air quotes is because I knew what she was really up to. Who was she kidding?
She just wanted some for herself! :)

I was doing something in the other room so she brought me one when she was finally done.
And it was oh, so tasty.
And high-fructose-corn-syrup-y  oh.so.sweet!

And then when I asked her for some more, she may or may not have said, "I just ate my weight in rice krispy treats so you should probably just go get your own."

Ha! I knew it! I knew she had been in the kitchen a little too long 'making' them.
Geez. That girl makes me smile.

The end.

A play of sorts

here are some things you can do to make your valentine feel special on that certain day......

Cast of Characters

buy: red stamp pad, stamp, & doily hearts @ the Dollar Store. cost: $3
........ roll of packing paper @ the Dollar Store. cost: $1
........ wrapping ribbon @ the Dollar Store. cost: $1
........ graph paper notebook @ Target. cost: $1.69
........ roll of red-ish $1-section wrapping paper @ Target. cost: $1
grab: old rope-ish string used long ago on a missions trip. cost: free

.......... page hole protectors (for ruled paper)/white sticker/small label. cost: free
.......... random sheets from linen closet (yes-I'm a lucky duck that my apt. has one!). cost: free
.......... favorite season of Friends/shared fave tv show/movie. cost: free if gifted
.......... blankets & pillows. cost: free if gifted or cheap if borrowed/thrifted
.......... white christmas lights/table lamps/candles. cost: cheap if borrowed/thrifted
.......... miscellaneous chocolate products + anything for dipping in choc.+pb mixture. cost: around $2
make: heart garland (night before). cost: free
........... shortbread cookies (night before). cost: about $3
........... chocolate chip + peanut butter mixture (night before). cost: about $2
..../buy  ingredients for favorite meal. cost: depends on meal! Classy: $$ Casual: $

Act I: (the night before)

Make shortbread cookies. I used a simple recipe & thought they were too plain (not enough sugar & no salt= sad taste buds). Enter: choc.+pb mixture!

Make mixture: pour 1 cup chocolate chips in microwavable bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds. Stir and then microwave in 20 second increments until quite soft. Add 1/4 cup natural pb partway through microwaving & stir (plain, old fashioned peanuts & salt  peanut butter).   Stir until glossy & thoroughly combined. If yours becomes thick & pastey like mine did, just add 1 tsp of milk until smooth. Drizzle mixture over cookies. Refrigerate.

Act II: (the day of)

Gather cast of characters.

Make heart garland night before. Since I don't have a sewing machine, I simply scoured magazines for big sections of red/dark pink & tore the page out. Then, I cut out hearts in 3 different sizes: bitty, medium, & grande. Then I paper clipped them onto wrapping ribbon.

Assemble cards: cut 1 sheet graph paper in 1/2 width ways. Fold the (now) 2 pieces of paper in 1/2 to resemble rectangular shapes (size of playing cards). Stamp fun valentine's-y stamp on front & another fun stamp on inside of card. Write message on card to your valentime.

Download envelope template, save to computer, & stretch to desired size (to fit card inside middle space). Print, cut out, & trace onto red wrapping paper (if making multiple cards, alternate wrapping papers for fun, eclectic style). (*or do what I did & trace template from your computer screen:) Cut out, glue together, place card inside, & seal with hole protector/label/sticker. Decorate outside with cutout heart/flowers/etc. from contrasting wrapping paper.

Arrange various items for dipping in choc.+pb mixture. My faves: pretzels, banana, marshmallows, graham crachers.

Hang rope/string from two walls in family room. Cover with sheets to make a tent (allowing for line of sight of tv from opening).

Hang garland & lights from tent. (Or place candles around room & table lamps strategically inside tent.)

Pop in favorite disc/episode of Friends in dvd player. Cue dvd player and turn off tv. *Keep remote handy!*

Place pillows and blankets inside tent. Also, place card (in envelope) strategically by remote inside of tent.

Make & plate dinner.

Turn on lights a few minutes before your valentine arrives. Also, place dinner (& essentials) in tent, light candles, and turn on tv.

Act III: (the evening of)

When valentine arrives, greet with a hug and allow time for them to get settled (changed/drink/bathroom).

Then....give the card, start dinner, and press play on dvd. Eventually have dessert of cookies & choc.+pb mixture with dipping sides!


And there you have a   very nice valentines celebration.


Bam.
That just happened!

Ugh.

Ugh.

That sister of mine.


Little voice of reason is a better title.

I know, I know- I need to go to bed.
I stay up late way too often & then my days get all funky.

Thanks for being the willpower I don't have.



Darn night owl.
That's a fitting title for sheepish little, ol' me :)

To Rachel...

Because you're the only person who reads this, I hope you like this one!

.....Why, oh why, did we get sucked into that sappy (and poorly acted) Lifetime movie?! Sorry- it was probably mostly because of me. It's just that that guy was so stinkin' cute!!!

Falalala Lifetime! (Say that 5 times fast!)


Today's random song that popped into my head.....
______there's a view to the sea
______there's a view to the sea
______there's a view to the sea
______I'm not sure what it is


.....One of my most favorite moments of one of my best friends: while praying with a group of girls our freshman year, there was a lull in the praying. Then, one of my good (but usually unoutspoken) friends said out loud..."Sweet baby Jesus!"

Oh Nicole, I love you!

.....Like I was telling my roommate Heidi today, you are one of my most reliable and easygoing friends. I love taking pictures with you, crashing on your floor, and talking about life with you!

......Random tv quotes for the week:
No, Toby. You are the silent killer.
And:
I want to go to there.

Ciao, mein!

Reflections

I have this written on my hand right now....

Captivating you are,
Calling to my heart you are,
Calling me to be yours,
To be yours.


And another...


Your name is holy, your name is wonderful
Your name is father, your name is wonderful.

Your name is redeemer, Your name is wonderful
Your name is forgiveness, Your name is wonderful

I exalt Thee, I exalt Thee
I exalt Thee, O Lord
I exalt Thee, I exalt Thee
I exalt Thee, O Lord

Your name is savior, Your name is wonderful
Your name is Jesus, Your name is wonderful
Your name is mercy, Your name is wonderful
Your name is healing, Your name is wonderful

I exalt Thee, I exalt Thee
I exalt Thee, O Lord
I exalt Thee, I exalt Thee
I exalt Thee, O Lord

I love going to The Well. Not because it is a cool place to go or the thing to do on Sunday night, but because I finally feel at home there.
I love the teaching staff, the music ministers to me at the times when I need it most, and I love the people!
At the beginning of the school year my sister and I decided to make the commitment and help with Kids Connection. Trading off with some friends from Pacific, we help with Sunday school every other weekend. I have learned so much helping with my five's and Kindergartners and I think Rach can say the same about her 1st -3rd graders.
Some kids touch my heart with their sincerity, wackiness, and interesting behavior. For instance, while explaining the story about Jesus walking on water, the question was asked, "Do you think he could walk on the water? " To which one little girl with flaming-red hair replied, "No silly, it was Jesus!" That puts things into perspective! (As does playing with your dress and lifting up the skirt around your arms so that your lower-half shows to all who care to look. Or coming out of the bathroom before butting or zipping up your pants -luckily only a couple girls were there that night.) Ah, the life of kids. I think the thing that amazes me the most is when a little girl or boy will say something like the little girl above did. The faith, innocence, and sincerity found in their remarks, thoughts, and faces is just mind-blowing to me.

Remembering these thoughtful moments, I ask myself: Why have I lost that mentality?
Well for one thing, I have lived longer than these children. But I think the main reason is that I have lost the mentality of service and and centralized heart. Tonight's message by Brad Bell is just what I needed. Go to iTunes to hear the message from the Well Community Church.

Playing guitar usually puts me in a pensive mood and I think it helped me focus better at church tonight. I love the ability to make music, combining words with notes, and praise the Lord. Not that I am good at all, but I feel that God has given me the blessed ability to learn songs and praise him in a somewhat reverent and unique way. I like that God gives us abilities to glorify, lift up, and adore Him. Or as Ben Wrightman says in Fever Pitch, "I like being part of something that's bigger than me-than I."

Continuing, Ben says another interesting line, "It's good for your soul to invest in something that you can't control."

Now isn't that interesting for being a somewhat-questionable-at-times PG-13 rated movie?

I thought so. Maybe there is a little theology inside of every wonderful and corrupt thing in life. Maybe my window is becoming bigger.
Or maybe I just know what to look for now.

They're Baack!

Yes, that's right.
You heard it from me!
The pigeons are back
and in full force!

I even got pictures

I also tried to get a video of one
making noise but it was too loud
outside to pick up on the bird alone.


Onto to better things, I have a fun view today.

Today is the day that everything started happening for the MCC sale. The parking lots and streets are gradually closing down. The Green was mowed earlier today and....
...dun.....
......dun......
..........dun.......
Tents are going up!
I saw the first poles while on the way to my last class this afternoon and the first tent (canvas-less) was up by the end of my class.

My roommate and I talked it over and we both feel a lot more excited about the sale this year than last year. Having experienced it last year, we both agreed that it will be fun and we cannot wait to volunteer, eat good food, and buy weird things! I hope I can help with kettle corn again. The people who ran that booth made very good kettle corn and it certainly was fun helping them out.
However, I do hope that it does not rain this year. That was definitely not a fun part of the sale last year. Although it has been overcast the last few days, I hope that it will rain before, wait until Sunday, or not rain at all!

Did I mention that Cheerios are good?
Well they are.
Because I never really had breakfast or lunch, I went to the caf and had a little breakfast/lunch/snack/pick-me-up. I decided on Cheerios- one of the few things the caf never gets wrong and poured in a little skim milk. (By the way- why in the world is it skim milk? Why not something else- less weird sounding?)
Oh and it was good. Just what I needed.

Then I went to the library and got four books: two for school and two for fun.
On the long trek back to school I listened to one of the pleasure books (on CD) and I must say that the reader is not the best.
You know how while you read something you come up with different pictures, images, and sounds for different characters? Well this lady pretty much ruined the lovely book for me (it's the second in a series). The man sounded like he was an old man from Texas (he is not either) and the woman sounded like a thirteen-year-old school girl instead of being twenty-five. I debated for about ten minutes if I should stop listening or request and wait for about two months for the written book from the library. Reasoning that I requested the CDs in the first place so that I would not have to wait long, I gritted my teeth every time she 'changed' characters and tried to enjoy the story.

Okay must go now...pictures later.


Oh when I looked at the pictures on my camera earlier I found some from my last trip to the beach with my Mom and sister. Walking the pier at Cayucos, I took some great pictures of the sunset and the big ocean waves.