Who I Am...
I am...a newlywed wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, and friend.
I want...an adorable, well-trained little puppy.
I have... so much to be thankful for.
I wish...that I lived in the East Valley and could hike camelback mountain and go to LGO every day.
I hate...school. I can't wait to be done!
I fear...student teaching and job hunting.
I hear...lots of discontentment and complaining around me and I wish people would stop and reflect about how blessed they really are before blurting out the first complaint that comes to mind.
I search...for peace & quiet every chance I get.
I wonder...how much life will change over the next 5, 10, 15 years.
I regret...impulse purchases.
I love...spending time with my husband, whether we're cuddling on the couch, going for a walk, shopping, making dinner or having tea and conversation on our patio.
I ache...for those who are going hungry despite the overabundance of food that we have on this planet.
I always...Wash my face, brush my teeth, and write in my journal at night.
I usually...am watching TLC or HGTV.
I am not...good at remembering things.
I dance...when I'm happy.
I sing...on key (usually).
I never...want to be away from my husband. Sometimes that's not a good thing when we need to go out and be productive members of society. haha
I sometimes...want to move to a different city like Seattle, Austin or Denver.
I cry...when I watch slightly cheesy yet inspirational movies like "Soul Surfer" or romantic movies like "P.S. I Love You".
I am not always...the best about checking my voicemail.
I lose...track of my phone all the time.
I am confused...about the purpose behind ASU's decision to change it's colors/logo/overall image.
I need...to be better about reading my bible and acting out my faith in a way that impacts others positively.
I should...be more intentional with keeping up long-distance friendships.
4.13.2011
1.28.2011
44 days to go
...until I marry my best friend.
I have been really horrible about posting. But in my defense, I have been so darn tootin' busy between school, work and planning a wedding that this has lowly blog has been the last thought on my mind.
So here's what has happened in the last 3 months:
*Finished up Block 2 of my teaching program
*Moved into a new apartment
*Went to Seattle to visit my folks
*Had a bridal shower thrown in my honor
*Started block 3 of my teaching program
Each one of these things could be giant posts within themselves, but I'll pick the "new apartment" thread to elaborate upon. After a dreadful semester living at the dorms, I became so fett up that I refused to live there for one more millisecond. Having roommates sucks. I begged Lars to help me move out to an apartment, and considering that an apartment is actually cheaper than the dorms, it was a no-brainer. I checked out of the dorms for good (after 2 1/2 years of living there, it was about time), and moved into my apartment the week before Christmas. Lars and I had a fabulous time at IKEA, and got some great furniture to fill the space: The canopy bed of my dreams, a modern white couch, a matching coffee table and end table, a lamp and a dining room set. We still need to go back and get the remaining two chairs, a patio set and maybe another lamp. But I digress.
Life as an apartment dweller has been simply awesome. I totally missed the ability to sing in the shower, walk around in my underwear (shades closed, of course) and make as big of a mess in the kitchen as I want to (as long as I clean it up within a reasonable amount of time). These are all simple joys in life that I forgot even existed! Plus, I have so much space it's ridiculous. I can't wait until I share the space with my HUSBAND. Aaaah, that will be the life!
Until then, I will be planning planning planning for the wedding like crazy!
I have been really horrible about posting. But in my defense, I have been so darn tootin' busy between school, work and planning a wedding that this has lowly blog has been the last thought on my mind.
So here's what has happened in the last 3 months:
*Finished up Block 2 of my teaching program
*Moved into a new apartment
*Went to Seattle to visit my folks
*Had a bridal shower thrown in my honor
*Started block 3 of my teaching program
Each one of these things could be giant posts within themselves, but I'll pick the "new apartment" thread to elaborate upon. After a dreadful semester living at the dorms, I became so fett up that I refused to live there for one more millisecond. Having roommates sucks. I begged Lars to help me move out to an apartment, and considering that an apartment is actually cheaper than the dorms, it was a no-brainer. I checked out of the dorms for good (after 2 1/2 years of living there, it was about time), and moved into my apartment the week before Christmas. Lars and I had a fabulous time at IKEA, and got some great furniture to fill the space: The canopy bed of my dreams, a modern white couch, a matching coffee table and end table, a lamp and a dining room set. We still need to go back and get the remaining two chairs, a patio set and maybe another lamp. But I digress.
Life as an apartment dweller has been simply awesome. I totally missed the ability to sing in the shower, walk around in my underwear (shades closed, of course) and make as big of a mess in the kitchen as I want to (as long as I clean it up within a reasonable amount of time). These are all simple joys in life that I forgot even existed! Plus, I have so much space it's ridiculous. I can't wait until I share the space with my HUSBAND. Aaaah, that will be the life!
Until then, I will be planning planning planning for the wedding like crazy!
10.18.2010
All I want is you, will you be my bride?
As many of you may already know, I got engaged 5 days ago! This has been a looooong time coming, and I am just so overjoyed that my dreams are finally coming true! I have a beautiful ring to prove it. (Actually, 2 rings, one from etsy.com and one from Zales. I am currently wearing the etsy one for 2 weeks as a backup while the zales one is being resized).
Life is truly grand, especially with Lars by my side. Engagement would seem really scary to me if it was to anyone else but him. He makes me feel so at ease, and he pursues me and loves me and never gives up on me! We have been through so much turmoil & tragedy, and also so many good times, that I feel like we can handle the ups and downs of marriage pretty swimmingly :) He is my best friend, hands down.
We have done hardly any wedding planning, but I am chomping at the bit to start! I have a wonderful wedding planner already and I have been collecting ideas for over a year. I would appreciate everyone's prayers! There are so many mutual decisions that we will be making and I want our life together to start in the best, most wonderful way possible!
Also, we are considering making a new blog for us as a couple and deleting this one! Any blog name ideas?
Life is truly grand, especially with Lars by my side. Engagement would seem really scary to me if it was to anyone else but him. He makes me feel so at ease, and he pursues me and loves me and never gives up on me! We have been through so much turmoil & tragedy, and also so many good times, that I feel like we can handle the ups and downs of marriage pretty swimmingly :) He is my best friend, hands down.
We have done hardly any wedding planning, but I am chomping at the bit to start! I have a wonderful wedding planner already and I have been collecting ideas for over a year. I would appreciate everyone's prayers! There are so many mutual decisions that we will be making and I want our life together to start in the best, most wonderful way possible!
Also, we are considering making a new blog for us as a couple and deleting this one! Any blog name ideas?
9.26.2010
September
I just got this overwhelming feeling of excitedness for the holidays. It might have something to do with my roommate playing christmas music next door. Either way, I am sooo excited for fall and hot cocoa and knitted scarves and rainy days and staying indoors curled up with a good book :) Not that any of this will be happening any time soon in Arizona. It's still 100 degrees! OH, how I long to move somewhere that has a real fall season. Nonetheless, I can pretend.
Courtesy of lorilooms
courtesy of ThisYearsGirl
courtesy of tetoncocoacompany
Courtesy of lorilooms
courtesy of ThisYearsGirl
courtesy of tetoncocoacompany
8.27.2010
Professional Philosophy
Just thought I would share with you all what I wrote for a recent assignment for one of my Special Education classes. It gives you a hint at my passion for teaching and what the next few years might look like ;)
1. Why do you want to be a teacher?
2. Why is teaching an important profession?
3. Why is an education important to a person and/or society?
4. What impact do you hope to have as a teacher?
1. I would like to be a teacher because I feel that it is a great profession for someone who loves to shape young minds and desires to put their creative, cognitive and leadership skills to good use. Growing up, I always admired those teachers who were able to make the classroom a fun and exciting place to be. Also, I feel it is a very flexible and family-friendly career should I choose to get married & start a family.
2. I have always thought that teaching was one of the most important professions there are. Not only are you teaching a child the basics to survive in this world, such as reading, writing and math skills, but you are with that child 6 hours a day for 9 months out of the year, and you become that child's primary source of inspiration to learn. Without a teacher to urge him onward, or to be his patient guide, a child may never receive the help or support he needs to be achieve the things he is capable of. Teachers make a huge impact on the children they have in their classroom - sometimes a child will remember that teacher 10, 25, even 50 years down the road.
3. As a child, I remember passionately arguing with my friends that without teachers, there would be no other professions- because no one would be there to teach the doctors, basketball players, scientists or engineers the basics. Our society is essentially founded upon the humble yet mighty profession of teaching.
4. As a teacher, I hope to be exceptional. I hope to have a classroom climate that is stimulating without being overwhelming. I hope to be creative in ways that help my students engage in what they are learning. I hope to communicate with parents and involve families so that students are receiving help at home as well as at school. I hope have an impact on my students so that 15 years down the road, they will remember me with a smile in the same way that I remember my teachers.
1. Why do you want to be a teacher?
2. Why is teaching an important profession?
3. Why is an education important to a person and/or society?
4. What impact do you hope to have as a teacher?
1. I would like to be a teacher because I feel that it is a great profession for someone who loves to shape young minds and desires to put their creative, cognitive and leadership skills to good use. Growing up, I always admired those teachers who were able to make the classroom a fun and exciting place to be. Also, I feel it is a very flexible and family-friendly career should I choose to get married & start a family.
2. I have always thought that teaching was one of the most important professions there are. Not only are you teaching a child the basics to survive in this world, such as reading, writing and math skills, but you are with that child 6 hours a day for 9 months out of the year, and you become that child's primary source of inspiration to learn. Without a teacher to urge him onward, or to be his patient guide, a child may never receive the help or support he needs to be achieve the things he is capable of. Teachers make a huge impact on the children they have in their classroom - sometimes a child will remember that teacher 10, 25, even 50 years down the road.
3. As a child, I remember passionately arguing with my friends that without teachers, there would be no other professions- because no one would be there to teach the doctors, basketball players, scientists or engineers the basics. Our society is essentially founded upon the humble yet mighty profession of teaching.
4. As a teacher, I hope to be exceptional. I hope to have a classroom climate that is stimulating without being overwhelming. I hope to be creative in ways that help my students engage in what they are learning. I hope to communicate with parents and involve families so that students are receiving help at home as well as at school. I hope have an impact on my students so that 15 years down the road, they will remember me with a smile in the same way that I remember my teachers.
8.16.2010
atrás a escuela. [back to school]
Yes, it's that time of year again where I attend classes and hit the books. School starts this Thursday for ASU students [in the middle of the week, weird huh?]. I can't believe how fast the summer flew by. It seems like it just started. I feel the need to re-cap my summer before I get too busy with buying books, going to classes and the general back-to-school mayhem that is bound to ensue.
Back in May, I moved into Las Casas, the West Campus dorms, which was a move I was very excited about due to the fact that it meant getting away from downtown and having a change. Also, Lars just happened to have accepted an internship at New Life Community Church, which is literally right down the street from the West Campus. I feel like God planned our move to the West side in ways that we could not have foreseen, and it has worked out perfectly.
Living in the dorms over the summer allowed me to get to know people from New Life, a church that I now call home. I have made so many amazing friends through bible study and volunteering with the youth group. There was never a dull moment in my summer because of them and I praise God for that.
In June, I went to Seattle for 2 weeks. I extended my stay by a week because there were so many fun and exciting things to do and 1 week was just not enough time. I caught up with old friends, some of whom I have not seen in years. I learned to knit & got in touch with my crafty side, and I have been on a creative roll ever since.
In July I started my job at the Teaching Resource Library, another blessing from God that was an answered prayer. I had been looking for a job for over a year and had lost all hope when I got the position.
And in August, only 1 week ago...I GOT A CAR! My grandma was kind enough to fix up my Uncle's unwanted Chevy Blazer for me and ship it out to Arizona without me knowing. Having a car will change my life in so many ways. I can drive to the grocery store whenever I need something, drive to church, drive to Lars' host family's house to visit him, and drive to my internship. The mobility is so freeing and even though I was 20 years old when I got my first car, it was worth the wait because it's such a great car! Lars & I have named her "Henrietta", after the town my grandma lives in.
Looking back on my summer, I can see so clearly all the ways that God has blessed me and answered my prayers. I can't wait to see what this upcoming school year will bring, and I am looking forward to updating you all about my adventures!
Back in May, I moved into Las Casas, the West Campus dorms, which was a move I was very excited about due to the fact that it meant getting away from downtown and having a change. Also, Lars just happened to have accepted an internship at New Life Community Church, which is literally right down the street from the West Campus. I feel like God planned our move to the West side in ways that we could not have foreseen, and it has worked out perfectly.
Living in the dorms over the summer allowed me to get to know people from New Life, a church that I now call home. I have made so many amazing friends through bible study and volunteering with the youth group. There was never a dull moment in my summer because of them and I praise God for that.
In June, I went to Seattle for 2 weeks. I extended my stay by a week because there were so many fun and exciting things to do and 1 week was just not enough time. I caught up with old friends, some of whom I have not seen in years. I learned to knit & got in touch with my crafty side, and I have been on a creative roll ever since.
In July I started my job at the Teaching Resource Library, another blessing from God that was an answered prayer. I had been looking for a job for over a year and had lost all hope when I got the position.
And in August, only 1 week ago...I GOT A CAR! My grandma was kind enough to fix up my Uncle's unwanted Chevy Blazer for me and ship it out to Arizona without me knowing. Having a car will change my life in so many ways. I can drive to the grocery store whenever I need something, drive to church, drive to Lars' host family's house to visit him, and drive to my internship. The mobility is so freeing and even though I was 20 years old when I got my first car, it was worth the wait because it's such a great car! Lars & I have named her "Henrietta", after the town my grandma lives in.
Looking back on my summer, I can see so clearly all the ways that God has blessed me and answered my prayers. I can't wait to see what this upcoming school year will bring, and I am looking forward to updating you all about my adventures!
8.08.2010
Always On the Move.
Today I moved to another room within my dorm building. Down the hall, down the elevator 1 floor, across the skybridge...I made this trip about 50 times today as I moved all of my stuff from one room to the other. Moving is exhausting business, I tell ya. Not only is there the physical exhaustion of heaving everything you own to a new location (actually, I used a grocery cart that was sitting in the parking lot), but there's the emotional exhaustion of leaving a place that you've gotten so familiar and used to. Even though I only lived there for 3 months, I really liked my old setup and so it is strange looking out the window and seeing a different view.
I am the only one here so far. My other roommates haven't arrived yet. It's nice being able to relax and set up the place without worrying about everyone seeing the messy process of it.
In a way, moving is very thrilling. The sense of moving on to a new place inspires you to shake things up a bit, to get rid of things you don't use or don't need, and to rearrange your life while you have the perspective to do so. I have done a lot of moving in the last 4 years (11 times if you count moves between rooms in the same building). So it's a good thing I enjoy it, I guess.
I am the only one here so far. My other roommates haven't arrived yet. It's nice being able to relax and set up the place without worrying about everyone seeing the messy process of it.
In a way, moving is very thrilling. The sense of moving on to a new place inspires you to shake things up a bit, to get rid of things you don't use or don't need, and to rearrange your life while you have the perspective to do so. I have done a lot of moving in the last 4 years (11 times if you count moves between rooms in the same building). So it's a good thing I enjoy it, I guess.
8.01.2010
7.28.2010
A few of my favorite things
1. Succulents - They are my favorite plant. I don't usually like desert-y looking plants, but these look so modern and plump and adorable that I can't help myself.
2. Etsy.com - I am browsing on this site every time that I get the chance. I just bought these lovely stickers from the etsy shop 1canoe2:
3. The Cookies and Cream Chick-fil-A milkshake - You seriously can't beat it as a frosty and slightly textured treat.
4. Sunday Afternoons- Usually it's my baking day and the day that I hang out with Lars after church!
5. The slightly cloudy days we have been having lately in Arizona.
And...a few of my least favorite things (they don't get pictures because I hate them so much):
1. Messy kitchens - I am a bit of a clean freak.
2. Tuna Fish - I can't stand the smell and I will never ever EVER like it!
3. Getting up early - I am NOT a morning person.
4. Loud people - I hate excessive loudness, or being able to hear my roommate from across the apartment or clanging around in the kitchen. I value my space, and peace & quiet when I'm trying to focus on something.
5. The gym - I hate working out in a gym. I feel like everyone gawks at you. I would rather be out in the open, doing an activity like biking, hiking, walking or swimming.
2. Etsy.com - I am browsing on this site every time that I get the chance. I just bought these lovely stickers from the etsy shop 1canoe2:
3. The Cookies and Cream Chick-fil-A milkshake - You seriously can't beat it as a frosty and slightly textured treat.
4. Sunday Afternoons- Usually it's my baking day and the day that I hang out with Lars after church!
5. The slightly cloudy days we have been having lately in Arizona.
And...a few of my least favorite things (they don't get pictures because I hate them so much):
1. Messy kitchens - I am a bit of a clean freak.
2. Tuna Fish - I can't stand the smell and I will never ever EVER like it!
3. Getting up early - I am NOT a morning person.
4. Loud people - I hate excessive loudness, or being able to hear my roommate from across the apartment or clanging around in the kitchen. I value my space, and peace & quiet when I'm trying to focus on something.
5. The gym - I hate working out in a gym. I feel like everyone gawks at you. I would rather be out in the open, doing an activity like biking, hiking, walking or swimming.
7.25.2010
Random July Update
So...I finally bought one of the swimsuits mentioned on this post. I got the black one :) It's classic, black, and oh-so-retro! I consider it an investment piece because I can see myself wearing it for many summers ahead.
Lars is finally back from High School camp in California. I definitely missed him while he was gone. It's just not the same when he's not around. I love my bear so much <3 While he was gone, I mostly just worked, did some knitting and cooking. I also got to see some friends, such as Alyssa, which was a ton of fun. I got to see her apartment and meet her little dog, Margot!
Work is going pretty well. I have been there for 2 weeks. Please pray that my coworkers and I will continue to get along over the course of this year. Our personalities have been clashing occasionally and I really want to put differences aside and make our work environment a great one :)
Can I just say how much I love stand-up comedy? I just watched Steve Byrne on Comedy Central and I was laughing so hard I almost cried. There's something about a great comedy routine that reminds me of a great sermon, because in my opinion a great sermon needs to include some humor. That's why I love Mark Driscoll, he always makes me laugh.
Lars is finally back from High School camp in California. I definitely missed him while he was gone. It's just not the same when he's not around. I love my bear so much <3 While he was gone, I mostly just worked, did some knitting and cooking. I also got to see some friends, such as Alyssa, which was a ton of fun. I got to see her apartment and meet her little dog, Margot!
Work is going pretty well. I have been there for 2 weeks. Please pray that my coworkers and I will continue to get along over the course of this year. Our personalities have been clashing occasionally and I really want to put differences aside and make our work environment a great one :)
Can I just say how much I love stand-up comedy? I just watched Steve Byrne on Comedy Central and I was laughing so hard I almost cried. There's something about a great comedy routine that reminds me of a great sermon, because in my opinion a great sermon needs to include some humor. That's why I love Mark Driscoll, he always makes me laugh.
7.13.2010
New job + Creativity
Yesterday I started my new job at the Teacher Resource Library on-campus. It's only a 5-minute walk over there, and the job is exactly my cup of tea: organizing children's literature and reading a few books here & there as I go :) The library isn't open for customers right now since it's summer and all, but come August I will be giving tours of the library for class groups that come in, and checking out camera equipment for those who need it. It's a great job and I feel so blessed to have it! It's going to prepare me really well for teaching and since most of the teacher clubs and honor societies meet in our study area, I will probably end up joining a lot of those clubs!
I have discovered that I am a creative person. I guess I always have been, but lately I have this unquenchable need to do creative things. They make me feel more alive. They are great way of preventing boredom & I feel like I am doing something productive rather than just watching TV all day. I went through a cooking phase for a long time, and currently I am in the thick of a knitting phase. Here's a hat I recently knitted for Lars:
Next on my creative hobby to-do list (in no particular order):
*Drawing (with some really good markers and quality paper)
*Pottery
*Sewing
*Cake/cupcake decorating
I have been browsing on Etsy lately, and I really love seeing some of the creative work that other people are doing in the world. Here are a few of my favorites:
Lace Bag by tortillagirl
Set of 3 Micro Tiles by elementcaystudio
Cute drawing by ashley g.
Baby Skull Necklace by Michelle Chang Jewelry
Inspiring photography by urbandesign
Penelope the Empathetic Monster knitting pattern by dangercraft
So....what are YOUR latest obsessions?
I have discovered that I am a creative person. I guess I always have been, but lately I have this unquenchable need to do creative things. They make me feel more alive. They are great way of preventing boredom & I feel like I am doing something productive rather than just watching TV all day. I went through a cooking phase for a long time, and currently I am in the thick of a knitting phase. Here's a hat I recently knitted for Lars:
Next on my creative hobby to-do list (in no particular order):
*Drawing (with some really good markers and quality paper)
*Pottery
*Sewing
*Cake/cupcake decorating
I have been browsing on Etsy lately, and I really love seeing some of the creative work that other people are doing in the world. Here are a few of my favorites:
Lace Bag by tortillagirl
Set of 3 Micro Tiles by elementcaystudio
Cute drawing by ashley g.
Baby Skull Necklace by Michelle Chang Jewelry
Inspiring photography by urbandesign
Penelope the Empathetic Monster knitting pattern by dangercraft
So....what are YOUR latest obsessions?
7.06.2010
First week back
I've been back in Phoenix for about a week now. Funny story...as soon as I got my baggage and gave Lars a big hug upon his arrival, we walked out the sliding doors into the parking garage and WHAM! A huge blast of oven-hot Phoenix air came at me and Lars said my eyes got huge. I said "Oh. Em. Gee." I was just not used to it after 2 weeks of cloudy weather in the 60's.
But I have gradually gotten used to it. It actually feels sorta nice to walk out in the hot weather after being indoors in the A/C all day. I have also been getting back into the swing of things with my life in Phoenix. On Friday, I saw Eclipse for a second time with Lars and our friends Alyssa and Phill. Then, the next day we went to night church, saw his parents, and then out to the Cheesecake Factory with a big group of people celebrating our friend's birthday. On Sunday we had a more chill day, but since it was 4th of July we decided to go over to Jon and Cherie's apartment for some yummy BBQ and a rousing game of "Settlers of Catan", a game kinda like Risk. We all got really into it and made enemies, it was hilarious!
A book that I read recently and really enjoyed was "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner", lent to me by Heather, a really nice girl in my bible study. For all you Twilight fans out there, it's a must-read because it shows a different perspective than Bella's on the events that happen in "Eclipse":
Now I better get back to studying for my big test this weekend. I keep getting distracted because of reading the above book (in one sitting), working on knitting a hat for Lars, cleaning my apartment, and a plethora of other excuses. There's always something ;)
But I have gradually gotten used to it. It actually feels sorta nice to walk out in the hot weather after being indoors in the A/C all day. I have also been getting back into the swing of things with my life in Phoenix. On Friday, I saw Eclipse for a second time with Lars and our friends Alyssa and Phill. Then, the next day we went to night church, saw his parents, and then out to the Cheesecake Factory with a big group of people celebrating our friend's birthday. On Sunday we had a more chill day, but since it was 4th of July we decided to go over to Jon and Cherie's apartment for some yummy BBQ and a rousing game of "Settlers of Catan", a game kinda like Risk. We all got really into it and made enemies, it was hilarious!
A book that I read recently and really enjoyed was "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner", lent to me by Heather, a really nice girl in my bible study. For all you Twilight fans out there, it's a must-read because it shows a different perspective than Bella's on the events that happen in "Eclipse":
Now I better get back to studying for my big test this weekend. I keep getting distracted because of reading the above book (in one sitting), working on knitting a hat for Lars, cleaning my apartment, and a plethora of other excuses. There's always something ;)
6.27.2010
Seattle Trip, Part 2
Here I am sitting at the kitchen table at my mom's house, listening to Michael Buble on repeat (it's my brother's favorite music lately). I miss my family terribly when I'm away so I want to soak in the feeling of spending a lazy sunday afternoon at home.
My trip has been pretty amazing so far. I have been seeing old friends pretty much nonstop. Yesterday I went to Seattle with my friend Erin, who I have been friends with since I was about 12. We met up with our friend Shannon downtown for lunch & shopping. I love seeing the Seatte skyline, it's such a comforting and nostalgic sight for me:
The day before we also visited her apartment in Tacoma and stopped for a tasty treat at Frisko Freeze:
And today I got the privilege of going to church at LifeWay, which was my childhood church growing up. I saw my friend Shelby there. We have been friends since we were 8 or 9 years old. Afterwards there was a baptism at Dash Pointbeach, so we went straight there after service. Our friend Juliet's sweet baby Josiah was there. Here he is wth Shelby, playing with her car keys and eventually dropping them in the sand (haha):
The little girl being baptized was a 10-year-old girl named Lexi, who I have known since she was a 6-month-old baby. My family actually considered adopting her at one point, so she was over at our house all the time, but my parents eventually decided that they couldn't handle another child at the time. Still, this little girl is very close to my heart (an almost-sister if you will) and so it was great to see her get baptized today and commit her life to the Lord forever. Here she is with Billy Arnold, the lead pastor.
I've had a great trip so far. And I have gotten quite good at knitting. Here is my mom and I's stash of yarn, mostly made up of free yarn that she gets from her work at a yarn supplier, which I call the "Rainbow Factory":
I finished my second project, which is a phone cozy. Now I am working on a hat for Lars. I really miss him :) I will see him on Thursday, so until then I am enjoying my limited time in my hometown of Federal Way!
I'll leave you with a picture of the wonderful little lion, Cato:
My trip has been pretty amazing so far. I have been seeing old friends pretty much nonstop. Yesterday I went to Seattle with my friend Erin, who I have been friends with since I was about 12. We met up with our friend Shannon downtown for lunch & shopping. I love seeing the Seatte skyline, it's such a comforting and nostalgic sight for me:
The day before we also visited her apartment in Tacoma and stopped for a tasty treat at Frisko Freeze:
And today I got the privilege of going to church at LifeWay, which was my childhood church growing up. I saw my friend Shelby there. We have been friends since we were 8 or 9 years old. Afterwards there was a baptism at Dash Pointbeach, so we went straight there after service. Our friend Juliet's sweet baby Josiah was there. Here he is wth Shelby, playing with her car keys and eventually dropping them in the sand (haha):
The little girl being baptized was a 10-year-old girl named Lexi, who I have known since she was a 6-month-old baby. My family actually considered adopting her at one point, so she was over at our house all the time, but my parents eventually decided that they couldn't handle another child at the time. Still, this little girl is very close to my heart (an almost-sister if you will) and so it was great to see her get baptized today and commit her life to the Lord forever. Here she is with Billy Arnold, the lead pastor.
I've had a great trip so far. And I have gotten quite good at knitting. Here is my mom and I's stash of yarn, mostly made up of free yarn that she gets from her work at a yarn supplier, which I call the "Rainbow Factory":
I finished my second project, which is a phone cozy. Now I am working on a hat for Lars. I really miss him :) I will see him on Thursday, so until then I am enjoying my limited time in my hometown of Federal Way!I'll leave you with a picture of the wonderful little lion, Cato:
6.22.2010
Seattle So Far
On Father's day visited the church where I grew up (Lifeway) and reconnected with old friends there. In the evening I attended Mars Hill with my dad and brother, which is a church that I love for it's truth-filled messages, sound biblical doctrine, and amazingly put-together visual and musical arts. The main preaching pastor, Mark Driscoll, is a salt-of-the-earth guy who I respect so much, and so does Lars. In fact, you could say that we are a little obsessed, and think he is the speaker of our generation, much like Billy Graham was for the last one ;) We watch his sermons online while we're in Phoenix, so it's always surreal to be sitting only 8 rows away from him as he preaches a sermon in real life. What was even more surreal was a year and a half ago when Lars and I actually got to meet him and shake his hand, but that's another story.
Here's my dad and I, sitting in a cute little crepe cafe in Ballard, waiting for the service to begin. We had some yummy strawberry crepes and french-press coffee.
In other news, yesterday I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth out. Why would I get my wisdom teeth out while on vacation, you ask? Because it had to be done, and I would rather get it over with in the summer than during the school year. The surgery went miraculously well. I was very nervous because the surgeon had said that I was at risk for temporary or permanent paresthesia, which is numbness of the lip or chin, because of how close one of my wisdom teeth was to my jaw nerves.
Amazingly, I have no numbness and the Lord answered my prayers that my nerves would not be affected at all. Additionally, I am hardly in any pain and haven't needed to take any of my meds. I have no swelling or complications, and the operation took only 30 minutes. I must have had an excellent surgeon who knew what he was doing. Here is a picture of my wisdom teeth before they were taken out. You can see how close the one on the right lower side was to the nerve (the faint double-line, do you see it?) Sorry to creep any of you out with an x-ray of my mouth :) I just wanted to show you what a close call it was and how happy I am that everything went perfectly!
I have learned 2 great new hobbies since I have been here in Seattle, one of which is KNITTING! :) I seriously love to knit, it doesnt take long to learn and it is so therapeutic and fun! My mom taught me how to knit, because she is the graphic designer for a yarn supplier and so she is a pro at knitting now! I finished my first project last night, which could either be a washcloth, oven mitt, or anything you want!
My next projects will be knitting a phone cozy for my new phone (an enV touch), a hat for Lars and a sweater for my favorite little chihuahua, Stella!
The second hobby that I am starting to get into is geocaching, basically a worldwide treasure hunt. There are millions of geocaches hidden EVERYWHERE, all you have to do is get a GPS and try to find the coordinates. My mom and I found one in Olympic View Park the other day. All you have to do is go to this website to find a geocache near you (the website also explains what geocaching is, if my explanation didn't quite cut it for you).
Those are my Seattle adventures so far....stay tuned for more updates :)
6.13.2010
Food Love.
I'm realizing that this might as well be a food blog, because this summer my main hobby has become cooking/baking and I post pictures of what I make on practically every post. Today is no exception. I wanted to show you the results of the "gourmet" dinner that Lars and I made together for our 3-year celebration. Rather than going out somewhere expensive, we went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on yummy groceries.
We had asian-style marinated chicken breasts with an apple, carrot and pomegranate seed spinach salad that he made, and of course some sweet tea :)
And yesterday I experimented with making flat bread, which I like to call "bible bread" because it's the ingredients that people have been using for thousands of years to make bread: yeast, flour, olive oil, and salt. And a tiny dash of sugar. That's it. I love the simplicity of it.
I made the little indentations with my fingers right before popping it in the oven. It gives it some rustic appeal.
And what posting about home-made bread would be complete without a low-quality snapshot of the chef eating her creation?
There, now I can go to bed :)
We had asian-style marinated chicken breasts with an apple, carrot and pomegranate seed spinach salad that he made, and of course some sweet tea :)And yesterday I experimented with making flat bread, which I like to call "bible bread" because it's the ingredients that people have been using for thousands of years to make bread: yeast, flour, olive oil, and salt. And a tiny dash of sugar. That's it. I love the simplicity of it.
I made the little indentations with my fingers right before popping it in the oven. It gives it some rustic appeal.And what posting about home-made bread would be complete without a low-quality snapshot of the chef eating her creation?
There, now I can go to bed :)
6.10.2010
Studying and Baking
I am officially signed up to take the AEPA (Arizona Educators Proficiency Assessment) for Elementary Education this summer. It is a 4-hour long, 100-question test that determines whether you are certified to teach Elementary Education. Basically, the SAT for teachers. I have to take 3 portions of the AEPA before I graduate: the Elementary Education, the Special Education and the Professional Knowledge portions. I am taking a leap of faith by taking it this summer, which is much earlier than most of my fellow teaching majors will be taking it. However, I don't think I will be learning much more about elementary education at this point in my program, and so I might as well take it now when it's fresh in my head (normally, people wait until right before they graduate).
My point in all of this is to ask for you to pray for me. I have exactly a month to study for this test, and if I don't pass, I will have wasted $100. I would ask for your prayers that I could study effectively and pass this test on the first try. Once I pass, I will have peace of mind knowing that I am one step closer to becoming the awesome teacher that I want to be!!! :) (Oh, and if you are wondering, I still haven't decided what grade to teach yet. Anywhere from Kindergarten-4th grade is fine with me!)
Today my friend Rachel and I made wonderful mini-pizzookies, similar to the one's that they serve at Oregano's or BJ's here in the valley. They are basically soft, gooey chocolate chip cookies covered in vanilla ice cream. You have to try them! Here are our results:
P.S. Let me know if you know of any good studying strategies!
6.03.2010
The lovely month of June.
June is upon us! I love June because...
It is the month of Lars & I's anniversary.
It is the heart of summer and lazy days.
It is the time that I usually go on some sort of vacation (such as Seattle this year!)
It is another month that I get to spend living the wonderful life God has given me.
Here's my June itinerary:
June 5 & 6th (this weekend) - Babysitting with Lars for the kids in his host family while their parents are out of town.
June 6th through 16th- Hardcore studying for the Elementary Education portion of the AEPA (Arizona Educator's Proficiency Assessment) that I'll be taking in July. I have to take 3 different parts of it to become certified as a teacher. I feel confident that I'll be able to pass it on the first try, but it will definitely be a challenge :)
June 17th - Leaving for Seattle
June 21st - Getting my wisdom teeth out. I'm actually looking forward to it because I'll be pampered by my mom and I'll be able to drink smoothies all day :)
June 24th- Back to PHX
I will leave you for now with some yummy ham& cheese hot pockets that I made from this recipe.
Mmm, don't they look heavenly! The dough was too sticky so I didn't get to roll them up as prettily as I would have liked, but they are definitely delicious and they can be easily frozen to re-heat for lunch at a later time.
It is the month of Lars & I's anniversary.
It is the heart of summer and lazy days.
It is the time that I usually go on some sort of vacation (such as Seattle this year!)
It is another month that I get to spend living the wonderful life God has given me.
Here's my June itinerary:
June 5 & 6th (this weekend) - Babysitting with Lars for the kids in his host family while their parents are out of town.
June 6th through 16th- Hardcore studying for the Elementary Education portion of the AEPA (Arizona Educator's Proficiency Assessment) that I'll be taking in July. I have to take 3 different parts of it to become certified as a teacher. I feel confident that I'll be able to pass it on the first try, but it will definitely be a challenge :)
June 17th - Leaving for Seattle
June 21st - Getting my wisdom teeth out. I'm actually looking forward to it because I'll be pampered by my mom and I'll be able to drink smoothies all day :)
June 24th- Back to PHX
I will leave you for now with some yummy ham& cheese hot pockets that I made from this recipe.
Mmm, don't they look heavenly! The dough was too sticky so I didn't get to roll them up as prettily as I would have liked, but they are definitely delicious and they can be easily frozen to re-heat for lunch at a later time.
5.27.2010
Summer outlook on life
Here's my summer outlook:
Yes, those are my legs, soaking up some Arizona rays by the pool :)
Yes, those are my legs, soaking up some Arizona rays by the pool :)This particular pool was at my friend's community center, waaaay up in north, north Scottsdale.
The weather was perfect today, and the scenery was gorgeous.
Another part of my summer outlook has been doing more cooking and baking in my new kitchen, now that I am all settled. My friend Rachel & I made some amazing chocolate chip cookies yesterday from this recipe (seriously, try them, they're amazing), and then today I made sweet potato fries from this recipe. Here were my results:
Wonderfully crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with the perfect blend of spices and a homemade dip. I think that these sweet potato fries may be the only way to go from now on. Plus, they're a lot healthier than your average fry ;)
OH, and of course I must post a picture of my favorite breakfast, an egg-and-cheese breakfast wrap with spinach and strawberries on the side. YUMMM.
I have had a really busy last two weeks, but mostly with fun things :)
A Saturday wedding, a trip to starbucks with a new church friend, going out to lunch at On The Border, and getting to know Lars' host family better. I've also gone Target shopping (maybe a little too much), talked with a friend about helping plan her upcoming wedding in October, and gone on a double date with our friends from high school. I've even gone bowling/out to ice cream with our young adult bible study members, and helped out with a Friday night Jr. High talent show at New Life . And the fun doesn't stop there...tomorrow I am going with Lars over to our friends' apartment for a little BBQ. We met Jon and Cherie at bible study and can't wait to get to know them better.
I'm at a really good place in life right now...plus, I got hired for a fall job! Praise the Lord for all of his blessings :)
The weather was perfect today, and the scenery was gorgeous.
Another part of my summer outlook has been doing more cooking and baking in my new kitchen, now that I am all settled. My friend Rachel & I made some amazing chocolate chip cookies yesterday from this recipe (seriously, try them, they're amazing), and then today I made sweet potato fries from this recipe. Here were my results:
Wonderfully crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with the perfect blend of spices and a homemade dip. I think that these sweet potato fries may be the only way to go from now on. Plus, they're a lot healthier than your average fry ;)OH, and of course I must post a picture of my favorite breakfast, an egg-and-cheese breakfast wrap with spinach and strawberries on the side. YUMMM.
I have had a really busy last two weeks, but mostly with fun things :)
A Saturday wedding, a trip to starbucks with a new church friend, going out to lunch at On The Border, and getting to know Lars' host family better. I've also gone Target shopping (maybe a little too much), talked with a friend about helping plan her upcoming wedding in October, and gone on a double date with our friends from high school. I've even gone bowling/out to ice cream with our young adult bible study members, and helped out with a Friday night Jr. High talent show at New Life . And the fun doesn't stop there...tomorrow I am going with Lars over to our friends' apartment for a little BBQ. We met Jon and Cherie at bible study and can't wait to get to know them better.
I'm at a really good place in life right now...plus, I got hired for a fall job! Praise the Lord for all of his blessings :)
5.20.2010
Apartment Tour
I thought I would post some pictures of my lovely new summer apartment. It is a 4-bedroom, but I only share it with one roommate (at least for now). She is on the opposite side and has her own bathroom/bedroom. I apologize for the picture quality, because once again these were taken on my phone!
Here is my kitchen :) This is what you see as soon as you walk in.
A peek inside my cupboards...
Here is the living room/ eat-in dining area. All the furniture was already here when I moved in (except the TV, that was a gift from Larsy). I still need to spruce it up with some throw pillows/art on the walls.
And now, we enter my side of the living space. There are 2 bedrooms over here, and 2 vanities, but no one else lives on this side, so I get it all to myself :)
My desk and mini fridge :)
And my lovely, deluxe full-size bed (soo much better than the twin-size mattresses at Taylor Place)
And there's me!
I hope you enjoyed this apartment tour! I can't wait to have people over and have a dinner party! Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas on cheap ways to make the living room look better/less dorm-like! haha
A peek inside my cupboards...
Here is the living room/ eat-in dining area. All the furniture was already here when I moved in (except the TV, that was a gift from Larsy). I still need to spruce it up with some throw pillows/art on the walls.
And now, we enter my side of the living space. There are 2 bedrooms over here, and 2 vanities, but no one else lives on this side, so I get it all to myself :)
My desk and mini fridge :)
And my lovely, deluxe full-size bed (soo much better than the twin-size mattresses at Taylor Place)
And there's me!
I hope you enjoyed this apartment tour! I can't wait to have people over and have a dinner party! Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas on cheap ways to make the living room look better/less dorm-like! haha
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