Spring Break with Family

I LOVE THIS PICTURE! 

Seriously, my spring break was so fantastic! The best one I can remember. 

I wouldn't trade the time with my family for anything. It's true I spent some time with friends and loved it, but the time with my family was the most precious. 

Anyone who says they have the best family ever is wrong. I have the best family! We are not perfect at all. We have moments of frustration and getting on each other's nerves, but we love each other. Some days are harder to live far away from them, but the distance definitely made the week home extra special. There was laughter, singing, tickling, lunches, kite flying, egg dying, crafting, laughing, Jerry Lewis movies, did I mention laughing? It was such a great time! 

Spring Break with Friends

Last week I was home in CA on my spring break. It was such a wonderful week! I was desperately in need of relaxing and visiting with friends and family. And I returned feeling so renewed and rejuvenated to finish up the school year. 

I'm reminded over and over again how much God has blessed me with good friends. No matter where I have lived God has given me great friends who I can laugh with (lots of laughing), relax with, and grow in my walk with Christ with. It was so wonderful to visit with these dear friends last week. I'm already thinking about my next visit and all the fun we will have! 

Church Camping

       Just got back from my church camping trip.
       Last year when I moved to Wisconsin the church camping trip came at just the right time. I know that the Lord had it all worked out in advance. It was later in the summer last year and I was struggling some missing my family and adjusting to living with my grandparents. God used that camping trip to remind me that He is always with me and hears me when I cry out to Him.
       This year the camping trip was just as much of a blessing to me. There is something to wonderful about sitting on a small dock at the edge of a lake reading your Bible and praying. The sound of the water hitting the boats and the wind in the trees reminded me so much of how God loves me more than I can even imagine. His creation is so amazing and reminds me of how awesome He is. I'm just this puny little nothing in this world, but God chose me to be His child and He saved me from a terrible eternity. During our last kayaking outing on the lake this morning one of my friends pointed out the awesomeness of God and how cool it would be to kayak in the new heaven and new earth. He was so right. I thought that lake and its surroundings were so wonderful, but how wonderful will it be in the place that God is preparing for me!
       This morning as I was spending my quiet time with the Lord these are the verses that stuck out to me.

Psalm 111

Praise the Lord! 

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, 

in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 

Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. 

Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 

He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; 

the Lord is gracious and merciful. 

He provides food for those who fear him; 

he remembers his covenant forever. 

He has shown his people the power of his works, 

in giving them the inheritance of the nations. 

The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; 

they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 

He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. 

Holy and awesome is his name! 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a

ll those who practice it have a good understanding. 

His praise endures forever! 

A little late, but worth it

Well, homesickness finally hit. The week before I started at work was a hard week. I was missing my family and friends a lot and struggling with living with my grandparents. It seemed like my independence had been taken a way to a certain degree. I'm not used to not having my own car and going places when I wanted to. Suddenly I was being told I couldn't go places because I wasn't allowed to have the car. There were about 4 days that were a huge struggle.
But, God knew exactly what I needed. Surprise, surprise. The Thursday of that week I joined my new church family on a camping trip. I was a little nervous about the camping part, because let's be honest I'm not much of a camper. But my mom's cousin invited me to sleep in her camper with her family so I thought I could handle it. It was the weekend I totally needed. I went 4-wheeling, canoeing, played games, fellowshipped, and enjoyed a warm campfire. But I have to say the highlight was the quiet mornings on the dock with my Bible and my coffee. Right away the first morning in my quiet time I was reminded of how God was taking care of me and listening to my cry. Psalm 116 was the next chapter in my Bible reading and it was exactly what I needed to hear.

1I love the Lord, because he has heard

my voice and my pleas for mercy.

2Because he inclined his ear to me,

therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The snares of death encompassed me;

the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;

I suffered distress and anguish.

4Then I called on the name of the Lord:

“O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

5 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;

our God is merciful.

6The Lord preserves the simple;

when I was brought low, he saved me.

7Return, O my soul, to your rest;

for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you.

8For you have delivered my soul from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling;

9I will walk before the Lord

in the land of the living.

Summer Reading

One of my goals for the summer is to read as many books as I possibly can. As I was packing for my summer in Wisconsin it was really hard for me to chose which books to bring along. I have a major tendency to buy books and then never read them. I think I brought about 15 books with me. They are almost half and half fiction and non-fiction. So far I’ve finished 3 books: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Helen Keller’s Teacher, and The Adventures of Edgar and Allan Poe. So far they’ve all been juvenile fiction, but honestly I have no problem with that. My plan is to alternate between fiction and non-fiction.

So now for the next book I picked up “When People are Big and God is Small.” A good friend of mine gave me this book a while ago and I and just now picking it up. Usually when I read non-fiction books it takes me forever, but this one is different. I’m already several chapters into the book and boy am I feeling convicted. I’ve always known that fearing man is something I’ve struggled with, but after starting to read this book and answer the questions at the end of each chapter I didn’t know how so many of my actions show how much I fear man.

At the end of the third chapter the author encourages the reader to make a list of your actions that demonstrate a fear of man both from the past and the present. Oh my goodness!! I started making my list and it made me realize how badly I’ve feared man throughout my life.

So within the first 4 chapters of this books I’ve felt extremely convicted, but I’ve also felt challenged and comforted. I’ve felt challenged to be much more focused on Christ and comforted over how much God loves me.

This passage really stuck out to me as I was reading tonight. The author asked, “Will you trust in man or will you trust in the Lord?”

“Cursed is the one who trust in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when the heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.
Jeremiah 17:5-8

Pre Wisconsin Diaries

There aren't many days left of school and my brain is definitely thinking about the summer! I'm so excited to spend the next couples of months in Wisconsin with my grandparents. It will be fun spending time with them. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I love drilling them with questions about our family. I keep a journal of the stories they tell of when they grew up. I'm hoping that by the end of the summer I'll have to buy a new journal. :)

I'm also looking forward to just a slower pase for a while. I'm bringing books, sewing projects, my guitar and walking/running shoes. Those are all things that I don't have time to do on a regular basis. It makes me so happy that I can spend time doing those fun things I love to do. (Let me clarify -- I don't love running, but I'm hoping to like running by the end of the summer)

So my question for you is:

How many books do I take? 

While I was there for 1 1/2 weeks at Christmas I ready 3 books and was ready to start a 4th. I went through my bookshelves last night and pulled out the ones I've been wanting to read and I have 15 books in a stack right now. Lol! That is a lot of books! Is that too many? Space won't be the issue because I'm going to ship a box of books and fabric so that I don't have to pack it for on the plane. (Thanks Steph for that great idea!)

Looking forward to seeing you soon Grandma & Grandpa! 

It is in sight!!

Yes, I know it is still early...But after the rough day I had today all I can think about is...

SUMMER!!

It is just a little over 1 month away. I'm so looking forward to relaxing this summer. This will be the first summer that I won't spend the entire break working. I'm praying that I'll come back in the fall feeling very refreshed. In case you didn't know I'm going to be spending the summer in Wisconsin with my grandparents. I'm so excited to spend a long period of time with them, hear stories of when they were growing up, learn how to make my grandma's cinnamon rolls, sewing projects, read (lots of reading), and go for walks in the evening. (Sigh) Doesn't that just sound wonderful! I feel relaxed just thinking about it.

Here are two of the projects I am planning on doing while I'm in Wisconsin. 

This one is for me. I already own this fabric too! Yay!

 This will be the first time I'll actually finish a quilt for myself. 

I'm excited for this one to cover my bed.

Not sure who this one will be for...I might just keep it too. :)

Now, to keep my brain focused on work for the next several weeks. Ha!

Ooo, but my birthday is coming up!! Yay! 30, here I come!

Off to grade papers!

A Relaxing Saturday Night

I couldn't get it to rotate...grr

 What a perfect Saturday night (over the weekend - obviously)! It consisted of popcorn and a movie. Gotta love Netflix! I ended up watching an Audrey Hepburn movie. It was funny and cute. It wasn't the most exciting movie, but it was so nice to watch a good clean movie. 

I'm gradually learning how to make popcorn on the stove as good as my dad does. He makes the best popcorn! I feel so lucky when I'm over at their how and he makes a batch. Yum! I haven't perfected the art, but I'm working on it. I think I used a little too much oil this time around. 

Popcorn - Jim Humphreys' Style 

My popcorn bowl and I had a lovely evening. :) 

This is the last week of school!! 

I'm so looking forward to summer. I'll still be working, but the summer day camp is a lot different than my teaching job. It is a little more relaxed. 

I've got to find a fun way to celebrate at the end of the week.
Any good ideas? I'm leaning toward going to see a movie, but I'm open for other ideas.

Here is a list of the things I'm looking forward to this summer. 

I'm really into making lists lately. 

• Visiting the Writebol Family in Wichita. 
• Reading at least one book for fun. 
• Getting a flip-flop tan. 
• Having afternoons off. 
• Planning ahead for the next school year - I probably won't think about that for a few weeks though. :) 
• Working on my cookbook and finishing I hope. 
• Lots of walking. 
• Zumba class at the JC. 
• Spending more time with my family. 
• Fresh tomatoes from my own tomato plant. - I wish there were some now.

I do love summer! 

Easter Vacation - Mon

Today was a very successful day off for me. I absolutely loved it. Here is why:

• Didn't wake up to an alarm clock - It is such a wonderful thing to just wake up naturally. Even if it is early I still love waking up without an alarm clock. 
• Went on a 2ish mile walk with Betsy - That was one of my plans for the week. Walk walk walk. 
• Worked at cleaning my bedroom - If you know me you know that I hate cleaning. My bedroom has been a disaster zone for a while now. Usually when I get home from work I'm so tired that I'm not motivated to clean. Today, I was motivated! YAY! It isn't finished, but I got a huge chunk of it finished. 
• Read a few chapters of "The Hunger Games" @ Starbucks - I love going to Starbucks to just read. And I'm really liking reading "The Hunger Games." I'm not that far into it yet, but I'm hooked. I can't wait to see the movie. 

4th of July

I had such a wonderful 4th of July weekend. As you may have read, my trip started out with a lot of prayer as I waited to get to Seattle. When I think about it that craziness really helped me rely on God more, so it really was a blessing. 

It was so nice to actually have a vacation. Don't get me wrong, I love my summer job, but everyone needs some sort of vacation. And let me tell you, it was wonderful. 

On the first day my friend Lindsay had to work so I was "stuck" at her house. It was so nice to be able to  have a cup of coffee, spend time in God's word and just take my time in the morning. I loved it. A little before lunch time I went for a walk. This is what I found. 

Isn't that a beautiful view?! And there was more to it than just that. There was no one around. All I had was the view, the sound of a lawn mower and laughter from down on the beach. Even with the sounds it was a peaceful time with Jesus. I was struck by how awesome God is while I was looking out at the water. I really needed that time to get my focus in the right place. 

The rest of the day was spent being lazy. Awww gotta love vacation. 

 On Saturday Lindsay took me over to see her brother and his family. It was so nice to reconnect with them. Their kids have grown so much and they have another one on the way. 

After our visit Linds and I met our friend Ali at a marina where we walked around a farmers market and later on a pier. 

This is where we got a little sunburned. Oops! Didn't even think we were out there that long. 

Then came the long awaited moment. Meeting Jeff. Jeff was actually one of the main reasons why I went up to Seattle. I had to meet the guy who was marrying one of my best friends! I would have felt a little funny being in the wedding and meeting him the day before. I'm sure that has been done before, but I didn't want to do that. 

 Jeff is ok. I guess. 

Haha! Just kidding! He is great and I can tell that he loves Lindsay a lot. I am so happy for the two of them. I'm looking forward to being a part of their wedding in September. 

Sunday and Monday were a lot of fun. After church we drove out to Jeff's family's beach house/cabin. I'm not sure what to call it. It was a beautiful place and I'm not sure why I didn't take a picture of it. Those two days were filled with jet-skis, kayaks, swimming (some of it voluntary - lol), bbq, fireworks, digging for clams, beautiful stars, bocce ball and a lot of laughter. I had such a great time. I'm really glad I was able to go. 

Jeff & Lindsay

Ali and I kayaking

God has blessed me so much with so many great friends. I love that even though I don't talk to them or see them too often I'm still able to pick up as if we had seen each other yesterday. God is so good. 

Travel Adventures

Yesterday I flew to Seattle, Washington to visit my friend Lindsay. 
I have to tell you I didn't think I was going to make it here. A friend gave me a guest pass to use with Alaska Air which made the flight very (!) affordable. I am so thankful for that ticket from her. 
The hard part of the ticket was that I was flying standby and there was a chance that I wouldn't make it on the flight. The flight from Santa Rosa to Las Vegas wasn't hard to get on. There was enough room for me. 
The flight from Vegas to Seattle was the one I was nervous about. I had a 2 hour layover there and was number 5 or 6 on the standby list. The flight was full. Oh boy. My coworker, Patti, was really nervous for me. She gave me her sister's number in case I got stuck in Vegas. I guess her sister lives close to the airport there. It got to the point that I thought I was going to have to call her. 
The plane ended up having a mechanical problem and the flight was really delayed. The lady at the desk told me that I probably wouldn't get on the flight unless people started leaving the flight because it was so late. She also told me that the following flights to Seattle were full. 
I sat close to the desk and saw several people make other plans because of the delay. I was praying the entire time. "Ok, Lord, I'm trusting that no matter what happens You will take care of me. Please let me get on this flight." 
They were boarding.
The line was gone and they were calling for people who hadn't boarded yet. Then they started calling people from the standby list. "Please, Lord." The lady started calling names quickly looking for people who were waiting. Finally she called my name. I probably looked like someone on a game show. Hahaha! "That's me!" I yelled as I ran up to the desk. They had to reopen the gate door to let me on! Yikes! Talk about last minute! Thank You Lord!
As flustered as I was I don't think I'd mind flying standby again, but I think I'd prefer it to be a direct flight so that I'd be stuck at home if it didn't work out. 


So there you have my adventure. I hope the trip home is a little easier. :) 

Recap on Vacation

I thought I'd check my list of what I wanted to do over my vacation and see how I'm doing. I know there are a few things that I need to do still. 

1. Sleep in - done pretty well with that one
2. Read a book for fun - I'm reading Inkheart, but still have a ways to go.
3. Take my car in to get fixed - it is there as I'm typing this

4. Clean my apartment. I mean really clean! - Almost done! One room left to tackle!
5. Get through a few books I need to read for work - ok I haven't started this one yet. Yikes!
6. Get a massage - scheduled for Wednesday - Yes, I finally scheduled it!
7. Finish typing out my Grandma's recipes
8. Cook a few of my Grandma's recipes - made my Grandma's meatballs on Christmas Eve
9. Work on my Christmas quilt- almost done cutting out the fabric. Then I can start piecing it together.
10. Organize my Tastefully Simple business
11. Clean out my closet and get rid of a few clothes that I don't wear.
12. Read a book at Starbucks - Planning on going there this afternoon. :o) 

Well, not too bad. Most of them are in progress.  Better get going on some of them. Only 5 days left.

Spring Break

I only have a few days of spring break left. This is what I have been doing.

Yes I've gone to the beach a few times now. And for once I'm not completely burned. YAY!! I was using spf 50 though. :o) I am such a delicate person. That picture is Santa Monica from Monday and Wednesday I went to Malibu. It was so nice to relax and listen to the waves. It is so different in NorCal. For one thing you can't wear shorts at the beaches there. Big difference.