Well friends, I'm off. Off to the beautiful country of Greece for two glorious weeks. I'll be sure to share stories and pictures on the blog when I return.
If you think of us, we'd love your prayers. Thanks!
P.S. - the translated title of this blog is "I'm sorry, but I don't speak Greek." I might be using that phrase once in awhile on the trip...
My youngest sister Emily graduated college last June and moved down to LA this past January to try and break into the "biz". She works at CBS, takes acting classes at night, does a lot of auditioning, she's been in a few student films at UCLA, filmed a commercial, was an extra in a new Eddie Murphy movie, etc.
She just sent my family a link to a video she was in for HBO. It's really funny! I think I appreciate it even more because it's all about an office Nerf war and we just finished Nerf Assassins in the college group.
Anyway, there's probably 70 people in the video so let me point out the 2 spots you can see her (she's wearing black business attire - like everyone else - and a red scarf/tie)
* At 3:07 she is the one pushing the copier/tank to block darts and move forward
* At 3:45, she climbs onto the desk and throws the nerf football grenade
GO EM!!! =)
First off, the fire is contained. Yeah! That is great news. The firefighters were studmuffins and worked tirelessly for 5 days straight to put out the fire. (On Saturday, we went outside and saw our cars covered with ash - crazy)
Right now, I am in the gettin'-ready-mode. We have had the last few weeks off of college group to get ready for the summer and now it is time to start up again for summer. We kick off Wednesday with a BBQ. So Intern Jeff and I made a trip to good ol' Costco (samples!) to stock up on all the food. We've cleaned the house and garage, front and back porch, put up decorations, etc.
But then I am also getting ready for Greece. It's strange because we kick off for summer this Wednesday...and then I leave on Sunday for 2 weeks. Oh well! Vacation!! =) I'm doing all my last minute errands, laundry, exchanging money, etc. It still doesn't seem real. I'm really going to Europe in 6 days??
I hope you all had a nice Father's Day yesterday. My dad's birthday is today, so we had a two-fer last night. We celebrated him as a dad and we celebrated his life. The whole fam was at my parent's house so I got to rub Amy's belly. They get to find out the gender in two weeks! Amy and David are so sure they're going to have a boy, but I believe that means they're going to have a girl.
Ok, back to work. Love you all.
Here's an update on the fire (as of noon today):
"The fire is now 25 percent contained. It has destroyed 10 residences, burned 600 acres and prompted evacuation orders for 1,700 residents."
The article went on to say they hope to have the fire contained by tomorrow or Sunday.
A couple weeks ago, a huge fire started in the mountains near my church. I remember driving to work one morning and seeing tons of white clouds. I thought it was just fog. But when I got into my office, my co-workers informed me it was actually smoke from a crazy fire. Thousands of homes had been evacuated. At the end of it all, 4,200 acres and 35 houses were burned and it took firefighters 9 days to contain and put it out. 
So today on my drive home I looked up and saw huge columns of smoke. "Oh no! Again??" This time the fire was coming from a different group of mountains northwest from the last fire. I know it's been super hot and dry, but really?? Another one? (I almost got in an accident trying to take this picture. Whoops!)
I got home and we had a view of the smoke from our porch. We quickly turned on the news and sat for about half hour, listening for updates. We found out the fire was only 6 miles from our house. It was pretty scary because we were watching scenes of fire and smoke on the TV and to the left of the TV were our windows where we could see the smoke! And then we'd hear/watch planes fly right over our house and then see them on the news dropping retardant onto the fire. It was crazy.
** I just checked for an update online. Here's what I have: A growing 300+ acre wildfire...it could spread to as many as 1,000 acres before firefighters are able to begin slowing it...1,400 residents have been evacuated from their homes...1 burned home confirmed so far...started around 3 pm...no lead on what started the fire yet...650 firefighters will be fighting the blaze overnight...eight helicopters, eight air tankers and as many as 20 bulldozers...
This morning I went surfing with my roomate Laurel. It has been way too long since I've been out in the water and man oh man, did it feel good!! The sun was out, the waves were perfect, people were friendly, the pelicans were out in huge V's...it was amazing. There was even a guy who would catch waves and then do HANDSTANDS on his board! What the heck?! That is talent..JPG)
Random moment to share: Laurel and I shared my surfboard and brought a boogie board for the other to sit on while we waited our turn. The leash for the surfboard is huge and goes around the ankle. The leash for the boogie board is much smaller and goes around the wrist. Laurel caught a few waves first and then we switched boards and leashes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her fiddling with the velcro from the boogie board leash for awhile. Finally she looked up and said, "It's not fitting!" I then realized she was trying to put the velcro around her ankle and it was way too small. I told her it went around her wrist and then tried to brush it off like it was no big deal, so as not to embarrass her. But she smiled and said, "Oh Sarah, feel free to laugh!" So we did.
Every time I hear this word, I start laughing:
"SKADOOSH"
I am going to try entering it into normal day conversations.
New memory card for my camera so I can take a gazillion pictures?
Check.
Good walking shoes that are comfortable, yet don't scream "tourist"?
Check.
Tops to match the skirts I will be packing?
Check.
Random toiletries such as laundry detergeant packets, toilet-paper-to-go, hand wipes, sunscreen, earplugs, and batteries?
Check.
Copies of passport to 1) give to family and 2) keep with me in my luggage?
Check.
Countdown to Greece...14 days
I had three long meetings today. But they were all outside. In the glorious sun. It was probably 75 degrees with an amazing breeze. All seemed well with the world.
Peace, rest, warmth, comfort, smiling, joy.
Can I go ahead and officially say that summer is here?
(there was a dog nearby wearing a t-shirt and I just HAD to take a picture with him - love it)
* downloaded all of David Cook's songs from iTunes
* enjoyed NOT having to plan for college group Wed. night (we don't start up again till June 18th)
* watched the 2 hour LOST season finale. Holy. Crap.
* met with the roomies to plan for our trip to GREECE! (countdown...20 days) We have settled on 3 cities on land and 3 islands we want to visit
* joined Netflix. First DVD I received? Flight of the Conchords Season 1
* took our next-door neighbor's golden retreivers on a run and then played with their new puppy (I will have one some day...)
* continued to read The Shack by William P. Young
* went to a couple graduation parties
* enjoyed the amazing sunshine all week (tried to be outside whenever possible)
* witnessed the end of our Nerf Assassin game. Here is the promo video we did back in April:
The game went on for over a month and finally it ended with an exciting chase scene last Thursday around the church. Winner? Jeremy.
* cleaned the house and garage where we meet for college group
* found out that my future niece/nephew is the size of a fist this week
* had coffee with 2 dear friends and enjoyed some deep belly-laughs
* bought a new digital camera so I can take rockin' pictures in Greece!
* had a BBQ at the beach with some buds
* tried unsuccessfully to go to bed at a reasonable hour each night
Up in the top right corner of my blog, I have a little paragraph that shares my roles, or titles, or whatever you call them. Christ-follower, roomate, friend, co-worker, daughter, college director, etc. Well, very shortly I will have a new title to add to the list...
AUNT!!!!!!!!
Yee-haw! It is with great joy that I share with you the news that my older sister Amy and her hubby David are PREGO. Their little bundle of joy will appear around the middle of November.
I can't wait to love on that baby...
Sincerely, Aunt Sarah
(Please everyone call me that from now on. Thank you.)
This is the picture Amy and David sent out to all their friends and family with the big news. It is them and their "bun in the oven". CUTE!
10. beach beach beach! (surfing, beach volleyball, bonfires, etc)
9. SF Giants games at AT&T Park
8. going to So. Cal to see Eddie Izzard at the Kodak Theater and spend time with the BFF
7. summer movies (already seen Iron Man, Prince Caspian, and Indiana Jones 4)
6. flip flops and "stunna shades" every day
5. best season for fresh fruit (peaches, cherries, strawberries, etc)
4. Mel coming to visit from Texas
3. cheap nights at the Boardwalk (75 cents for rides, hot dogs, cotton candy, soda, etc)
2. BBQ's and birthdays (with the sun staying out till 9 pm)
1. GREECE! (countdown: 28 days...)
I AM SO EXCITED!!
It is midnight and I just left the college group where we celebrated our last Wed. night of the semester (and school year). It was awesome - we ended the night with a 2 hour dance party, complete with disco ball. And then I came in to quickly send an email on my work computer and I saw the top stories on Yahoo. "Who won American Idol?" was the first headline. I couldn't help myself. I had missed the show but I wanted to find out who won.
DAVID COOK!!!!!!!! 
I'm stoked because now I know I will for sure get to hear more music from him. The winner automatically gets a record deal. Sweet!
I have always had huge respect for moms.
But after yesterday, my respect has multiplied ten-fold.
If you're a mom, HOW do you do it?!?!
So here's the sitch: I used to baby-sit these kiddos in my town back when Brett was 6 and Emma was 3. I was pretty much done with baby-sitting after college, but these kids were way too fun and awesome to say no. So they were my only exception. However, since I went full-time at my job two years ago, I have not baby-sat. In fact I've only seen them three times in the last 2 years. Sad!
Anyway, their mom (Clara) called me out of the blue and asked if I would be willing to watch the kids all day Saturday and spend the night (she and her husband were going to be out of town). I thought about how much I miss them (Brett is 12 now and Emma is almost 9) and said yes. I was really looking forward to it!
But oh my goodness. I am SO TIRED. My day started at 6 am yesterday morning and did not end till 11:30 pm last night. Observations:
* I am amazed at how much kids are involved in nowadays. There's piano, softball pratice, swim lessons, dance class, basketball, choir, school fundraisers, birthday parties every weekend, and tons more. And somewhere in there they are supposed to find time to do homework, eat, and possibly sleep at night. 
* Our day looked like this: played some games, went for a hike in the redwood forest with the kids and their dog, home for breakfast. Emma then had a softball game while Brett worked on a school project. Came home and Emma and I jumped in their pool to cool off. Lunch. Got dressed and packed for what was next: Brett had a softball game, Emma had a try-out for a talent show and then I dropped her off at a birthday party. Went back to Brett's game. 2 and a half hours later Brett and I jumped in the pool to cool off. (Hot day yesterday!) Then dinner, more homework, showers, teeth, bed.
* I realized that a huge role of moms is "Taxi Driver". Holy cow, I felt like I spent the whole day carting them from one activity to the next. Pack up, go, drop off, park, go watch, pile back in the car, drive home, unpack, get cleaned up, eat, get dressed and pack up for the next event. 
* Car rides are times for great conversation. Some of the topics we discussed: examples of Greek mythology, Prince Caspian, why it's not ok to leave dog poop in the forest, who decided which words would be "swear words" and why did they choose those specific words, and High School Musical 2.
* I really enjoyed both the kids' softball games. At Emma's, I felt a bit out-of-place. I was surrounded by moms in their Chanel sunglasses and manicured nails, holding their toddlers in their laps while they chatted with each other about their husbands and funny things their kids did recently.
Brett's game was much longer but highly entertaining. About 15 minutes into it, I realized I was totally sitting in the opponent's bleacher section. I had no idea...it was the only section in the shade. But I realized right after I got all these "stink-eyes" from the parents around me when I cheered for Brett's team that I was clearly in the wrong place. But heck with it! I wasn't gonna leave the shade. So it was SARAH vs. THE PARENTS screaming for our different teams.
It was actually kind of funny because Brett's team was getting crushed by the other team. So all the parents in my section were SUPER cocky and making all sorts of comments (ie: "I told Jimmy we'd eat the celebratory cake when they win the game. It's in the cooler..."). But then, Brett's team slowly started getting more runs and the parents got quieter. And then they started freaking out. I just sat there smiling to myself (is that wrong?) and cheering even louder for Brett and his team. And they WON! 11-10. I was surprised how into it I got. I felt so proud for Brett and he's not even my kid! =)
* Last observation: when the kids go to bed, the mom's job is still not done. There's all the clean-up from the day's messes. I tackled cleaning up the house, doing the dishes and trash, and some laundry. At 11:30, I literally dove into bed. I can't remember the last time I was so excited to go to sleep.
I left the kids in the morning to go to church (someone else would be coming by to watch them next) and I was exhausted. And that's when I realized, "Oh my gosh! Moms do this every day." I barely made it through my Saturday without falling dead asleep at the wheel.
So again I want to say, Mothers - you are ROCK STARS. Thank you for all you do for your children. I am beyond impressed and in awe of you.
ZZZZzzzzzz........
Right now I am taking a break from working on my talk for tomorrow night. I am SO INTO it. Sometimes, I totally get into the talks I prepare; other times I'm just not feelin' it (whether it's the topic or just where I am in life). But I am super stoked on this one. We've been doing a series on Jesus this spring - who is he? why did he come to earth? what does it look like to follow him? etc. And tomorrow evening I will be sharing about Jesus' character. We say we want to be "followers of Jesus" but what does that mean? What does it look like to follow Christ? What are the ways we can follow his example? So, we're focusing on 5 interactions Jesus had with people in the bible...and what we can learn about his character from those interactions. And then how that looks today as we strive to be more like him.
It's funny. When we teach at college group, it's to help these students learn more about Jesus. But I always feel like I'm learning so much myself just getting ready.
Love it.
I am going to GREECE!!
Yesiree bob, I am going to Greece for two glorious weeks.
3 roomies and I expressed interest to go to Europe this summer. We were looking at maps and trying to find countries none of us had been to yet. And the one country that we kept coming back to....was GREECE. None of us have been and it somewhere we have all wanted to go. So we're going! I can't wait!
We bought our plane tickets, go team. Next up is figuring out where we want to visit while we're there. We're flying in and out of Athens so I'm sure we'll spend some time there. But oh, there are so many amazing places to go and so many beautiful things to see! I think some island-hopping will definitely be on the schedule.
Anyway, just wanted to share the fun news. We leave June 22nd.
*raise glass*
"OPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" 
So I have an update on my ticket from the Mexico trip (when I went through a yellow light in San Diego and blocked an intersection? Yeah, that one.)
I owe $168 to the San Diego County Court. I am going to take an online traffic school course to get the "point" removed from my driving record. That's another 30 bucks. Then, after I've read all the info online, I have to go to a nearby UPS store and take the test. And then I have to go have it all notarized. Whew!
The plan is to do this all tomorrow. Yeah for not working on Fridays.
Allrighty then, time to share about the Wildflower Triathlon. This is the annual tri that my roomates/friends and I do at Lake San Antonio the first weekend in May. This was my fifth time - woot.
I drove down Thursday with some buds and we claimed our camping spot. Friday was soooo nice. Because we did nothing. We had breakfast, chilled, biked down to the lake to pick up our registration packets, walked around, went back to eat lunch, took naps, welcomed other friends who were arriving, played with our friends' kids, made dinner with everyone, had a fire, and went to bed. 
We woke up super early on Saturday - RACE DAY! We carbed up before we left. We got to the bike station (to rack our bikes) by 8:30 am. Our race didn't start until 10, so we had an hour and a half to get ready, drink as much water and Gatorade as possible, stretch, get numbers written all over our bodies in permanent marker, go to the porta-potty, set up our stuff by our bike for "transition time", etc. 
Around 9:45, we headed to the lake to get in line with our fellow age/gender peeps. We prayed together and then put our caps and goggles on. Game time! There were about 100 women in each wave of women. So imagine trying to swim with all those other bodies kicking, flailing, slapping water around you. Crazy but never a dull moment! I really felt good about my swim this year. I jumped out of the lake and ran up the hill with my friends cheering on the sides. Wooooo! Adrenaline!
After I transitioned, I jumped on my bike and took off. The bike section was pretty good. It was fun to see my buds on their bikes at different times. Some of those hills were SO HARD. Yowsers. I dropped my bike off and then headed out for the run. This is the part that always kills me. I get so tired by this time, my poor feet are dragging.
But this year something funny happened that made my run a lot more enjoyable. I was about halfway through the run, when I saw a guy running toward me. He was a "Long-Courser" which means one of those crazy people who do the half-IronMan. They swim 1.3 miles, bike 60 (?) miles, and then run a half-marathon. No thank you!
Anyway, so this guy is probably 40, doing the Long Course, he's on the run section, which means he's close to the end. I was going to wave as I passed him, BUT I didn't get the chance, because just as we were about to pass, he suddenly stopped running, stepped to the left, and started peeing!! UM!!!! HELLO!?!?
The best part was that there was a tree two feet away. He could have taken 2 steps and peed behind the tree. You know, out of courtesy to the young woman who was about to run past him? But no. He couldn't be bothered. So he just whipped it out right there on the curb of the course, and I ran by chuckling to myself. And just as I ran by, I saw a HUGE group of runners coming in his direction, about to go by Mr. Pee as well. I guess after you've swam, biked, and ran that much, you just don't care. Because he sure didn't. He just kept going number 1 in front of the world. Gotta love it.
So anyway, great race. When you turn the last corner and start your way down the finsh line, it's SUCH a rush! There are tons of people screaming and cheering, the announcers are broadcasting your name, all your friends are there shouting for you, YEAH! I did a dramatic leap across the finish line and then immediately sought out the fruit/Power Bar/gatorade station to re-fuel.
If you ever have a chance to do a triathlon, go for it! It is great motivation to work out and there is a great feeling of accomplishment when you cross the finish line. Can't wait till next year!
Intern Jeff and I have been having a lot of fun filming our Monday video blogs for the college group. They are just a fun way to share what's going on that week in the college ministry. And then we leave the students with a "Question of the Week" that they can answer in the comment section of our MySpace page. Dang, we're SO 2008!
Here was yesterday's vlog:
