God's love in nature

Every other month, we do something at church called "Mosaic". It is an opportunity for people to bring in creative expressions of worship to God. You could write poetry. Or maybe paint a picture, do a sculpture, or make a collage. Perhaps you'd like to share a song you've written or play an instrument. One time two ladies baked for all of us (and spent their baking time listening to worship music and praying for people in our church).

We have a Mosaic coming up this Sunday and the theme is "God's love". (That's the teaching series we've been going through) I decided to go on a nature hike and do some photography. I wanted to see God's love through his creation. I went to a park nearby and then a redwood forest. Here are some of my shots.

Miss Saigon

This weekend I had the opportunity to see the musical "Miss Saigon". I saw it for the first time back in 1995 so it was great to see it again and be reminded why I loved it.

If you have never seen it, may I give you a synopsis? It's kind of long, so feel free to skip this blog if you're not into it. Ok, here we go.

The story takes place in Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam. It's the end of the Vietnam War. April 1975.

There's a sleazy Vietnamese club called Dreamland run by a corrupt man who calls himself the Engineer. Basically he's a pimp, selling the ladies to the American Marines who show up. They have kind of a contest every night. Each of the girls gets to do a song and dance and then the men get to vote for the one they want to crowned "Miss Saigon".

We meet the new girl, Kim. She is only 17 and her family and village have been burned in the war. She has nowhere else to go, so she is forced to become one of the bargirls at Dreamland. She is young, naive, scared. Her first night at the bar, we meet a GI named Chris. His friend John (and the other Marines) are talking about how they have to live it up that night because Saigon is about to fall and they will be shipped home. Chris is so not into the bar/girl scene and is pretty much disillusioned by everything he has seen in Vietnam.

Each girl does their song and dance and Chris is struck by Kim's innocence. His buddy John notices and decided to "buy" Kim for the night for Chris (without Chris knowing). The Engineer brings Kim to Chris and both are shocked to find out what John did. During a dance, Chris wants to pay Kim to leave the club (he wants to protect her from being prostituted), but the Engineer sees Chris starting to walk away and thinks he is displeased with Kim. Wanting to keep Kim from being kicked out into the street, Chris allows Kim to take him away.

That night Chris watches Kim sleep and asks God why he had to meet her just as he was about to leave Vietnam. When Kim wakes up, Chris tries to give her money but she refuses, telling him that it was her first time sleeping with a man. Chris hears her story and finds out that Kim is an orphan. Chris tells her that she does not need to sell herself at the club, because he wants her to stay with him. They pledge their love to one another and can't believe they have found each other in the midst of all the horror around them.

Chris calls John to say he is taking leave to spend time with Kim. John warns him that the Viet Cong are about to assume control of Saigon. America is in the process of sending people home before abandoning Saigon. And Chris better hurry and come back to the Embassy so he can catch one of the last helicopters out of Vietnam.

Chris goes back to tell Kim and asks if she wants to go live in America with him. The bargirls hold a "wedding ceremony" for Chris and Kim with one of the girls toasting Kim as the "real" Miss Saigon. Chris is called to the embassy and tells Kim to pack, reassuring her that they have plenty of time before they have to leave. Almost immediately after Chris enters the embassy, the gates are closed. Orders arrive from Washington for a total and complete evacuation of the remaining Americans.

Kim wonders why Chris has not come back and goes to the gates of the Embassy, suddenly surrounded by hundreds of terrified Vietnamese trying to find a way in. Chris unsuccessfully tries to call Kim, and is about to go out into the hysterical crowd to look for her. The Americans refuse to let Chris out and John is eventually forced to punch Chris in the face to stop him from leaving. John pushes Chris into the last helicopter leaving Saigon as Kim watches from behind the gate. Kim once again pledges her love to Chris as he leaves. The helicopter takes off with Chris screaming Kim's name.

The video I am about to show is one of my favorite songs from the show. It is 3 years later. Saigon has fallen. There is a new regime. Kim has been hiding in an impoverished area. She is still completely in love with Chris and believes that he will come back to Vietnam to rescue her. Then we see Chris in bed with his new American wife, Ellen. Ellen knows Chris is being haunted by his past but doesn't know why (Chris never told her about Kim). Chris sits up in bed shouting Kim's name. Ellen comforts him back to sleep, and both she and Kim swear their devotion to Chris at opposite ends of the earth. They don't know the other exists. The song is called "I Still Believe".



There's lots more to the story, but I think I'll stop there. You'll just have to go see it. =) If this musical ever comes to your town, you should check it out. It's a good one.

things that put a smile on my face today

* seeing gas for $2.62

* going shopping with my friend Jenn

* after last weekend of rain, having the sun out (ahhhh...)

* listening to good music in my car

* Chili's bottomless chips and salsa

* "The Office" desk calendar I get to read and laugh at every day (today's quote: "Why are all these people here? There's too many people on this earth. We need a new plague." - Dwight at Phyllis and Bob's wedding)

* realizing today (Thursday) is my "Friday" (I don't work on Fridays) and we have Monday off

Prop 8

I want to start this blog by saying that I am not a political person. And I realize my last couple posts have been about politics, but oh well. We just had a historic election, so I guess it's ok.

I am hesitant to even post this. I think it is going to ruffle some feathers. But it has been on my mind a lot in this election and I haven't processed it much. So I guess this blog is a way for me to get out what I'm feeling into words.

It's about Prop 8.

If you live in California, you've no doubt heard all about Prop 8. Both sides have spent over 70 million dollars on this one prop. For those of you who live out of state, here's the sitch: if passed, the proposition would "change the California Constitution to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry in California." A new section would be added stating "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

First off, I don't like the way this prop was worded. Because it just fed into the "discriminatory" vibe that people against this prop have taken. I wish it had been stated for what it truly is: clearly defining marriage between a man and a woman.

Secondly, I dislike how this all came about. Let me go back to 2000. It was the year after I graduated college. I was doing my student teaching/subbing. I enjoyed going on runs in the afternoons after I got home from school. I still vivdly remember running by all the houses with lawn signs for Prop 22. Basically Prop 22 was similar to Prop 8. "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California". The prop passed with 61% of the CA votes that March.

But then this past May 2008, seven judges from the CA Supreme Court voted and struck it down (the vote was 4-3). Suddenly, same-sex couples could be married and we all saw that in the news this past summer. I remember being kind of bummed and confused. How could those 4 judges change something that 61% of CA had already voted on?? Not to sound like a 7 year old, but it didn't seem fair. Shouldn't CA voters been notified? Given the chance to vote on this again?

But no. It passed without our say. I felt like it was a bit shady. So now Prop 8 was all negative and making me and other people who wanted it to pass seem like jerks because we wanted to "take away" something we hadn't even voted on in the first place. I just felt like it was all backwards.

Third, I am hurt by the way this Prop has caused people to react. I've been seeing signs around town saying "8 is HATE" or "Don't be discriminatory!!" It hurts my heart. Because like probably everyone else in this world, I have dear friends who are gay or lesbian. I love them very much. Just as much as people who are straight. I don't like being told that I now HATE those friends because I am choosing to vote yes. Do you even know me?? Needless to say, those signs just seemed to upset me even more.

Fourth and final, I know why I voted yes on Prop 8. Because the bible states that marriage is between a man and a woman. It is so simple and yet has caused so many people heartache. I sometimes WISH I could fudge around with what the bible says. I struggle with that. But I of course can not.

People have attacked me, saying I'm trying to shove my religion on them. Oh my gosh, no! Ack! I never want to be that sort of person. If they ask why I voted yes, I would share with them what the bible says and then they'd jump all over me. Again, I would get bummed, because I felt like not only were they attacking me personally, but they were attacking my faith. And I don't appreciate that.

*sigh* I know there are so many mixed feelings with this topic. I'm sad our state has to be so divided. I'm sad watching/hearing all the bad things that have happened in the past few months regarding this prop.

Thanks for reading. I just needed to open it up. Please comment if you feel like sharing.

Nov. 4, 2008

Politicians, you may now stop sending me pre-recorded messages to my home when I'm eating dinner, mailing me unwanted flyers and brochures, sticking up signs all over town, and airing your ads on TV.

Thank you.

Nov. 4, 2008 Part II

Congratulations to Barack Obama, the newly elected president of the United States!

Halloween fun

This has been a great week. Wednesday night at college group we had everyone dress up (pictures below) and then sent the students on a digital photo scavenger hunt. When they came back, we played a few more games (bobbing for apples, pumpkin bowling, etc) while Jeff uploaded all our pictures. Then we all piled in to look at the pixs and watch videos people had taken with their cameras. I died laughing! They were so great! We awarded prizes for best costumes, the team who got the most points on the hunt, and winners of all the other games. Then we all ate junk food and watched "When A Stranger Calls" in the dark.

We don't get trick o' treaters at our house, so last night for Halloween we had some peeps over and ate pumpkin spice cake, drank hot bevvies, made a jack o'lantern (and roasted the seeds - yum!) and watched a scary movie in our pj's.

Other than that, it's been raining all weekend (so fun!) so I've been doing a lot of sleeping, errands, cleaning my room/closet/bathroom, reading, more sleeping, etc.

Here are some pictures from the Halloween par-tay.

The Incredible Hulk making a call on his cell phone.


Jim, Pam, and Dwight (with his calculator in jello!) from Dunder Mifflin (The Office)


A flapper and Elwood Blues (from the Blues Brothers)


Bon Qui Qui (from Mad TV), me as "Sarah Marshian" (Martian), and Jenn (who did my make-up!) as a princess


Aye aye, Captain!!


JD and Elliot from Scrubs


Winner of "Most Creative Costume": Potter Puppet Pals

Halloween's a comin'

In three short days, Halloween will be upon us. As I've been putting together a costume, it got me thinking back to the Halloweens of years past. We've all had many different costumes, haven't we? Is there one that stands out to you? Your favorite? Or most memorable?




When I was 10 years old, I decided I wanted to MAKE my costume that year instead of buying one. Well, actually it ended up being my dad who made it, but you get the gist. We brainstormed on all sorts of ideas until we came up with the perfect idea.

A box of popcorn.

I don't know WHERE the idea came from. I think we were trying to think of something original and unique. Something that no one else would be. And so the project began! My dad found a long, thin cardboard box which we (he) cut holes in for my head and arms and then painted red with blue stripes. We (he) then drew pictures of popcorn and wrote "POPCORN" in big yellow letters at the top. I wore a long-sleeved white shirt, white tights, and sneakers. And then as the finishing touch, my mom found some felt which we made to cover my head and then crumpled up white paper and hot-glued the top of the box and my head. Tah-dah! A box of popcorn. My finest Halloween moment.



How about YOU? What is your favorite (or most memorable) Halloween costume? Describe it in detail so I can really picture it. =)

boring

Sorry I haven't been blogging very much. I feel like life is pretty much the same. Kinda boring. I am dealing with a couple of things (professionally and personally) that I probably won't blog about (gotta keep some stuff for just me, right? =))

So instead of rambling about nothing, I will share a quick video. This is from last night. After college group, a group of students hung out till pretty late. And when it gets late, they tend to get loopy. They found out that "Big Rob" is pretty ticklish. And he has a funny laugh when tickled. Enjoy.

Rob's laugh

more October

* It has officially been 3 weeks since I got my braces! I am actually very surprised (and happy) that they have not been a huge issue. It hasn't hurt (except for the first two days) and I haven't needed to use wax once. And already my bottom teeth are straightening out. Go team! There might be more issues once I get my top ones put on (and rubberbands!) in December, for now I'm doing fine.

* I spoke last week at the college group on "Dealing With Life's Tragedies". I felt that I sucked. Big time. I dislike that feeling afterwards. This is definitely an area I am weakest in my job and it is also an area I want to grow in. *sigh*

* One of my roomates just left to go to Ecuador for 5 weeks to do nursing. Go Annie! We love you and miss you already! We expect you to come home fluent in Spanish, so no pressure.

* I helped at a golf fundraiser last Friday to raise money for our intern program. My job was to help with registration, do organizational stuff, zoom around on golf carts (my friend Jenn and I got yelled at by the staff for dive bombing down a hill with the golf cart. Totally worth it.) delivering water and giving "golf claps" to the men playing, and then talk to them at dinner about our intern program and what we do.

* I watched "Waiting For Guffman" the other night for the first time. LOVED it. It is probably my favorite Christopher Guest movie after Spinal Tap.

* The parents and younger sis Emily were in town this weekend at a nearby Christian camp. So good to see them! Had the opportunity to lead a couple nature hikes for people at the camp on Saturday. Man, it's so refreshing to be out in God's creation. Especially with such nice weather. Crisp autumn air, sunshine, trees everywhere, we even saw a banana slug!

* Found a new favorite YouTube video. It's a clip from Mad TV (which I don't watch, but someone showed the clip to me). My friend Amy is going to dress up as Bon Qui Qui for Halloween.

* My hip hop class has introduced me to fun music (I probably wouldn't normally listen to). The songs we dance to pump me up and then when I get home, I jump on iTunes to see if I can find them. Favorites right now: Cassie ("Me & U"), Kardinal Offishal ("Dangerous"), Craig David ("Walking Away"), Ashtar Command ("Blister of the Spotlight"), Timbaland ("The Way I Are"), etc. And by the way, do you all know that David Cook has his first single out!?!?! Go get it, friends! It's called "Light On".

* T-minus 4 weeks till my nephew is born!!

a letter to two men

Dear Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama,

Election Day is only two and a half short weeks away. One of you will be chosen by this country as our next president. And I have to be honest with you...I am bummed. I don't know if it's just me (or if it's my generation), but I am not a fan of politics. I feel like I have become disillusioned and cynical. I have seen and heard politicians make claims and then not follow through and it makes me lose faith in the the whole political system. I go into election time hoping that maybe this time things will be different (it's naive, I know). Maybe this time the candidates will be courteous, kind, and have the country and its people as their top priority. But sadly, I get blinded with name-calling, pointed fingers, and attacks on opponents. You two seriously make me not want to watch TV. (I don't care for your ads)

As long as I'm being honest here, I am going to admit that I am not super stoked on either one of you. That makes me sad. However, I love living in a country where we have the freedom to express opinions and vote, so on November 4th I WILL be voting for one of you. Just please understand that this citizen is weary and wary.

Sincerely, Sarah

NYWC

I'm back from the National Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento. Boo-yah. I am a bit on over-load from all the people, seminars, and general sessions. But it was good and I came home feeling encouraged. Here are the seminars I went to:

* Speaking Techniques (basically how to become a better speaker)
* Building Bridges with Gay and Lesbian Youth
* Youth Culture
I wanted to go to this one, but will have to get the MP3:
* A New Kind of Apologetics: The Emerging Questions of Todays Students

In the general sessions (where all 2,500 youth workers would gather in a big auditorium), here were some of the worship and speakers we had: Sherwood Carthen ("Amen by myself"), Phyllis Tickle (75 year old sassy woman! Loved her! And best name ever), Mike Pilavachi, Mark Yaconelli, Lincoln Brewster, Mercy Me, Starfield, Shane and Shane, and these funny skit guys called um..."The Skit Guys".

We were there from Thursday till yesterday. I came home sooo tired from the conference but feeling supported and equipped in what we're doing. That's always a good thing.

Today I am working from home. I woke up pretty tired and out-of-it. I went downstairs to start some laundry and it wasn't until it came time to put in a new load that I realized I had washed the first load...with no soap. So my clothes got wet, but not clean. =) Anyways, I've been doing laundry, cleaning my room, cleaning our kitchen and hallway floors, unpacking, and organizing. I still need to go to the bank, post office, and grocery store, clean my car, and work on my talk for Wed. night. Whew. It's nice to not be at work today and recover a bit from the convention.

Peace.

October continues

Hi friends.

I'm home and recovered from the road trip. It was fab. We drove down Friday, went to Knotts on Saturday (hardly anyone was there - we were literally walking onto rides!), and LOVED Mosaic church on Sunday before we drove home. I feel like I got to know the students better and even had some deep theological conversations with a couple of them in the car. I was sooo tired when we got back (I always am) but it is so dang worth it.

Tonight at college group we had a "Fun Night" where we played the game "Bigger or Better". Have you ever played? Oh my goodness, it is so much fun. Everyone got in teams of 4 and started with a paper clip. You are supposed to go door to door and ask for something bigger or better than the paper clip. And you keep going for an hour and a half. Whichever team brings back the biggest or best thing....WINS.

When I came back into the parking lot at the end of the game, my heart stopped. I saw a fire truck by the house where we meet. A fire truck! I freaked out. "Oh my gosh! Did the house catch on fire?! Is everyone ok?!?!" I ran out of the car and started asking what happened. The students were cracking up. "Sarah, that is what one team brought!" What.The.Crap.

Yes, one of the teams went to a fire station and convinced the men to drive their truck to our church. And in turn, give me a mini heart attack. Once I calmed down, I did admit that was pretty sweet. They didn't win because the rules stated you could only go to homes, but it will be something we'll all remember. The winning team came back with a computer monitor, a TV, and a table with 4 chairs.

Tomorrow I leave for the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento. I have been looking forward to this for a long time. The high school and college staff are going so it will be fun to get away with everyone and hear some great speakers.

And so October continues...

Fall Road Trip

Things have been so crazy lately. September flew by and it's already October. What? And this month is super busy, too so I'm sure it will fly by as well.

Tomorrow I take off with some college students for our annual road trip down to Southern California for the weekend. Three years ago we went to Universal Studios. Two years ago we hit Disneyland. Last year was Six Flags Magic Mountain. And this year we will be going to Knotts Berry Farm. What I'm looking forward to:

* getting to know our students better
* rollercoasters
* visiting Mosaic church in Pasadena on Sunday
* car ride madness
* In N Out

Have a great weekend, everyone!

brace face part 2

Friends! I have braces! But only 1/2. Lemme splain.

I went in to the office this morning, fully prepared to have the metal braces put on top and bottom. I met my doc (super nice!), watched a video on how to floss/brush/take care of the braces, had moldings made (remember those? the goo in the tray you have to hold in your mouth for a couple minutes until it hardens?), and finally got ready for my grill.

My doc looked at my teeth and said, "I think I'm going to just put braces on your bottom teeth to help straighten them. And then you'll come back in 10 weeks and we'll put braces on the top with rubberbands and work on your bite. Sound good?" I was shocked, but stoked! Only half?? Yes please! That way I can ease into things, get used to have some (not all), and I can still smile without the full metal mouth for another two and a half months! Woot.

Me, showing off my mouth bling:










Yes, they hurt. Eating today has been...interesting. But in the long term, this will all be worth it.

brace face

I am still in shock.

On Monday I will be going in to an orthodontist office and getting braces put on my teeth. Those metal monstrocities will be in my mouth for 12-18 months.

I am an ADULT. And I'm going to be wearing braces like a 13 year old.

What. The. Crap.

Let me back up.

So do you all remember when I went to see a TMJ specialist back in Feb. or March? It turns out I was clenching and grinding my teeth at night so my jaw was always sore and I would wake up with headaches. He made me a "splint" (mouth guard) that fit perfectly to my teeth. I had to wear it for 6 months. Well, I just finished. Yeah, go team.

So then step 2 for my teeth was to get a consultation with an orthodontist about Invisalign. Have you heard of it? It's like having braces but they're clear! And you can remove them to eat and brush your teeth! Perfect, right?

So that appointment was today. I met Angie, the sweet funny lady who is the office manager. She asked questions about my dental history and why I wanted invisalign. "Well Angie," I began, "I had braces twice growing up (8-10 and then 11-13 years old), but my ortho never gave me a retainer afterwards so my bottom teeth have gone a bit crooked. I thought invisalign would be a great way to straighten them without all the hassle of regular braces."

So Angie takes tons of pictures of my teeth and emails them to my soon-to-be orthodontist (who was out of the office). He calls her, they chat. She hangs up and tells me they both notice that my "bite" is off. Huh? My top back molars don't come down correctly onto my bottom molars. That could have been the cause of my grinding and other issues. And they said if I don't get that fixed, I might have to wear a splint/mouth guard for the rest of my LIFE.

Here's the catch: invisalign wouldn't be able to help with my "bite" problem. Yes they could fix my crooked teeth, but not the bite. Soooooo...either get invisalign for 6-8 months and fix one problem orrrrrr get regular braces for 12-18 months and fix both problems.

ACK!

I was sitting there, freaking out. I didn't want braces again. I remember how much of a pain they were: wires breaking, wax to cover where they cut into my mouth and lips, every-other-week appointments to tighten (ouch!), rubberbands, not to mention all the lovely foods I would have to say goodbye to (popcorn, candy, apples, nuts, chips, etc). I had not even thought about getting regular braces - I had only thought about how much life would change with invisalign (answer: not that much). This was a whole new ballgame.

But as you can tell from the beginning of the blog, I went for the metal. *sigh*

People I have a bone to pick with:

* Dr. Laughlin, my orthodontist as a kid. Dude, you put me in braces not once but twice. And you still couldn't fix my bite? And what's the deal with not giving me a retainer afterwards? Aren't you required by law to do that? I want my (mom's) money back.

* whoever choose the health benefits at my work (this is not covered)

* my mom and dad for passing down their genetically bad teeth


People I appreciate in this situation:

* Angie - total cheerleader for me. Answered all my questions, calmed fears, made it seem not so bad, she is great.

* my grandma Judy who left me (and my sisters) some money when she passed away. That's the only way I can afford this. It's like buying a used car. Grandma J - these teeth are for you!

* anyone over 20 who has had to get braces as an adult. Please tell me it's not as bad as I think it is!

This is my last weekend as a metal-free mouth. I plan to go out and eat a big steak tonight with my friends to celebrate that I CAN. As of Monday, that all changes...

amazing weekend

This past weekend was off the hook. (I don't think people say that anymore, but oh well)

Friday - roomates Annie and Lori and I headed to a farm where you can pick apples and strawberries! I have never done that...picking straight from the tree and plant. We put our hair in pigtails and listened to country music the whole way there. When we arrived, we met an 80 year old man named Norm who was reading a John Grisham novel under a shed out in the field. He showed us where we could pick and informed us it was 2 bucks per pound of apples, $1.50 per pound of berries. Let's go!

I am officially in love with all things farm-related. It was so much fun! After we had picked to our heart's content, we celebrated with a fresh slice of olallieberry pie a la mode right next to the general store/antique shop. Precious.









That night I went out to drinks/appetizers/desserts with all the roomates. One (Jessica) is leaving for New Zealand for 3 months this Tuesday. So it was the last time all 7 of us were going to be together. Another roomate (Copey) works at a ritzy hotel and spa so we went there to par-tay. What a wonderful evening. I love those ladies.



Saturday I did something else I have never done. I went to a barn dance! There is another farm (in the opposite direction of Friday's farm) that has a harvest day, potluck dinner, and barn dance the third Saturday of every month. We heard about it from a friend so we went. Way too much fun! It was so great to see people of all ages and all walks of life coming together to work, enjoy a meal together, and then dance their hearts out. There was a band, a "Caller", and everything. Dance party!! Everyone was sweating, smiling, and laughing the whole time. I took a video of one of the dances we learned (it's after the next few pictures).











And then Sunday after church was something very special. Beach baptisms! I have never been to a beach baptism before (all I have seen have been indoors) but what made it even more special was that I got to assist my boss. It was so humbling and amazing being out in the water and being a part of two of my students' baptisms. It was a church-wide baptism so anyone who wanted to could do it. I think there were 10 of us pastors and directors in the water and we baptized over 80 people. It was incredible!! I will never forget it.













play time!!


amazing weekend.

My big break!

Some of you may or may not know that High School Musical 3 is coming to theaters next month. Well, I wanted to let you all know that I have a small part in it! Check it out and let me know what you think.

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2 more months till aunthood

Yesterday was sister Amy's baby shower. Two more months till my little nephew joins the outside world! I've been calling him "Eli" whenever I talk to him through Amy's stomach, but I don't think I should get my hopes up. Right now Amy is calling him "Professor Plum" so that he will be respected as soon as he's born and they won't have to pay for his college (he will already be known as The Professor).

Thanks for always letting me rub your tummy, Aim! I can't wait to meet your son. XOXO

Jump Jive An' Wail

For a "Fun Night" this week, we took the college students swing dancing. Because not many of them have been before, I invited my friend Jenn and her fiancee Steve to come teach us the basics. Jenn and Steve are dancin' fools and they are REALLY good. So we pulled the students out into the parking lot and set up a stereo with some swing music. We spent about a half hour learning steps while Jeff and I went around taking pictures and videos. Here's a vid I took of them practicing. Sorry it's so dark (the sun had just gone down).

swing dancing part 1


After that, we piled into cars and headed downtown. There is a ballroom that has swing dancing for only 3 bucks. So we went and danced the night away. Myself and the other adult leaders didn't dance with the students, but luckily there were other people there we could dance with. It was so fun! Some of those guys go every week and they are amazing. Twirl me around, fellas!

Here are some pixs from the evening.

3 year anniversary

Yesterday was the three year anniversary at my job. I don't know about you, but I try and find any little excuse to celebrate. So when I had my first year anniversary at church, I came to work with signs, a balloon in my hair, and donuts for everyone. And thus began a tradition. I have done the last two years and yesterday was #3.

BRING ON YEAR 4!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2 things

1) We had our college kick-off last Wed. and it went well! Two ladies came and cooked for us so we all ate together (which is always fun). Then we played some get-to-know-you games and introduced our student and adult leaders. Lastly Jeff and I went over our mission statement, core values, and goals of this next year. It was neat to finally be able to share the vision of where we want the college group to go...because we've been planning for it all summer. =) Yeah, the info is out there! Let's go!

2) I had the opportunity to go to a retreat this weekend. It all came together very last minute. I pretty much emailed them the night before and asked if there was still room. There was. =) Looking back, it was exactly what I needed. The speaker hit me right to the core. I love how God does that.

well, I hope you're not too hot, wherever you are (it's been toasty lately). I'm off to take a nap...

back to life...back to reality

Labor Day has come and passed. Everyone went back to school today. Summer is officially over. Bummer!

Oh well, at least I got one last weekend of freedom. For Friday and Saturday, my co-worker Jeff and I took our 6 student leaders on a retreat. It was great! One of the first things we did was go grocery shopping. Jeff and I split the leaders into groups of 2 and assigned either "appetizer", "entree", or "dessert" to each group. To make it more fun, we told them the theme of the dinner was "Disney" (they had to somehow relate their food to Disney in some way). Oh and they couldn't tell anyone else what they were buying so it could be a surprise. Here's a video I took with my digital camera:

shopping for dinner


We cooked together, played games, made videos, watched movies, had meetings to talk about college group stuff, went to Starbucks, all that jazz. I came back Saturday night feeling good about our student leadership this year but totally wiped out.

Sunday and Monday I got to spend time with my fam. Last year they started a tradition of renting a cabin out for Labor Day weekend - we all gather and spend the weekend together. I missed the first two days because of the retreat, but I joined them for the rest of the time. They were able to come to church with me Sunday morning which was so fun! And then we spent our last two days of freedom eating, reading, creek-walking, talking, playing Uno, making s'mores, catching up on each other's lives, and making comments about sister Liz's dirty feet. Older sister Amy is 6 and a half months pregnant! Ahhh! I made sure to rub her belly a lot and speak to my nephew about how excited we were for him to join us soon.

Hope you all had a nice, relaxing Labor Day weekend.

Back to life...back to reality.

reality = college group starts up tomorrow night!!