Raging Waters

Yesterday, I took the college students to Raging Waters - our nearby waterslide park.

I have not been to this water park in 20 years. I barely remember it. I wasn't sure if the college students would be into it, but they totally were! There was 18 of us who met at the church and piled into 4 cars. We got a sweet discount because we had a group. Nice.

It was a great day. The only bad things was it rained a little around 1 pm. It wasn't a downpour, just some sprinkling. But other people started freaking out. We didn't mind though. One of my (smart-aleck) students said loudly, "It's a waterpark. You're gonna get wet."

We went on all the rides. Some were single rides, some you could go with one or two other people on innertubes. My favorite was the "Dragon's Den". You get in an innertube with a buddy and get shot down a tunnel into what looks like a striped toilet bowl. There is a huge dragon in the middle who glares at you. You spin a few times around him and then get sucked down to the bottom. It was so fun!

We ended the day with an obligatory stop at In 'N Out. Ahhhh....bliss.

you've got to be kidding me

Just when I think my nephew can't get any cuter.

The Big Apple

When can I go back??

That was the first question I asked myself as soon as I got on the plane to fly home.

Seriously, such a good trip. That is one of the most fun cities I have ever visited. I am so glad I finally got to go.

I have so much to share, but I don't want this blog to be two million pages long. So I'll try and re-cap as much as possible. I just posted a ton o' pixs on facebook, so you can check those out if you want to see 'em.

Ok, so Amy and I set off for New York on a Thursday. I won't mention the 3 hours we had to wait for our Super Shuttle at JFK airport, but I WILL mention that the hotel we found from priceline.com was perfect. Midtown East, two blocks from the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station and a bonus was an awesome view of the Empire State Building from our window (I love when it lit up at night!).

Our first full day will filled with fun times: Bryant Park, Times Square (they've blocked off two blocks for pedestrians and set up plastic lawn chairs - so fun!), double-decker tour bus to see the whole city (thanks for the idea, Tira!), Rockefeller Center, NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall, top of the Empire State Building (woohoo!), dinner at Gallagher's Steakhouse (Mmmmm...), back to Times Square/Broadway area, etc. Whew! Full day.

One of my highlights was that night. We were walking by Shrek the Musical and the show had just gotten out. All the actors were coming out the stage doors to sign autographs. Amy and I saw Shrek (Brian d'Arcy James) come out and so we looked at each other and jumped into the line. We didn't have Playbills or anything for him to sign but we still tried to pretend we had seen the show. When he got to us with his Sharpie, we said, "Um, can we just take a picture with you?" He was so nice. As we took the pix, Amy turned to him and said, "You were great tonight." I could not stop laughing.

Our next day started off with brunch at a restaurant recommended to us by my friend Lacy. It was inside Le Parker Meridien, near Central Park. It was called "Norma's" and you can only get a seat there by reservation. SWANKY. We feasted and met the guys at he table next us. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention...we had made it a goal to meet as many people as possible on our trip. We took pictures with all of them. It was so fun!

After a quick stop at Carnegie Hall, we went to Central Park. Another highlight of the trip! We seriously spent the whole day there. There is so much to do and see. We sat and watched a softball game, walked by the Carousel, I danced and sang "That's How You Know" like Giselle (from the movie Enchanted) through the gingerbread house, took pictures of all the horse-drawn carriages, walked down the Mall, walked around the Bethesda Terrace and Fountain, watched turtles swim in the pond next to all the people in their rowboats, visited the Hans Christian Anderson and Alice in Wonderland statues, went to the Belvedere Castle, the Delacorte Theater where Shakespeare in the Park happens (Anne Hathaway is doing Twelfth Night), and then my friend Kristen met us!

Kristen and I worked at camp for two summers when we were in college (her camp name was Willow and mine was Bouncer). She now lives in Manhattan and met us on the end of the Great Lawn where Amy and I were people-watching. It was a beautiful day, so tons of people were out sun-bathing, birthday parties, ultimate frisbee, reading, walking their dogs, ahhhh. The 3 of us walked around the Reservoir (when you're halfway around, you can look back and see the NY skyline - so pretty!) and then visited the Conservatory Gardens.

Kristen found us this yummy Cuban restaurant on the Upper West Side so off to the subway we headed. There was a wedding reception going on at the table next to us and our waiter snuck us some of their wedding cake! He put it in a bag and left it at our table with a whisper "Don't get me in trouble!" and a smile. It was so rad. I felt like little special things like that would happen to us all the time. After dinner, Kristen took us to her cute apartment. It's right by Times Square and you can see Radio City Music Hall from her window.

The next day after eating NY bagels and taking pictures with two policemen (who were so funny they should start their own comedy show - one of them took our picture with the other cop and then said, "Brian, you look fat in this picture. Lemme take another one...") we took the subway downtown. We walked around Wall Street and flashed our money in front of the NYSE. Trinity Church was near there so we popped in. Such a beautiful cathedral! We found out they housed injured people when the WTC fell back on 9/11. We then walked down to the water and took the ferry to see Lady Liberty. She is so regal! I loved seeing her in real life.



We went to Ground Zero which was really hard. They have barely built anything in 8 years, but maybe that's a good thing. We had heard about Lombardi's Pizzeria in the SoHo/Little Italy area from my friends Christy and Sarah so we went there for dinner. BEST PIZZA EVER! Oh my gosh, I was in heaven. Can you tell we ate a lot on this trip? Then we wanted to walk around Greenwich Village that evening. Can you tell we walked a lot on this trip? We hunted down Magnolia Bakery for their famous cupcakes (MMmmm...), took some pictures with NY firemen, and then toured the nearby neighborhoods where they filmed Carrie Bradshaw's apt. in Sex and the City.

Our first stop the next day was Grand Central Station. Have I mentioned yet how much I love the energy in the city? It is electric. The minute we stepped outside our hotel, it was contagious. Anything is possible, everything is exciting. In Grand Central Station, I enjoyed watching people walking all over the place. Places to go, people to see. Amy and I wanted to go back to our plastic lawn chairs in Times Square and eat NY hot dogs, so we did. Then we went to the Late Show with David Letterman theater and went to say hello to Rupert at the Hello Deli around the corner.

We headed to Serendipity's for their famous frrrrozen hot chocolates (we were told to go here by everyone we spoke to). While we waited for our table, we went to the corner candy store: Dylan's Candy Bar. Holy cow, I think I got three cavities just by walking inside. Serendipity's is so kitchy-cute. The frozen hot chocolates were bliss. I bought some mix so I can make them at home. We each bought necklaces from their little store to remember the experience.

We then went to FAO Schwarz and took pictures with the Lego statues (Harry Potter, Batman, Chewbacca, etc) and then tried to do chopsticks on the floor piano, like in the movie "Big". Across the street at the Plaza Hotel, there was a huge crowd and we found out Mariah Carey was shooting a new music video. Sweet!

Our last night we had tickets to see In The Heights on Broadway. YOU NEED TO SEE THIS SHOW! It was beyond what I imagined. The story, characters, singing, dancing, music, everything was phenomenal. A lot of the dancing was hip-hop so I was stoked. After the show, we went and met the cast by their stage door. I was so excited to take a picture with the main character Javier Muñoz (he played Usnavi). I think I have a bit of a crush on him. Tee hee! They were all so sweet and friendly, singing our Playbills, taking pictures, and patting my arm as they left. Cute.

We were so sad to fall asleep that night because we knew we had to leave the next morning. The Empire State Building shone blue and white our last night. Farewell wonderful city! Thanks for all the memories and special times. We flew home and I had to go to work the very next day. Booooo....

I am still recovering from the trip (you could probably tell we didn't sleep much). But it's been so fun looking at pictures and sharing stories with people. What a great vacay. Can't wait to go back and visit The Big Apple again. Thanks for reading!

New York

Well, the time has finally come.

I am off to New York, New York! Woohoo!!

I'll be back next Wednesday.

Time to par-tay in the Big Apple.

beach volleyball

Every Monday evening in the summer, the college group gets together for some beach volleyball. Last night was the first one and it was a blast! We played for a couple hours, then ate dinner and went on rides at the Boardwalk (on Monday and Tuesday nights, rides are only 75 cents. Woohoo!)

BTW, it has been sunny and beautiful the past few days. I LOVE SUMMER!!!

Boyz in da Hood

Changes are a-coming, my friends.

We will soon be getting BOY housemates.

Oh yes.

Starting next month, the Gordon House will be co-ed.

This is very strange for me. Actually for all of us. We've lived here for 7 years and it's always been girls. And before that I had female roomates in college AND grew up with all sisters. And now...living with BOYS!?!?

Here's the sitch. The house belongs to the family of one of our previous roomates, Jen. Her grandparents built the house in the 40's. Both died back in 2002 and the house was left to Jen's dad and aunt. Jen's dad and aunt were both living in different towns, didn't want to move, and didn't want to sell the house, so they offered it to Jen and some friends to rent. Boy, we jumped on that. Sweet!

Jen's brother Scott moved into the area a few years ago. We always knew he could move in whenever he wanted to (because it's his family's house). But up till now, he has lived in an apartment with guy friends. However, he wants to go back to school and get his Masters degree, so he needed a place with cheap rent. Guess who has cheap rent?

We have two roomies moving out this summer. Joanna is moving into a house with a friend about 10 minutes away and Annie is getting married. That leaves two open rooms. Scott and his friend Nate were thinking of spliting a room, because Nate is in a band and won't be there often (because of touring). Yes, we will have a rockstar living with us. Have you heard of the band "Sherwood"? (Like Sherwood Forest in Robin Hood?) Well Nate is the lead singer of Sherwood.

THEN, Scott's current roomate Travis was looking for a place to live. So Scott asked if he could move in, too (if we had an extra room). We did, so he is. Travis is also a singer/songwriter/musician. You can check out his music here. Travis will be the first one moving in next month. Scott and Nate will move in January.

BOYZ IN DA HOOD!!

Dear Megan

Dear Megan Fox,

I'm sure you're a nice girl and all, so please don't take this the wrong way. But I don't GET IT. You've been in ONE movie. One. And no offense but it wasn't the greatest acting I've ever seen. It was actually some of the worst. So what's the fuss? Is it your looks? I guess that's part of it. Your last name? Fox is a cool last name, I suppose. But I would say it's definitely NOT your acting skills or that (annoying) Marilyn Monroe tattoo on your arm. Why must I see you all over the internet like you've made 5 million movies? And I finally caved and started receiving Entertainment Weekly magazine again, and guess who was on the cover of my first issue. Booooo....

Oh well. That's all I wanted to share.

When does Transformers 2 come out?

Sincerely, Sarah M

spelling bees, parties, and sweet potatoes

It was a fun weekend.

Friday night I went to see a musical with my sister, Liz. It was called "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee". I had heard of it before, but didn't really know anything about it. It was so great! There are 6 contestants (adults acting as adolescents), 2 judges, and a moderator. And the thing that made it even more fun was they brought up 4 people from the audience to play other contestants! If you were chosen, the actors on stage showed you what to do and say. Liz and I tried to sign up to be possible candidates but we arrived too late. Oh well, next time.

Saturday was two par-tays. The first was a BBQ for little Eli who turned 1. He is the son of two very good friends, Amy and Josh. My favorite part of baby/little kids' birthdays parties is watching them when they get their cake. Are they gonna eat it? Smash it on their face? Make a mess? Eli did all three. He didn't seem too stoked on the taste so he mostly mashed it up and flipped his plate repeatedly. Love it.



That evening was my friend Jenn's bachleorette party! Woohoo! She is getting married up in Oregon this summer so she wanted to have her bachleorette with her friends in town. It was at this amazing Italian restaurant where there was wine, candles, and live Italian singing throughout the night. Jenn's maid of honor had bought a T-shirt that said "Advice for the Bachleorette" and we all got to write words of advice on it with a Sharpie. Then our friend Jody (big props to you) started going around asking strangers in the restaurant to sign it, too. Jenn got marriage advice from tons of people, and some written in different languages! It was awesome.



Sunday was the day we celebrated my Dad's birthday and Father's Day (a little early). It was wonderful to spend time with the fam, and of course little Judah. I think he gets cuter every time I see him. The big news with him lately is that his bottom two teeth have come in. So now he can eat "solid food"! (solid food = mush) Amy was feeding him sweet potatoes for the first time and he was making the BEST faces, I HAD to grab my camera and take a video. I seriously could not stop laughing.



Fun, full weekend. Today at work I went to Costco with two students to buy all the food for our summer kick-off BBQ. Summer program starts in 2 days! Let's do this!!

another bittersweet goodbye

Back in January I had to say goodbye to a close co-worker, Christian. He worked in the high school ministry for a few years and then left to be a Jr. High pastor in Fresno. And now I have to say another goodbye to a close co-worker. Clint, our High School director (who has worked at our church for 7 years), is resigning to go back to school full time and become a counselor.

Again, I am so happy when my co-worker buds find fun and new opportunities for growth. But selfishly I want them to stay. I have had so much fun in the office with Clint throughout the years, it just won't be the same without him.


Favorite memories of Clint:

* singing Disney songs ("Be prepared!" -Scar from The Lion King and "A hundred bad guys with swords!" -from Aladdin)

* the many times he pretended to fire his high school staff: "That's it, Judy. Pack your bags." or "Christian, clean your desk."

* 3 amazing mission trips to Mexico with the high school and college group. Driving through Rosarito to all the different work sites. "I own the toll booth! I own the road! I own the taco stand! I own the police! I am Mexico! YO SOY MEXICO!!!" - Clint

* getting the students in bed at night: "Consider the option of BED. You and your sleeping bag should be ONE right now..."

* long talks in the office after everyone else went home. Ministry, students, church, Christianity, life, God.

* Listening to him rant about how one day he will write a book for youth pastors titled What's Wrong With My Youth Group? "And when they turn to chapter 1, it will just be a mirror. That's it. They can write notes in the rest of the chapters..."

* all our high school vs. college games during the year: softball, soccer, and flag football. Clint pretending he was going to make all the students take steroid tests before each game.

* playing songs off his iPod to add to the 90's playlist compilation - an afternoon of amazing music and nostalgia

* Youth Specialties training day. The leaders wanted all the youth workers to do an interactive get-to-know-you game. All other tables got up to play except our table. Clint: "Are WE the tools? Or is everyone else?"

* loud belly laughter and then saying, "Oh crap" through the laughs

* while reading The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell (speaking of TOOLS - I could not stand this author), Clint would make comments like, "I hated this section. I wanted to pee on it..." or pretending to be Maxwell: "I'm so freaking cool! I should marry myself!"

This and many more. Man, those were good times. Clint, thank you for spending seven years of your life loving crazy high school students. I know God will continue to use you in the lives of the people (kids, adults, families, marriages) you counsel. I will miss you!

i'm tired

The past two weeks have been busy.

Waitasec...

This was supposed to be my "break" from work. As in, I'm still working but don't have college program to plan for, so I can chill, catch up on some sleep, re-coop from a crazy semester/school year.

But I always forget this time of year. Lots going on. Which don't get me wrong, I LOVE. It's extremely nice to finally have time for my roomates and friends. I miss them when life gets busy. But I feel like there's been too much going on; like it's all happening at once.

Graduations, graduation parties, so many birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, goodbye lunches or parties for friends or co-workers leaving town, a bachleorette par-tay, an open house for friends who just bought their first home, etc. All within two weeks. And I just looked at my calendar - my next two weeks look like that, too.

I'm tired.

I conked out today for a 2 hour nap. I was dead to the world. Again, I hope I don't come across as complaining because I am so grateful to have these reasons to celebrate life with wonderful people. But is there a way to spread things out? It makes me thankful work stuff is slow. I don't think I would have been able to do this all (or at least with any energy) if work was like normal.

P.S. - New York: 17 days and counting...

Fun Friday

Guess who I get to spend my day with?



Woohoo! I'm so lucky!!

what I'm learning about myself (part I)

My boss approached me a month or so ago.

"Sarah, I want to coach you."

"Huh?" I asked.

"I'm going to take a year and 'coach' you," he replied.

"Huh?"

Basically my boss wants to help me grow as a leader. He has been working with a guy who has been coaching him and he wants to take this opportunity to coach me. He says it's helped him a lot. Hey, I'm down! I am always seeking ways to grow in my leadership skills. Many times I feel like I don't know what the heck I'm doing.

Last week was our first coaching session. It was a preliminary meeting to discuss what the year will look like. I was given a book to work through. And then my homework was to 1) take a test about my leadership styles/personality and 2) set aside a day this week for a "retreat day" to start the whole process.

This post is kind of long and is actually more for me to work through what I'm learning. But if you feel like reading, go for it.

Here is what Sarah is learning about herself (thanks to the test results and book I have started working through):

* I am overly sensitive to criticism of my work. Why? Because I'm a perfectionist and am already so hard on myself. I have super high expectations for myself and my job performance. So when other people try to give constructive feedback, I get defensive. I need to chill!

* I prefer things to be orderly and approach work in a systematic manner.

* When I see something that is wrong, I want to fix it.

* I display enthusiasm for almost any project.

* I am capable of making daily decisions routinely but usually become cautious about the bigger decisions (SO true!)

* Ok, this one hit me - The test results said I am basically introverted but have great people skills (and some extroverted tendencies). Whaaaat? I have always considered myself a total extrovert. But then I stopped and thought about it. The past four years at my job, I HAVE found an introverted side of me that I never knew was there. I still love people but I'm finding that after being around people, I need to be by myself for awhile and re-charge. Instead of being 100% extroverted, I feel more like I'm 50%/50%. I think my job has caused this. It's so emotionally and spiritually draining that after work, I feel like I have nothing left to give. I don't have energy to be around people and have conversations. I need to be alone to rest my heart and spirit. I'm trying to decide if I'm ok with this change in my personality. I think I am.

* I avoid face-to-face conflict. SO true. I dislike confrontation. And not just between myself and others; I don't like seeing conflict between anyone (I don't even have to be involved). Charlie (my boss) was trying to help me figure out why this is true, and I couldn't put my finger on it. Is it because I'm the middle child and I felt like I always had to be the peace-maker in my family? I felt like my theme growing up was "Why can't we all just get along?" Why can't I realize that conflict can be handled in a respectful, loving way and it's not always bad? What is my deal?

* I respond to challenges in a cooperative manner and want the "team" to win.

* I enjoy analyzing the motives of others.

* I want to establish good will with others and to influence them in a friendly and sociable manner.

* I enjoy providing a warm and friendly place for the college group.

* I need a support system; I don't want to feel like I'm alone in ministry.

* I prefer not to verbalize my feelings unless I'm in a cooperative and noncompetitive environment.

* In the book, I realized I want to grow in my faith for selfish reasons, not because I want to grow closer to God. (Ooooo, good conviction for me)

Good good good stuff. It's bringing many things to light. This is part I. I'll post more as the coaching continues...

Happy B-day Ese!

It was one of my roomate's birthday (her name is Jessica but I call her Ese) and to celebrate, she wanted to go on a night hike. So when we all got home from work, we piled into Jen's (another roomate) car and drove to the entrance of a trail Ese likes.

It was a beautiful hike! The sun was setting and there were wild flowers everywhere! I am so glad I brought my camera. And we didn't run into another soul the whole time. It was like we owned the forest.

We hiked up to the "Observation Deck" which has a gorgeous view of the surrounding area in all 4 directions. We had secretly brought some chocolate goodies and candles so we could sing happy birthday to Ese. We ate, drank, talked, and laughed till the sun started going down and then we started heading back. As it got darker, we whipped out the headlamps. It was pitch black by the time we reached our car.

What a great way to spend an evening. Happy birthday Ese! We love you!

I heart NY

I can't wait to buy one of these t-shirts -------->

Because yes, my friends, I am going to New York!!

I have never been before and have always wanted to go. My friend Amy and I were talking about it and finally we were like, "LET'S JUST DO THIS!!" So we jumped on the computer and started looking at plane tickets. We leave June 25th!

We're planning on doing lots of the touristy things like Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Times Square. Even little things like ride the subway, eat NY pizza, and get frozen hot chocolates from Serendipity's made the list. Our last night we are going to see a Broadway show: In The Heights! (It won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical)

I put this on my status update on Facebook a week or so ago and asked for suggestions of fun things to see/do while we're there. Anything you would add?

superhero dunks

Once in awhile, I will come across a video that is so awesome, I must share it on my blog. This is one of those times.

Here's the background: last year Dwight Howard (plays basketball for the Orlando Magic) won a slam dunk contest. He had a Superman jersey on under his Magic one, and a friend even put a red cape around his shoulders. Amazing.



My new favorite video is from two guys: Barats and Bereta (comedy duo). They came up with some other superheroes for Dwight to use in future slam dunk contests.

Superhero Dunks - barats and bereta


Which superhero dunk is your favorite?

anniversaries

This week marks 9 years of living in this area. 9 years. Dang. I didn't think I'd ever find a place to settle in for 9 years. And yet here it is. And I feel like it has flown by. I still love it just as much as I did the first year. In fact I think I love it more. Living somewhere for 9 years means knowing:

- all the fun places to eat around town
- which side roads/alternate routes to take in case of traffic
- the best beaches depending on what you want to do (surfing, beach volleyball, nighttime bonfire, boogie-boarding, etc)
- fun trails to hike on a beautiful day
- all the fun coffee shops and who you might run into at each
- when people talk about things pertaining to your area, you can nod in agreement and add to the conversation
- how much has changed in your city throughout the years
- when people come to visit, you have a million things you can suggest to do

This week also marks 7 years I have lived in the same house. 7 years! Many roomates have moved in and out. Many frienships have begun and been strengthened within these walls. Many parties/BBQs/sleepovers/showers/birthdays/other festivities have been here. Many shenanigans have occurred. We have tons of funny stories from the past 7 years. And the great news is there's more to come.

So here's to another fun year of living in this area and living in this house! I am so thankful for these two huge blessings in my life.

txt msg d8

I just got asked out via text message.

TEXT MESSAGE.

Boys, what ever happend to calling a girl on the phone and asking her out?

Or better yet...asking her in person?

I'm not sure I'm down with 2009. Is this the norm now?

5 things I love about being an aunt

My sister Amy tagged me on her blog. It's mostly for women to share the things they love about being a mom. Amy said I can do the "aunt" version of this tag and then pass it along to 5 other moms. So without further ado, here are my

5 Things I Love About Being An Aunt


1. Judah's cheeks. I'm sorry, but how can you look at those chubby cheeks and not want to kiss them like crazy?! They're like magnets for my lips. It's a good thing Judah can't talk yet, because I'm sure he'd say something like, "Seriously, Auntie Sarah? ENOUGH."

2. His smile. Yes, all babies are cute when they smile. But when Judah smiles, my heart absolutely melts (I usually let out a squeal or two as well). It's like everything is ok in the world. Better yet, it's like I have no worries, no problems...all I feel is joy and happiness.

3. Seeing the world through his eyes. I love the stage where he's at: he wants to touch EVERYTHING. He focuses on objects, studies them, touches them, tastes them, ponders them. When we go for our walks, I love watching his eyes peer at everything. The trees above him, the cars going by, the people who lean over to say hi. Everything must be new and exciting for him. For us, we see the same things every day. Not a whole lot of newness or excitement.

4. His noises. They make me laugh! He is starting to make "word sounds", but mostly I just like to watch and listen to him make spit bubbles.



5. Judah's Naked Time! I never thought I would enjoy changing and dressing a baby as much as I do. But times on the changing table are so fun. Yes, I have had the pee in my face once the diaper comes off. Multiple times. I just laugh. He seems so happy to be on that table. I talk to him, we make faces, I tickle him, he smiles, I get to pick out his fun clothes for the day, we make noises together, he touches the curtains and birds above him. It's funny how the little things seem so special when I'm with him.

I feel very blessed that I get to watch my nephew every other Friday. I look forward to those days all week. I LOVE being an aunt. I can't wait till he gets even older and I can take him on outings.

And now I get to tag 5 mothers. If you are tagged, you get to share 5 things you love about being a mom. Enjoy!

White On Rice (Tira), Just Tryin' To Make Peace (Amy), A Place Of My Own (Emily), Views From The Backseat (Chrissy), and The A-Girls (Amanda)

barn dancin'

I think I've blogged about this before, but our house has discovered a special farm about 40 minutes from us on the coast. The third Saturday of each month, the farm is open to the public. There is a potluck at 6 pm and then some barn dancin' at 7 pm. They have a country band and a caller, explaining the dances. SO FUN!!

For this month's barn dance, two of my roomates and I decided to wear pigtails.



We had a dear friend, Jenna, visiting from Southern California. She had never been to the farm or barn dance before so we took her. We got there a little early, so we walked up to see the goats and chickens. There were so many baby goats! Cute cute. At the chicken pen we saw some roosters chasing and jumping on the chickens (If chickens could talk, we imagined them saying, "Seriously? No means no.") And the roosters kept...what's the sound they make? Cock-a-doodle-do? Whatever. They kept doing it and we were like, "It's not morning. Chill."

The potluck was delicious (one of the farmers/owners brought down a box of freshly picked strawberries for dessert - OH MY GOSH!!) and the barn dance was a blast, as usual. I love seeing all sorts of different people, different ages, different backgrounds...all having wholesome family fun at a farm in the middle of nowhere.







And here's something else that's fun. There was a guy there taking a million pictures with his fancy-schmancy camera. I went up to him and asked where he was from. He replied, "I'm doing an article for 'San Francisco Magazine' on the farm and barn dance." And he took a lot of pixs of my roomates, Jenna, and I dancing. We might be in the article. Good times.

"I will pray that you trust God"

Last week at church, Charlie (my boss and our pastor) shared a story that I have NOT been able to shake off. It comes to my mind all the time. I keep pondering what it means to me. I would like to share it with all of you. I think it will mean different things to different people, depending on where you are in life. It is an encounter between Mother Teresa and a man named John. (The story was taken from Brennan Manning's book "Ruthless Trust")


When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at "the house of the dying" in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life. On the first morning there he met Mother Teresa.

She asked, "And what can I do for you?"

Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.

"What do you want me to pray for?" she asked.

He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: "Pray that I have clarity."

She said firmly, "No. I will not do that."

When he asked her why, she said, "Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of."

When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, "I have never had clarity. What I have always had is trust. So I will pray that you trust God."

random thoughts of the day

Sunny weather puts me in the best mood.

I need to watch the season finale of LOST. Abc.com, here I come.

Why are dreams so weird?

Only one more Wednesday night college group till summer. What the crap.

Only one more week with my associate, Jeff. What.The.Crap.

I love getting my hair cut. It was only a trim, but it doesn't matter. My hair already feels lighter and more healthy.

Why have I been making obscure Pee-Wee's Big Adventure references recently? I have not seen that movie in forever. And what a random movie to bring up in conversation.

To be a sheriff, I think it is a requirement to have a moustache.

hip hop love

As I was driving home from hip hop class tonight, I realized I need to come clean about something. I have been hesitant to share this news, but the time has come.

I love hip hop music.

Why is this a secret? Because I probably shouldn't love it.

Here are some reasons why:

1) First of all, their names. It would be hard for me to take anyone seriously when their names are Soulja Boy Tell Em, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Flo Rida, or Chamillionaire. And let's not forget Puff Daddy, I mean P. Diddy, I mean just Diddy now.

2) Their song content. Alcohol? I'm not a big drinker, so when they talk about drinking "petrone" with their homies, I get lost. Clubbing? I like dancing but I'm not a clubber, don't really understand that world. The way they talk about women? Don't even get me started.

3) Their videos. This kind of goes with the last point. I don't even watch their videos because I know I'll see a bunch of half-naked chicks groping at Ludacris while he sings about drinking petrone with his homies in da club. See how it all fits together?

4) Dang it, I'm a white girl. What am I doing, listening (and enjoying) hip hop music? Even when I'm in my hip hop class, I sometimes struggle with feeling too white. Am I a poser?

But even with these reasons, I still find myself flipping to our local hip hop station when I'm in my car. Why? Is this a phase?

Until I get to the bottom of this, I leave you with this fun website. It gives you your very own hip hop name. Have fun.

Sincerely,

Monika Vista (that's what it gave me...)

Wolverine

For college group this week, we had a "Fun Night". We do these the first Wednesday of every month so students can invite their friends and so we can build community and, well....have fun together! For our Fun Night, we went to the movies downtown. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was playing and I knew a bunch of them wanted to see it. It was so great! Since it was a school/work night, we pretty much took over the whole theater. Everyone snuck in snacks (is that wrong?) and enjoyed the action on screen. I enjoyed watching Hugh Jackman for two hours, but that's just me.

I have a new favorite video

Want to do a triathlon? Follow these steps.

The Wildflower weekend was great. We drove to the lake Thursday and set up camp. It rained pretty much all day Friday, but Saturday - race day - was perfect weather. Cloudy but with patches on sun. For those who are interested in doing a triathlon, here are some step-by-step instructions on what to do the day of your tri.

1) Wake up early. Your nerves will probably help with this.

2) Pee. Just like every morning.

3) Put on first coat of sunscreen and your clothes for the day.

4) Pack up all your gear. Wetsuit, earplugs, swim cap, goggles, bib number, flip flops (for after the race), sunscreen, snacks, chapstick, money, towel, water bottles, etc.

5) Eat breakfast. Try to alternate water and gatorade for an hour before you leave.

6) Put on helmet and biking gloves, grab bike, pose for pictures, and then ride down to the lake.

7) In the transition area, find your number. Park your bike and get all your gear set up. You need quick transitions! This means untie your shoes and get them ready to slip on. Attach your bib number to your running jersey with safety pins. Etc.


8) Apply second layer of sunscreen.

9) Drink more water. Eat a PowerBar.

10) Go get marked up. This includes volunteers writing your number on the top of your hands, your arms, the sides of your legs. Your age goes on your left calf. All done in permanent marker.


11) Wait in line a half hour for a porta-potty. You might not need to go when you get in line, but you will have to go once you're at the front of the line.


12) Go back to where you parked your bike. Chat with people around you.

13) Stretch for 20 minutes with friends (Our friend Jen on the right is prego and swam as part of a relay team. She is my hero.)


14) Drink more water and gatorade.

15) Squeeze wetsuit on. Attach timing chip to your left ankle. Grab swim cap, goggles, and earplugs and maneuver your way through the throngs of people to the lake edge.

16) Pray with friends.


17) Line up with your gender and age range (Female 30-34 was mine). Get nervous.

18) As the group ahead of you begins, get in the water with all the other ladies in the precious 3 minutes you have until your race starts.

19) Shriek and exclaim how cold the lake water is.

20) Secretly pee.

21) Wonder how many other ladies are doing the same thing.

22) Get out of the water, line up with your group, wait for the countdown.


"3 - 2 - 1!!!!!!!!!! GOOOO!!!"


The swim is my favorite part. I felt I had trained the most for this section. And plus my adrenalin kicked in and made me feel like I was swimming even faster. I always swim into other people and others always swim into me, but other than that, it was fine.



Got out of the water, ran up to the transition area. Quickly toweled off, threw on biking gear, grabbed bike and GOOOO!!

The bike ride was hilly, but pretty good. I struck up conversations with people as I rode. There is this one killer hill and everyone is going so slow. So why not make some new friends? Everyone's happy to be out there and having a good time. I chatted with a 72 year old man, a pregnant lady, and a seven year old. Yes, anyone can do a triathlon.

Finished bike portion, parked bike, ran out. GOOOO!!!!!!

The run is always the hardest part for me. First of all, I don't enjoy running. I am more of a brisk walker or a slow jogger if I have my neighbor's dogs. And plus I'm so tired after the swim and bike...I just want to stop. But, ya gotta do it to finish.

The best part is of course crossing the finish line. As you come down the chute, people are lined up on both sides, cheering you on. My friends were all there screaming and encouraging me. And then you hear them call your name out on the loudspeaker. Wheee!! I crossed the line, got a medal, and then walked over to the post-race area. Fruit, PowerBars, yogurt and granola, water, gatorade, chairs to sit! Ahhh.

So there ya go. Fabulous weekend. Always fun to see friends and camp together. Always exciting to be around all the other triathletes and feel the energy. Always good to have that feeling of accomplishment when you finish.

See ya next year, Wildflower!

P.S. By the way, on Friday we saw a rattlesnake chillin' five feet from my tent. 5 FEET. He was coiled up at the edge of a hole in the ground. Probably waiting for a gopher or groundhog to pop out so it could feast. Our friend Dave almost walked right on it. Then he thought it would be wise to throw a stick at it. It didn't move. So then Dave POKED IT with a longer stick. The rattler got pissed and dove into the hole with its tail going crazy. Thanks Dave. I feel so safe now. Luckily, a ranger came by and relocated it for the weekend. Freaky.