A new place

I woke up with nerves and now I'm feeling pretty good. It was great getting to meet the whole group, especially those who don't live in federal way.
We all crammed onto a little bus that took us to our hotel. Driving past a Domino's pizza and Burger King made me feel like I was at home. Milana bought us all orange Fanta's and 2 litter bottles of water.



Day one is close to an end. Can't wait for day two.


*Short and to the point - LIT

It's been awhile

So, it's been awhile since I blogged last. I'll make this short...
Mission Trek was awesome! My kids got to have the whole 'food' experience. They got to be the migrant worker, then sort, package, deliver, unpack, pack again, and hand out to families.
And I got engaged!




Those are the highlights to my year. Next adventure is getting to go to Guatemala for work. More to come!

*Short and to the point - LIT

one of those posts...

well, its definatly been awhile since i've done any blogging. what in the world have i been up to? lets see...
- i got a really great boss, and then he left for an amazing opportunity in London, goodluck tim
- i have re-connected with some of my closest friends from grade school, middle school, and high school
- i went on another great mission trip this summer with the high school kids where they got to see the not-so-cool side of seattle and started to really understand the meaning of 'dignety of the human person'
- work is going well, sometimes it makes me wonder, but ultimately i know that i'm there for all the right reasons
- i continued coaching soccer with my coaches and loving every minute of it
- my condo is done and awaiting a house warming party
- and to top it all off, my best friend Jacque is engaged and getting married next september, i'm so happy for her

life is still far from a box of chocolates, still more like a box of mixed nuts, but i'm alive and well.

lets see if i can keep this up

Breaking point

I think I've almost hit my breaking point. I should be happy but I don't feel that way. i even had a break down on the way home from work today. My boss is back at work; I should be happy. I have mutual exceptence on a condo; I should be extatic. I just applied for my job again and I'm gaurenteed the spot; I should be thrilled. I'm doing more music and playing soccer; I should be happy and energetc. But, I'm not. I really hope that this change in personality and behavior is a result of the meds my dr gave me because I would hate to think that I have become depressed on my own. I need to get my groove back


-- Short and to the point: LIT

Is it wrong...

Is it wrong to want things in your life/work/relationships to go "right" or how you planned it? Why is it so difficult? I know things/obstacles/events happen for a reason and you're supposed to learn from them, but you know what, it would be nice for your plans to play out the way you intended!

Arg...




-- Post From My iPhone

I'm so excited

So, I'm sitting at home, just finished an episode of BONES, moved on to the Bachelorette (yes, I did say the bachelorette) and then all of a sudden my phone rings. It's a ring time I hadn't heard in awhile. I looked over and saw a familiar face and it was BRITA! She is home; in Washington state!

All is right in the world today :)


-- Post From My iPhone

its been two weeks and i'm doing pretty good

so, two weeks ago i went in thinking i was having a cyst removed from one of my ovaries and woke up with a four inch incision and a large endometrioma removed. lets just say, not what i expected.

then, i stayed home for a whole week. however, there is some good news. i finally have a boss! it only took one year, but, better late then never.

i'm looking forward to the future. my roommate comes home on monday! i'm so excited!

more later... just wanted to say that i'm very thankful for all the prayers and good thoughts.

=D

wow, it has been awhile...

wow, it has been awhile since i've blogged. and to think, i was doing really well there for awhile. anywho...
lets see, whats new with me?



1. i turned 25

2. i moved out of the house

3. i've been going to trivia night just about every Tuesday

4. oh, i got to attend the Microsoft TechEd convention again this year, a lot of fun, lots of cool technologies coming out on the market, very exciting stuff

5. i get to hang out with some old high school friends

6. i go to go to my cousin's high school graduation in Gainesville, FL

7. i'm looking forward to mission trek this year, we're going to Great Falls, MT and we leave this Saturday!

8. my roommate just left for Africa (brita's blog) and is having a blast so far

9. can't wait for the summer to start and hoping to go to Eburg soon, having withdrawals

10. and on a more serious note, i get to have surgery in July to remove a cyst in an ovary



i made sure to have a variety activities this year, lol

Salt Lake City, UT

I just got back from a conference in UTAH where I learned a lot.

One of the main events was a Maroon5 concert.
Check out this video... you can tell you're surrounded by geeks, when you're at a concert and everyone has some a camera or video camcorder.



The conference was great! I learned a lot and can't wait to use what I learned to the benefit of World Vision.

neglecting my blog

i guess i need to go back a little ways...

christmas was great with the family. it was simple, at home, and the best part is, we weren't rushing to get anywhere.

new years eve was a blast spending time with jacque and her family.

work is good, i still don't have a boss but i've come to the conclusion that this is a great opportunity for me to make a place for myself.

life is good, but its still missing something...

praying with saint paul

so...i got this book called 'praying with saint paul' and it has already been effective. its a daily devotional, great for work. here's what it said for nov 6:

"Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who righly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life." (1 Tim 6:17-19)

Most of us don't think of ourselves as "rich" but, in comparison with those living in the time of Jesus, the average person living in the industrialized world today has many more possessions, more luxuries, more services, and more entertainment than ancient kings. Open your closet, check your garage, you may find it crammed with stuff you don't need and will never use again. Count the number of devices you won that bring music and compare it to an ancient wagon.

But our wealth has its dangers. We are tempted to rely on accumulated objects for security. Bounty cn become excess. We can become addicted to stuff. I have lisened to people raionalize why they really need one hundred tee shirts or seventy-five pairs of shoes. I have seen closets full of junk their owner was hoarding just in case some day they might need that one thing out of all their accumulated stuff. Of course when that day comes they probably wont have the time to go through the "just-in-case" stuff and will be forced to go out and buy another. Man hold on to trash as though it were gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Their basements, garages, and attics are filled with broken promises - furniture, toys, and appliances in various states of disrepair that they promised to fix but haven't gotten around to. Rather than trusting the Lord, they rationalize and make excuses, convincing themselves that their broken and worn out stuff is a dedge against a future financial disaster.

What is worse, they consider their habit of hoarding a virture. They do not see ho their hoard of stuff steals their time, creates chaos and strife in the family, and is a sign of a lack of trust in God.
Were they to give their excess to the poor, they would pile up treasure in heaven.

You know how you have a conversation with one person in the morning, and then later that day the same subject comes up with another person, and then you read something that covers both convos and more or some how you have a 'theme' in your day. Thats what happened on thursday; my whole day came full circle. I like those kinds of days, it reminds me that God works in mysterious ways and that maybe I should listen to this message.

its officially official!

I just spent my first week at world vision as a FULL TIME CONTRACT EMPLOYEE! Wahoo!!

All I have to say is, "FINALLY!"

one year...

well, today marked my one year at world vision.

its been great so far, i look forward to the next year.

hopefully i'll be permanent by next October 7th.

time passing...

do you ever get the feeling like you're forgetting something, something really important.

yesterday on my way to work, during work, on my way to women's group, and trivia... i felt like something wasn't right, something was missing. This morning i drove in silence. i wasn't interested in listening to the news or music. i knew something was different...something that i was forgetting. i spent most of my day at work at my desk trying to remember what i had forgotten. when i got home, mom asked me if i knew what today was. and it hit me like a ton of bricks. today was my grandma's birthday. i can't believe i had forgotten it. i'm not a forgetful person. i've been so buried is work and personal stuff. there's no excuse though.

so, there's no time like the present... happy birthday grandma! i know you're not here, but happy birthday :) may she rest in peace

just one day, please

[rant]

is it so hard to ask for just one non-stressful day? really, am i asking for too much here?
how is it that most of my bosses are gone, in california, and some how i still can't get work done? please, just one freakin' day!!!

[end rant]

withdrawals!!!

so...i'm sitting here at work and i'm listening to all the great jazz pieces i played in junior high and college and thinking to myself, 'damn that was LOADS of fun' why aren't i doing it now? my poor bari sax is being neglected. i haven't played it since march of 2007! so sad! i'm soooooo looking for a big band to play in!
=D

mission trek...what a rollercoaster

mission trek is always the highlight of my summer because i get to do what i love most; helping those who need it the most.

overall, the week was great. usually we destroy or create things. this year our group did a summer sports day camp. it was loads of fun and a good learning experience. these were inner city kids with no where to go during the day. it was either this camp or going to work with there parents. its nice to know that just by being there, hanging out with the kids, made a difference to them.

so...our group had five guys and we worked with the girls from st. francis in cali. they all had a great time and got along really well. by the end of the week, we were talking about how fun it would be to join up for next year at another ynia site. i'm hoping this coming year will be different. new way of holding meetings, the way we raise money, and do more service. the most important is having all the adults on the same page at all times and have a say in everything at all times.

i'm looking forward to a new year!

what are politics?

Kids say the darnedest things...

A kid goes to his dad and asks, "Dad, what are politics?"

His dad replies, " Put it this way; I am the breadwinner of the family so I am capitalism. Your mom is the owner of the money so she is government. The government is the provider for the people so you are the people. Your baby brother will be the future, and the nanny is the working class. Now think about that."

So he went to bed. He was woken by his brother. The baby had pooped in his diaper. He went to tell his parents, but he only found his mom asleep in the bed. He didn't want to wake her, so he went to the nanny. The door was locked. He checked through a hole and saw the dad in bed with the nanny. He went back to bed. The next morning, he went to his dad and said, "Dad i know what you mean now."

"You do? Tell me."

"OK, while capitalism is screwing the working class, the government is sound asleep, while the people are watching the future being pooped on!!!"

time for laughing...

i noticed that most of my blogging lately has been negative...so, its time to laugh...

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip, set up their tent, and fall asleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes his faithful friend.
"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
Watson replies, "I see millions of stars."
"What does that tell you?"
Watson ponders for a minute. "Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Timewise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?"
Holmes is silent for a moment, then speaks. "Watson, you idiot, someone has stolen our tent."

why do people have to judge

why do people feel the need to judge someone by there looks alone?
its not fair. Just because I wear jeans with nice shoes, the occasional t-shirt, maybe a hoody, doesn't mean I don't take my job seriously.
the way I dress matches my personality, I take pride in what I do, i try not to be an embarresment, if I find that I need to dress in nice slacks, a blouse, and nice shoes then I will. Why can't people take someone abilities over the way they dress? I'm a pretty tolerant person but this is rediculous!