Breaking Out

Thankful

2011-11-21T11:37:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's true...I still have a blog. It has been highly neglected, but it still exists.

I figured Thanksgiving time is as good of a time as any to re-start.

Here's some things I'm thankful for this year:

1) Jesus. Without him, there would be no reason to be thankful.

2) My family. It's been fun getting closer to my sisters this year. I always love coming home. My family is incredibly supportive. I am especially thankful for my mom's help this year.

3) My boyfriend, Steve. He is amazing, and the last few months have been the best. I love his humor, his love for sports(most of the time) and his love for Jesus, among lots of other things. I am incredibly blessed. :)

4) An awesome faith community. I can always count on them to be there for me, and we always have fun together. Church planting isn't always easy, but it has been an awesome adventure, so far.

4) My new job and y 97 6th graders. Yes, this job is a lot of work. Yes, it exhausts me. But those kids keep me going and laughing everyday. They're the greatest! I love middle school. I don't think I can ever go back to elementary. :)

5) My friends. 2011 has not been an easy one, in this area, but I'm thankful for my friends who love me, unconditionally. I am blessed to have a lot of amazing friends. :)

6) Great seasons for the Padres and the Chargers...umm...ok. Not so much this one. :)

Overall, 2011 has been great. I have amazing people in my life, a God that loves me, and I'm healthy (even if my car isn't:)

Steve and I are heading to San Diego for Thanksgiving. I am super excited to spend Thanksgiving at home for the first time in 4 years! I'll miss the Ghiorsos and turkey bowling, though. :

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hearing God

2011-04-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about this topic a lot, lately. I'm sure it is a topic that most Christians struggle with. In the last year or so, especially, I have struggled with what it means to hear God.

What are the different ways God can speak to us? After reading through some stories in the Bible, this is what I came up with: Through his actual voice, Through others, Through our heart and convinctions, dreams and visions, the Word, and in some cases, through angels.

There are some people who say that they hear God's voice, very clearly. That is awesome, but I'm not one of those people. When I pray for something specific, I end up overanalyzing everything, wondering if that's what God is using to speak to me.

For the most part, I think I rely on the convictions I feel about the situation. I also rely heavily on my friends. Although, if you ask some of them, I don't listen to them very often, either. ;) Then comes the ageless question, How do you know if that's what you want or what God wants? For example, I know exactly how my heart feels about some career and personal situations I have been praying about. Does that mean God has answered my questions in those areas? Not necessarily. Sometimes, it feels like God has spoken to me about something, and then something happens to change the situation, and I have to start all over.

What I desire, more than anything, is to glorify God with every decision, relationship or situation in my life. Because of this, I want to make sure that my decisions are God decisions, not Christal decisions. Unfortunately, it's not always that easy, right?

What I have learned, is that finding out what God's will is involves some risk taking. If you are willing to take a risk, and then God shuts the door or adds another door, that may be the way he answers. I have also learned that God may not want you to continue taking that risk if it is continually hurtful or if it creates situations that are not glorifying to Him. Where is that line drawn? Another answer I don't have. :)

So do I have an answer to my original question? Not at all, and luckily, I don't think anyone does...so I'm not the only one. All I can do it continue to give my life to God, and make sure I am taking the time to listen. Luckily, for us, God already knows what is going to happen, so we don't have control over anything, anyways...although we like to think we do! :)

1 Chronicles 16:10-11

¹⁰ Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
¹¹ Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.

How do you hear God?

Teacher of the Month

2011-03-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, Bobby is right. That last post was awfully depressing. It has been a long, hard year of teaching. Maybe my most difficult, since my first year. Last week, we went to science camp. Now that we are back, I can tell they really had a great time. It makes everything worth it. I love my job, and will take everything that is not in the job description!

In other news, I was selected as the teacher of the month for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District, for the month of March. It will be presented at a school board meeting and at a staff meeting. It is a huge honor, and I'm thankful for the timing of it. Sometimes, it is good to know that you are doing your job well.

Stay tuned for some science camp pictures... :)

Not in the job description...

2011-02-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

I been getting some harassment from some readers for not updating my blog...maybe that should have been one of my goals for 2011?

Life has been so busy lately! I feel completely drained. Most of that is due to the fact that work seems incredibly overwhelming, right now. I'm in the middle of report cards, science camp, crazy amounts of meetings, and middle school placements. All of that keeps me extremely busy, but it's not what is wearing me down.

My heart is so heavy with the things I am competing against, as a teacher. All I want for my students is to have an opportunity to be successful. Each of them has such great potential, but there is so much getting in the way. My partner teacher and I feel like we've lost control.

Some kids are bullying each other over text messaging, girls are hurting each other using gossip, boys are forming groups to go harass other boys about recess soccer happenings...and that's just the start of it. One of my students has a brother who is in a gang. Currently he's spending his time at juvenile hall. She can't make it through a day without crying.

We're doing everything we can. I have class meetings, every week. We scheduled a meeting with a probation officer. We're teaching an anti-drug/peer pressure program. I use every lunch and recess time to meet with students, so that they know I'm there for them.

How can I compete with this? It's not in my job description. I wasn't taught how to deal with this stuff. My main concern is that they learn the 1,345,345,789(ok, that's an exaggeration) standards that they need to be successful. Lately, that concern has shifted a little bit. If these things aren't taken care of, they will not learn a single thing. It doesn't matter how hard I try to teach them.

That being said, I turned to the only person I know who can do miracles, Jesus. So often I leave Him out of my job. I feel like I can control the things at work. Obviously, that is not the case. He is the only one who can change these kids, for the better, so that they can get out of this culture and be successful. So, today, I add another goal for 2011, praying for my students and their futures, daily.

Thanks to all of you who are still reading. That is real dedication. :)

Goals for 2011

2011-01-03T11:58:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, I went to my mom's church, which was also the church where I spent most of my elementary and junior high years. Only now, it's about 3-4 times the size it was then. I'll admit, it's taken me awhile to warm up to it again. They scored major brownie points by singing Glory to God that day, too.:) Anyways, the pastor encouraged us to write down some goals for 2011. I hate new year's resolutions, they are always things that you never stick to. Over the years, I have become a goal oriented person. Maybe it's all the goal setting you do in teaching? I need something to reach for, or I won't be motivated.

Did you know only 5% of Americans write down their goals? These 5% are also the Americans with the highest salary. Not that that is why I'm doing it, just a random, interesting fact. :)

Here's some goals I'd like to reach in 2011:

1) Be in the Word, daily. Get up 30 min earlier to do so.

2) Pray for the Middle East.

3) Meet around 5 new people, a month.

4) Get closer to my goal weight.

5) Work out at least 5 times a week.

6) Stick to a monthly budget.

7) Be better about sending cards, letters, aka keeping in touch

8) Work LESS.

Feel free to ask me how these things are going this year! Happy New Year!

Heartbreaking

2011-01-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually one to write super serious blogs, but as I read the newspaper today(skipping over the horrible articles about the Chargers), I came upon an article about something that happened in Egypt, this morning. This article gives a pretty detailed account. I'll be the first to admit that I'm horrible at keeping up on current events. I just don't make time for it. Lately, I have been feeling convicted about it. How can I be praying for things, if I don't know they're happening? I have a huge heart for missions and for other countries, in general. This year, I want to be better about keeping up on events that are affecting people's daily lives, in other countries.

That being said, my first reaction was, why did the Christians attack the muslims? As if Christians don't already have a bad reputation with those things. The "Christian-y" thing to do would have been to go on and show them they didn't shake you. BUT as I thought longer, I wondered what I would have done if one of my loved ones was one of the 21 who was killed by yet another suicide bomber. I can't say I would have reacted in any other way. As I continued reading, I realized how heartbroken I was over this.

I'm saddened that Egyptian Christians had to cancel their Christmas celebrations because they were afraid of terrorists. It breaks my heart that some extremist Muslims believe this is the way to please their god. At some point, the Islamic leaders will have to condemn these attacks, or they will continue. I fear that that will never happen.

Even though the terror of 9/11 is not as visible in America anymore, it is more than real in other places. I don't really like New Years resolutions, because they are generally things you can't keep. After reading this, I did decide that in 2011, I am going to try to be more aware of what is going on in the world, so that I can be praying for God to change it. He is the greatest hope we have.

Peace out 2010

2010-12-31T14:16:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing a pattern on facebook today. 2010 was not the most favorite year of all time. I'll admit, I'm not sad to see 2010 go. It has not been my favorite year, and it has been a rough year for many people that I love. But, I am here, and I have an awesome God who loves me no matter what, the most amazing church community, friends and family a girl could ask for. I still have all of those things at the end of 2010, so it couldn't have been that bad! 2010 was actually full of personal accomplishments. 2 triathlons, a half marathon and a loss of 50 lbs!(ok more like 40 after the holidays, but still..)So, I had fun taking some time to look back at some pictures of awesome things that happened in 2010. God is good and I'm looking forward to 2011!

(notice special teams is not included in this photo)

Music Video

2010-12-26T18:32:00.000-08:00

Christy's brothers, Nathan and Tim, are hilarious and awesome at making music videos. The night before the wedding, they put on their tuxes and wondered around the hotel shooting scenes for their next music video. Christy, Amy and I found these awesome leopard print robes in the closet at the hotel. We decided to join in on the fun. Had to share because, well, it's pretty stinkin hilarious. Or maybe it's only funny to us...

Wedding Weekend

2010-12-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

This weekend was Christy and Zach's wedding! Hard to believe it has already come and gone! It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed being a part of it and being able to spend time with friends I don't see often! Enjoy some pictures from the weekend!

Let's pause for a story about this. My car was parked in front of Christy's house on Friday. We were all inside getting ready for the rehearsal dinner. Some kid(still not sure he was old enough to drive, and didn't have proof of a license) hydroplaned at a pretty fast speed and hit my car. My fender and passenger side door took a good beating. I drove it to the driveway, and it's definitely not safe to drive back over the 17. So, I'm carless until after Christmas. Because it's cheaper than I rental car, I now have to fly home for Christmas. It's just frustrating to have to change all of my plans, AND have to figure out how to get to work the next 3 days. Yes, you heard right, I'm still at work until Wednesday. Ridiculous, I know. Also frustrating is the fact that the car was not insured. Of course it wouldn't be, because that would actually make something easier. Anyways, not a fun start to the weekend.

A little piece of Radcliff...

2010-12-16T21:53:00.000-08:00

“Teaching should be such that what is offered is perceived as a valuable gift and not as a hard duty.” --Albert Einstein

My first 2 years of teaching were some of the hardest months of my life. There are a few people who were there from the beginning, and helped me become the teacher I am today. Without them, I'm not sure I would have the same outlook on the education world.

Two of those people are Cynthia and Marina. These wonderful ladies were the New Teacher Project Mentors at Radcliff (when there were still new teachers! :) Cynthia was my "official" mentor teacher, but they both helped all of the teachers at Radcliff. Both of them became mentors, friends and both had a huge impact on my life.

Cynthia spent countless hours helping me set my room up (the day before school started!), coached me through teaching a bilingual class, and always reminded me about the real reasons I was in the profession. The day I finished new teacher project was a bittersweet day. I treasure those 2 years, and everything I learned.

Although Marina wasn't my official mentor teacher, I felt like I was lucky enough to have two! She was always at Radcliff, and we would always stop to chat and catch up. If she was working in her office, I would always sit down to run ideas by her or update her on my life. She was always, always interested in everything I was doing. She offered to model lessons or sit with me to make a lesson more interactive. Mostly, I always appreciated how she always had the time to talk or listen to me vent, no matter how busy she was.

She was an amazing teacher, and we were all thankful to be able to get some of those ideas and skills passed onto us! The Albert Einstein quote above always reminds me of Marina. She always taught as if everyday with us and our students was a gift. She was great at reminding us of the valuable gift we were given, and always encouraged us to use it to empower our little community.

Today, our little Radcliff community lost Marina, to cancer. It was a long, hard fight. She was strong and fought it for many months. Although we miss her, it is good to know that she isn't feeling pain anymore. My heart is heavy today, as Radcliff felt a little empty today. Yet, while I spent the day remembering her, all I could think about was how I felt encouraged to push through the budget cuts, the frustrations, and the lack resources and just remember that teaching is not just a job. It is a gift. When we enjoy teaching, our students learn more. Marina wouldn't have it any other way.

Another year...

2010-12-13T20:22:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big 2-6. My 25th year of life has been filled of learning experiences, to say the least. I've taken major risks, started a new church adventure with 4 other people, completed 2 triathlons and a half marathon, lost 50 pounds, started my 5th year of teaching, experienced hurt and learned about guarding my heart, experienced a ton of joy, made lots of new friends, watched the Chargers give up the most blocked punts EVER, traveled to India, and most importantly, learned more about God, through all of it.

I think this was definitely my verse for the year. It kept coming up, over and over. I'm so thankful for the peace of God, which transcends all understanding. Overall, it has been a great year. I'm surrounded by amazing people, and I am blessed!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Phillipians 4:6-7

My mom sent me a birthday card today. It might seem extra, extra corny to all of you, and I was already a little more emotional than normal today, but this card had me in tears. She called and said she thought it described me perfectly. It was exactly what I needed to read today. Thanks mom!:)

To My Daughter:

Sometimes I get so caught up in being your Mom--

still trying to look out for you and worrying about every little thing--

that I don't take time to tell you what you deserve to hear.

I'm amazed by you with everything you've accomplished,

and how busy you are everyday,

you're still one of the kindest, most thoughtful people I know.

I'm inspired by you--

your courage, your ambition, the way you look at life,

Even when things are challenging, you keep your positive attitude.

I'm proud of you and always have been.

You know exactly who you are and you do a beautiful job of expressing it.

I love watching you be "you."

Day 31

2010-12-12T21:57:00.001-08:00

Day 31 A photo of you and someone who should have been your twin

As requested, I added a day to the 30 day challenge. This is someone who I refer to as my twin (we called each other that after seeing that our movie collections were almost identical). Her name is Jen. Jen was one of my first friends in Santa Cruz, when we were in a bible study together. 5 years later, our friendship is still going strong. We try to meet for coffee a few times a month. A twin coffee meeting is never complete with out Elf and Dumb and Dumber quotes. This girl is quality, and I can always count on her to be there for me. She's the best.

Day 29 and 30

2010-12-11T13:36:00.001-08:00

Day 29--A photo of someone you find attractive

This was a hard one, lol. And this is not his best picture...but do you know how hard it is to find a picture of this guy in a Padres uniform?! That's what happens when you play for the dodgers, giants, rockies and diamondbacks. And you know I can't post him wearing any of those uniforms. :)

Day 30--A photo of a time when you were happy

Finishing my first triathlon. Lots of happiness in that one. :)

The photo challenge is over! Was fun, but too much work. Time to find something else to blog about...

Day 28

2010-12-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

A photo of something you ate today

Chipotle salmon wrap..mmm. Totally forgot to take a picture with my phone. Oh well. Oh, and the company was pretty awesome too! :)

Day 27

2010-12-08T23:30:00.001-08:00

Day 27 A photo from last summer

Day 26

2010-12-07T19:08:00.000-08:00

A photo of your favorite weekend

I love, love, love New York City. I have always wanted to try living there for a year. My old roommate, Graciela, and I went to NYC for 4 days. It was one of my favorite vacations, ever. We went to see Hairspray, and ended up seeing Grease also. We pretty much saw all there is to see there, in 3 days. So fun!

Day 25

2010-12-06T16:43:00.001-08:00

A photo of a night you loved

Cal Poly girls reunion, 2009. Every year, I look forward to getting together with these girls. Sarah, Michelle, Lesley, and Kristina(not pictured :( were some of my closest friends in college. I was blessed with an amazing roommate(Sarah, on the right) my freshman year. I love that we still make time to get together, and catch up with each other. This was in May of last year, I went to Sactown for the weekend, and we hung out all weekend. This was a super fun night, and hilarious, for only reasons they would know. Still makes me laugh remembering it. :)

Day 24

2010-12-05T00:08:00.000-08:00

A photo of you that your hair looks nice in

I already used my best hair photo in the photo challenge...so here's a different one. This is the spring break family photo shoot. I keep thinking I want to cut my hair that short again, but I'm actually enjoying how long it is. Plus, if you remember this post, I'm hoping to donate it in the near future!

I feel like I have a lot on my mind, and that I could write a much deeper post, but instead I'll stick with that. :) Oh and I skipped day 23, it was lame.

Day 22

2010-12-03T16:29:00.000-08:00

A photo of your town

Really? Posting a picture of Felton would be way boring. Here's out super, super cute house at Mt. Hermon. It's so fun and Christmasy right now, too. It's a super long drive to work, but I do love the Herm.

I spend most of my time in Santa Cruz, though (well, when I'm not at work). Here's one of my favorite pictures of the harbor!

Day 21

2010-12-02T06:45:00.001-08:00

A photo of you standing up

I hate looking back at this picture, lol..but I do love these girls. :)

Day 20

2010-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

A photo of you doing something you enjoy

Hanging out with friends. Football. The Chargers.

Don't worry about what the score was to this game...

Day 19

2010-11-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

A photo of you on a class trip

This day is also way easier when you're a teacher. :)

Day 18

2010-11-28T13:42:00.000-08:00

A photo of you and one of your classes

Luckily, I'm a teacher, so this day is easy! This is my 4/5 combo class. One of my hardest years of teaching, but one of my favorite classes. I still keep in touch with a lot of these students. I got to spend 2 years or more with a lot of them. The hardest(or best, depends on the year!) part of being a 5th grade teacher is sending them off to middle school!

Art for AIDS

2010-11-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I'm part of a church plant, called Missio Dei Community. I have been loving the chance to talk about what it means to be intentional in our relatioships and in our community. One organization we have been involved with is the Santa Cruz AIDS Project. A few of us participated in the Surf City AIDS ride (thanks to all who donated!) and we have also been trained, as volunteers. It has been AWESOME to learn more about the awesome things this organization is doing, with what little money they have left.

So, in celebration of World AIDS Day and Advent Conspiracy, createHumanity and Missio Dei is working together to put on a benefit concert called Art for AIDS. There will be comedians, music and art. 100% of the ticket proceeds will go to SCAP, along with a portion of any art that is sold. I am SO excited about this, and the possible impact we could all have on our community. If you're local and want to come, go here for tickets! If you're not local, come down/up and go, it'd be worth it!

Day 17

2010-11-27T12:25:00.001-08:00

Day 17: A drunk photo of you

Umm, yeah. Don't have one of those, but this picture (although not my favorite of me) is me hiding the fact that I'm drunk with anger lol. 6 hours, 18 innings and the Padres still LOST. That's the best I can do for Day 17 lol

Day 16

2010-11-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

A photo of you at the last party you went to

I guess this technically counts as a party? At Ashley's for practice Thanksgiving. This is her niece, Amelia. Practice Thanksgiving is AWESOME! Everybody practices new dishes that they are going to make on Thanksgiving. It was tons of fun, and I great way to meet some of Ashley's friends.

Day 15--Caleb and Micah

2010-11-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

A photo of you and someone you love

Halfway done with the 30 day photo challenge! Even if no one is reading, it has been fun for me. This day was hard, as previously mentioned, I have some pretty awesome people in my life! I have tons of kids in my life, which I love.(None of them are forgotten, and I love them all!!) These 2 kiddos have been on my mind a lot this week. I picked these pictures because a) they're cute and b) they have brought a lot of joy to my life, this past year. I couldn't find a picture of all 3 of us :( I love when they get excited when I come over, and they always have lots to talk about! I love how Micah is a great dance. I love how caring Caleb is, and how he has a great sense of humor. And most of all, I love how he's a Charger fan! Micah has been learning about that, too. So thankful for them and how they help to remind me that there is always time for fun!

Thankful

2010-11-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

I feel like a blogging machine. haha Instead of my yearly "Things I'm thankful for" post, I wanted to post some things that I'm thankful I learned this year. There are some awesome things God has taught me this year, it's been fun to reflect on them.

-Being intentional with my relationships with people is WAY more difficult than it sounds, but SO rewarding

-I do not always measure success the same way God does.

-God, my friends and my family are my rock. They will always be there, even when I make horrible choices.

-God always knows the plans. If something doesn't turn out the way you think it should, take it as a hint. Don't keep trying to make it work, 2 or 3 more times.

-Taking care of my health gives me confidence to do things I would have never done before. Remember this post about me being exhausted after a 5k? Last weekend I ran a half marathon!

-In my line of work, it's all about your attitude. There will be challenges every, single year, it's the way you deal with them.(only took me 5 years)

-It's ok to be busy, but clearing your schedule so that you have time for building relationships, is the best way to be busy!

-Online dating really isn't any fun. ha

-Glorifying God with our finances and sticking to a strict budget, makes life a little less fun, but makes life less stressful.

I'm sure there's others, I'll try to update if I remember them. I'm spending Thanksgiving up in Sactown with Christy, this year. I spent many Thanksgivings with her family, in college. I'm looking forward to getting away for a few days. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Day 14

2010-11-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

A photo of one of your favorite family members

Not sure why I can't find a picture of us together...and it isn't fair that "they" make us pick a favorite family member lol. It was a hard fight between Tim and Grandma. (really, no offense to everyone else lol ) So in typical Christal fashion, I picked both. I am so lucky to have Tim as a step-dad.

Here's a few reasons:

-he is ALWAYS supportive

-we can laugh together when mom is being crazy

-he loved me from Day 1

-he's been there, when my dad hasn't

-he always sends me text messages telling me how proud he is of me

-He runs half marathons in 1:39 ?!?!?! Who does that?

-He works hard, despite crazy budget cuts, to help support us

And then there's grandma(my gma on the right, my step-gma on the left, both equally awesome) My gma, will probably KILL me for posting a picture of her. Because she hates pictures, it's difficult to find one with us together!

Here's why she's great:

-She took care of us after school, while my mom worked(years and years of days of our lives cemented in my brain haha)

-she spoils me ;)

-she calls, just to catch up and tell me she's proud of me

-she's funny

- she loves sports, and calls to talk about it all the time

- she loves and supports all of her kids and grandkids, even when we don't all agree, all the time

-she comments on my blog

Here's why she's not:

-She's a Denver Broncos fan (haha, kidding Grandma...sort of)

Day 13

2010-11-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

A photo of your best friend(s)

I have THE best friends, in the whole world. At different times in our lives, we have different people who are closest to us. I love that I have more than 1 person I can call best friend. Here are some of the amazing women in my life! (in no particular order) Love you all. :)

Day 12

2010-11-22T21:56:00.001-08:00

A photo of you.

This picture is so precious to me. 1, because it's where I love to be, surrounded by my students, and 2, the student who asked to take a picture with me is, by far, one of my most difficult students. Plus, greatest field trip ever!

30 things to do before 30

2010-11-21T18:30:00.000-08:00

Next month is my 26th birthday. I'll officially be closer to 30 than 20. haha. I'm not really worried about it! What I am worried about is the stress I have put on myself to accomplish certain things(marriage, mostly) before I reach the age of 30. So, to get myself out of that attitude, I'm making a list of some fun, adventurous and practical things I'd like to do before I'm 30! I'll try to update when one of them is accomplished.
Here they are, in no particular order:

Travel
1) Go on a cruise
2) Spend New Years Eve in NYC (ha, some of you know why this is funny.)
3) Visit Canada
4) Visit Greece
5) Take a road trip that lasts a week or more
6) Teach in Mexico for a summer

Adventure/Fitness
7) Hike Half Dome
8) Hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
9) Learn to swing dance/Take some type of partner dance lessons
10) Run a 9 minute mile
11) Get to my goal weight (would be a total of about 100 lbs lost, 50 more to go!)
12) Complete the Warrior Dash
13) White water rafting
14) Complete an Olympic triathlon in 3 hr and 30 min, or less
15) Attend some personal training sessions
16) Go stand up paddle boarding, in the ocean

Other Random things:
17) Get my administrative credential
18) Learn how to play the guitar
19) Learn how to make sushi
20) Pay off all non school debt
21) Win a fantasy football league
22) Watch the Star Wars trilogy
23) Grow out my hair long enough to donate to Locks of Love
24) Go snorkeling
25) Take a class on the Old Testament
26) Listen to a sermon by Francis Chan, in person
27) Rollerblade on West Cliff
28) Sponsor my own Compassion child
29) Go to an A's game(which would complete my CA baseball tour)
30) Find a soccer team to play on

Day 11

2010-11-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

Day 11: A photo of your favorite movie(s)
I like a ton of movies, but here's a few of my favorites.

"Peter once asked me when I fell in love with Jack. And I told him, 'It was while you were sleeping.' "

" You have bewitched me, body and soul and I love, I love, I love you."

"Radio? Who needs a radio??"

Harry Potter and Day 10

2010-11-19T22:54:00.000-08:00

I think I missed a day, but technically I was a day ahead, sooo now I'm back on schedule. I wasn't home last night, because I was out seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 at midnight. Did anyone else see it? Thoughts? I loved it. I thought it was better than the 6th one.

Anyways, enough about that, and back to the 30 Day Photo Challenge.

Day 10: A photo of you as a baby

I was actually excited about this day. I love baby pictures, and I've been working on scrapbook of my younger years. So I just took pictures of the pictures in my book. Here's a few!

Christmas 1985, 1 year and a few weeks

Halloween 1989---4 years old

I was in 1st or 2nd grade for this one, and I know it's not a baby picture, but I had to post this one for Kendra and Rachel. This is when I went to a private school and was on my way to a Psalty recital. Check out those jeans!

Day 9

2010-11-17T19:37:00.000-08:00

A Photo of your family

I think I got a day ahead on accident, oh well..I'm gonna go with it.

Love the jumping picture, mom used it on our Christmas card this year! Love the one of me and my siblings below, we are rarely all in the same place at once.

Day 8

2010-11-15T21:37:00.000-08:00

A photo of your favorite band/musician

Ok, ok, I confess Amy Grant isn't my favorite. I just like to give Rachel a hard time. ;) She might not think I'm not funny anymore, but I still do. :)

I don't really have a favorite band or musician, I like tons of different bands. I guess I'll stick with country this time around. This is from the Rascal Flatts concert last month.

Day 7

2010-11-15T10:15:00.000-08:00

Day 7: A photo of someone you love

No fair that I only get to pick one. Too many choices! I picked a picture of Matt and Missy because I have been missing them a ton lately. Boise is WAY too far away. They have been 2 of my closest friends for almost 10 years. Can't wait to go visit on my spring break in April, when their first baby (Christal, Jr.) is due!! :)

Day 6

2010-11-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

Day 6: A photo that makes you laugh
The infamous picture from New Years 2008(I think). Dan, you're a good sport, I appreciate you putting up with me the last 5 years lol

Photo Challenge Day 5

2010-11-12T21:32:00.000-08:00

Day 5: A photo of you
Pacific Grove Triathlon, September 11, 2010. I'm still proud of this accomplishment. :)

30 Day Photo Challenge

2010-11-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'm copying Carrie and Robin and trying out the 30 Day Photo Challenge, mostly because I don't really have much to blog about...but I have tons of pictures! I'm a little behind, so I'm going to do Days 1-4 in one post.

Day 1: Your Facebook Profile Picture

I love this picture and the person in it with me. In addition, it's only the 2nd time in like 10 years that I've worn a dress that isn't a bridesmaid dress :)

Day 2: A Picture of yourself, a year ago.

India was a year ago?! Holy cow, where does the time go? This picture is crazy to me. I look so different now AND Jen, who I met in India, just told me she's expecting. It's been fun to keep in touch with them, even though they live halfway across the world.

Day 3: A photo that makes you happy

This picture is so old, but I miss my brother. Seeing us in pictures makes me happy. :)

Day 4: The last place you went on vacation

It took me awhile to think of the last vacation I went on. May 2010, Las Vegas, with my Cal Poly friends. So fun! So bummed I'm missing out on the annual trip this year.

Christy is getting married!

2010-11-06T18:32:00.001-07:00

My really close friend, Christy, is getting married in December! I have the honor of being a bridesmaid on her special day. Today we got to throw her a bridal shower. It was so fun to do something for her, since she is always doing things for other people. It was fun to catch up with old friends and eat too much. :) Congrats Christy and Zach!

Halloween 2010

2010-10-30T11:30:00.001-07:00

It is official, I have sold my soul for halloween. I agreed to dress up as one of the Giants. I told my coworkers, if the Giants make it to the series, I'll dress up as Tim Lincecum(aka my least favorite mlb player) Aaaaaaaand, OF COURSE they have to make it. That's what I get for saying things like that. So I got a nasty wig, and borrowed some Giants attire, and a girl at work made me some baseball pants...and wah lah! A dead ringer for Lincecum. My awesome partner teacher, Erin, dressed up as Brian Wilson. We just walked around yelling Fear the Beard! :) When I got home, I showered and changed clothes and went back to being my Padre loving, Giant hating self. :)

The Cal Poly girls are in town and I'll be dressing up as Timmy again. More pictures to come, I'm sure. Happy Halloween!

My class

2010-10-08T18:19:00.001-07:00

My class, this year, is a challenging one. They are actually one of the best classes I have ever had, behaviorally. Due to a lot of factors, they are all at very beginning levels academically. So, that is challenging. But I am enjoying them and having tons of fun. We tooks a field trip on a boat around the Santa Cruz harbor today. It was so fun to enjoy life with them!

Diary of a New Triathlete...Entry #2

2010-09-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Pacific Grove Triathlon--September 11,2010

Wow, I can't believe I'm already writing this blog post! 2 months ago I never thought this day would be done! This weekend, I finished something that is my biggest accomplishment, to date. It was also the hardest thing I have ever done. Today, it was hard to get out of bed. Every inch of my body hurt, but it was also a great reminder of what I accomplished! Last November, I decided I was going to make some goals and lose some weight. As of today, I've lost 50 lbs and have competed in 2 triathlons. I never thought I'd be at this point, and I praise God for the health and the opportunity to do it. I couldn't have done it without Him or the rest of my supportive family and friends. Here's all the details....

The night before, we stayed at my friend's house in Pebble Beach. We checked in for the tri and I had a minor panic attack after seeing the swim buoys. It was FAR! Even thought I had gone to the swim clinic the week before, it still freaked me out. (Here's me on the news, incase you missed it.haha) We loaded up on carbs and then We were up at 5 am to eat and head to Lover's Point. My roommate Heather and her brother, Jeremy were racing, also. Jeremy's wave was at 7:30, so we had to be there early. Heather and I didn't take off until 9 am. We got our transition areas set up, and posed for pictures. :) At this point, I wasn't really nervous anymore. I just really wanted to be out of the water and onto my bike, where I knew I could catch up.

The Swim: 0.9 mile, 51 min:33 sec....So around 8:15, Heather and I got our wetsuits and purple swim caps on to get ready to become Olympic triathletes. She took off pretty quickly, because she was more confident in the swim. I hung out in the back, and just worked on getting into a breathing rhythm. By the time I hit the first buoy, I was breathing and swimming well, but I was already tired! I noticed I started to use my legs a little more. Eventually, I got back to shore, got out, ran around the rock and jumped back in for the second lap. After getting my stroke and breathing back on track, the 2nd lap was much easier. On my last leg, my legs cramped. They went away quickly, but I have trained without using my legs much, so they just weren't used to that. I jumped out of the water, ripped off my swim cap, ran up the ramp and got to my bike...(51 minutes was a SUPER good time for the swim, for me.)

Some of my awesome supporters(Caleb and Bobby)

The Bike: 24.8 miles, 1 hr:42 min: 37 sec : about 5 minutes later, I jumped on my bike and started lap 1. I was SO excited to finally be on the bike. It's my strongest leg, and I was looking forward to catching up on some time. However, I was SO exhausted after the swim. It took me a long time to recover. It's so different than the sprint triathlon. We did 4 laps on the bike, each about 6 miles. It was awesome to do the laps near the ocean, and it was nice to see my awesome friends at the turn around, everytime! By the second lap, I was ready to go. The headwind was really bad on the way to the turn around, but the way back was downhill and easy! About halfway through the bike I thought, how in the world am I going to make it 6 miles running? This is crazy, who do I blame for this??(bobby? ;) But I made it through the bike. I couldn't believe I had already been working out for 2.5 hrs. Who does that? :) 2 minutes later, I changed from my bike shoes to my running shoes and I was off and running...literally.

Love this video, because it shows how awesome my friends are, and how cute Caleb is when he's cheering for me. :)

Peter(Heather's bf) and Jason hang out and cheer us on!

2 of my biggest supporters in triathlons and in life!This triathlon wasn't the same without them!

The Run: 6.2 miles, 1 hr:23 min:37 sec: I wasn't dreading the run as much as I thought I would. I have actually come to enjoy running. It gives me time to think and give myself a pep talk. I wish I could have recorded the amazing pep talks that I gave myself. They were entertaining. :) After getting off the bike, I saw my principal, Ulli. She had come to cheer me on, as well. She was waiting with Rachel and Bobby as I came out of the transition area. It was that encouragement that got me through the first lap. It took my legs awhile to recover, but I was feeling ok. After the first lap, my right foot, the one the usually goes numb, was shooting pain through my toes. It was numb, but I ignored it, but it was hard to ignore the pain. I had to walk a few times, but I did it! When I did Wharf to Wharf, I did 6.2 in 1 hr and 15. So adding 7 min to that time after biking and swimming isn't too shabby. I'm hoping to get my foot checked out this week!

My patient supporters, can you believe these amazing kids made it through 4 hours?!

I finished my first Olympic Triathlon in 4 hours, 5 minutes and 33 seconds. My goal was around 4 hours, so it wasn't too bad! Next time, I just need to trim down my transition times, and I'll be good to go! Oh and maybe train a little harder, since I'll have Rachel and Bobby to train with next year! I am really proud of my accomplishment and everything I've done to get to this point!

I know I have already said it about 5 times, but if I didn't have people there to cheer me on, it wouldn't have been the same experience! All of the athletes were amazing and encouraging. Bobby and Rachel-Thanks for talking me into this crazyness, and for the constant encouragement. I missed seeing you both out there, but this accomplishment was definitely dedicated to the memory of your amazing mom.

Ulli-Thanks for being there to support me in all things, even when it doesn't have to do with teaching. It means more than I can express!

And to all my friends and family that couldn't be there, you are all amazing. Couldn't have done it without you!

*Next stop: Silver Strand Half Marathon (13.2 miles?!?!) November 14, 2010 with my mom. Can't wait! Ok, maybe I can. That's a lot of running. :)

Summer Continues...

2010-07-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

Summer is so.stinkin.awesome. I don't think I can go back to work in August. I'm enjoying the break and am training lots, playing lots of beach vb, staying up late, spending time with friends and even doing a little tutoring. Here are some pictures from my trip to Modesto for Val's birthday (who's seen Eclipse?? What'd you think?), the Mt. Hermon 4th of July picnic/concert (I live at Mt. Hermon..it's awesome), beach day and 4th of July.

Things that make me smile...

2010-06-24T20:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a few things that have been making me smile lately...

This postcard for my triathlon from my OC fam. Can you all believe that B is old enough to write "Run Fast"? Cutest.thing.ever. Thanks guys! :)

Thursday night re-runs of Season 1: Glee. If you're not watching yet, why not?! :)

The World Cup, Team USA and Landon Donovan. It was an AMAZING first round. They take on Ghana on Saturday. Hopefully we don't get another goal taken away...

Trader Joe's chocolate pretzel bark. The perfect mix of salty and sweet. Seriously. So stinkin good. Try some!

Wednesdays and hanging out at this place all day. Beach volleyball in the mornings and beach days with my high school girls and Rachel in the afternoons! So blessed to live here, life is good!

Diary of a new triathlete :)

2010-06-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

On June 19th, Rachel and I completed our first triathlon!! I can't believe it's over, after 8 months of training. I am so thankful for everyone who has been supporting, pushing, and encouraging me during this. I couldn't have done it without you all! Here's a play by play from that day:

1) The swim-400 yards

We went for a practice swim in the lake a week or so ago. After doing that, I wasn't too worried about it. Right before the race, I was more nervous than I had ever been, about anything. I had been practice with 4 strokes between every breath. When I got out there, the water was so choppy and there were so many people, I couldn't get into a rhythm with my breathing. I panicked a little bit and reverted back to 3 strokes. Every once in awhile I just kept my head out of the water to get some extra air. I can swim 3 times that length in a pool, without any problems. It is so different in the open water. The swim leg took us about 10-15 minutes(not exactly sure) It seems like it went by quickly. The picture came out dark...but it was as cold as it looks. We were all expecting really, really warm weather. Turned out the water was warmer than the air!

2) The bike-11 miles

After swimming, we ran to the transition area to dry off and change into our other clothes. It seems like it took forever, but we were out of there pretty quickly. Biking has been my strongest leg of the triathlon. Last week my body was tired, and I had a horrible bike ride. It dropped my confidence level a little, so I wasn't sure how I'd do. As soon as you get on the bike, you go straight up a hill. It wasn't too bad. For the first few miles we had a tail wind. For the other 8, there was a head wind. We fought through it, and it wasn't too bad! There was one other hill, but other than that, we were riding down the road at an average of 15 mph. We finished the biking leg in 45 minutes, a new record for us!

3) The run-3.1 miles

The transition from biking to running was much easier. We just set our bikes down, shook the jello feeling out of our legs and we were off! I thought the run would be the worst part for me, but it was actually my favorite part. The trail was hilly and definitely more difficult than anything we had run before, but it was fun. Rachel and I ran together and kept each other company, talking about random things. At this point, my body was feeling some pain, and the talking is what kept me going! When I was running, I just kept thinking about everything I had done to get to this point. Rachel and I remembered all the times when 3 minutes of running would kill us. The run took us about 40 minutes.

4)The Finish:

At the end, Rachel and sprinted to the finish line with a time of 1 hour and 40 minutes!!! My goal was 1 hour and 45 minutes, so I was beyond estatic to beat that goal time!(Subtract 15 minutes from the clock, there were 3 waves of people that went before us) I just remember thinking, "wow, my body doesn't even hurt that much!" haha. I was excited to be done and was thankful that I had my mom and friends to share it with! Check out this video that Bobby got of us crossing the finish line!
This picture is of Doris, Ulli, me and Rachel. Ulli is the principal of my school and Doris works there, as well. They have done a triathlon before, but it was so fun to do it with them!
Laura and Erin my 2 awesome friends who made the trek to Pleasanton in the early morning hours!
I'm super proud of our accomplishment and what it has taken to get here! I had to put aside a lot of my life for training, but it was worth it. The feeling you have when you make it across the finish line, is like nothing I have ever experienced. That being said, I'm ready for the next one! I really want to do a competitive(timed) triathlon. I'm planning on doing this triathlon in Pacific Grove. I know...it's an ocean swim, scary! I am still deciding if I am going to do the Sprint distance or the Olympic distance. I'm leaning toward the Olympic. After that I will probably just do 1 triathlon per season. I like having a goal, so that I can keep in shape!

After a long nap and a shower, my mom and I headed to San Francisco for Wicked. I had already seen it, but it was a nice reward! We had the most amazing dinner and I loved Wicked even more, the 2nd time! Thanks for reading. :)

April and May Recap

2010-05-31T17:46:00.001-07:00

April and May were crazy months! In April, I was only in Santa Cruz for 15 days out of the month. May was equally busy. Luckily, it was a busy, but super, super fun month!!! I am looking forward to June and the rest it brings. :) So here is my photo recap of the last two months!

Spring Break in San Diego!

visiting my other fam :)

Easter w/ the Marchessaults

Family Pictures in Balboa Park

Science Camp!

Vegas with the college girls!

Megan's Bridal Shower in SF

Mother's Day 5K with Rachel and some of my students (38 min!)

Padres/Giants(padres won, of course)

Val(my roomie) Graduates!!!

Yosemite with the fam!

We hiked to the top of Nevada Fall(about 1/3 of the way to Half Dome!)

Megan and Lukas' Wedding in Arcata, CA!

Tim Mcgraw/Lady Antebellum Concert!!

Science Camp

2010-04-26T18:13:00.001-07:00

I spent all of last week in the mountains with 70 5th graders at camp Koinonia for science camp! It was lots of fun! I love to be able to connect with my kids in a different way. Here's a few pictures, and the long awaited video. :)

Getting ready to go!

Having way too much fun on the high ropes course.I kept trying to shake the wire and make them fall off :)

Inside grandmother tree :)

Taking a break on the challenge trail.

Going to miss these girls!!

On the last night of camp, every cabin has to make up a song, poem or rap. This year, I helped write a science camp version of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance." It's pretty hilarious, gotta say. :) I personally love the back up dancers(teachers from the other school). lol

Frustrated...

2010-04-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I have blogged. Life has been busy...it doesn't seem to be slowing down, either. Usually when life gets too busy, I feel a little farther from God. I'm at that point right now, which results in life being very frustrating. I just want to get my thoughts out, I promise a more positive post with pictures will be next :)

I'm frustrated that ...

I am gone most of April...even if it is for fun things.

I haven't lost more weight.

what I do, never seems to be enough.

when I seem to be doing well in training or weight loss, another medical issue comes up.

my job isn't secure.

I'm frustrated with being single.

I've lost touch with some people I care about this year.

a significant amount of people don't understand this transition time I'm in.

there never seems to be enough money.

I can't seem to let go of some things.

I don't see my dad ever.

my car is never clean.

Some of those are small things, and others bigger, but in the end, I know I have a God who takes care of them all. Thanks for caring enough to read my venting. :)

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Getting out of the boat...

2010-03-18T22:16:00.000-07:00

As I was reminded tonight, we have to get out of the boat to be able to walk on water. I'm hoping these next few months will help me break out of some of my comfort zones!

For those who don't know, I have felt God calling me to church plant with my friends Bobby and Rachel. In May, we will be officially "launching" (for lack of a better word) Missio Dei Community. It's not the typical church plant, and I am SO excited about it! I am excited to do something new that matches with my missional views.

It is a huge step of faith, that I am more than ready for! And I am so blessed to be doing it with fun people that I love.

I would write everything out here, but I think you should just go check out the Missio Dei Community website.

We would love any prayer during this transition time as Bobby and Rachel raise support and we all prepare our hearts and lives for this exciting change. I'm sure I'll be blogging lots about it over the next few months!

Update

2010-03-16T17:40:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for Sanu. God has proven himself faithful, yet again. Sanu is recovering and doing well, even after the doctors said she would never wake up. Julia, one of the older girls, has been emailing me updates everyday. She says Sanu is improving, everyday. I am so thankful and excited that she gets a second chance at life.

I pray that God will protect her from her parents and family who have disowned her and are really angry. Thanks for continuing to pray with me!

Everyday God has been reminding me of His faithfulness. Last night we read from Psalm 145, yet another reminder. :)

The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. -Psalm 145

A Heavy Heart

2010-03-11T21:35:00.000-08:00

My heart is incredibly heavy as I write today. God is in control, and strengthens our faith as we go through trials. I'm thankful for that, but it doesn't make these 2 things any easier.

Yesterday, I received my 2nd pink slip in 2 years. This one was a little more shocking, as I am in my 2nd year of tenure. They have never gone in this deep with pink slips, so it shocked us all. We have 18 teachers on staff, 10 received pink slips...and that doesn't include non classroom staff. We are hopeful that we will get our jobs back, but at this point we just have to wait. Please pray for all educators, as all of CA is going through this. I pray that it will be a priority one day.

And more importantly, I received some heartbreaking news from India this morning. In this post, I was blogging from India about a girl named Sanu. Her and I became very close during the 2 weeks I was there. She was very funny and asked me lots of questions about American boys..ha. When I left India, I wasn't sure if she knew Jesus, but Chandon,a christian boy, was in love with her. I don't know all of the details, but at some point in the last few weeks they got married. I was happy to hear about that because of the affect he'll have on her, but I also know that her family is Muslim. She expressed a lot of fear about her father and his threats against Christianity. Apparently the problems with her family got bad enough that she felt like she couldn't handle it anymore. Sometime in the last few days, Sanu drank some type of poison, to try and end her life. She is currently in a hospital in Kolkata. She is non responsive and they know that only a miracle from God can save her. It doesn't look good. Even though I only spent 2 weeks with her, I felt like my heart was ripped in two when I heard. Please be praying for everyone there, they are all heart broken.

" Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. ⁴Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

Mini-Vacation

2010-03-08T22:45:00.001-08:00

This weekend, I got to go visit some of my closest friends, Missy, Matt, Tricia and Travis in Boise, Idaho. I had never been to Idaho, so I was super excited. I was able to go Thurs-Sun. I really needed a break from life, it was perfect timing.

It was also Missy's birthday this weekend...I made plans for us to go to Mexican food and Fondue at the Melting Pot(sooooo good). On Friday we ran on the Oregon Trail and had birthday festivities. On Saturday we wondered around downtown Boise and Boise St and hiked to Tablerock...my favorite part! I am so blessed to have friends that I can have fun doing anything with and who I can be myself with. In fact, one of my favorite moments was a spontaneous dance party with a strobe light and fog machine, which ended up setting off the smoke alarm. :) It was an awesome time away, and I came back feeling refreshed!

The capital buidling, downtown Boise

Birthday dessert at The Melting Pot

The Blue field where the Boise St. Broncos play...it's famous, had to get a picture.

The top of Tablerock, the view of Boise.

Love the cross at the top of Tablerock :)

Birthday dinner!

Recipe of the week #11

2010-02-25T19:52:00.000-08:00

I'm behind on my recipe posting! I made this tonight for my roommates...it was yummy. I'm still not eating bread, and it was just as good without it!

Biggest Loser Pizza Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb. 96% lean ground beef
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 tsp. salt
3 oz. thinly sliced, low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar marinara sauce
4 whole grain or whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Preheat a grill to high heat. In a large bowl, mix the beef, oregano, garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt until well combined. Divide the mixture into fourths and shape each into a ball, packing them tightly. Press each into a patty about half an inch larger than the buns. Grill them about 2 minutes per side, for medium rare, or until desired doneness is reached. About 1 minute before they’re cooked, add the cheese slices to the tops of the patties evenly to melt them. Meanwhile, spoon the sauce into a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat it on low until hot, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Toast the bun halves, with the cut sides down, on an upper grill rack or away from direct flame, approximately 20 seconds. Place each bun bottom on a serving plate, toasted side up. Put each burger patty, cheese side up, on top of the bun bottoms. Add 2 tablespoons of sauce to each, then add the bun tops. Makes 4 burgers.

I heart Winter Camp

2010-02-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I got to head up to the Oakhurst area with a couple of our youth group kids for Winter/Snow Camp. We had an awesome time on the way up, but we were a little concerned when most of the mountain didn't have much snow...kind of like this picture...

But...halfway through the day Saturday and all of Sunday there was TONS of snow! Anyways, the theme this year was I *heart* winter camp. (what is with my blog not letting me make a heart?"The theme was love, God's love for us, our love for Him, our love for others. I know these camps are all about the kids, but I love that we get to learn, too. :) Here are a few things that stuck with me:

"God assesses our lives by how we love." That was huge for me. What do you think about that statement? Do you think it's true? I took a step back and thought...if that's true, then I have some work to do. I think I'm a pretty loving person by nature, but I'm also a people pleaser. Sometimes I don't do things out of love, I just do it to please someone or make them happy. The important thing is that there are too many "I"s in the last few sentences. Loving people in a Christ like way can only be done through Him.

"If you can't show your love and excitement for Jesus in a place with other Christians, who are your family, how are you going to be able to show it to the world?" This hit close to home for our group and for me. I'm not afraid to show how much I love Him when I'm in a safe place, but kick me out of there, and it's definitely harder for me. I pray that I keep having those opportunites!

It was great to see so many students who are on fire for the Lord. We were there with 5 other youth groups. I was so blessed to get to hang out with some awesome Pastors and leaders. I love junior high and high school kids. They're tons of fun to be around. I really, really want my middle school credential...maybe some day.

Snow!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T15:13:00.000-08:00

Contrary to most single people my age, I love Valentine's Day! I love celebrating with my students and just having an extra reason to celebrate the people I love.

This year, I got to show my love for people in a different way. I got to run in a 5k for the Monterey Rape Crisis Center. I pray that the money raised today will make a huge difference in the lives of some young women!

This was my first race, and it was a super cool experience! Rachel and I ran the 5k. A couple of friends from work came, and they ran the 10k. I have been having problems with my right foot going numb about halfway into the race. It happened again today, so I definitely ran slower than I would have liked to.(I'm going to see a doctor this week.)

BUT we accomplished our goal! We ran 3.1 miles in 41 minutes, without stopping. This is the longest distance we've ever ran, and we are pretty proud of it! I'm thankful for encouraging friends who came along to support and encourage me to push through the pain and the urge to stop. :) 4 months ago I laughed at the thought of even running a mile...

After the race, we had breakfast and relaxed a little before heading back to Santa Cruz. It was such an awesome day and a great way to start Valentine's Day! I am looking forward to a movie with a friend tonight, but before that...a nap! My body may need a few days to recover!

Bring on the 5K!

2010-02-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

It's crazy to think that in November, I could barely run for 2 minutes. And on Sunday, Rachel and I, and a few friends from work, are running a 5K! I am sooo excited! I feel like even being able to think about doing this is an achievement. Now if only I can get my lower back and left leg to stop hurting...I have been doing upper body workouts at home every night, and somehow I hurt myself. Should be ok.

Not only is this 5K going on, but the AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is this weekend. Saturday night I'm staying in Pebble Beach with a friend. We're going to go down to Spanish Bay and check out the fun! I'm not going to pretend like I enjoy watching golf, but Josh Duhamel is going to be there. Enough said.

So between the 5K and the celebrity sightings, this could be an awesome Valentine's Day weekend! Check back Monday to find out if I survived the 5K. :)

Another year of this...

2010-02-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

March is a month away...for teachers this is a horrible month. Pink slips go out and final cuts are made. Our district voted to increase class size to 28 for K-3 and 35 for upper grades.(I currently have 34). They are saying that even tenured teachers aren't safe this year. This is such a frustrating job. You pour your life into it, and at the end of the year, you're never sure if you have a job or not.

The worst part is that so many teachers are notified that they will lose their jobs, but they still have to teach for 3 more months. It's rough. I was there my 2nd year of teaching and it was not fun. The kids are the ones who suffer.

I will be interested to see the scores in our district over the next few years. Maybe those will show what happens when a kindergartener is put in a class with 29 others. On a positive note, our school is SO close to being out of program improvement. We just have to meet our goal this year. We have everything going against us, but I hope we can do it.

I hope you'll be praying for the thousands of teachers and educational faculty that will be affected this year. You can include my sister, Cassie, in that. She just found out last week that they will most likely not have a job for her next year. I'm thankful that we both have an amazing God we can trust in.

PVUSD Makes more cuts

Recipe of the week #9 and #10

2010-02-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

I'm updating with couple recipes...and then maybe I'll do a non food blog post, haha. This past monday I got to have the Kertsons over for dinner! I made this..it was super, super yummy.

Enchilada Chicken

4 (4-ounce) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons salt-free Mexican or Southwestern seasoning (like Mrs. Dash)
Olive oil spray
4 tablespoons enchilada sauce
2 ounces (1 cup) finely shredded Cabot 75 Percent Light Cheddar
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Season each chicken breast evenly on all sides with the seasoning. Place a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, lightly mist with the olive oil spray and add the chicken. Cook, turning once, for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or just until the chicken is golden brown on the outside.

Remove the pan from the heat and top each chicken breast with 1 tablespoon of the enchilada sauce, followed by one-fourth of the cheese and one-fourth of the cilantro. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the cheese is melted.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.

Place a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over high heat. When hot, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the garlic may burn. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.

Return the pan to high heat and add another teaspoon oil and half the chicken in a single layer. Cook until the pieces are lightly brown on the bottom. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the cooked chicken the the bowl with the vegetables. Return the pan to high heat, add the remaining oil and cook the remaining chicken.

Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan to reheat if needed. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the sauce, and mix until well combined. Divide the stir-fry among 4 bowls, and serve.

Have fun!

Recipe of the Week #8

2010-02-04T11:22:00.000-08:00

I have been cooking so much at home the last few weeks, I can't even keep up with the recipes! But for now, I'll share the Biggest Loser recipe that has been the most fun and the biggest hit. That cookbook may be the best thing I've ever bought I made these for life group, and they're already asking me to make them again! I gave up sweets, starting this week...I wonder if these count... :) Enjoy!Chocolate–Peanut Butter Grahamwiches
4 whole chocolate graham cracker sheets
4 tsp. reduced-fat peanut butter
1/2 cup frozen fat-free whipped topping , thawed

Directions:

Break each graham cracker in half (so each half is 1 square).

Spread 1 teaspoon of peanut butter evenly over the inside of each of 4 halves. Spread 2 tablespoons whipped topping each evenly among the insides of the 4 remaining halves.

Sandwich the crackers together to form 4 sandwiches, each with a layer of peanut butter and a layer of whipped topping.

Transfer to an airtight plastic container and place in freezer. Freeze for about 2 hours or up to 1 month. Serve frozen.

Other recipes to come....Sweet and Sour Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, Enchilada Chicken, Swedish Meatballs...I know you're excited! :)

Life is Good

2010-02-01T23:18:00.000-08:00

Life is so good right now...thanks to an amazingly faithful God, awesome friends and family and a good training schedule!

I can't believe I ran for 30 minutes today. I remember back when I ran for 3 minutes straight and I thought, "I wonder if Rachel will still love me if I quit?" For the last few weeks I've been running and biking 6 days a week. I never thought I'd say this but, I look forward to it everyday(except maybe Saturday mornings). Tomorrow is the big day...swimming starts! I have a double day, swimming in the morning and biking after work. This is just crazy talk! I am really, really worried about the swimming and I am wishing I could afford a swimming coach. I'm sure it will come together, just like everything else has.

I have a 5k coming up on Valentine's Day, it'll be good practice...my goal is to run the whole thing, without stopping. I'm not going to worry about time yet! I'm feeling good and my body has never felt this good. I think I have lost somewhere between 20 and 30 pounds. I'm in that stage where people are noticing, which gives me even more motivation. I am so thankful to Him for the strength to keep going. The dieting is the worst part, but it's working! Can't wait to go shopping for new clothes. :)

The craziest thing that's happened through all this is tons of people have been motivated to join in the "fun!" A few people from work are training for the Tri and are running the 5k with me. This is so exciting. It's just another way I get to connect with them, and I am SO excited about it! And best of all, I get to spend more and more time with Rachel, who has been pushing me and encouraging me like only a friend can! She has been gone for two weeks...can't wait for her to be back!

God is blessing me greatly, even if it's in ways I wasn't expecting. He knows what I need at this time in my life, especially when I think I know what I "need."

I'm swimming at 6 tomorrow morning and it's midnight. I'm going to wish I had saved blogging for tomorrow...Thanks for reading my random triathlon post and thanks to everyone for the encouragement!

Heaven

2010-01-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Mel and I saw the movie, The Lovely Bones. If you don't know the premise, it's about a teenage girl who is murdered and is stuck in the "inbetween." She helps her family to figure out who killed her. Although it is a well made movie, we went to see it because we had read the book awhile ago. It is a hard movie to watch, so I don't recommend seeing it unless you read the book first.

The reason I'm blogging about this, is it really got me thinking about Heaven. Heaven is portrayed as a cornfield and other never ending fields with green hills, etc. Everyone just runs around, free as can be. Plus, they go back and forth between Heaven and the "inbetween." They get to go to Heaven whenever they are "ready."

It looks like an interesting place, but it is NOTHING like the Heaven I picture. But after I started thinking about it...even after reading this book, it is so hard to even begin to comprehend what Heaven will be like. Will we sleep or eat? Will we recognize anyone? Will Heaven be the same for everyone? I don't think it's that important for me to really be able to visualize Heaven. What is important is that I remember that Heaven is a place of neverending joy! Who cares what it looks like? I will forever get to be with my Saviour who loves me. What an awesome thing to look forward to! But...until then...I can't help but think about how I can serve Him on Earth to make sure as many people as possible will be able to experience Heaven!

"Heaven is too great, hell is too horrible, eternity is too long that we should putter around on the porch of eternity." ~ John Piper

"Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. "
C. S. Lewis

What do you picture when you think of Heaven?

Recipe of the Week #7

2010-01-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

Last week, I found this cookbook at Borders. My roomies and I have been having tons of fun trying new recipes! Here's the first one I tried. Lots more to come!

Chicken Salad Dijon with Grapes and Apple

1 lb chicken breasts

3 teaspoons olive oil

salt and pepper

3 tablespoons fat free plain yogurt

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 c chopped celery

1/3 c grapes, cut in half

1/3 c chopped red apple

Rub the chicken all over with 1 tsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Cut into bit sized pieces. (I cut it into pieces first, and then cooked it)

In a large bowl whisk together the remaining olive oil, yogurt and mustard. Add the chicken, grapes, celery and apple. Gently toss. Season with salt and pepper.

I ate it in a lettuce wrap, everyone else had a pita. Sooo yummy! Enjoy. :)

Recipe of the Week #6

2010-01-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

Greek Chicken and Penne

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts in water
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a large pot with boiling salted water cook penne pasta until al dente. Drain.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat melt butter, add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped chicken and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium- low. Drain and chop artichoke hearts and add them, chopped tomato, feta cheese, fresh parsley, lemon juice, dried oregano, and drained penne pasta to the large skillet. Cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Season with salt and ground black pepper. Serve warm.

Got Sleep?

2010-01-18T23:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight I had an awesome time of worship and prayer with some friends. We are excited/scared about the adventure that is the next few months! (more on that later). One of my favorite parts of the night was just sharing about the things that have been keeping us up at night, and praying for them. We all have those things that are on our hearts and minds. The question is, are we just worrying? Or are these things that break God's heart, too? I felt like blogging about this because I love sharing my heart with you all. And this way, you can be praying for all these things! Here are just a few of the things that have been keeping me up lately...

Haiti

Dakshin Barasat and the 30 amazing girls that changed my life(I know, I am behind on India posts)

Money and the lack of it

Will my students catch up enough to make it through high school successfully?

Am I a good teacher? How can I be better?

Nate Kaeding and the Chargers(haha)

Am I following God's will or just doing whatever I want?

Worrying about the triathalon and whether or not I can actually do it

Relationships and patience while waiting for whoever God has for me

Ways I can be more Christ like at work(this one is huge for me)

If I will ever figure out how to change gears on my new, fancy bike (I'm not even kidding...)

Some of these things are good things keeping me up and others I worry about. Worrying does nothing for us, as I continually remind myself. Making this list has really encouraged me to give those things to the Lord. Generally, things that keep me up at night are things I can't control. I want to be kept up at night because I want to pray for things that break God's heart, like an unsaved friend or those in need. Later on, we learned a song called Yielding. I loved it, and it was exactly what I needed to remind me of who is in charge.

I am letting go
Of all I am that keeps me far from You
I am not my own
For all I hold, I'm yielding now to You

I yield my plans, I yield my dreams
I yield my life to You my King

All I have been, all I could be
I place it in Your hands
I'm yielding all I am to You
To You

What has been keeping you up at night?

Video

2010-01-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

The dance in the first video was my favorite. I wish I had gotten the whole thing on video. I had the chorus of that song stuck in my head for the whole 2 weeks I was there. The girls would always laugh and dance with me, whenever I attempted to put the words and the dancing together. :)

India: Part 3

2010-01-10T22:42:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at church I was given the chance to share about my time in India. I got to show some pictures and just share about my life changing experience. I had a fun time dressing up in my Indian clothes and remembering everything great about India. A lot of people came up to talk to me after, it was fun to answer questions and encourage people to pray. God is good! It also reminded me how behind I am in blogging my trip...so here I am...a short post, so I can be rested for work tomorrow!

These girls are practicing for the Christmas program I'm about to tell you all about....
This is the village where the school is. These are just a few shots, and they don't even come close to describing what it is really like. It is a place with character, but a lot of poverty. The train comes through on the hour(that's another story). On my second day in India, Julia took Jen and I shopping for Punjabis to wear to the Christmas program that night. These are a few of the pictures we took, as I walked around Dakshin Barasat for the first time.

Jen and I became close to these two girls while we were in India. On the left is Noringina(Esther) and on the right is Shannarah(Julia). These two girls are the leaders of the two hostels. They are so on fire for the Lord, I looked up to them!

My second night in India, the high school girls put on a Christmas program. The girls sang and danced, there was a speaker and they showed the Jesus film. It was an awesome celebration of Jesus' birth! There were thousands of people from the village that came and were able to hear the gospel. It was such a fun thing to be a part of. Much of the money I raised for this trip went to pay for this program. They almost cancelled it, when they heard we were coming. So awesome how things work out!! I have some video from this night. I'll have to upload it on the next post.

Jen and I all dressed up in our fancy Indian clothes and crazy amount of bling. Thanks for reading! Lots more to come...sorry it is taking so long.

Praying in the closet and in the spirit

2010-01-07T11:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not big on new year's resolutions, but I have recently been feeling like I am not very faithful in my private prayer life. I feel like I pray a lot, but usually with other people. I have not been good about the type of prayer described in Matthew 6:1-5.

I subscribe to John Piper's podcasts. This sermon could not have come at a better time. He describes the difference between disciplined and spontaneous prayer. He proposes that most of our generation has been falling away from disciplined, private prayer. Piper believes both types of prayer are important, and that there is a place for both. One interesting point he brought up was that he hears people say "Spontaneous prayer is more aligned with what the gospel teaches." And the Gospel does teach about this type of prayer. But it also leads us to disciplined prayer. By doing it, we are obeying Him, we are desiring to receive more, and we are acknowledging that we know that all of our NEEDS are met. He said, "Jesus didn't come as the basis for some things we need, he came because he is all we need."

I have to know that when I give everything to God in prayer, I have to believe and trust in Him, to do whatever is best for me. It was such a great reminder of the fact that God is 100% on my side. He wants me to learn through trials and things, but he is always for me. Lately, I've been wondering why I feel like I don't know what God wants me to do in some situations. It is obvious now that maybe I haven't really been praying like I should. I yearn for that type of connection with God, and I am excited to try to be more disciplined in my life. At the end, Piper encourages everyone to incorporate some type of "closet prayer" in your life. The amount of time is up to you and God.

After the podcast, this song by David Crowder came on my ipod. God is there, and isn't letting go, ever. Because of this, I am excited to be more disciplined in my prayer life in 2010!

I wasn't planning on actually posting this, but I'm hoping you'll check out the podcast, too. It's a good one. :)

Recipe of the Week #5

2010-01-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

Taking a little break from my stories about India to bring you my next recipe. I am at least 3 weeks behind on my weekly recipe plan, but that's ok. Here's the cookie recipe I made for our Christmas Cookie exchange...they were yummy!

Cream Cheese Cookie Cups

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated chocolate chip cooke dough
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Cut cookie dough in half (save one portion for another use). With floured hands, press about 1 tablespoon of dough onto the bottom and up the sides of 12 ungreased miniature muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, reshape the puffed cookie cups. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spoon into cookie cups. Store in the refrigerator.

India: Part 2

2010-01-06T09:04:00.000-08:00

So...after a lot of praying and waiting, Ana Maria(founder of the school I was going to be working at) and Eva (another missionary) came to pick me up. My first experience in India was the amazing/crazy driving. I could already tell this was going to be an interesting 2 hour drive to the school. Check out the beginning of this video from when my friend Bobby visited a different part of India. It is just a small clip of the non stop honking and driving without lanes. Every type of vehicle I experienced in India was interesting, to say the least.

Most of you know that I wasn't really sure what I was getting myself into when I decided to go to India. I knew that I would be involved with kids, but I was pretty sure it would be at an orphanage. On the 2 hour drive from Kolkata to Dakshin Barasat, I learned all about what I would be doing.

I learned that I would be staying in a girls hostel, with about 30 junior high/high school girls. It wasn't an orphanage, it was a school, Maranatha School. The school serves 300 children from K-to class 10(the end of hs.) The 30 girls and 4 boys that live in the hostels are there year round. Most of them have been invited to the school to save them from bad home situations, early marriage and/or being sold into prostitution. Most of the younger kids were on Christmas vacation, so I was told that my job would be to mostly spend time with the older girls, because they don't get visitors very often.
This is the room I slept in, and a couple views from the roof of the school. The first few days in India were really, really difficult for me. I was recovering from not so fun jet lag(Kolkata is 13.5 ahead of California) and I was struggling with figuring out why God had sent me to India. For the first few days, I felt like I had raised money for people to send me on vacation. The missionaries treated us like kings and queens. There wasn't much to do at the beginning, nothing to build, nothing to help with. I spent a lot of those days in the Word and in prayer. I knew I was supposed to be there, but I was pretty confused about the impact God wanted me to have. It definitely wasn't a typical missions trip with a schedule and something to do at all hours of the day. It was comforting to know that Jen and Jarrod, the other 2 Americans visiting, felt the same way. I was so blessed to have some other people to share my experience with.

My first night in Barasat, the staff was preparing for a Christmas teacher appreciation breakfast the next day. I got to meet a few of the girls and help them decorate the room a little bit. I was feeling pretty overwhelmed by this time, but I was so excited to be in a place I have always wanted to travel to!

These two wonderful ladies, Eva(from Brazil) and Elena(from Bolivia) are enjoying the Bollywood music videos on the t.v. Both of these girls turned out to be two of the most Godly and amazing women I have ever met. I remember praying while I was there, and asking God if I could ever be servants like they are.

Much, much more to come...

India Part 1

2010-01-05T17:14:00.000-08:00

I'm back! These last 2 weeks have been amazing. It was full of fun, challenges and life changing experiences. I am going to try to blog about all the stories I have written in my journal. I'm going to have to do it in parts. Here's part 1! The traveling part. I left on December 19, 2009. It was a 15 hour flight from SFO to Dubai(the middle East).

The Flight wasn't too bad. I was sooooo excited to be going! I read The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale and watched 17 again. The flight felt long, but before I knew it, I was there!

15 hours later I was in Dubai. I've always wanted to go there, but I didn't get to leave the airport during my short 6 hour layover. I slept in a chair until 3:00 a.m, when my next flight left!
Does everyone put showers in their prayer rooms?
After 2 days of traveling, I arrived in Kolkata, India at 9:00 a.m on December 21st! As soon as I stepped out of the plane, I could tell how different India was going to be. I could smell the pollution and the poverty, and I have never seen an airport like the one in Kolkata. My plane came in an hour early, except I didn't know that. So I waited 45 minutes for my luggage, got passed the men with the big guns lol and headed outside to the craziness that is India. The hour I waited for Ana Maria and Eva to pick me up was, quite possibly, one of the scariest hours of my life.

Heading home...

2010-01-01T04:22:00.001-08:00

Today (Friday) we left the school to head to Kolkata. All the girls were on vacation, but many of them came back to say goodbye. Many of them cried and kept saying things like "Don't forget us." "Keep praying for us." "Come back to visit soon!" We have only been gone for 2 hours, and I'm already missing them. Every single one of those girls had some kind of impact on me. I am so thankful for them and the opportunity to meet them.

Our new year's eve was awesome. We did a fun skit, played games and danced a lot! They all said that this was the best Christmas and New Years they've ever had, and we have to come back every year to plan...I'm not sure my family will agree to that. :) Thanks to everyone who has been praying while I've been gone. My flight leaves Saturday at 8:30 p.m., India time. I'll be at SFO on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. CA time. I'm looking forward to the 20 hour flight, so I can reflect on everything. God reaffirmed a lot of things for me...but more to come on that later. Can't wait to come back and blog all the awesome stories.

Keep praying for:
-safety while traveling
-my 8.5 hr layover in Dubai. They are giving me a hotel, but it's a little scary going out by myself at 1 a.m.
-The 30 girls from Maranatha school, while they are on vacation this weekend. Home life is rough for them. Often they are without food or shelter.

talk to you all soon!

P.S. Grandma...as soon as I get home, I'm cooking chicken every night, and posting them all here. :-p

Christmas in India!

2009-12-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!(a little late!)
Our Christmas was great! We stayed up until midnight...dancing to worship techno music(can't wait to share that video), talking with the girls and giving them gifts. I have never seen people more greatful for gifts that most Americans would consider junk. It was so humbling. For 30 girls, we spent 3,000 rupees, which is about $60. For 30 people! I am still blown away by that. It is so little, but the girls are forever changed by it. Christmas day was awesome because we had Chinese food(so I ate, yay!) and I was so blessed by the girls and the staff, as many people gave us gifts. I have lots of stories that go with this day, and I don't want to share them all now!

Thank you for being faithful in prayer. My health is good, and I have just been very careful about food and not getting sick! We went sight seeing in Kolkata..Mother Teresa's house, some Ghandi monument and this huge momument for Queen Victoria. We visited a local market where I bought all of my presents to take home. and then we visited the other side of Kolkata...this huge, beautiful mall, with things I can't even afford. Such a contrast. We had more chinese food and some pasta...which makes me happy. :) I am feeling refreshed and I am missing the girls...tomorrow afternoon we will go back to start our last week in Daksin Barashat.
Please pray for:
-good sleep at night, I wish I could describe these beds lol
- a girl at the school named Sanu. She is one of the few girls in the school who refuses Jesus. Her and i have become very close this week. Pray that I can help her realize who her Savior is, despite her muslim beliefs.
-Safety in traveling to and from Kolkata and the school.
-All of us and the staff, who have been passing around a cold.
You are all the best! Thanks for reading! :)

The Indian Experience

2009-12-23T00:02:00.000-08:00

Wow. It has been a whirlwind of a few days. Everything is great, but India is nothing like I expected. Which isn't good or bad.

The air pollution is really affecting my health, so please be praying for that! Oh and I haven't really eaten in 4 days...pray for that too. :)

I have been SO blessed already. Everything is great and the people are awesome! Thank you to everyone who is praying. Can't wait to blog about everything! Love and miss you!

India

2009-12-18T18:11:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow(Saturday) I leave for a 2 week missions trip to Kolkata, India. I will be going by myself(I know, I know) and working at an orphanage that is home to 300 children. I am SO excited about this opportunity. I realized today, that I have never had to trust God more in my life. There are a lot of unknowns and this trip will test my flexibility and faith, I'm sure of it. All I know is that after a 21 hr flight, 2 missionaries will be picking me up at the airport, and my journey will begin!

Thanks to everyone who has already been praying...If you want to join in, here's some things you can pray for too!

1) I'm sick :( pray it goes away quickly!

2) That I'll be able to rest on the plane

3) That I don't have any problems with customs...I can't tell them I'm doing missionary work.

4) That I am safe, and for comfort for my mom :)

5)That I will be able to touch the lives of as many of those kids as possible!

6) That I will be a blessing to the women who run the orphanage.

7) and most importantly (haha) I won't get sick, and I can handle the food!

I love you all, and thanks for praying! Talk to you in 2 weeks!

Recipe of the Week #4

2009-12-10T21:52:00.000-08:00

Another fun night of dinner! This was super simple and really yummy. Annette brought homemade pazookie(huge cookie with ice cream) for dessert. So much for the healthy factor... ;)

Chicken Tostadas

1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked
3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
6 (6 inch) flour tortillas
6 tablespoons fat free sour cream
6 cups salsa
6 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

In a large bowl combine the chicken, lettuce, green bell pepper, tomatoes and onions. Mix together and set aside.
Heat tortillas by placing them in a large dry skillet over medium high heat and turning once until golden and puffy.
To Assemble Tostadas: Place a tortilla on a plate, top with some of the chicken mixture and garnish with sour cream, salsa and cheese. Repeat with all tortillas.

Changes...

2009-12-06T20:05:00.000-08:00

So, as previously mentioned, my friend Rachel and I are training for a triathalon. Right now, we are on a running program and in February, we will switch to training for all 3 things! It has been fun to spend so much time with Rachel.

While I have been training, I have decided to make a lot of changes in the rest of my life. I want the triathalon to be easier for me. So about a month ago I changed my diet and already started feeling better. Since that went so well, I kept going..haha. Now, I've given up Starbucks(except for iced tea) and alcohol.(The Starbucks being more of a big deal than the other one.) So far it hasn't been that bad...and it is definitely much better for me!! It's also awesome because I'm saving money. :)

Then, last week, due to something that happened in my personal life (and because I was already in the spirit of making changes) I gave up facebook. I know...crazy. Ok, so it was only 3 days...but it was an awesome 3 days. I used all that time I usually spend on the computer to read my bible, pray and spend time with my roommates. It made me realize that I need to cut back on the time I spend on it. It is a fun way to keep in touch, but I waste a lot of time on it when I could be doing a lot of other things. It was a great time with God, even if everyone on facebook did mock me. :)

Is there anything in your life you can give up for awhile to better your life or to spend more time with God?

Recipe of the Week #3

2009-12-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

So far I'm doing well on my plan for trying a new recipe every week. It has been fun to learn new recipes, but my favorite part is the people who come over to eat it with me! This challenge has been a fun way to connect with friends. Here's recipe #3(and grandma...I eat a lot of chicken, sorry. :) I got to share this with my brother, Brittany and the Marchessault family! It was a hit. Enjoy!

Mushroom and Swiss Chicken

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
2 cloves crushed garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Cajun-style seasoning
1 cup chopped green onion
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
4 slices Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Combine oil and garlic in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add chicken breasts and coat well with the oil and garlic. Sprinkle with the vinegar and Cajun seasoning.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes.
Remove chicken from oven and cover with green onion and mushrooms; then add a few more sprinkles of oil and vinegar and return dish to oven for 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from oven and immediately place 1 slice of cheese on top of each chicken breast; cheese will melt. Serve immediately.

Home for Thanksgiving

2009-12-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

I had a great week visiting family and friends during my Thanksgiving Break! I am so thankful for all of these people. I am so blessed, I can't even describe it. It will be SO weird to not be home for Christmas...

I drove to Pasadena on Saturday, and spent the night with my friend Rachel. It was so fun to catch up. The next morning I headed to San Diego. I had breakfast with Missy, a best friend from high school, and then I did my triathalon training. All of that finished just in time for the BIG Chargers/Broncos game. We killed them, it was awesome. :) Grandma went home crying....

On Monday, I drove up to the OC to see my other family. It was so great to catch up with K and T and to hang out with the boys. It had been way too long. I miss all of them, a lot. We played lots of Settlers, had mini meatloafs and our tradition of sushi lunch! It was a really fun time with some of my favorite people on the planet!

The rest of the week consisted of shopping, relaxing, running and Thanksgiving festivities. I love that we get to have tons of people over to our house. It makes me happy! It was fun to hang out with the grandmas and my cousins, who I never see. It was especially fun to watch the Raiders lose. haha. In the evening, I went to my dad's for a second Thanksgiving. It was great to see them, also.

On Black Friday, grandma and I went out shopping, but not til noon when it wasn't as bad. The rest of the weekend was family time. We all saw The Blind Side(go see it! sooo good.) and on Sunday, I got to go to my first home Chargers game! It was seriously the highlight of the week. The game was not close at all, we won 43-14...but it was SO fun. I also didn't feel like I was going to die, like at the Raiders game. :) One of my closest friends from high school, Kathleen came, and it was so fun to catch up with her! My bro and his gf, Brittany also came. It was an all around great time!
Thanks to everyone who made this week great!!! The next few weeks are sooo busy. My brother comes to visit this weekend, Christmas parties, Disneyland for my birthday, more parties, and then India!! I'll keep you all posted.

Recipe of the Week #2

2009-11-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

Last week, I didn't try a new recipe. The Avocado chicken one was sooo good, I made it for Rachel's family. This week, while I was at home, I tried this one out. It tastes much better than the picture looks, I promise!

Artichoke Chicken

Ingredients:

4-5 Boneless chicken breasts

1 package of sliced mushrooms

2-14.5 oz cans of tomatoes

1-2 cloves of garlic

2-3 small cans of artichoke hearts

1 cup of flour

1 tbsp of pepper

2 tbsp of paprika

1 tsp of oregano

butter

olive oil

Linguine noodles

1) Cut chicken breasts in half and place in a ziplock bag with the flour, paprika and pepper. Shake to coat chicken.

2) Brown chicken in a pan with olive oil.

3)Saute mushrooms in butter (while the chicken is cooking).

4) Mix in a seperate bowl: tomatoes, oregano and garlic.

5) Once all of the chicken has browned, place in a 13 x 0 pan and cover chicken with tomato mixture, mushrooms and drained artichoke hearts.
6)Bake at 350 degrees for 1.5 hours or until tender.

7) Serve with linguine and parmesan cheese.

Thankful

2009-11-20T16:28:00.000-08:00

This past month for one of our Life Group Igniters, I chose to make a list of things I am thankful for and why. It has been fun to see how God has blessed me lately! Sorry if it's kinda corny. Here's some of my list:

I am thankful for:

A powerful God who loves me no matter what
My family
My job, even if it's not always my favorite
My car, even when it's not working lol
My friends, I have some of the best in the world...They love me, they challenge me and they encourage me.
Reunions with college friends or other old friends
My electric Blanket, soo cold in the mountains
Facebook and texting, you might laugh at this one, but I have my reasons.
My mac...it's pretty
Santa Cruz weather
The chance to change lives through teaching
youth group kids
My life group
Second, third, fourth families...who all love me as if I was their own.
triathalons...ok I'm not really thankful for those, but I'm thankful for exercise with Rachel!
An awesome house
The best roommates
Scrapbooking
Sports
And many many other things.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Cooking!

2009-11-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I need to do more cooking and way less eating out, if I am going to be ready for this crazy triathalon. (Did I mention I'm training with a friend for this?!?!) So I figured I'd post some recipes that were a hit! Enjoy. :)

Avocado Chicken Stir Fry

Ingredients

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces

2 cups snow peas

2 cups cremini mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced

4 bunches green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large ripe but firm avocados - peeled, pitted, and cut into large chunks

Directions

In a bowl, stir together the chicken broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and garlic until the cornstarch is smooth, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, and cook and stir thechicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 5 minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside. Place the snow peas into the hot wok, and cook and stir until bright green and still crisp, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and green onions, and toss with the snow peas in the hot oil until the mushrooms are tender and have given up their juice, about 5 minutes. Pour off excess juices, if any.

Return the chicken to the wok, and stir briefly over medium heat to combine with the cooked vegetables. Stir the reserved sauce ingredients to recombine, if needed, and add to the wok. Gently stir in the avocado, and let the mixture bubble until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir gently to coat everything in sauce, and serve.

Life without a car

2009-11-11T10:01:00.001-08:00

2 weeks without a car. This reminds me of when I broke my right foot in college. I had to rely on everyone. I couldn't make it up the stairs in my apartment, and I got to live with the Nugents for 2 weeks. (which were some amazing weeks lol) Anyways, when you have to rely on other people, you learn some things. Here are the random things I learned:

- I need to be prepared at all times to talk about Jesus, even if I think 7 am is too early to talk about that stuff. The person who picks me up for work, wants to talk about it every morning. It's been good for me. :)

- I take so many things for granted, like going to the laundromat or to the store.

-I need to walk around Mt. Hermon more. It's so awesome and I have been enjoying it.

-I have amazing friends who drive me around or come to me, since I can't come to them.

-Not seeing people for 2 weeks feels like an eternity...I have been sad, on more than one occasion that I can't see the people I normally see during the week.

-My roommates are the best. They have driven me around a lot, and I have LOVED spending time with them, since I've been home more.

God usually gives me these kinds of things (broken feet, broken cars) at a time in my life when I need to slow down and get my priorities back in order. It's working, but can I please have my car back now?? :)

Life.

2009-11-09T22:39:00.001-08:00

Again, pretty sure I say this everytime I update...wow it's been forever. I can barely keep up on work and life this year, let alone my blog. :(

Life has been busy, in a good way! At the end of September, I moved to a super cute cabin on Mt. Hermon, with 4 awesome girls. It is a little far from work, about 30 minutes, but it is SO worth it. The house is amazing, and the 4 of us have a lot of fun!

Other than that, I have been SO busy with work. I feel really overworked this year. We never get a break, until about 4 pm. It has really been affecting my whole life. I'm working on trying to leave work things at work, but it's hard for a teacher!

I can't believe it is already November!! Where did the time go? This past weekend, I went to youth convention in Sactown with our youth group. We had a great time, and it was fun to spend time with the kids. Next month brings birthdays, Disneyland and INDIA! So crazy.

So there's the short update on life. Most importantly, God is good and has blessed me in ways I can never comprehend. I'm looking forward to everything He is going to do in the next few months!

And for grandma....some pictures from the last few months (AND the Chargers/Raiders game where I almost lost my life) :)

Wow...

2009-08-22T23:32:00.000-07:00

I never have time to update my blog anymore. And when I do, I don't have pictures because I lost my camera cord so i have to put them on my pc which has a card slot and transfer them to my mac. phew. too much work.

Anyways, I started back to work 2 weeks ago. So far it has been nothing but crazy. I LOVE that I get to work with Ashley this year. Things are going so smoothly, but with 35 students there is never a break in the day. We have yard duty 3 days a week in the morning and then we run a math club at lunch for kids who don't know their times tables. It's crazy, but it is paying off. After 5 days of math club, my class went from 3% of them knowing their times tables to 35%. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. I love my job and every second is worth it, but at 3:30 when I finally get to sit down, I am exhausted!

But all that aside, I have a fairly good class, even if they are Chatty McChattersons. I enjoy them. We are trying to plan a field trip for every month of the school year. So far we have Sept, Oct, and Nov covered! It's going to be a fun year, and I'm really looking forward to science camp in april! I found some pictures I had on twitter of 2 paintings we did. One is a Van Gogh self portrait and another is a Picasso (two different students) I love teaching them about art and artists. I love that we have made time for it this year! Although it was interesting fitting 68 self portraits on the wall....

In other news...my last post was about my friend who is doing an awesomely long bike ride for a cool cause, and he was giving away an iphone or $200 gift card to Apple. Check out the video of who won here: (Spoiler: I won, but the video is pretty funny anyways)

http://www.myworshiprevolution.com/bobbym/2009/08/time-to-give-away-an-iphone.html

Coastal Ride 09

2009-07-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

My friend, and the worship pastor at my church, Bobby is riding his bike from San Francisco to San Diego for an amazing cause!

Check out his blog and the give away he is doing!

http://www.myworshiprevolution.com/bobbym/iphone.html

Gleanings for the Hungry

2009-07-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

The first week of July, I went on a short missions trip with the youth group at my church. We were a small group of 6, but we had TONS of fun. We went to Dinuba,Ca(central valley) to serve at Gleanings for the Hungry. This is a YWAM ministry that packages food to send to third world countries that need it. In the summer, they make dried peaches. Days start at 6:45 am and don't end until 11 pm.

The days consist of 2 hours of work in the field laying out peaches and then 4-5 hours in the fruit plant, processing peaches. By the end of the day, you are exhausted and can't wait to get the peaches out of your hair! I loved it because I had SO much time to spend with the Lord. I got to pray for things that had been on my heart, and the Lord told me a lot about my future in missions. It was an amazing experience. My favorite day was water park day and a day when we got to pray over a truck going to Honduras.

I built some awesome relationships with the students I went with, and it was nice to get away. We stayed up late talking and getting to know each other. We got to go to a waterpark, we went bowling, and made up lots of songs about peaches. It was an awesome time! I encourage you to check it out and take your family! It is hard work, but it is so rewarding. :) Enjoy the pictures of our week.

Our crazy bunk beds
Bryan on the cup up station, making sure the peaches are all facing the right way.
The cutters--so boring :) All you have to do is turn your row of peaches right side up.
At the love feast, our group drank 8 pitchers of punch--which is now a Gleanings record! haha
Brandon, Bryan, Ed
more fun on the cutters
The final product--dried peaches
Looking for bad peaches
Our awesome team!
The field of peaches! There was about 3 times this many, but I couldn't get them all in

Summer!!

2009-07-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

This summer is flying by! I thought I wouldn't be busy, but here I am. :) Just some snapshots of the summer! I have a couple more posts with specific events. Maybe later this week! BUT most importantly: Melissa had her kidney transplant. Dan donated an amazing kidney and they are both home and doing great! Praise the Lord!!!!! I am so excited to see Mel feeling better. :)

Doing the twist at Graciela's wedding.
The beautiful bride and some work friends. Church picnic!!
Waiting in a crazy long line for Harry Potter, with my awesome friend Rachel. :)
Life group at the beach! Me with cute lil Micah. :)
Andrew at the circus!
Brandon, Bobby and Dan at the Wild Rovers!
Spending time with my 5th graders who left me. :(
BBQ with Mike, Brian and Alyssa!

Summer Reading...

2009-06-25T21:22:00.001-07:00

Just in case you care, or are looking for something to read, I have been on a reading kick and am loving it! Here are some books I am reading or already finished. I can't get away from vampire books, but I am doing my best to break out! Some of these are books my students would read. I love reading them because then I can recommend them! Students always come to me looking for recommendations.

A 5th grade-ish book. I'm halfway through and am loving it! Looking forward to reading her other books.
Vampires. Kinda corny, but still hooked. I think there are 2 out in this series.
Another 5th grade book. I LOVE this author. I read Palace of Mirrors in 3 hours. so good! Just Ella is my next read.

A girl at borders recommended the Lightning Thief to me. It is a 6th grade level. It is about a kid who figures out that his father is one of the greek gods. The whole book is about greek mythology. It's awesome! You get to learn and the action is really fun. Can't wait to get to the rest of the series.

The Vampire Academy series. I love this series. The first one was kinda slow, but the rest of them are awesome! Next one out in August.

My school secretary and I are racing to see who can read 25 books first. But she's not working...so not fair. What are you reading?? Doesn't have to be fiction. :)

The rest of vacation and graduation party

2009-06-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

When I got to San Diego, my grandma picked me up and we got to walk around downtown and have breakfast in Seaport Village. (somehow I ended up with no pictures of her!) After, we met my bro and his girlfriend at the Padre game. 6 hours and 18 innings later, the Padres finally lost so that we could go home. :( But it was still super fun!

On Wednesday, my parents came back from their vacation, so I hung out with them for a few days. On Thursday night I had dinner with my dad and sister, it was SO fun. On Friday, I went to a breast cancer fundraiser bunco night with my mom. It was also really fun. On Saturday, my parents threw a big graduation party for my masters degree. I am still waiting on my test results, but I am pretty sure I owned that test! So I got to celebrate with 30-40 of my closest family and friends from San Diego and Orange county. I was sooo blessed and reminded about the family I have everywhere I go!

My week of vacation in SD...

2009-06-18T22:05:00.001-07:00

The pictures of my trip will be out of order, but that's ok. :) At the beginning of the week, Katie and the boys came to visit! They spent the night Tuesday, and then we headed to Balboa Park for Ruben H. Fleet center. That place sure has changed, it's not as cool as I remember, but we still had fun! We also saw an Imax movie, Under the Sea, narrated by Jim Carrey. I thought it was awesome. The littlest guy didn't agree, haha. I hadn't been to Balboa Park in a while, so it was fun to visit. I hope to have some part of my wedding

there someday. :) It was so fun to have them in town and to spend time with all of them. Thanks for coming down!! :)

P.s. After the park, we had the.best.sushi.ever. Check it out, if you are ever in the area : http://www.yelp.com/biz/banbu-sushi-bar-and-grill-la-mesa

Soooo much blogging to catch up on.

2009-06-16T23:27:00.000-07:00

Maybe if I blog the rest of the week, I'll catch up. BTW I am typing this on my new Macbook...it's soo pretty! :)

Well the end of the 2008-2009 school year has come and gone! Here are some fun pictures of one of my favorite classes ever. Oh and that crazy Wii picture is them doing Wii Cheer the last day of school. Fun times!

Some things I learned this year??

-I like 5th graders, they're fun.

-Saying goodbye to students and families you have known for 2 years is so sad!

-Building relationships with students have a HUGE affect on their academics.

-5th grade math is hard!

-My school likes to give all the good teachers the bad kids. boo.

-You cannot change a kid's behavior if his parents do not back you up, no matter what you do.

-Enjoy your students, they grow up so fast *tear*

What's in store for next year?? 5th grade!!!!!!!!!!!!! Science camp here I come. :)

But first....summer school.....

Old Friends, New Fun!

2009-05-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

My friend Rebecca, from college(we were wowies together!) is hosting a giveaway on her blog. She just started to use her creativity to make some fun stuff! Go Check it out!

http://www.travelinglite.org/blog/2009/05/16/giveaway/comment-page-1/#comment-422

Girls Weekend!

2009-05-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went up to Fulsom for a reunion with some of my favorite friends from college. It was SOOO much fun. We played rockband, did some wine tasting and went out on the town saturday night. It was a much needed weekend away! :)

Catching up...

2009-05-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

Wow, life has gotten the best of me lately! In a good way. :) There are lots of countdowns going on right now!

18 days of work(School) left!

3 weeks until my Masters degree program is OVER!

4 weeks until my comprehensive exam :-/

So here's the current crazyness that is my life:

Mondays- study group from 6-9

Tuesdays-cook dinner and life group

Wednesday- freeeeeee--soon to be a womens volleyball league, yay for exercise

Thursday- cook dinner and youth group

Friday-Saturday-freee(sometimes)

Sunday-Church :)/ hanging out with andrew

Needless to say I went to bed at 7:30 last night! It felt so good. Although I'm busy, I love serving Jesus with my life!! My life group blesses me every single week. I just started working with the youth group, I enjoy them, too. I am looking forward to the summer, when work is less stressful and I'm not rushing around everywhere. I have 35 unwatched shows on my dvr, but life is still good. :)

Also, it looks like I may be heading to India in December!My heart has been pulled there for many months, and I finally got up the courage to do something about it. My new church is so small, that they don't really have trips, so I am going to be going by myself and joining a few other people in the same place! I'm going with a great ministry, check them out. If all works out, It will be December 19-January 3. I wasn't going to say anything, but I am about to apply for my VISA and book the flight, so I figured prayer is good! Can you help me with that? :)

http://www.hsminc.org/view/677/23482/India.html

I know, I know...SO much going on, I love it! This weekend, I am meeting Sarah, Meesh, Lesley and Kristina in Sacramento for a reunion! These girls were some of my closest friends in college and I am so looking forward to getting away for the weekend!!!

I'll leave you with some pictures of when Andrew and I went to the Moss Landing Marine Lab Open House when I watched him for 4 days. (so much respect for moms!)

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-17T20:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry...these pictures are out of order! So for Spring Break I went home for the first time in 4 years. I haven't been home for Easter in Forever! My SLO fam was visiting Monterey, so they offered to spend some time and drive me down with them! I so enjoyed my short time with them! On Saturday Jarred (brother), Brittany(his gf), Cassie (sister), Brandon (friend) and I went to the Padres vs. Giants game. *excuse this interruption* This is for Mr. Tim N.: Uh Oh, did the Giants just get swept by the Padres AND the Dodgers?????? Ok, I'm back now. Anyways, the game was pretty fun and the padres won, of course. On Sunday, we went to an awesome church service and then had some of the family over for Easter. (The padres also beat the giants that day.) :) On Monday I got a pedicure and had lunch with Brittany. Tuesday I relaxed a lot and went downtown for dinner and drinks with Britt, Jarred and Brandon. Wednesday, I got to have lunch with gma and a few others before heading home. were equally fun. It was SO short, but really fun and relaxing. It was fun having the family all home at once.

Wicked!!!

2009-03-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

For Christmas, my parents bought me tickets for Wicked in San Francisco. Mel and I have been SO excited to go! It finally came, and it was AWESOME! If you get the chance, you should definitely go! :) It was a super fun, much needed girls night out. Thanks for going Mel!

Super Short Trip to San Diego

2009-03-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night I left for San Diego so I could make it to see Tricia and Travis get married in Coronado! It was super fun! I enjoyed seeing everyone that I havent seen in forever! I had fun hanging with my grandma and then with my siblings and friends at the wedding! I had to come back on saturday, because my parents were coming to visit on Sunday. It was short, but super fun. Congrats Trish and Trav!

budget cuts

2009-03-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.register-pajaronian.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=6824

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_11849653

More on this later.

Breaking Out

Thankful

Hearing God

Teacher of the Month

Not in the job description...

Goals for 2011

Heartbreaking

Peace out 2010

Music Video

Wedding Weekend

A little piece of Radcliff...

Another year...

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Phillipians 4:6-7

Day 31

Day 29 and 30

Day 28

Day 27

Day 26

Day 25

Day 24

Day 22

Day 21

Day 20

Day 19

Day 18

Art for AIDS

Day 17

Day 16

Day 15--Caleb and Micah

Thankful

Day 14

Day 13

Day 12

30 things to do before 30

Day 11

Harry Potter and Day 10

Day 9

Day 8

Day 7

Day 6

Photo Challenge Day 5

30 Day Photo Challenge

Christy is getting married!

Halloween 2010

My class

Diary of a New Triathlete...Entry #2

Summer Continues...

Things that make me smile...

Diary of a new triathlete :)

April and May Recap

Science Camp

Frustrated...

Getting out of the boat...

Update

The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. -Psalm 145

A Heavy Heart

Mini-Vacation

Recipe of the week #11

I *heart* Winter Camp

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bring on the 5K!

Another year of this...

Recipe of the week #9 and #10

Recipe of the Week #8

Life is Good

Heaven

Recipe of the Week #7

Recipe of the Week #6

Ingredients

Directions

Got Sleep?

Video

India: Part 3

Praying in the closet and in the spirit

Recipe of the Week #5

Directions

India: Part 2

India Part 1

Heading home...

Christmas in India!

I heart Winter Camp