28 LOVES

I am a lover not a hater... so my list of 28 things that was requested by my friend for my 28th birthday last week will be about 28 things that I LOVE! (these are in no specific order)

1- My Friends! - I have some amazing people in my life that make me laugh, challenge me, and have given me so many wonderful memories I can not count them all. I love you friends!

2- My Family! - I have such a colorful family. They are like a crazy quilt. But it has been my family that has taught me how to love, my family challenges me the most. Because of my family I have learned how to forgive, how to love, and how to hope! I love you family!

3- Cannon Beach! - My favourite place in the whole wide world! I have been blessed to have been traveling to this beautiful little beach town for the past 23 years of my life. There is piece of my heart that only comes alive in this place. Gorgeous!

4- Edinburgh, Scotland! - My next favourite place in the whole wide world! It also includes one of my favourite people in the whole wide world! Josephine!

5- Education! - It is such a joy to be finally in school and each day getting closer to the goal of being a medical missionary

6- Tiramisu! - Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Need I say more. Nope. Not really. But my bosom friend Ang and I celebrated my b-day last week with an enormous piece of Tiramisu from Mama Stortini's. It was amazing!

7- Bike rides! - I have a beautiful Blue Electra Townie that rebirthed my love for riding this past summer. I miss spending so much time on the trials. Soon I will live closer to school and will be able to ride my townie again! Woot!

8- Laughter! - It truly is the best medicine. There have been countless days in my life where laughing has turned the unhappy moments into ridiculously silly moments. I love to laugh! HA HA HA HA! Loud and long and clear!

9- Africa! - So when I left Africa in 2001, there was a piece of my heart that I left behind. My heart aches to be whole again and some day I will go back to Africa and find wholeness as my heart is full again and filled up as I do the work God has called me to.

10- Ice cream! - I love Ice Cream! Breyers all natural original flav is the best... and there is a seasonal Bailey's Irish Cream flav that shows up on the shelves in the winter. Mmmmm. My mouth is watering.

11- 11:11! - Ha! I love to have special times to remember special people or times to pray for friends or just a reason to get excited. 11:11 is awesome! This year on 11/11 at 11:11 my friend Rach sent me a message and that was rad! I am looking forward to 11/11/11... thinking there might be something big to celebrate. I will have a party for sure!

12- Mount Rainier! - Whenever I leave this place and come home I realize how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful place. This mountain takes my breath away and makes me speechless on so many days. We truly have an awesome creator!

13- Seasons! - I love watching the seasons change and feeling the change in temperature. I love comparing our lives to the seasons. We are ever changing.

14- Moving! - I love moving! I am somewhat of a nomad. It has not been a habit of mine to stay in one place for a long period of time. I just recently realized that I have been at my current address for over a year! Hoping to be there another year at least. Wow!

15- Chocolate! - I am female. I love chocolate. My fav is milk chocolate. The best kind, in my humble opinion, is Lindt milk chocolate with the filling. Mmmmmmm!

16- Shopping! - I love to shop! Before 6 months ago I would have called myself a shopoholic. It was something I could do every day if I had the funds. I made a goal for myself to go one year without buying new clothes. It has been almost 7 months. I have maintained not buying any new clothes for that long. I still love to shop and have become a "personal shopping assistant" for friends who need help sprucing up their wardrobes.

17- My youth girls! - My youth girls are no longer youth but in their 20s and some are married, some have graduated from college, some have steady jobs, some are still in process. I just love that I still get to be a part of their lives!

18- Italian Food! - My weakness is Chicken Fetticini Alfredo. Wow. Mmmm.

19- Technology! - I have friends all over the world. Because of how awesome technology is I can still communicate and see my friends when our schedules meet up. Amazing! I love technology!

20- My Car! - I am so blessed to be in the 2% of the world that owns a car. I fully own my car too! Paid it off in January of this year. I love that it gets me from A to B and has AC for the hot days in the summer, and a CD player to entertain me when the radio or my thoughts need to be drowned out.

21- YWAM! - I love what God did in my life during my time at YWAM! It was an amazing life changing experience. I will never be the same again.

22- Music! - I get taken away to another place while listening and singing music. Love it! Can't imagine life without it!

23- The Beach! - I love the beach... yeah CB is my favourite beach... However, I love all beaches! Even the ones in Africa that were covered in poo. Beaches are beautiful and the sea spray and smell refreshes my soul!

24- Traveling! - I love to travel! Seeing as much of the world as I possibly can is a goal of mine. This world is so big and we are such a small part of it. I want to explore all of God's beautiful creation!

25- Sleep! - I am a major sleeper! Sleeping in is one of those things that everyone should get to do on a semi-regular basis. I love to sleep... and people love me to get sleep too! I can be a grumpy pants if I don't get enough of it.

26- Cafe Adamo! - My favourite coffee shop. A little cafe that has the best coffee in Puyallup... probably the best coffee in the Northwest! The people that work there are pretty amazing too. They know my name and care about me as a person too! I love Adamo!

27- Reading! - I love to get lost for a day within the pages of a good book. Some of my favs are written by Beverly Lewis, Lurlene McDaniel, and Dee Henderson. Yep... I like reading about the Amish, young people with life threatening illnesses, and Christain action adventure. Hey. It's whatever floats my boat!

28- Life! - I love to be alive! Living life every day is such a gift! I am blessed by everything above. All of these loves enrich my life! God has blessed me with so many wonderful people, adventures, and things. I have an amazing life that I hope will forever be a living testimony for God's goodness!


Thanks for listening to my loves! I love you!

were has the time gone?

I haven't posted for two weeks. To say it simply. I have been busy. Overwhelmed with massive amounts of information, trying to grasp every concept, cram every method and sliver of information I may need to remember to succeed in my classes. God has provided for me in awesome ways. When He told me to go back to school He told me that He would do His part, and I had to do my part. So I am holding up my end of the deal. And it is taking a LOT of focus. A LOT of determination. And a LOT of extra study hours. This has unmistakably been my most challenging quarter as of yet. There are only 14 class days left until the end of the quarter. I am pressing in even more to try to attain a GPA that will enable me to be eligible to apply to nursing programs. Thank you for all of your prayers this quarter! And thank you for understanding when I can't "come out and play". And also recognizing when I need a break and forcing me to have a day or few hours of fun. I love you friends! This time is so much easier to endure knowing I have your love, prayers, and support!

2...8...

I am official 2 years away from 30. woah! how did that happen?! I was 22, seems like a few months ago. I don't feel like I am 28 thats for sure.
Thanks to all of you friends who love me! I am so blessed to be loved by you!

I was asked by one of my friends to write a list with 28 things on it.
What kind of list do I want to write?
Bucketlist? Dreams? Goals? Favourite moments in life? Favourite ice cream flavours?

No Shave November

Thats right. It is officially time to put away the razors, nair, waxing strips, and epilators. One month of shorter times in the shower, less layers while sleeping, and warmer body temperatures are here. My little brother and his friends used to do this when they were in college and by the end of the month they would all have fun looking facial hair. Thankfully I do not posses the genes to grow a beard... but I do get cold in the winter and not shaving for a month is something worth rejoicing about. I know some of my married friends may be unable to participate in this challenge. Or maybe you and your hubbies can complete this challenge together. This challenge is not meant for one sex alone. Let us all come together and grow... some hair. Some may think it gross to have hair. But I will assure you that God made us this way and He was NOT the man who invented razors. So bring on the warmth ladies and gents. Lets see who can make it to the end of No Shave November with the best outcome... you can determine what that may be. Bring on the warm fuzzies! Have fun!