Friend of The Fatherless

Joy Dare: Day 8

2012-02-08T18:42:00.002-09:00

A gift broken, a gift fixed, a gift thrifted.

1. nothing broken at the moment.

2. new ipod to replace my lost one.

3. closet full of clothes to thrift.

Joy Dare: Day 7

2012-02-08T18:40:00.001-09:00

3 Gifts Red:

1. A birthday candle.

2. Homemade heart-shaped cherry pies.

3. Raspberry sauce on cheesecake.

Joy Dare: Day 6

2012-02-08T18:34:00.001-09:00

3 Gifts found Outside

1. The big bright full moon.

2. The tulips coming up.

3. Blue sky.

Joy Dare: Day 5

2012-02-05T17:24:00.004-09:00

One gift stitched, one hammered, one woven.

1. my favorite cardigan.

2. the roof over my head.

3. the best blanket ever, not exactly woven, but still amazing.

Joy Dare: Day 4

2012-02-04T21:42:00.002-09:00

3 Gifts Found When Bent Down:

1. noticed something shiny on the floor-my earrings.

2. giggling while bending and flailing about trying to play the wii dance game.

3. on my knees lighting the candles in the fire place and the coziness they brought to the room.

Joy Dare: Day 3

2012-02-04T21:39:00.002-09:00

3 Gifts Found in Writing.

1. A handmade birthday card from a friend.

2. A yellow print that says "I feel my Savior's Love"

3. Emailing a family to tell them that the paperwork has been submitted for them to adopt their child.

Joy Dare: Day 2

2012-02-02T19:38:00.002-09:00

3 things overheard today; all gifts.

1. giggling coming from the hallway. what about? probably boys.

2. one line from a conversation, "the Lord is good."

3. hudson calling out for "paaapaaaa," to come save him from the bedtime mama monster.

Joy Dare: Day 1

2012-02-01T19:06:00.002-09:00

If you have a pulse, you've probably heard about the book/blog/challenge of One Thous*nd Gifts. I love the concept and really want to read the book. I have wanted to start my list of 1,000 things, but have found it a little overwhelming, so I've never started. Which is silly because I just need to start with one thing; that's not overwhelming, I can do that. So, I will. I will start with the February challenge found here:

http://www.aholyexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/FebruaryJoyDare.pdf

Today is February 1st. Surely there are 3 things I am thankful for today...

A gift found at 11:30, 2:30 and 6:30. go.

1. 11:30...1st birthday card of the year received from a family I am working with as they get so close to completing the marathon called adoption.

2. 2:30...turning the lights off in our office and working by lamplight. Its almost 70 degrees today and our office is confused. and really hot, but its 70 degrees in February!

3. 6:30...driving from work to Tr*der Joes, talking to my dad about what's for dinner. him: leftovers. me: whichever microwavable creation from TJ's strikes my fancy. lovemydad.

I think I'm hooked. Starting was the hardest part; now only 997 to go. This is easy. See you tomorrow!

31 days

2011-08-31T19:12:00.006-08:00

Well kids, this is it. The end of the 31 days of blogging. I'll be back for sure, but I don't know if it will continue in quite the same frequency. I have enjoyed the challenge and it honestly flew by! It has been fun to document the little things that happen each day that usually slip by...as well as the BIG things that probably and hopefully are a once in a lifetime event...like an earthquake and hurricane in the same week. No big deal.

If you've followed along, thank you! If just one person was encouraged, inspired, laughing or relating to some piece of the random posts along the way, I consider it a success!

And now...

I'm done.

Queens of Dessert

2011-08-30T18:54:00.003-08:00

Amy and I are the best/worst pair. We MUST end each meal with something sweet. So after our delicious pizza, we went straight to Georgetown where we visited S.e.r.e.n.d.i.p.i.t.y.

We sat at the cupcake bar; which if you know us, it is beyond perfect.

We had their specialty, frozen hot chocolate. I love when a dessert is topped with equally as much whipped cream...

This picture is an optical illusion. Despite how this appears, there is not a straw sticking out of my neck.

Another fun Aimye Adventure for sure!

2 Amy's

2011-08-29T16:06:00.003-08:00

Oh what a splendid day! On Sunday, Amy and I took full advantage of the beautiful day outside because inside there was no electricity. We had been wanting to visit a very special restaurant in D.C., so we jumped in the car and found our way through the post-hurricane streets...

I will let the pictures below speak for themselves as to why we thought this would be such an appropriate locations for us to try...

The pizza's are baked for just a few minutes in this fiery brick oven and they come out perfectly...

Our pizza had zucchini, mozzarella and pine nuts. I could probably eat it every day.

We also had these: I don't remember what they were called, but they were equally delicious.

creamy risotto balls, filled with mozzarella, rolled in bread crumbs and fried...I need to find who invented these because I'm pretty sure we could be BFFs...

We were our server's first table of 2 Aimye's. How could that be? Don't groups of Aimye's flock to this place?

We sure got excited about it!

And this was just the start of our fun day!

noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

2011-08-29T16:01:00.002-08:00

that is all I can say in place of my August 28th post. I made it 27 days in a row and then a stupid hurricane had to rip through and steel my power and internet. Now it is imperfect and I will have to start over. I don't like it.

Walking in the Rain

2011-08-27T16:08:00.005-08:00

There is something about feeling like I have to stay inside that makes me really want to leave the house. Plenty of weekends have been spent in PJ's hanging out inside and I've thought nothing of it, but today a walk in the rain never sounded better. So that is what we did.

We ventured out while it was still a "gentle" rain with only a gust of wind here and there. Its been a weird feeling all day not knowing what the weather was going to do. I haven't exactly been in the path of a hurricane before. So we got our fresh air and Tr*der Joe's fix and got a better look at the sky. Yep, it was raining.

The rest of Amy & my day was filled with sleeping way too late, pancakes, coffee, mindless internet surfing, we*ther.com obsessing, dinner, chocolate cake, a chick flick, chatting, a game and a perfectly unscheduled day.

Gotta run...time to check the weather.

1st an earthquake...

2011-08-26T17:03:00.002-08:00

now a hurricane. And all in one week. Dare I ask, what next? I gave into the pressure and went to the grocery store and bought water. 2 cases. Along with a bunch of other storm-inspired junk. Then this weird guy helped me load the water into my cart. Few creepy vibes, but mostly he was annoyed that I was blocking the self-check out. He thought I was just being slow, but the lady in the computer was insisting, "help is on the way," which wasn't happening any time soon because all of Northern Virginia was at the grocery store needing assistance. So Mr. Nice Guy took it upon himself to hunt down "help." She came, set me free from the computer check out jail and I was out of there.

The shelves were looking a little sparse and the parking lot. Lets just say that's why I have car insurance. People are insane. I love my car and all, but don't you think if you were driving a car worth more than my life, you'd look both ways first? Apparently not.

I've got my pre-storm shopping fix and I'm prepared should I be forced to expand my natural disaster repertoire. Here's to hoping Irene drives like the people in the grocery store parking lot and takes a sharp turn to the right back out into the middle of the ocean where she can wreak havoc until her heart's content.

Now if you'll excuse me, my storm-ration ice cream is calling my name.

Out of control-

2011-08-25T18:34:00.006-08:00

officially. I was trying to remember when exactly I had gotten my new computer because I noticed the number of pictures that I've stored on here since I got it is creeping right up there to the slightly out of control zone.

I have a terrible sense of time and when estimating approximately how long ago something occurred, I often have no idea. Was it 4 months ago or 10 or 15; I don't know. It was before yesterday. That is all I can tell you. People will say, "oh that was in July 2005. Oh, ok. Like I said, it happened before yesterday.

All that to say, I couldn't remember how long ago I had gotten my computer, but I was curious because I wanted to know the timeframe in which I had taken this potentially obnoxious number of pictures.

I think things spun out of control when I started Project 365. I never take just the "one" picture of the day. Sometimes it takes several or more than several to get just the right one and rarely do I delete a picture. I just can't. There is usually something that I like about it, even if there are 19 others with barely noticeable differences.

If you know me, you know that my camera is just a much a part of me as my glasses or flip flops or macaroni and cheese. So with as much time as Nik*n and I spend together, its not exactly a shock that I have a few pictures to show for it.

So when did I get my computer? Day 66 of Project 365, which for most people is more easily stated as: February.

And exactly how many pictures have I taken since then? Drum roll please.....

4,997.

That is not a typo. I'm talking a lot of pictures as in almost 5,000 in just under 6 months. Its not like I do this for a living or anything and to some that is probably nothing, but I'm just a girl with a camera around my wrist. If you do the math, its almost 30 a day, which actually sounds about right.

If I had to chose a few favorites...

here's to the next 5,000!

its not Thursday?

2011-08-24T18:46:00.002-08:00

because

feels like

Thursday

to me.

Could someone

check the

calendar,

please?

There is some sort

mix up

sure of it.

Because obviously

only

have enough

brain

cells left

for

one

and only one

work day.

What will

Friday

look like

completely brain cell

less?

Only time

will

tell, but my guess

is that

it's not

gonna

pretty. But,

I do have two

visitors this

weekend.

Irene

and

Amy.

Irene, well

she

can just stay

home. But

AMY,

oh dear Amy.

It has been

far

too

long. Probably close

one

million

years. We will likely be

inside watching

movies

and baking

brownies.

Because I hear

Irene is kinda

windy

and won't

allow for

much

outside adventuring.

Darn Irene.

She should learn

some

manners and

only visit

during the

week. When

I'm

stuck inside.

All

day

long. She could come

and

storm

her

little

heart out Monday through

Friday.

And

I wouldn't

care

one

little bit.

Oh well. She doesn't

have the

best

listening

skills.

She just

didn't want

miss

the Aimye

weekend.

Who can

blame

her?

Now I must

rest

my brain

cells.

They are

weary.

Both

them.

She's done.

Shakin' it Up

2011-08-23T17:01:00.002-08:00

It was a normal busy afternoon at work, 1:51 pm to be exact. As I sat at my desk, I thought I heard a loud truck or something outside. Just as quickly as I realized it was not a truck, it became clear that the rumbling was something more, like earthquake more. It was such a surreal few seconds.

After the first little shake, we all got up and started walking towards the door and then there was a bigger rumble. As I walked toward the door, I just remember it feeling like the floor was becoming jello and things shook for a few seconds. It wasn't so much that things were falling or breaking, but definitely enough to know we were feeling an earthquake.

A few of us stood in the door way of our office looking at each other. Do we stay here? Do we go outside? Downstairs? Under a desk? We don't know, we live in VA and earthquakes don't happen in VA. Pretty soon, we realized the general consensus of everyone else in the office was to go outside, so we followed.

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled. Was that an earthquake? Yes, why yes it was. We all sat outside for a while enjoying the perfectly gorgeous afternoon replaying the last few minutes wondering if that was the main event or just the warm up? Then, they said it was all clear to go inside.

My question is, who is the one to give the official ok that the plates in the the depths of the Earth are done shifting for the day, the ground is not going to open up beneath you and its ok to re-enter the 2nd and 3rd floors of a glass building?

Not me.

Yet, I went in, sat back at my desk and tried to remember what I had been doing before the earthquake. Really, how do you just start typing emails again, after the EARTHQUAKE?

One of the striking things to me was that it was such a picture-perfect day. The weather could not have been any more amazing. In my mind, earthquakes happen as a part of a storm and it should have been dark and windy and rainy. THATS what its supposed to look like when the world starts shaking. Not, sunshine and 82 degrees.

It was truly like nothing I'd ever experienced before and it made me think of all the massive earthquakes that go on around the world where buildings are not built under the same standards of architecture, safety and engineering and what would it have been like if the shaking had gotten worse and worse and things started crashing, windows breaking, the lights flickering, the building buckling and on and on...how terrifying?!?!?!?! I had a moment of, "oh my goodness, what if this gets worse..." and then it got better. Thank you Jesus.

Feeling the foundations of the earth shake beneath you is such a different feeling than experiencing weather ON the earth. When I got home, my roommates described it being even more intense here. My books were tipped over and a bowl that was ON my night stand was now on my floor. It is so strange to think that a big, strong house is shaken enough that things can fall right off a shelf. Houses don't move, typically. To you, it may have seemed like more was out of order in my room than just those little things, but no, my room is just messy at the moment.

Who would have guessed what today would bring? A good reminder that we are fragile little beings, spinning around the solar system on a little chunk of rock under the illusion that we have an ounce of control over our lives. Then, 3 1/2 miles beneath the surface of our little rock, things start shifting and it quickly becomes overwhelmingly apparent that we have zero control and we are 100% in need of a powerful God to hold it all together, not just our lives, but the very foundations of the rock we call home.

He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:6

Decaf...

2011-08-22T19:15:00.008-08:00

is my friend. I know people just don't understand why anyone would drink decaf coffee. I get where you're coming from, I really do; I like heart palpitations, shaky hands and a self-induced fight or flight response just as much as the next person. But where is the crime in just liking coffee because it tastes yummy, is warm, comforting and the perfect combination with a pastry or piece of chocolate cake?

Hold on, I have to clarify. Coffee is a good starting place for creating something yummy. On its own, it kind of gives me the shivers (that word looks funny). It is bitter and harsh and just plain yucky on its own. But you don't see people gnawing on cocoa beans either, sometimes it takes a little work to make something go from down right useless and gross to perfectly delicious.

Just as much as people can't understand me drinking decaf; I am equally perplexed by those who drink coffee black or, have mercy, adding a shot of espresso to it. Stop my beating heart;

I would be awake for days, completely unable to form a cohesive sentence and curled up under my desk.

So if coffee is the starting place for making something great, how exactly does it become this fabulously comforting cup of warm fuzzies that I speak of?

Lets begin at the paint store. Visuals are good.

Far left-cup of straight up coffee; just H2O and the beans. Nice color, just a little too bold. Far right-if you are drinking cream on its own, we have other issues at hand.

The 2 on their own, eh, but combine the 2 and invite the neighbors.

Really and truly the perfect combination; who would have ever guessed? I know, but trust me on this one, some homemaker back in the day had the ladies over for coffee and they brainstormed all the ways to make good things better and this one stuck and for good reason; its perfect.

To be sure you do not get confused, please, oh please, hear me when I say coffee and "cream." Not, creamER. CreamER will do just that- send you to the ER with all of its palm kernel oil, hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, dipotassium phosphate, sodium hydroxide and artificial flavors to name a few of the stars in the pretty bottles.

Need another visual? Here, this is what you are looking for. Organic; all the better. We all know you have an extra $147 lying around, splurge for once.

You all thought I had forgotten, didn't you? Good things come in 3's, do they not? With coffee & cream; you will get by in life. Again, cream.

BUT, trust me when I say, it gets better. Calm down. Good thing you had decaf because I know this might be too much to handle.

Once you have achieved the perfect balance of coffee and cream, there is only one thing that could possibly make it better: sugar. hello; you are reading Aimee's blog; you knew this was coming at some point.

This truly takes your morning brew from "spit it out, I might die," to "buy a cow, we're going to be drinking a lot of this stuff."

Don't you love when you just think something couldn't be any better and out of left field comes the kicker? (is that 2 sports references from different games? I have no idea)

Anyway, I enjoy those moments, do not play sports and do a little happy dance when life is sprinkled with sugar.

Once you find the perfect ratio of coffee and cream, the last step to total happiness in life is a pile of these little brown packets.

I've been know to add up to 7. Be nice; it was a really big cup of coffee.

So, there you have it. No reason to let another day go by continuing to drink something that is pretty disgusting when it can be 100% pure happiness in a cup or mug or thermos or styrofoam or burn-your-hand-off paper cup.

Well, since we've gone all organic and raw sugar crazy, skip the styrofoam and paper and wash a cup for Pete's sake.

Words.

2011-08-21T18:07:00.004-08:00

If you received a written transcript of every word you had spoken on a particular day, would you be ok with what you were reading? The sermon at church today challenged us to not just try harder to use our words more wisely, but to look deeper and ask ourselves where in our heart did "those words" come from? My question exactly. Where do these things come from sometimes?

I think the old phrase should be reworded slightly. Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will REALLY hurt you. Sadly, I know from experience in both directions. Words are SO powerful, not to mention the tone, attitude, emotion, volume and context they're all tangled up in. They come right from the heart and have the ability to pierce right through the heart.

They are not only powerful in their meaning and impact, but the fact that once said; there is no going back even for the person most skilled at clarifying, back pedaling, apologizing and explaining. Oh don't you wish there could be a rewind button sometimes?

The tiniest word can slip from my mouth and the impact can be so great; either for good or bad. Really, the book of James could not be any clearer on the power of our words, the fact that they reflect our heart and that the only thing that should be rolling off our tongue is praise.

I was particularly challenged by looking at the less obvious potential ways that our tongue can get us into trouble. Surely swearing, lying and slander cannot be argued. But what about grumbling (sheesh), complaining, (really) or gossiping (sigh)? The last one, the "g" word, is one that so commonly gets masked under the "I just have to vent and get this off my chest" guise that we forget that it is not ok. ever.

To say that I constantly need reminders of this is a serious understatement. Of course I want my words to have a positive impact on those around me and heaven forbid my words cause someone else an ounce of hurt. But even more than that, which has a bigger overall impact, is the condition of my heart. I can say nice things all day long, but if one negative thing shoots out of seemingly no where, there is obviously something I need to look at.

My words are a daily broadcast of the state of my heart, a window into the my heart's intentions and direct reflection of where I need God to work in me the most.

Lord make my heart more like yours so that the overflow of my heart would be such that others are built up, encouraged, befriended and loved.

James 3:

Taming the Tongue

¹ Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. ¹¹ Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? ¹² My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Full Day, full heart.

2011-08-20T19:50:00.003-08:00

Today was full of good things. It started out with a FULL nights sleep. I really needed it. I was so tired. Again, I slept with my light on, music on, glasses on my bed, not ready for bed. I guess I am a little over tired these days.

Its funny how I can be rushed to get ready by NOON. I expect no different, but funny none the less. Nicole picked me up and we drove to Jenna's bridal shower. It was a fun afternoon with great people, yummy food, lots of hats and showering Jenna with love and presents.

This evening I watched a movie outside with some friends. They projected it onto a sheet on the back of the house and it worked perfectly. The night could not have been nicer; no bugs, no rain, not too warm. I had my fill of buttery popcorn goodness, gummy bears and the best peanut butter, dark chocolate wafer cookies from Tr*der Joes. I should plan to never buy them again because I think they have addictive qualities. Oh and we watched the Goonies. When was the last time you saw that movie? There were a lot of parts I had forgotten. There are really some great lines and a lot of things I know I didn't catch as a kid. I always thought it was kind of scary, so maybe I blocked some of it out.

Fun to reminisce, enjoy a summer evening outside and end the day feeling the kind of tired that comes not from having worked hard, stressed out or run a marathon. But the kind of tired that comes from crashing from a gummy bear sugar high.

Now I have to ask myself the question, why did I act on my impulse of productivity earlier today and wash my sheets? Its after midnight, they are in the dryer and I really don't feel like doing anything about it. Maybe I'll need to eat a few more bears.

count your...

2011-08-19T19:25:00.003-08:00

it was a long week and I'm feeling a little zapped, which turns my brain into "all is wrong in the world mode." Which is so not true. So I will look back and remember the good things that happened this week:

1. No traffic on the way into D.C. today.

2. Homemade blueberry pancakes and hazelnut coffee.

3. Rainbows.

4. Babies were adopted.

5. Saw The Help

6. Skype date with the fam.

7. M*t Kearney music.

8. Dark Chocolate Chips

9. Accomplishing a lot at work.

10. Cheeseburger, fries & lots o'ketchup

Long day

2011-08-18T19:26:00.001-08:00

short blog post.

Another Goal

2011-08-17T18:50:00.004-08:00

Its what I do. Set goals. Sometimes I keep them. This one is 2-fold; go to bed earlier and get up earlier. Why? Because I leave the house in a state of panic every day and my poor little heart is stressing out.

Let me break it down for you.

My alarm rings at 7:15, 7:30 and 7:40 and about a million times in between and after until I finally force myself to put my feet on the floor. The alarms are not like a nice little happy bird chirping, oh what a beautiful morning song either. There are 3 different obnoxious alarms, songs, noises and beeps from my phone. Unpleasant doesn't begin to describe them; they grate on my nerves, but I continue to let them blast through my room daily.

Its pure insanity, really. There are no excuses, however I come from a long line of snooze button addicts and it is a hard one to break. I'm 26 years into it and its going to take a true Christmas miracle to break free from this one. Every morning I lose all rational thought and put myself through this tortuous mind game. Why? I don't know.

So you might say its not that unusual to have your alarm go off between 7:15 and 7:40; that's not really THAT long. Well, that is only the beginning. Lets talk about today. I woke up probably around 7:00 am, on my own, to a nice quiet room, no annoying bells screaming at me, but did I get up? Of course not. I waited for the alarms in order to start my day as annoyed as possible.

I proceeded to hit the snooze button on my phone, heard other people moving around the house, high heels clicking up and down the stairs, shower running, people actually getting ready, huh, good idea. Yet, I continued to snooze. I know how much time I have based on who in the house I can tell is leaving. Living with people is weird. I could sit in my room and tell you exactly who is who by just listening.

I'm not sure what finally jarred me to consciousness today, but I bolted out of bed at 8:25. A full hour and 25 minutes after I had initially woken up. This is embarrassing.

Naturally, I kicked it into high gear because 8:22 is typically the last minute I can wake up and still shower, look half way presentable and roll into work by 8:59 am. So what is already as basic of a routine as humanly possible, completed at light speed had to be scaled down yet again.

This is not a game for babies. Here are some of the things I already do:

Clothes are laid out, ready to go.
Glasses cleaned.
Keys in their place.
Earrings near the glasses & keys.
Straightener heating while I'm in the shower.
Shoes & purse near the door.
Breakfast at my desk.

But today I had to cut out 3 more minutes, which included no eyeliner, extra fast shower, drying my hair on high and not 100% dry, straightening it just enough to not look like I had rolled out of bed and continuing to brush my teeth while talking to my mom on the phone.

Now if the 4 minute traffic light by my house isn't timed just right, its over. Do you have any idea how long and how precious 4 minutes are in a routine like this?

I like to think about what a morning could be like....a stroll around the block, a cup of coffee, a little reading, the news on in the background, maybe some music, picking out an extra accessory or two, a balanced breakfast and getting to my desk a few minutes earlier to check my e-mail. Sigh. In my dreams.

Dreams do come true, I hear. Lets hope that someday soon this dream becomes a reality because if I do need to respond quickly to a real emergency some day, my adrenaline is going to be completely tapped out. Depleted, sucked dry by my completely self-imposed cycle of morning insanity.

What do you think? Is tomorrow the day to start replenishing the adrenaline supply and ease into the day like a normal person? I like to think it could happen.

Really?

2011-08-16T18:35:00.004-08:00

I drove a 90-mile round trip trek and picked peaches and blackberries with my own 2 hands and this is how they show their appreciation. BY ROTTING?!?!?!??!

They could have been picked by a mean family or put in a dark scary truck, but no, I carefully hand-picked them one by one. They were chosen, admired and sought after. Precious jewels, really. I took their picture, drove oh so carefully, put them safely on the kitchen counter. Before I know it, I'm scrambling to save the good ones and get the gross ones far away for fear that they will rub off on the ones that are still behaving like they should.

And the blackberries, don't even get me started. They were possessed by the rotting spirit himself. Overnight from perfect gems to fermenting blackberry wine.

So strange really and even more disappointing.

Oh well. The experience was worth more than a few pieces of fruit, but to say this was an unexpected turn to what was a very lovely story would be a serious understatement.

I love making un-dramatic things drip with drama. Maybe its my way of coping with the real drama in life.

Draw the curtain. This scene is over.

While I'd love to...

2011-08-15T18:22:00.002-08:00

share deep, important, life-changing words with you this evening; I just cannot. I even have a really good sermon bouncing around my head from yesterday. And what better way to digest what I've heard than by writing/typing and processing what it means for my life this week?

But my brain feels zapped. The truth is: I. typed. all. day. long. I lived in my inbox today, but it was more like an inroom, for a box would not have been big enough to hold the emails.

So, this is it.

Oh, I got a haircut today.

Good night.

Craft Time

2011-08-14T16:07:00.008-08:00

Here we find ourselves again on Monday Morning Eve, but much to be thankful for from a restful weekend and a lot to look forward to in the week ahead.

One of the things I did this weekend was something I really enjoy, but don't often take the time to do OR will start and not finish: a craft project.

My love for all things crafty goes way back, but I have never felt terribly original and always needed a little inspiration to get me started.

So when I see something fun, I like to take the challenge and figure out how to make my own version of it. So here is what I did.

First, I saw the idea here: http://papercrave.com/paper-wreath-tutorials/ and ran with it. Actually I sat on my bedroom floor and got a back ache.

It is extremely inexpensive to create and didn't take too much time. Both good qualities to note when starting any project.

The only items needed were: (in the most technical of terms)

Flat, wooden circle-purchased at a craft store for $1.99.
Strip of fabric- i have LOTS of this.
Tape- the super clear stuff worked the best.
Scissors-any old pair will do.
Twine-very official way to hang the wreath.
You ready for this one: a phone book. I didn't realize they still even printed these old things, but hey it worked out well for this project. No clue how many pages it took, but I'm pretty sure I could make a thousand more wreaths judging from the size of the phone book that showed up on my front step. P.S. Of course I used the page with my last name on it, even though it wasn't me.

I figured out a way to roll, fold and tape each piece of paper to the wreath in a way that was the perfect width for the circle and filled in the gaps nicely. I can't think of a way to type what I did, so if you'd like to know, just ask and I will show you.

Once I had filled up the circle, I tied the fabric in a bow. I know there are really creative ways to make bows. I just don't happen to know how to do them. So, the old "tie your shoe bow" came in handy.

I also did not have a hook or wreath hanger to properly display the final product on my door. Enter the twine. I tied the twine to the fabric. I left the twine REALLY long, passed it over the top of my door, down the back and tied it to the door knob. Don't judge me. I realize this is completely ridiculous, but I wanted to see my efforts through to the very end. It doesn't look terribly attractive from inside the room, but it did the trick.

I might decide to add a few junkie things that seem to always adorn wreaths, but for now I'm happy with the plain Jane version.

So there you have it. My version of the paper wreath; one of the few projects I have seen through to completion in under 6 months.

Peachy Perfect

2011-08-13T19:17:00.004-08:00

This morning I woke up at 6:20 am. Let me remind you that its Saturday. My light was on, my computer next to me, I had not brushed my teeth, washed my face or "officially" crawled into bed for the night. I had simply face-planted asleep, thankfully my glasses were off this time, and I had not woken up until the wee hours. So, at 6:20 I got up, got ready for bed and then went back to bed, knowing that this was going to squash my goal of getting up at "a decent time." What time is that anyway? My reason for even thinking about what time to wake up was so that I could go peach picking before the predicted thunderstorms set in for the afternoon.

At that hour, I didn't care. I HAD to officially go to bed, so I did. I woke up several hours later thinking, "huh, it could be 8 am or 3 pm, I have no clue." Realizing it was 10-ish; I knew I could still get ready and accomplish my goal for the day, just on a slightly different schedule. Thankfully, I felt more rested and my day had not been completely wasted. whew.

Off I went with my laughing c*w cheese sandwich in hand and my friend GPS leading the way. I love the fact that I can drive just 39 short miles and be in a different world. Every mile was like unwinding another few feet of the knotted up ball in my chest that was saying , "DRIVE, see something, doing something, anything, it's Saturday and you are FREE." The voices. They get a little out of control sometimes. But I listened and got the heck out of town.

Soon I was in a land of wineries, mini-mountains, old churches, falling down mills, farm houses, cows and peach country. I love the drive to this particular orchard; it is a long a stretch of windy gravel roads that are pretty much only wide enough for 1 1/2 cars, which gives the crazy DC drivers some good practice in sharing. Around a few bends and up a pretty steep hill, the orchard appears with its spectacular views.

When you walk up to the entrance, you'd think there was nothing but rows of trees, vines, plants and bushes. But, with each step, the good stuff comes into focus. There are tomatoes, flowers, okra, eggplant, squash, peppers, zucchini, blackberries, and the main event, peaches. Then, the treasure hunting begins.

I think there are 13 rows of different varieties, but honestly I spent most of the time in one row and found plenty to fill my bag. There are so many, but you want to make sure you are picking the ones that are ready, but not too ready, which involves a little searching. Its ok; that's what makes it fun. What enjoyment would there be if the tree just threw them at you? Kind of a scary actually; I'll stick to picking them myself.

I spent close to 2 1/2 hours picking peaches, blackberries, tomatoes, squash and green beans. I promise, I did leave some for you. It gives me a such a better perspective on how much work goes into something we take so for granted and I was only doing the last step in the process. Forget the tilling, planting, weeding and watering. I'm pretty sure I would be fired for the insignificant amount I was able to pick in the time I did, but it is not easy. I was sweating, tired and itchy just from a little walking and carrying one peck of peaches around. Thank you people who do this every day, all day, so that I can stroll through the air-conditioned grocery store and fill up my cart.

You might be wondering why exactly it took my so long. Or, if you know me well, you know exactly why it took me so long. I was in picture taking heaven. I mean seriously, the flowers, the peaches, the dirt paths, old farm equipment, the views, the BERRIES, I just couldn't take it all in fast enough. I don't know why, but I just love this stuff. Maybe because its real. Nothing man-made, artificial, flashy or mass-produced. Its like its straight from the hand of God, himself.

Back to why it took me so long. Let me break it down for you: I took 301 pictures. That's right; more that two per minute. The. whole. time. I. was. there. The only reason I stopped was because my memory card filled up. Or, I'd probably still be there. Or not, I would be scared out of my mind.

As much as I'd love to show you all the pictures, I'd probably shut down blogger. So here is a little peak. Enjoy!

Checking the Brakes...they work.

2011-08-12T19:09:00.008-08:00

All this living in the moment business, I'm exhausted. Turning off the TV, going for walks, reading, folding laundry, answering emails, calling a friend, cleaning the kitchen, eating a bowl of ice cream... In these moments throughout the week, I chose to be there. Not just physically, but mentally. Slowing down and not wishing the time away. It was a good week, but certainly not without its twists and turns. I think it will take a little while for my brain to settle into the new pace and even for my body, emotions, expectations, thoughts and routines to find their new groove. Right now it feels a little like this:

But its all good and I can't expect to be "Miss Living In the Moment Queen of Contentment" in a week, can I? Like anything, it will take practice and soon enough, I will be trotting along in my new found slower pace, living in this moment to learn all it has to teach me. Because who knows, a BIG moment could be just around the corner and I want to be ready!

I ate them.

2011-08-11T17:33:00.005-08:00

My mom and I planted a few flowers and one tomato plant back in May when she was here visiting. They added such a welcoming touch to the front step. I have to admit, I have gotten pretty attached. Someone once told me that the more you give to something, the more you come to love it. Which raises the question, wouldn't giving and giving make me feel as if I was owed something, rather than more loving towards it? Let's see.

It's not like I spent hours on these plants or anything, but as I watered them, clipped them, propped them up, got rid of the dried leaves, swept up their mess, worried about them in the storm and felt really bad for them when they started to look a little neglected, I began to understand this concept a little more.

I know, I know, they are plants. I have not lost my mind and I do have a life, but they are living and they relied on me to keep them alive and I took my responsibility seriously, as every mother should. Now I'm just having fun going over board with it, but stick with me for the sake of illustration.

Oh and it didn't help that I named them. Meet Mater. He was hand-picked from the not-so-local big box greenhouse. He came home in May and settled in nicely to his little terra cotta pot. Early on, it was clear that he didn't know which direction he was headed in life, so he did need a little pruning. He didn't let that set him back, rather, he became all the more determined.

One day, he (who probably should be a she) finally sprouted two little blossoms. I was so proud. Each day, I watched as the blossoms slowly turned into little green tomatoes and eventually to the perfect red. Even in the relentless heat, he never gave up. After a while, I realized that the pot where he lived probably only contained enough nutrients to grow the 2 tomatoes, but that was ok because boy did he pour his heart and soul into it. He learned the lessons of quality versus quantity very early in life and he invested 3 months into making the best 2 tomatoes he could. Thankfully, I was not relying solely on my bountiful garden for my daily sustenance.

Finally, he was ready for his big photo shoot. He blushed a little at all of the compliments, but deep down he knew that this accomplishment should not go unnoticed. He had arrived and the world should know it. Seeing the final product up close through my camera lens, I realized that it was time. I couldn't leave them there too long for fear of some angry bird attacking them or the sun drying them up. So the harvest began. And just like that, it was over.

I knew I had three options. I could set up a stand at the local farmer's market and retire from the profits I would make that day, I could let them sit on my counter and rot, or, heaven forbid, I could eat them. The very thought makes me cringe. These are my pride and joy and the very thought of consuming them sends chills up my spine.

So, the 2 little tomatoes joined the other vegetables in the basket on the kitchen counter. For a couple days they sat there and I looked at them and they looked at me. I just didn't have the heart to crush them. But, every story must have a conclusion, does it not? Finally, tonight in a moment of, "Aimee, you're losing all sense of reality, they are tomatoes, get over it, you have not had a problem eating the ones you buy every week, they were someones children too," and with that, I ate them.

I'd like to say they were the tastiest, juicy, perfectly vine-ripened tomatoes I've ever eaten and that I savored both bites, but I can't say one way or another. It was such a bittersweet ending. There was the mixed emotions of a sense of accomplishment in having spent three months investing in something that I could now enjoy along with the realization that in an instant all that hard work was over.

I cannot let the story of Mater end there. Surely his life was worth more than two bites. The front step will be strangely bare without him, but he did good work, shared all he had and was an inspiration to everyone he met.

He will be missed, but his story lives on. For him, he gave all he had and persevered through the storms and heat had fruit to show for it. For the gardener, she learned that it is true; the more you give to something, the more you love and in that a beautiful cycle begins. Because guess what, the more you give, the more you love and when someone or something is the recipient of that love, their only response will be to do the same in return.

Summer 2011 Bucket List

2011-08-10T15:25:00.003-08:00

Can it be, school is starting already? I'm not even in school and I feel like the kids just had their last day. Summers used to feel so long...morning swimming lessons, afternoon art classes, mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, freeze pops, no shoes, camping, family vacations, running through the sprinkler, swinging, playing, etc...sheesh, those were the days.

So in an attempt to make summer stick around for as long as possible, here are the things I have yet to do before the leaves fall.

1. Picnic...a real picnic, on a blanket

2. Make fruit pizza

3. J*zz in the Sculpture G*rden

4. Visit an Orchard

5. Go canoeing

6. Seriously, how can it be August and this is still on my list? EAT A S'MORE. what a disgrace.

7. Camp one night-oh to be outside on a cool ND evening by a bonfire, mesmerized by the flames, breathing the clean air, gazing at the star-filled sky. I supposed I'll have to settle for a camping in VA adventure, but it'll have to do.

Considering I only have about ONE month, I'm going to have to keep it at 7 for now. Once these are complete, I will welcome fall with open arms and bask in the wonder of the season that doesn't find its self-worth in the number of days in a row it can achieve 97% humidity.

Oh the people watching...

2011-08-09T15:57:00.002-08:00

Why go to the gym? Forget the health benefits, the people-watching opportunities are some of the finest around.

I mean this in the most "I love people's unique qualities," sort of way. I suppose it is good to burn a calorie or two, but every time I go I just have to stop myself from staring, cracking up or shaking my head. When I say, "every time I go," I'm referring to my monthly checking in to see if its still open kind of deal. It does end up being the most expensive activity I do each month, but hey what can I say, I try. Kind of. Does it count that I'm always glad I went?

Here are some of my favorite observations:

1. Man in jeans on the treadmill drinking a coke.

2. One brave guy in a step-class of all women. P.S. I love step class, I really do, but is it not the most ridiculous idea? Jump around, fly over, step on, hop down and step over a plastic bench on risers on a slippery, dusty floor at a rapid pace? I continue to go, but man the possibilities for disaster are countless.

3. The one brave guy in step class rocking out to the song "All the S.i.n.g.l.e Ladies."

4. The girl who brings a 2-liter bottle of diet, generic orange or lemon-lime soda as her workout beverage of choice.

5. The girl who fully believes that step class is the set for her latest music video.

6. Leg warmers.

7. The guy sitting on a weight machine looking in the mirror fixing his hair.

8. Me standing in the GIRL's locker room, turning around and seeing a BOY. The moment of me wondering who is in the wrong place. Him turning around at the speed of light and a collective chuckle from the guys standing nearby and one of them saying, "it happens, man." *note: All people were fully clothed in the making of this awkward moment.

9. People wearing sweatshirts and beanies. In August, in the gym, in Virginia of all places. Seriously, why torture yourself?

10. This isn't so much an observation, but an annoyance. I like a certain spot in the room, so I walk in and put my person and water bottle in that spot to "save it." Where does everybody decide to crowd around, leaving no possible way for me to fit in MY spot? Of course, all around my purse. Apparently there are no saving spots, just be faster I guess.

Well, until next month.

1,529.87 miles too far...

2011-08-08T17:03:00.002-08:00

Sometimes I just want to jump in my car and drive to my house. You might say, "you do, every day." To which I respond, "no, MY house." I feel very at home in Virginia as strange as that sounds and I feel a sense of comfort and familiarity when driving up to the town house I call home, but its not home.

It happens on a quiet evening or a less than overly scheduled weekend when the thought slips into my mind, "...well I could, wait no I can't..." This whole going home once a year at Christmas is just not cutting it. Don't get me wrong, I love a good skype date and a parent or sister visit, but UGH, its just not enough.

There is just something so perfectly right about walking through the front door, melting into a hug, sitting on the comfy familiar chair where I spent hours studying, swiveling in the squeaky stools at the counter, being attacked by cat hair, cooking in a familiar kitchen, sitting at the table and enjoying a meal, sleeping in my room, and just being where I belong.

No two families are alike and not a single one is like mine. Believe me. They are messy, they are kind beyond words, they are spontaneous, they know no stranger, generous beyond measure and as humble as they come. And they are mine. And I miss them.

All of this makes me think about 3 things:

1. I am blessed beyond measure.

2. I take comfort in the fact that God called me to VA to have the privilege of serving Him in a way that gives children the opportunity to know the love of a family of their own.

3. How sweet will our ultimate Home Coming be? If this earth is not our home, yet we feel such a sense of peace, comfort, acceptance and rest in our earthly home, I cannot even begin to imagine what it will be like to enter our Heavenly Father's home. What will that hug feel like or how comfy will His chair be or the table where we will share a meal? Oh, to imagine what is in store!

So for now I take comfort in the fact that I am where He wants me to be and trusting in the fact that I am right at home when I am in the center of His will. I will treasure the visits, soak up the Holidays, get a glimpse on my computer screen and know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me to the ends of the universe and 1,529.87 miles is nothing to Him.

But, one of these days I'm going to act on the impulse and find myself in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and finally North Dakota. Where am I going, you ask? To hug my family.

Living in the Moment

2011-08-07T16:27:00.004-08:00

As always, there are a lot of ideas rattling around in my head, so this might be a little all over the place, but I will try to stay on track. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think its safe to say that most people have a tendency to be looking for whatever is next on the horizon of life. Seeing that next event as the driving force to get them through the day to day. Then, "it" happens and we're back to square one of looking to the next big thing. So, in a way the timeline of life looks more like giant step 1, giant step 2, giant step 3, etc... rather than moment, moment, moment, big moment, moment, moment, moment, little moment, moment moment, moment, sad moment, moment, moment, exciting moment, moment, moment and on and on and on...When we look back on a year and see it as 5 big steps its easy to think "wow that went by so fast; I did this, this and this and poof its over."

We always talk about how quickly time goes by, but in a way aren't we wishing this upon ourselves? When its Monday, we want it to be Wednesday, when its Wednesday, we want Friday and Friday always leads us to another Monday. On a bigger scale, when we're a kid, we just want to be an adult, then to be a college graduate, then to get a job, then we need a vacation, then we want to be married, then to have children, then we need a better job, then for the littles to be out of diapers and through college then to remodel and upgrade then to retire and SCREAM.

If I think of Sunday as the launching pad to get through the week to Friday, my perspective is so much different and I do want to hurry it along, but for what? What is wrong with Monday and Tuesday and Thursday?

Somehow if we could embrace the little, every-day happenings that make up our life, maybe we could put the breaks on life a little bit. Of course we cannot stop the wheels of time from moving forward, but if we freak out when time is going by so fast, why don't we stop wishing it away?

Its Sunday night, I'm glad its Sunday night, tomorrow is Monday and its going to be Monday all day and I will read emails and talk on the phone and eat lunch and drive and go for a walk and read and have a snack and a cup of tea and talk to my family and that will be Monday. There is nothing wrong with that. Yes, it is extremely routine, but that is ok; it is life and life in itself is an incredible miracle to be savored and enjoyed and noticed even in the most un-extravagant days. The fact that we have breath in our lungs and the sun in the sky is enough to ponder and liven up even a Thursday morning.

Think about it, we are God's creation, living in His creation and made to use whatever skills, talents, resources, time and energy to serve Him and honor Him in every single moment of every single day. The God of the Universe created us, loves us and allows us to be a part of His story. He chooses to use us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves that will last for all of eternity. These opportunities can come in the quietest of ways, in the middle of the week when we least expect them.

Of course a big trip, new house, fancier car, higher degree, a big move are all wonderful things, but the big things in life, though they are significant, they pale in number to the every-day moments that prepare us for the big things, hold us through the hard times, encourage us in the dark times and rejoice with us in the happy times. What would we be without these little moments?

I have to slow down, take a deep breath, put on a pair of shoes that have a little grip and walk through these moment, soak them up and let the spotlight hit the little things too.

Is it easy? Absolutely not! Should we just coast through every day with nothing to live for or dream about our get excited about? Please, no. But, can we look this moment square in the eye, search for every ounce of beauty and do our best to not let it get lost in the shadow of a big step?

I hope so.

today

2011-08-06T18:18:00.003-08:00

I
woke up at 9:22 am
which is kinda early considering I was still awake around
2 am,
so I clipped back my hair
threw on a dress
and
started my day.
I love the freedom of going in public
looking like
poo.
The bank teller didn't care or the sweaty farmers market
folks.
I took more pictures of
vegetables,
duh.
guess what?
Farmers Market doesn't just mean veggies.
I bought a
chocolate chip custard
croissant.
It only contained one
pound of
butter.
Then, I came home and attacked the back
yard.
With a weed-
eater.
Its such a pitiful
excuse of a yard. Its only weeds, moss, 3 leaf clovers and
ants.
I'm weak, so my arms got
tired
and
shaky.
It was strangely
satisfying because I never
do physical
labor.
My legs were covered in green specks of
green
fragments of weeds
that hit my legs at about
300 mph.
It only hurt a little, so I didn't find the need to
put
on
pants. I don't like
being sweaty.
A shower never felt
so
good.
Oh, and I discovered Laughing C*w
cheese.
Its so yummy. Why didn't I know about
this stuff
before?
If its fake
cheese,
I will be
sad. Because it is pretty much
my favorite
thing
right now.
Tomorrow,
I will
buy
more.
After the strenuous 45 minute moss eating
adventure.
I was
exhausted.
There is a chair.
In
my house.
It is a
trap.
A nap trap.
2 hours.
At 5:00 I finally
got
ready for the
day.
I went to a concert. It was
good. I wish I
could
sing.
Then I came home
and
ate
more
cheese.
It rained
today
and it was already
humid. Seriously, like wear flippers and bring a snorkel
humid.
So,
when
I went outside,
my glasses
fogged
up.
believe it.
Then I updated project
365. Did
you
know its the
218th day of the
year?
How did that
happen
is
what I'd like to
know.
I saved the best for
last.
Today I read,
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind
has conceived what God has prepared
for those
who
love
Him.
1 Corinthians 2:9
I hope you enjoyed
my
Saturday as
much
as
I
did.

just heading out the door to OKLAHOMA!

2011-08-05T13:55:00.004-08:00

this one:

not this one:

Happy Friday!

My Fingers Ache

2011-08-04T18:40:00.003-08:00

Partly because I type all day long, every day, every week, all month, all year...So they ache because of what I do, but they also ache to do what they have nearly forgotten how to do: play the piano. Most days since 2nd grade my fingers tickled the ivories. Sometimes willingly, other times not, but none the less, it became something I loved.

Playing is an escape, a release, a way to relax and worship and spend time where my soul can sing because lets face it, my voice is not exactly an instrument of loveliness. I love the personalities of each piano I've played. The old upright at the Garrison house where the ivory was literally worn down to the wood. The keys barely had to be touched to play and you could lift the front cover and watch the hammers dance.

Then there is the piano I learned on. It was a regular piano. Very good at what she did, but had a few sticky keys that got on my nerves. We became good friends, especially when she moved into my room.

And the keyboards. They seemed so cool and portable and I saved my dollars to buy one, but they are such a joke. They don't even have all the keys and they just don't measure up. Its like the difference between 70% dark chocolate and a candy necklace. No comparison. None.

Then everyone's dream: a graaaaand piano. They are the real deal. All the other pianos want to be a grand piano when they grow up. They are beautiful and stately and the benches that go with them are even more comfortable. They have to be because you are going to spend hours and hours basking in the glory of every note as it leaps off the string sounding exactly the way it should.

Someday I will have a piano again, maybe I will find someone who will share theirs with me. Or I'll stumble upon a "give away" and adopt him as my own. Until then, I will type, type, type and remember that as the clicking keys create a symphony of their own, my fingers are in training for the day I sit and play for days to catch up for lost time.

Collage Craze

2011-08-03T17:34:00.004-08:00

If you hang out with me long enough; you are going to learn a few things...

1. My main accessory is my camera dangling from my wrist.

2. Once I find something I like, I'm pretty obsessed. Tr*der Joe's mac & cheese, flea and farmer's markets, dark chocolate peanut butter cups, babies and most recently phooootoooo collaaaaaagessssss.

3. Since I'm doing the whole, 1,2 3 list thing I have to have one more. I have a new love for dresses.

Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to some of my new loves.

Green will always be my favorite color...

A Saturday stroll through the farmer's market...

And then there was the small group leader retreat...

walking to the Embassy of Haiti, I was stopped in my tracks...I love the way you can sense his eagerness to learn everything there is to learn from the book he is studying...

and then I got to go to the beach with these beauties and eat puppy chow. all. day.

I like this one because it was my way of staying out of the way when the other girls were trying to feed the persnickety parking meter...i was no help and clearly the 3 of them did not need me, but this bike was a screaming photo op.

I didn't realize until I was looking at all of my pictures, but I had a common theme of "light" all taken within a few minutes at the best little book store in D.C.

such a happy one...

I feel calm just looking at this one. Can you hear the waves?

Oh the colors! You can't make this stuff up.

The End.

Soak it Up

2011-08-02T18:07:00.009-08:00

Sunday morning Sarah and I braved the heat and headed to Eastern M*rket. I'm so glad that she was in charge and got us there by 10 am because it was HOT.

We spent the morning roaming the streets of the market and taking in the music, the artwork and the overflowing stands of fresh produce at its best.

We had a good laugh on the metro on the way. We got in the train and it was like walking into a sauna; for real, the windows were fogging up and everything. Pretty gross. A few stops down the track we decided to run out of the car and into the next because surely we had chosen the only moving sweat lodge. So we bolted out dodging people as they were trying to enter. Logically, I skipped one set of doors and went into the next one ducking in just as the doors were shutting.

As soon as we got in we realized we were in the same car and had simply moved from the back of the car to the front.

There was no mistaking it; A. because it still felt like a green house and B. not every metro car is filled with a troop of Boy Scouts. This was definitely the same car. So we laughed and at the next stop made a mad dash for the next car and it was heavenly.

We stopped at the best little bookstore. I don't think another word could fit in this place. To be honest, if my hips were any wider, I wouldn't have fit. There was no way I could even focus long enough to attempt to find a book, but it was a picture taking fool's dream. I could have stayed there all day, but I was worried that the floor was going to give out so we moved on, but I will be back.

No trip is complete without a stroll through the jewelry section...

and flowers are not just for looking pretty any more. However, the look on Sarah's face when she ate one was enough for me to confirm that even though you CAN eat flowers; you shouldn't. And then we ate lunch, bought veggies and ran all the way to the pool.

Don't Let Mediocrity Win

2011-08-01T17:41:00.002-08:00

Easier said than done, don't you think? I heard a sermon on Sunday as I do most Sundays and as I've thought more about it, I've wondered, "how many sermons have I listened to in my lifetime and what have I done with what I've learned?" If you ask me on Tuesday what the sermon was on Sunday, I sadly would most times only be able to recollect a vague main idea and maybe the book of the Bible from which the Pastor was teaching.

If I am just going to church to "go to church," I am wasting precious truths, time and opportunity to grow closer to God. This is a tragedy. I have the opportunity to freely, safely and publicly attend church and worship the God I love and I'm wasting it. People have died for this freedom and die because they don't have this freedom and I take it lightly as a "pit stop" in my week to be filled up enough to get me by.

Rather than checking church attendance off of a spiritual checklist, I should be asking myself, "how will this truth draw me closer to God this week that I was last week, what needs to change in my life right now in response to this and how can I learn more about this?"

I want to deeply ponder the truth of God's Word that was spoken and to which I am now accountable. Skimming the surface is not enough. We are talking about the God of the Universe and I have less than 100 years to get to know everything there is to know about Him on this side of Heaven. These 100 years are the only years that I can exercise faith in the unseen and to share these truths with others. When I stand face to face with Jesus, I cannot say, "I didn't know this or that." Rather, I will have to say, "that message went into my brain and sat there, but I chose to do nothing to process or apply it to my life. Now I see where I could have been, what I could have learned, who I could have impacted had I used it wisely and I am sorry."

Back to this past Sunday. The Pastor talked about how our lives didn't just get to where they are today with one giant step or a single, sudden event. Where we are is a result of decisions and actions that one by one have brought us to where we are today. The same will be true for the future. Things add up. One cookie; fine. A box of cookies; not so good. A box of cookies every day; you get the picture. So what looks like not that big of a deal, an insignificant decision, skipping quiet time with God, ignoring His voice here and there. These all add up and will have a significant impact when the weight of these decisions is added up.

When I look at the big picture I can think things are all good, no major issues, lets move on. However, I must look at the details of my life, my values, my habits, my time and ask myself how they are adding up. The Pastor said "the battle over who we are becoming is never over." I think this is a hard truth to swallow because I want to make a list, check things off and be done. But I have to learn that this is not how life works.

I must guard my heart, my mind and each decision because these little things every day are adding up to where I'll be next week, next month and in 50 years. I want to invest in what matters, cherish the little things and fully devote myself to loving God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. More than anything, I want to resist the temptation of being distracted or settling for mediocrity. I want to desire knowing Jesus more than any other earthy goal. I want to be intentional with every thought and action so that my life adds up to something that will matter well past my 100 years.

Warming Up...

2011-07-31T19:26:00.002-08:00

because tomorrow I start the 31 day challenge. I love a challenge. Usually it involves:

Not eating something for X number of days: One time I tried not eating dessert for a whole year. I ate other things and gained weight.
Eating something I should be eating, like more vegetables. So far, doing pretty stellar with this one.
Getting up "earlier." I give up.
Taking vitamins: really, how hard is it? Clearly its nearly impossible, because I usually only take them one day in a row. Granny Aimee is going to have a broken hip and wish she would have taken her calcium.
NOT reading blogs: Did this once for one month. I just really like blogs.
Taking a picture every day for a year: in progress, missed one day and I'm still not over it.
Exercising-epic fail.

You get the idea. These are the usual games I play. Aimee against Aimee. Dun dun dun...You win some; you lose some. So, what is up my sleeve this time? Well, remember the whole NOT reading blogs challenge? Probably, because you just read it 15 seconds ago.

I decided that rather than reading about other people's lives and wishing it were mine; I'm going to document MY life. Really, I do love my life; I just also happen to be fascinated by other people's and reading their blogs about crafting and cooking and remodeling and taking pictures and adopting babies...

Why is it so much more fun to read about it on someone else's blog? Darn it, these things all happen in my life too. So, for one month. on. this. blog. I'm documenting my life. Why? Because its the life God has given me and I'm precisely where He wants me to be right now and I might just be missing it because moments, days, weeks seem to be getting away from me. Slippery little buggers these days. Alright kids, buckle up. Distracted Aimee is attempting to focus and its going to be a bumpy ride. Would you like to come along?

4 months

2011-04-16T17:39:00.003-08:00

Dear non-existent blog readers,

I have missed you and I have so much to tell you. It has been four months and I simply do not know how it happened. Where have the days gone? To be honest, it scares me a little. My first year in D.C. was a lifetime of new basically everything. It was full, it was new, it was fun, it was hold on for dear life. And I loved every minute of it. Now enter year two. Don't get me wrong. Its not bad; I just think I'm going through the terrible twos stage. You know the stage; trying to figure out this thing called independence and not quite having the words or skills to successfully express what its like and its just a little uncomfortable. Its the stage where routines, naps, play, vegetables, setting limits, using time-outs and discipline are critical. However after contemplating these highly important factors that will help me become a charming 3 year old; the only response I have is, "NO." I just want to do it MY way. I want my way and I want it now and if I can't, I'm going to throw a tantrum or stand here and not budge.

Right now; I'm choosing the latter. I am sticking my big size 10 feet in the mud and I'm stuck. Because this is not what I thought life was going to look like right now. I'm not trying to be a brat or ungrateful or revert back to a 2 year old, I'm just painfully coming to terms with the reality that there are some things in life that I cannot control and I don't like it. So, I find myself coasting trying to pretend that if I do nothing; time isn't going to pass; I'm not going to age and maybe just maybe I will catch up to where I think I'm supposed to be without losing any time. Cuckoo, I know; bare with me; I'm two.

So, how's this all working for me? Thanks for asking. It's not working at all. I am almost half way through year 2 and I have nothing to show for it. What does this mean? Well, it means that I am human and realize this more than ever. I have had to face situations that I could not handle on my own and stare this reality in. the. face. in order to realize that something must change.

Why couldn't I have learned that I'm not in control; things are not always going to go MY way and that I can't handle life on my own while eating jelly beans and floating in a swimming pool? I wish, but when things are easy; face it; things are easy. It might LOOK like "I've got this," and I can make things go MY way. Knock yourself out; pick out all the pina colada jelly bean and keep floating... control; control; control, but who cares? It takes life's valleys, struggles, questions, really hard days to get us to the place where we can finally see: I can't do this. My seemingly good plans fail. My strength is really, really, really puny. My good ideas are useless. My efforts are weak. My ways are fruitless. Then, in that moment, on the floor, tired, drained, weak, you look up and see a hand reaching out. Its been there the whole time, reaching, nudging, reaching further, but you're blinded. By what? Well; just two letters. One to cover each eye. Can you guess what they are? Letter #1 "m" and letter #2 "e".

In that moment, you wonder, no, I wonder, why did it take me so long? Why did I have to try so hard to prove myself? What is wrong with me? How did I let myself get so blinded by my plans and trying to get to where I thought I should be? But the moment is also so sweet, those gentle, loving hands are still reaching out and one by one they take my fists, and ever so kindly open them up and hold them. Listen; a gentle whisper, not one that fills your ears, but one that fills your soul. It says, "let go." Let go of your ways, your plans and your efforts and let me guide you. Open your fists; I will put in your hands just what you need and take out what you don't. But, they have to be open to do this.

Suddenly, your shoulders drop, the crease in your forehead smoothes, the worries fade and my best friend, my loving Savior, my King; helps me down. Down from where you ask? It was a pedestal. Only big enough for two, size 10 feet. The pedestal was worn out and dirty from the mud. As I climb down, I'm startled by what I see. The pedestal is so small and so limiting. It moves and shifts with every wind and rain. Its slippery and every day I try to hold on to it because its familiar and I think its good. I couldn't see anything else from up there. And He says, "come." With my hand in His; one by one, each foot is lowered off the pedestal and we begin to walk away. Everything if different; lighter; peaceful; how things have changed. So quickly, my perspective is not what it once was and I ask myself; why is it so different down here? I like what is happening and I don't want to go back. But, just to understand where I'd been, I peak back over my shoulder and it all becomes clear. The pedestal that I was standing on. It wasn't a gold, shiny, glittery pedestal like I thought it was. It was very plain and getting a little worn out. It didn't look like this when I was standing on it, but now that I can see it from a distance I realize why it was so shaky and slippery and tiring. It was shaped like those two letters that were blinding each eye. It looked like this: ME.

Finally, I get it. I can do nothing on my own strength. Believe, me. I've tried. Life is stressful and has ups and downs and questions. Things don't go as planned, but that's ok. I'm not saying don't plan and just be all willy nilly. What I am saying is that there is a bigger plan. One that is filled with adventure, spectacular views, quiet moments, humbling hardships and endless opportunities. That life is not found on the pedestal called me. It is, however, found in the life built on the The Cornerstone. An indescribable peace accompanies life walking hand in hand with the one who holds the whole world in His hands. It doesn't mean that life is going to be easy, but when you're off the toppling, turning, shifting, confusing, changing, emotional, controlling self plan and seeking the plans of the Most High God who is working all things for good; there is not a bad plan. When the waves come; He will hold me up. When the wind blows; he will protect me. When the sun blazes; He will shelter me. When the ground shakes; He is immovable. When the distractions tempt me; He will guide me. And so we will walk, hand in hand into a journey of joy, growth, opportunities, learning and serving. The difference; He is first. He leads the way. He provides. I seek Him with all my heart and trust in His limitless wisdom for each step.

I have no doubt that it will be a moment by moment process. Learning to live with an eternal perspective, leaving the me blinders & pedestal behind, striving to live by His strength and praying that I never look back . Each day, as I continue to shake the mud off my feet; my prayer is that my hands will be open and my heart willing to be a part of something bigger than myself. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Ever wonder what you will look like when you grow up?

2010-12-18T16:20:00.004-09:00

I don't.

My mama came to visit me for a whole week! We had such a good time. We had fun, but didn't end the week exhausted. She spent a day museuming, we ate at fun places and even ventured north to Hershey, PA for an Orphan Summit conference. We went to a Persian Kabob restaurant for a belated birthday celebration. It was SO yummy. We were not entirely sure what we were ordering, which always adds an element of adventure. Our waiter was so patient with us and gave us the "oh you're so clueless," smile a couple times while he helped us navigate the menu. We ended up loving everything except a side dish we ordered that we thought was rice with dried fruit and nuts, but it was some other fruity, rose-tasting, something that you mix in the rice. We stuck to the plain rice. Which by the way, this rice should come with a warning label because I don't know what they do to it, but it is strangely addicting. There is some type of yellow spice on top and then you put butter and lemon juice on it. If there were 10 lbs of it sitting in front of you. You wouldn't stop until. it. was. gone. I now call it "crack rice," because just typing about it makes me want to drive across town and order 53 plates of it...with extra butter. OK MOVING ON. Neither of us had ever been to PA, so we took full advantage of the drive to Hershey. We took what we thought was a main highway, but turns out that "highway"in PA doesn't exactly mean 8-lane super freeway for people driving 85 mph. No, it means, "yes this road will get you to where you need to go, but you will truly think you are lost, confused, turned around and just flat our wrong about where you think you need to be." I have never seen such a twisty, curvy, small, turn left at the cows, follow the rusty sign around the bend," kind of road. Allow me to illustrate for you:Just when you think you're on an open stretch, it closes in and you're in the middle of a cute little town going negative miles per hour. Which actually turned out to be a fabulous thing. As we were sitting at a stoplight, I looked to my right and saw, "New Eastern Market." And if you know anything about Aimee brain, you will know that anything off the beaten path that contains a word such as market is something that I will not pass up, so off the un-super highway we turned, right into the parking lot of this place:

We had no idea what we were in for, but, friends, we had stumbled upon a gold mine...

This place was row after row after row of baked goods, veggies, meats, cheeses, jams, crafts, honey, soaps, teas, seafood. The list goes on. We wandered and wandered and looked at everything. We had never seen anything quite like it, but officially loved it. I had the world's most gigantic pumpkin whoopie pie and it was good, but even for me, it was too sweet. I know you're disappointed in me as my sweet tooth is one of my trademarks, but look at the filling in this thing:

To balance it out, I discovered a new, much healthier, food that I had NEVER had anything like. It was a combination of macaroni, rice, lentils, spaghetti noodles, onions and topped with a homemade yummy tomato sauce. I know, it sounds odd and I'd be the first to turn up my nose, but they were handing out samples with such pride that I thought it would be rude to turn it down and it was a pleasant surprise! (its the stuff in the back left with the spoon in it) I will never be able to copy it, but you know I'll try.After all that, we still hadn't arrived at our destination. We were on our way to Hershey, PA and had some time to take in a few of the tourists traps, I mean attractions. It was a little too commercially for me, but it was still fun. I loved the Hershey Kiss street lights and learning about Milton Hershey's love for children and donating his fortune to the Milton Hershey School. We toured Chocolate World and learned about the chocolate making process and of course sampled. It is always intriguing to see the "behind the scenes" of the oh so popular sweet treat. And really, think about it, what would like be like without Reese's Cups. Good job, Hershey.

All that to get us to the reason for our road trip in the first place. We were going for a conference and it was SO good. The weekend was filled with good speakers, music, workshops all focused on becoming more involved with orphan care. The more I learn, the more I want to do and the more I do, the more I want to learn. It is a complicated, messy world, but the solution is simple: help someone in need. It looks different in everyone's life because God has given us each unique gifts, abilities, resources, and ideas but the possibilities for change and hope are limitless and our action or inaction can truly mean the difference between life and death. I hear the phrase, "break my heart for what breaks Yours," but at the conference I heard the next part. We are no good to the hurting when we are walking around with broken hearts. God will break your heart for what breaks His (mine is shattered for babies without mommies and daddies and lonely people and sad people and forgotten people and hungry people...) oh this world. Now that my heart is broken, I pray, "Lord, build my heart back up in a way that brings hope, and ideas and water and food and resources and moms and dads and love to those who are so desperately in need." I have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but the conference was a great encouragement and the starting point for many good things to come! Speaking of mommies. I am so thankful for mine. We had such a good week. She's my bff. I call her at least twice a day and I love her so much. Good thing because I'm officially turning into her : ) We had a great week filled with many mother-daughter adventures!

Year 2: Day 1

2010-11-16T16:20:00.002-09:00

WOW! I can't believe it. I have made it one year in D.C.!!!!!! As I think about the past year, I cannot help but be overwhelmed by God's goodness to me. I am in awe of the way He has directed my steps so carefully and precisely. I am beyond privileged to do the work I do and it is EXACTLY what I have always said I wanted; only I didn't know how to make it happen. I could never have imagined what was in store for me one year ago as I packed up my Honda and drove across the country to begin the journey into so many unknowns.What an adventure to say, "God, my life is yours, I know Your plans are so much greater than mine, use me for your purpose." There is no turning back from these words because believe me...God WILL answer. He put the desire to care for orphans in my heart as a little girl; He lead me to Romania and China and to getting a degree in social work and to a job with foster care and all the way to VA to an amazing adoption agency. Is it always easy? NO. Was it at times stressful? Yes. Did it seem crazy? certainly. Is 100% out of my character? Naturally. Would I have it any other way? Never. I get this sinking feeling when I think about the possibility of having missed it. What if I would have chickened out? What if I would have played it safe? Thank you Lord for saving me from myself and my silly ways. His ways are so much higher than mine and each step was SO clear. SO CLEAR. He didn't just crack the window of possibilty; He FLUNG the door open to certainty and gave me the moment by momeny grace I needed to take the leap into the unknown. I now officially KNOW the leaps into the unknown are the only way to know what you are truly standing on. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that even when I fall and I'm discouraged and stressed; I am standing on the foundation of all foundations and I. WILL. NOT. BE. MOVED. I have learned so much about myself, about God, about life and I'm so excited that I'm exactly where I am supposed to be and at exactly the right time. God provided a church, friends, a small group, housing...just to name the big things. I haven't just met a lot of people; I have made great friends. I have to step back and recognize that I did nothing to orchestrate these details. I could have been paralyzed by home sickness, lonliness, being overwhelmed, having no friends, not finding a church where I felt at home. But, NONE of these things happened. I am so undeserving of such blessing, but oh so thankful. What a good God we serve. As I think about the last 365 days, these words come to mind...

Psalm34
1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. 2 I will glory in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. 3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him. 9 Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing. 10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. 11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, 13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. 14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

What a joy to have a job that is not just "work," but a calling and a calling that is so close to God's heart. I am undeserving, but so thankful to have been adopted by such a loving Father. What an honor to see God's heart for adopting each one of us into His family played out in front of my very eyes each day as loving mommys and daddy's reach out their arms to little ones half way around the world and say "you're mine forever and I want only good for you." Dare I ask...Lord, what is in store for year 2? Yes, indeed. I will ask and watch with great anticipation as today is year 2: day 1.

Pumpkins!

2010-11-13T19:01:00.002-09:00

Oh, Fall. You are like a friend I haven't seen in a long time. You are just too sweet. I feel loved, safe and so comfortable when you come around. Why does cinnamon taste so much better between September and November? I only like the color orange these 3 months. Not to mention the trees putting on their fancy colors. What is it about the sun this time of year? It just makes everything look better. Theres just a sparkly glow that makes me just want to pinch your cute cheeks. My small group girls got together for some pumpkin carving fun and began with this...

imaginations at work...
and the final products. This was about the 10th attempt at a picture, but it worked eventually.

Then, Nicole and I took a little convertible drive west on 66 to see some pretty fall colors...

such a beautiful day!

Fall Retreat

2010-11-13T18:31:00.002-09:00

I have a love/hate relationship with retreats. I love leaving the hustle and bustle of every day life, being surrounded by God's beautiful creation, the break from technology and distractions of life and having time to just "be." Its amazing how clear God's voice is on these "weekends away." If I could bottle and sell the peacefullness of a weekend, mountain retreat with God, I would be a very rich person. I like knowing that even today, in 2010, it is possible to be still and quiet and that we don't NEED to be plugged in 24/7. I love knowing that its possible, BUT I hate the disconnect that seems to happen 30 seconds after you drive away from a weekend completley devoted to hearing from God. Shouldn't I devote every second of everyday to turning my mind, eyes, and thoughts, towards Him? I have all these brilliant ideas and a-ha moments and run-ins with things I need to change, priorities I need to shift, things to give to God and then the weekend is over and the steam roller of life flattens me faster than I can say, Amen and again I'm deflated, running like a crazy hamster on the 24 hour wheel. I WANT TO GET OFF THE WHEEL. I want to connect the beauty of God's truth from the quietness of a moment gazing at a mountain lake with the stress of a bad day. I don't believe God is any less present in these 2 scenarios; I'm just so much less aware. His pefection, truth and beauty doesn't change because the scenery does. I want to use a weekend away as a time to run closer to God and stay there, rather than just a "coming up for air" mentality that seems to in no way relate to real life. My house will have a porch with rocking chairs some day.

S'more Night

2010-11-13T18:21:00.002-09:00

I almost went an entire summer without a s'more. How can this be, you ask? I have no idea. It nearly did and I was not about to let it happen. So, what's a girl to do in a big city where starting fires of any kind is frowned upon? Well, when all else fails get the roomies around the kitchen table, bust out a tea light, a skewer, crackers and chocolate and TA-DAAA...you have a s'more party. Now if you were ever wondering how to round out a s'more and make it a full meal, you just add apples, cheese and wine. Fun was had by all.

Sometimes I say, "huh?!?!" to myself....

2010-11-13T18:03:00.004-09:00

My first year in VA has been FILLED with new experiences. Most good; some I could have lived without. This may have been one of them. This Green Giant road to work with me one morning. Do I love that he looks like a leaf, of course. Do I wonder what his purpose on earth involves, besides looking leafie? Yes. Do I love God's creativity? Most certainly.

Part of my job involves driving documents into D.C. Typically, these mornings are filled with crazy traffic, lots of documents, walking, parking spot scavenger hunts and the satisfaction of having the mission completed by 10:19 am (my personal best). On one of these mornings, I was at a stop sign minding my own business when this man, on a bike, with no shirt zipped in front of me...I was not ready for this. I guess he didn't actually "zip" past me if I had the time to get my camera and take a picture. This was a moment that I think I said...huh...outloud, to myself. I'm sure he's a nice man and all. He should just wear a shirt. And be more careful.

NYC

2010-11-13T17:47:00.002-09:00

In September, six of my fav girls took the double-decker mega bus of terror to NYC for the weekend. Our main event was the Great Urban Race. 12 Clues kept us busy searching the streets of NYC for about 5 hours. I had never done anything quite like it. It was a lot of fun, but we were beat by the end! We also saw Next To Normal on Broadway. Talent=amazing. Story=super sad. I felt like someone had chewed on my heart by the end. It was a fun little weekend away!Magnolia Bakery...no trip to NYC is complete without a stop at Magnolia's. Lets be real, no day is complete without a stop at a bakery.

Can I just say how much I love the Amy on the right? She makes my heart happy. She likes dessert as much as I do.Oh, NYC, you make me tired. You make DC look like a sleeply little town.

A BERRY Peachy Day

2010-10-15T18:13:00.002-08:00

Basically, I haven't blogged in a LONG time. Which makes me sad because I want to have an ongoing journal of the memories of my first year in VA. I will try to catch up and keep up. One of my favorite VA experiences has been my afternoon at a peach orchard. I went on a whim one day this summer-just me and my friend Nikon. I have learned to embrace and enjoy an afternoon to myself. It was a beautiful day, a nice drive away from the city and a perfect time enjoying the beauty of God's creation. When you get so used to having any and all types of food/fruit at your fingertips at the grocery store, you tend to forget that it came from a seed. in the ground. that was watered. and cared for. and sunshined. and pruned. and amazingly this delicious fruit seemily appears on the vines and branches and its spectacular. I can't help but think of the fruit of the Spirit when I am picking FRUIT. After all the sweat, labor, time, energy...the reward...the good stuff is the FRUIT. Its so pure and healthy and you just want MORE. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Self Control. Aren't these just sweet to say? Savor them. Say them one by one and let them sit for a minute. The fruit doesn't just happen, its a process and isn't always easy, but its oh so worth it. Look at these blackberries, so they not look like little jewels?How about the raspberries? They struggled a little this year; they needed more rain. It was dry. I guess its the same with us and our spiritual fruit.

I love this "floating" peach. It was hanging by a single branch. Its quite puzzling if you really think about it. I love God's handiwork.

The FRUIT of my labor. I walked up and down the rows of trees picking out just the ones I wanted. Several varieties to choose from and all SO yummy....I could have stayed all day!

The trees were heavy with beautiful fruit. I hope my life looks the same way.

Summer In Review

2010-08-13T17:40:00.005-08:00

Summer is slipping by! I don't how it happened. One minute I was digging myself out of the biggest blizzard in recent D.C. history and the next minute I am seeing kids go back to school (and last I heard that was kind of a Fallish sort of thing). I think I know what makes summer not feel so summery: WORK. Oh the days of 3 months of summer vacation. When you're 7 years old, 3 months is an eternity. It is an endless stream of swimming lessons, macaroni and cheese and freeze pops. Life is gooood. Not that life is bad now, its just that summer takes a little more of a conscious effort to soak it in before it slips away. Somehow I have managed to skip over some blog-worthy summertime events. I'm going to do a little catching up.

So apparently wine is a big thing. I know absolutley nothing about it, only that the more expensive it is the more it tastes like turpentine. Pink, fruity, bubbly? Yes, please. I am sure this is blasphemous to a true wine connoisseur. I don't know the rules or the terminology or really anything for that matter. HOWEVER. I do love hanging out with people, away from the hustle and bustle of D.C., surrounded by beautiful scenery, enjoying a picnic, tasting a sip or 2 of this beloved grape beverage, strolling the gravel roads weaving around the vineyard, watching an outdoor movie and gazing at the stars...And, can you believe all this can be found one hour away from the manic traffic-infested crazy life? Everyone brought something to contribute to our picnic and it was delicious!

I like shadow pictures...I couldn't ask for a better group of friends! I am so thankful...

Despite my lack of knowledge of all things wine, I won't pass up the opportunity to take a fun picture...

Moving on...
What is summer without the 4th of July? I dont' know either. So, if you're going to celebrate our country's birthday, where better to do that than Washington D.C.? The weekend couldn't have started off any better! Amy and I spent the morning at Eastern Market enjoying delicious pancakes, taking in the sights and sounds of the market and mostly enjoying each other's company. In order to get a reallly good spot to watch the fireworks, several friends and I decided camping out for about 7 hours prior to the show should ensure a good view. Turns out we were correct. We lugged a tent, sleeping bags, coolers, games, blankets, food, YOU NAME IT and we had it. We, however did not have the luxury of parking near our Lincoln Memorial Campsite. We parked pretty close to 100 miles away, oh and it was about 137 degrees. We spent the next 7 hours recovering in the shade, eating, relaxing, playing games and people watching, of course. My favorite was an elderly couple sitting near by, chatting, having a picnic. It was so cute... Sarah and I spent the day with in about 6 inches of each other chillin out on the blanket, the only time we moved was for more powerade or to follow the shade. It was splendid.

The fireworks were truly amazing. I was kind of in shock and felt like I couldn't sufficiently take it in. The fact that I was outside in the blazing heat for HOURS and that I had had been in the same place all day waiting for this very event may have contributed to my senses being slightly dull. We were really close to where they were shooting them off, so we felt and heard each explosion as if it were being lit right under us.
Ka.BOOM.

Soak up these last days of summer...

Weekend at the Beach

2010-07-07T16:49:00.005-08:00

One Saturday morning, 4 girls woke up VERRRRY early (4 am early) and began a weekend adventure to the beach. We not only beat the sunrise, but avoided traffic. We zipped across the Bay Bridge...and made it to beautiful Bethany beach by 9 am. The weather was perfect. The sand so soft and the waves...well...lets just say I'm not exactly ocean savvy yet. When others dive into the wave to avoid being knocked over, I turn my back to it as it crashes over me. Eventually I figured it out, but it took me about a million tries.We spent the evening at the boardwalk, listening to music, eating ice cream and enjoying the cool ocean breeze.

It is amazing to think that in only 3 hours, I can be here. On the beach. I'm not used to there being any ocean views less than 30 hours away. I think I can get used to this. Quickly.

I am not a fan of seafood, but I think Jenna had plenty for all of us!

Great friends, beautiful beach and a much needed weekend away...

Farmer's Market

2010-07-07T15:39:00.002-08:00

I think a person officially becomes a grown up when it is fun to go to the farmer's market. Somewhere along the line, I have made the transition from ewwww, gross, I don't like vegetables to oh my goodness this is so yummy. Not sure how it happens, but not only do I love to eat yummy fresh veggies, but have also developed an appreciation for a locally grown, vine-ripened, perfectly ripe, deliciously red tomoato as opposed to the nasty grainy pathetic sickly barely colored tomatoes you often find hiding in a sandwich. Can't you just hear the tomato say, "I am a real tomato and someone worked really hard to plant, water and pick me to make me this pretty and yummy and I was grown just a few miles away and got to stay on the vine until this morning when I was picked to come here." I know you've always wondered what a tomato was thinking. So, I am perfectly content to spend a Saturday morning browsing the farmer's market, taking some pictures, and finding a few delicious treasures along the way.

Random Saturday Ramblings...

2010-06-12T18:13:00.003-08:00

Sleeping in makes
me very
happy.
Sitting at the pool does too.
I have been to
the pool more
in the last 3 weeks in VA
than I have in the last
three years in ND.
Today I bought
a floating papasan chair.
Yes, they exist.
and I cannot wait until
I am mindlessly floating in
it
tomorrow.
because that is what I do now.
I go to the pool twice a week.
because I can.
I also bought a blue fun noodle
and a greeeeen one because
they are only
$1.99.
My pink floating papsan was not $1.99, but
I don't care.
Red grapes are really yummy and
I love string cheese and Target.
My legs are really
white and I'm starting
to not care.
I said, "Oh Hurry Honey,"
when I was driving and saw
a little round lady runing to the bus
stop. She made it.
Pomegranate popsicles are
super summery and I always want to eat
two.
I don't like eating by myself because I feel like I got in
trouble at school. Not that I ever got in trouble
at school,
but I felt bad for the kids who did
who had to eat in the office. alone.
Some lessons can only be learned
by living with
five
girls.
trust me.
Sunshine makes me feel like I'm drugged
and I swam a lot of laps today.
but I kind of
cheated
because I put my feet down a few times.
There is a lot of clean
and
dirty
laundry on my floor and its been there for a week.
I love babies
and always see a million
of them at Target.
I always want to buy baby stuff.
but I do not have a baby.
I got a package in the mail today and
it made me happy.
If I make puppy chow
I don't stop eating it until
its gone.
Then I feel guilty and fat.
I hate carrots. I also
can't believe I live in Virginia
and how much I love it.
There is SPF 110. Is that
really
necessary?
I saw a mansion today
and I kind of
wanted it, but
I'd feel too bad owning something
so expensive, but
it was a
real mansion.
I'm not kidding.
I love the new Cooking Channel and
I really wish
I could buy two things here.
1. Canned Pumpkin.
I'm sorry, but that is NOT a seasonal item.
I am irritated that it is not easily found here.
because I love pumpkin muffins and pancakes
but I can't find it.
2. GREEN enchilada sauce. Why
don't they
sell
that here? Its silly. I don't want RED sauce.
I like green and its no where to be found.
I never go to the gym any more
kind of because
its ugly, depressing
and stinky,
but kind of because I'm lazy
and if I just eat
less
I don't
have
to go. Even though
I'm flabby and losing muscle
by the day.
I don't like this gym.
but I like
swimming.
So that's my excuse.
I ate cookie dough ice cream last night.
twice.
I talk to my mom at least twice a
day.
I wish I would get my butt out
of bed in the
mornings so I wasn't
so
rushed
every
day.
Good thing I don't have
a commute.
I wouldn't be able to live
here if I had
to sit it traffic for
3 hours
every day.
I'm overwhelmed by
God's blessings and His
perfect timing in life.
I am trying to learn to be
more patient and care more about
things that
really
matter.
I want to ban myself from
facebook and read more.
pray more.
Complain less.
Eat more vegetables
and really
love
people
well.
I'm going to church
tomorrow.
night.
weird huh?
5:30 pm.
I'm happy that the dating
series at church is over.
ugh.
Please stop reminding me I'm single.
I know.
I'm not bitter, but
I
am
25.
But that's ok because nothing is
impossible.
And
if
I was supposed to be married right now.
I would be.
But I'm glad that series is over.
The road construction by my house
will be complete early
2013.
great. The orange cones are a nice
touch.
I think I should go to bed.
or fold my laundry.
I left the house in leggings today.
for the first time
since I was
6.
I like them.
They are comfy
and I feel like I'm in
PJ's and I happen to love
PJ's and PB &J's.
I like blogging, even though.
no
one
reads
it.
I think its fun. I want to go to
Africa. If you know me, you will
know
why.
Time for bed lunch.
my family invented that term.
I happen to
love it.
Now I'm done.
Peace out.

Cheyenne's Graduation!

2010-06-12T17:06:00.006-08:00

There's no place like home. Really. There's not. There is no way to duplicate the feeling of going back to the place that you've spent your entire life minus 7 months. It feels safe, comfortable and more than familiar. I love the feeling of getting off the airplane and being met by some familiar faces (or in my case, familar face, my dear Katie was there to greet me as the rest of the family was scrambling about folding towels and such : ) I love my family. As we headed out, 2 happy faces were downstairs to greet me and oh my goodness, my little Hudson, is not so little any more! He has grown so much and is the cutest baby in the world! He is SUPER smart and has such a fun personality and he's only 8 months old...I officially spoiled him rotten. Why would I pass up the opportunity to hold a baby for his entire nap? Seriously. It was a great weekend at home and the main even was Cheyenne's graduation. So proud of her! Now its off to college, driving a mini van, and entering the working world! AND, being a mama...she'd a busy girl! I was able to fit in many of the ND musts, such as Fleishkekla, knoefla soup, DQ and a sunset, Thursday night Bible study, catching up with friends and family. I also enjoyed the slow, quiet pace of ND AND the open sky. I forgot how much the trees and hills in VA block the view of the sky. I guess that's the price you pay when there are more than 3 trees per square mile. It was a nice break to have a few days off of work and soak up some time with my family : )

It was also really fun to see my birthday buddy, Barrett. She has become a little girl all of the sudden and quite resourceful I must add. She slid a cooler over to the cake to use as a stool and DUG in. THAT IS MY GIRL!

We spent an hour and half in the car making every silly face in the book. I had go share the classic.
ND. is. beautiful. These sunsets along with a chocolate dipped cone from DQ are priceless.

My Fried's buddies. Wish I could have spent more time, but we fit in the most important stop. I love these girls and I love German food : )

And to top it all off: A Classic ND site. I will always love ND!

The Rents

2010-06-12T16:08:00.005-08:00

My parents spent 5 days here in May, which means I'm exacly 6 weeks behind in updating my blog-life. However, this is post that I must not skip. I LOVE my parents more than I can express in a few sentences on a blog. I loved having them hear and showing them around my "life in Virginia." Its nice to know that they can now picture a few of the places/people I talk their ears off about. We had a great time and spent some good quality time together. We tried to find the balance of seeing a few things without being exhausted by the end of the day, so here is a little overview of our weekend. I'm SOOOO happy they came and want them to come again SOON! One of my favorite places is Old Town Alexandria. We took a walk and relaxed by the water...
Went to Eastern Market for brunch and had the famous "Blue Bucks," which are blueberry buckwheat pancakes and they really were worth the 45 minute wait in line. I think it is also the atmosphere that makes me love them so much, OH and that I was with my mom and dad of course...
No trip to D.C is complete without a little "oh my goodness my feet hurt so bad," walk to a few of the monuments and sites...

ND is a bit lacking in the food diversity department, so we had to have a few different things, including sushi:

My poor dad had to endure a lot of window-shopping, museum wandering and art-gallery gazing, so I thought he'd appreciate something a little more, "manly." The best I could do was taking him to Great Falls Park to check out the GREAT Falls and enjoy the outdoors and of course a picnic!

Thanks for visiting, Mom and Dad. Come again. Soon. Please. Love you!

America Needs...

2010-05-23T17:59:00.004-08:00

To have more tea parties.Need I say more?

Simplicity. Hospitality. Justice.

2010-05-23T17:13:00.005-08:00

I spent am amazing weekend in March at a conference at The Falls Church. So many amazing things to think about and evaluate in life. When I hear people talk about ways that they are living lives of complete surrender and passion for Christ, I am always so inspired to change a million things in my life ALL AT ONCE of course, because after a weekend of inspiration, anything is possible, right? Although my expectations may be a bit unrealistic, it was a wonderful weekend. A few of the topics included, the ministry of "presence," simply being with others and experiencing the joy of simply being there for someone, using everything God has given us to its full potential for His glory and worshipping God not to create emotion for us to "feel" a certain way, but to remember what Christ has done for us. Now I need a weekend to process all of the information and learn how to take "good ideas" from a good idea to something that I can tangibly change in my life.

Val & I also had a yummy supper of White Pizza & Custard. This pizza may not look like anything to write home about, but let me tell you, it is YUMMY. No sauce. Just Cheese. I thought I didn't like ricotta cheese, but this stuff was gooood. And the custard...yummy : ) And then there was the Jars of Clay concert. Fun. Yes. However. Sometimes. After. 15. Years. The. Moves. Are. Just. Not. The. Same.

Buddy Calli

2010-05-13T18:10:00.004-08:00

Good times! I am sooo thankful that Calli took the time to come all the way to D.C. for a weekend to visit! We saw many D.C. sights in a short weekend and it was great to be able to show her around my new "world." It is so strange to think that I live here, not in ND, and people from ND come visit me here and they go back to ND and I stay here...so odd. We spent about 90% of the time WALKING, as I have yet to overcome my challenges with following maps and developing a sense of direction. We actually walked from Virginia to D.C.-that part was on purpose because we wanted to walk over the Key Bridge into Georgetown, however, the day ended up being about a 6 mile journey. Brought to you by yours truly. We spent a little time at the Japanese Street festival. I was enthralled by watching them cook mountains of noodles and vegetables in their swimming pool sized woks. There were SO many people it was hard to see much of what was happening. We also saw several monuments and I wanted to take her to The Good Stuff Eatery because it is simply delicious and everyone needs to go there. Amazing hamburgers, shakes (made with homemade custard) and hand cut fries tossed in fresh herbs. Yum. So, that was our goal and motivation for walking 7 million miles. We did take a little metro ride to give our tootsies a break, BUT I got confused by silly Pennsylvania Avenue being a sneaky little bugger and being split in 2 and I didn't realize it, so I made us walk REALLY far in the wrong direction, only to turn around and walk about 3 blocks from the metro stop we were at in the first place. Oops. AND THEN, we ordered our food and Calli didn't get her hamburger. That was not acceptable. So, I budged, told the girl we ordered 2 hamburgers and only got one. She was nice, gave me the rest of our order and I pretended everyone in line didn't hate me. So we enjoyed every last calorie without an ounce of guilt, knowing we had already burned them off!

The 6 mile journey...

A b.e.a.utiful day in D.C...
SUPER tall Calli...

A photo opportunity must in D.C.

Brunch and a walk in Old Town Alexandria. I will never get tired of going there. It's just so relaxing and they have cupcakes in every other store and the walk is pretty and the water is relaxing and I just like it!Calli took on the challenge of photographing every tulip in D.C. and I belive she was successful! I'm so glad they were in perfect bloom for my tulip-loving friend! What a happy weekend filled with good times, a good long walk, great time to catch up and having a little piece of home come to me was such a treat...thank you for coming!

Easter in D.C

2010-05-13T17:26:00.003-08:00

Easter morning, I got up VERY early, 4:45 am early, and Val & I drove into D.C for an Easter Sunrise service. It. was. amazing. I cannot put it into words. It was on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial and it was beautiful. It felt like the middle of the night when we got there (maybe because it kind of was), but as the service went on, the sun peaked over the horizon behind the Washington Monument. As we sang..."he rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave..."we celebrated our amazing Risen Savior while witnessing a breathtaking scene unfold before our very eyes. I felt like I was getting a glimpse of heaven and seeing a visual picture of the Easter story; life changing from the darkness of sin and death and being transformed by the Light of Christ into a beautiful glorious hope!!!

Cherry Blossom Festival

2010-04-21T16:48:00.003-08:00

D.C. is not only famous for its many sites and historical landmarks, but also the amazingly beautiful Japanese Cherry Blossom trees that make their short appearance every year. I now understand why thousands from around the world take there chances and try to get to the area at just the right time to take it all in. I spent a couple days with 581,923 of my closest friends crammed into the metro to get downtown, strolling around the Tidal Basin and stopping traffic to get just the right shot of the truly spectacular scenery. 14 solid days mark the Cherry Blossom Festival and are filled with concerts, a parade, all sorts of cherry-flavored drinks and snacks, fireworks and probably the most popular activity: taking pictures!

We spent the day camping out, waiting for the festival fireworks to begin. We watched intently as the time drew closer. Our eyes were fixed above the Jefferson memorial for what seemed to be forever. Finally, we heard the first BOOM, but saw nothing. Soon, a stampede of people began making their way to where the fireworks could actually be seen. We had been slightly off in our interpretation of NE, NW, SE, SW, whatever it was, and we could kind of see a few flashes of the fireworks way off in the distance through all of the trees. Oh well, it was a day well spent, especially since I was able to teach my D.C. friends how to play Farkle! Oh, how I have missed you, old friend.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-21T16:21:00.005-08:00

Kite Festival

2010-04-13T15:47:00.004-08:00

Claire, Alfonso, Sarah and I spent the afternoon in D.C. at the Kite Festival. Tons of people were out enjoying the day. We packed a picnic and relaxed and learned all about kite flying...from making a fancy kite out of paper and tape with a lot of 5 year olds to watching people compete in kite trick competitions. I had no idea there was such a thing, but it was fun to watch!I really like the colorful one...it looked like a silk carpet floating in the sky.

And then there was the Nemo Kite. It was HUGE! I didn't know they made such complex kites. It was pretty impressive!

Pottery Painting

2010-04-01T16:45:00.003-08:00

Last Friday, my small group spent the evening eating very yummy appetizers, chatting and painting pottery. It was a fun, relaxing evening...once we finally got there. The directions were not difficult and we had a GPS, but Sarah and I seemed to have a few issues finding exactly where we needed to be! The pottery place was in a cute little downtown area in Fairfax with fun shops and restaurants. We had a great time and I am SO thankful for my amazing small group. A few months ago, NONE of us knew each other and by simply signing up for a small group, God put together 10 people, who I know consider great friends! Everyone was very deep in thought creating their masterpieces!All of my "Aimee colors!" I am curious to see what it looks like once its been fired. It was a great evening to do something new and spend time with mi amigas!

Sushi 101

2010-03-28T16:42:00.003-08:00

Good afternoon, class. Welcome to, " I thought I didn't like sushi, but I do." Sushi is every where and people love it, but I was skeptical. I don't like creepy crawly fishy anything, yet alone RAW creepy crawly things, so I thought it was best to avoid sushi all together, just to be safe. However, I do like to try new things, so in an attempt to cross the Sushi divide, I decided to start small with rolls that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt contained ONLY vegetables. And now I am hooked. Its one of those things that you can eat SO much of and you don't really realize it because lets face it, its just a little rice and veggies wrapped up in a cute little roll. When I have something yummy, my next thought is always, "I need to make this." So I went to a Japanese grocery store, stocked up on supplies, watched a lot of how to videos on you tube and tried my hand at it. Here is what I have learned so far...

Sushi does not always = raw fish.
Paper made out of seaweed sounds yucky, but its not.

Sticky rice is not just a name, it is VERY S.T.I.C.K.Y. A mixture of rice vinegar and sugar poured over the hot rice makes it like GLUE!Avacado, cream cheese, red pepper and cucumber is a superb combination!

Here is the final product from my first attempt. I learned that I need a better knife and to practice rolling them a bit tighter, but for the first try, I was quite satisfied and they tasted wonderful!

Its very helpful to dip your hands in cold water and keep the knife wet when you are cutting them...oh and buy your supplies at an Asian grocery store because they are much cheaper than what you'd find at a chain supermarket. Finally, have fun and enjoy : )

For the beauty of the Earth...

2010-03-19T17:51:00.005-08:00

I officially love spring! I realized that I have never truly understood what Spring is as its own unique season; complete with SEVERAL consecutive days of shear beauty. To me, it was a day on the calendar to chuckle at as we looked out the window at mounds of snow and freezing temperatures. Other than the slow agonizing crawl to the exit of the deep freeze of winter, marked by a few hit and miss days of sunshine and melting snow, spring never really stood out as a period of time to be noticed. Once a ND winter finally says, "see you in a couple months," you blink and there's leaves on trees, the grass is green and then its 95 degrees. Over the past few weeks in VA, I have seen Spring in a whole new light. First, I shake my head every time I hear people say, "its FINALLY getting nice out." FINALLY, really? I just smile and let them think they just survived a really long winter. HA! If they only knew. Granted, there was a RIDICULOUS amount of snow here this year, but to me it seemed to come and go relatively quickly. But now that spring is here, the temperature has been in the 60's, the sky without a cloud and the sun shining like like she's wearing new shoes. Or is the sun a boy? I don't know. He can shine with new shoes too.(in the picture above, if you use your imagination, it looks like the leaf is hugging the tulip...awwww they missed each other...) I feel like a kid with a new game or something. I don't want to miss anything, so I have gotten in the habit of going for a walk after work and soaking up every bit of it. My mind feels clearer, my mood much merrier and the fresh, clean air is like a trip to the mountains. I have found myself stopping dead in my tracks as I see a completely knew type of tree or bird or plant that is just so beautiful. There is so much to take in and its fun to pay attention to the progress each day. My favorite things so far have been the birds chirping up a storm; they are not just chirping a silly song, they are a full blown gospel choir letting everyone know its a good day! I also love watching everything poke out of the ground, there are tons of tulips coming up here and there and I've seen several trees that don't have leaves, but they have the most beautiful flowers about to bloom. breathe. AND THEN people are out side jogging and riding bike in shorts and tank tops and kids are playing, people cleaning up their lawns, the high school is selling mulch...haven't quite figured that out yet, but hey if it means spring is here, I'll go with it. I cannot watch all of nature spontaneously bursting with new life without reflecting and remember that it is not spontaneous at all. Each new creation has a Creator and His attention to detail and beauty is unmatched.

Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. Psalm 96: 1-3

Simply Saturday

2010-03-18T16:17:00.003-08:00

Sometimes I don't mind a rainy day. It seems like life slows down a bit, the air smells so good and everything outside gets a shower. Last Saturday, I made the most of the rainy day. Umbrella in hand, I started the day with breakfast at the Original Pancake House with the lady I lived with when I first moved here. She is one of those people that you instantly feel comfortable with, conversation is easy and there's always a good laugh. Having started the day with a warm yummy breakfast, I figured I was as prepared as I could be to conquer the world's most confusing intersection: 7 corners. It is so wrong on so many different levels, but I think God put it between me and Target for a reason. I love Target, but I have only been their a few times since I've lived here; simply because I get lost and confused every time I try to go. 7 corners. It is just asking for people to get confused and angry with each other because there is no rhyme or reason to it,so I think people try to get through it fast as humanly possible and pretend they are on a super highway and drive at ridicoulous speeds-making it not only incredibly poorly designed, but highly dangerous. Every time I try to navigate through it, I chose the wrong road because my GPS says, veer left, no stay left, no turn left, no merge left... and I would always go the wrong way BECAUSE the right way to go is going down what looks like going down a one way the wrong way. So, with less traffic and good breakfast and my GPS broken, I thought I'd give it a try...SO oddly enough, I made it! I think I finally have it figured out: whatever seems like the most illogical direction, pick that one. Since I am at Target so rarely, I proceeded to spend 2 hours there making up for many a lost Target trips. The most exciting purchases were a pink hoodie, window crayons and marshmallow bunnies. 3 very highly necessary items for sure....actually they were the prize for winning 7 corners! On my way home, I stopped to get a decaf coffee with A LOT of creamer...there is no other way to drink coffee and then I went to a spice store. Why, you ask? Well, why not? I love to cook and there are so many unique stores here I thought it would be fun to check it out...so I did and I stayed for an hour. It was amazing. There were so many fun things to look at; I had no idea there were so many varieties of peppercorns and cinnamon and high fat cocoa and that coriander and cilantro leaves come from the same plant. Fascinating! My afternoon was complete with a nap and quiet afternoon at home. Saturday night, the roomies and I ventured into D.C. to Nooshi. I was puzzled by the name and it didn't dawn on me until I was laying in bed that night, but its called Nooshi; Noodles and Sushi. DUH! Its just the 2 words squished together. It was a great place, very young, modern, trendy and very yummy Asian food of all kinds. I decided to be brave and try sushi. I am not ready for the raw fish varieties, but I had avocado, mixed veggie and cucumber rolls. It was so yummy. I finished the first 9 pieces and order 6 more. They were small and it was my meal AND a little rice and veggies wrapped in seaweed isn't going to kill anyone. I was so inspired that I went to a Japanese grocery store and bought all the supplies to make my own! That was an experience in itself. I recognized probably 5 items in the entire store. There were 5o kinds of soy sauce and tons of varieties of rice and giant bags of dried seaweed and rows of whole fish on ice and tanks of swimming fish and I couldn't read a single label, so I eventually left with 10 items that I BELIEVE will be useful in my sushi-making endeavors. So, another weekend in D.C...so many adventures to be had...even if its as simple as going to Target or shopping at a Japanese grocery store. I love the new experiences and I'm taking it all in!

GREAT Falls

2010-03-10T16:44:00.003-09:00

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. -Romans 1:20Sunday I spent the afternoon OUTSIDE and soaking up the amazing weather. It was a gorgeous, sunny, blue-sky day. The day had that wonderful, hopeful feeling that spring is coming. Everything is ugly, dirty, salty and dreary looking, BUT there are signs of spring poking out here and there. I've seen some tulips making their debut and it makes me smile. It was great to get fresh air and soak up some sun. Great Falls Park is such a hidden treasure. I can go a few miles in one direction and see "city life" and monuments, but a few miles in the other direction, exit off the crazy highway and in minutes be on a peaceful, winding road through lots of trees and beautiful scenery. Its also fun to check out some pretty incredible houses along the way! Its fun to experience all the sites of a big city, but there is nothing quite like the sites of God's amazing creation! Sarah and I spent the afternoon exploring Great Falls Park, enjoying a picnic and hiking the trails along the water. I love listening to rushing water; there is something very calming and mesmerizing about it. Its amazing that hour after hour, day after day, year after year, THOUSANDS of gallons of water can just keep pouring through. Its hard to comprehend. Its very peaceful and calming, but so powerful and strong. Such a good reminder of God's character. He truly does display himself through nature. I love the signs of spring and the reminder of the hope we have that something better is around the corner. For now, that something better is new life for nature and warmer weather, but how exciting that for eternity its NEW LIFE for YOU and I FOREVER! He can take what is ugly, old, dirty and lifeless and make it new! I love knowing Jesus. I remember a line from a book that has stuck with me for a long time. It talks about God's love for us is equivalent to Him pouring down all of Niagara falls to water a single flower. Such a good reminder : )

Sarah and I enjoyed our first glimpses of spring...

Love my Sis

2010-03-04T17:19:00.005-09:00

A ll the way from ND,

I had the best guest,
M aybe not the tidiest girl, but
E asily the most
E asy-going, sweet and
A ll-around great girl.

N ot only did we see

D .C. in a few days, we

H ad lots of good laughs, quality time and so many yummy things to

E at! Everything from
R ich, decadent fruit tarts and hot chocolate to

S izzling gourmet burgers and

I cy Berry Milkshakes.

S pending time with my cute little sister was the highlight of it all, I wanted to

K eep her here for longer.

A lthough, our feet told us the trip was over. Days of walking

T o see the much of Nation's Capital, Eastern Market, ride to the top of Washington Monument,

I s enough to tire any girl out! Our days were filled with lots of sweet memories and

E nough happy times to keep us smiling until the next time we are together.

Amy. Bency. Aimee.

2010-03-04T17:02:00.003-09:00

Yay for girls' weekends! Spent a great weekend with Amy and Bency. Pumpkin pancakes, afternoon in Old Town, mocha brownies, shopping, and all around good times!

We are starting to get asked, "are you sisters?" more and more....some one said, "you just feel the same." Now that's a good friend!

Cupcakes are all the rage! They are just so cute and delicious : )

This is at Bittersweet in Old Town. They have the BEST coffee...actually its the creamer that makes it so good. I don't know what it is but its vanilla flavored cream and it is so yummy. Equal parts creamer and coffee is just the right balance!

Day 6.

2010-02-10T17:21:00.003-09:00

"Snowmageddon 2010" has become the official terminology of what we have been experiencing the past week in D.C. I am from ND. I know what its like to get a lot of snow, but dare I say, this storm is creeping up on putting ND blizzards to shame? The first blast left 32 inches in just over 24 hours. Once the street plows began making a small dent in that, we got yet another 10-20 inches in the last 24 hours. I have officially been in the house for 144 hours, minus a few runs to the metro and one roommate outing to the grocery store, just to be true participants in the mad dash before the next storm came AND we were getting a little stir crazy. There was a bizarre stillness driving through the snow tunnels that have been carved out by the snow equipment that has come through the streets so far. We got off work early on Friday and then the snow set in and I worked from home Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Part of the evening routine has become checking the Federal Government closing website to see the operating status for the next day. And yet again, for tomorrow: closed. I am a person that loves wearing comfy clothes and skipping the whole over-rated make-up and hair routine, BUT I actually reached my limit. Yesterday, I got ready for the first time in days, just to feel like a human again. Good thing I have room mates, or I would really be going crazy! We have cooked...baked...watched movies...tv...cooked...baked...watched movies... tv...you get the idea. We had a few moments of laughing at nothing and tonight Charlotte and I reached our "I need to get out of the house" now moment at the exact same time. Neither of us had mentioned going outside, but at the same moment we both were in the entry way, bundled up ready to go. We looked at each other and said, "where are you going?" "To shovel the steps, of course!"

A Quarter of a Century In Review...

2010-02-07T10:43:00.003-09:00

25 years. Wow! 25. I just have to say it a few times to get used to it. I think I'm liking it so far. Katie reminded me that I'm 1/4 the way to 100. Woo hoo! 25 is a good solid number, but I feel like its so official. I've heard people say they are having a "quarter life crisis," I don't think I'll go that far, but I think it is a good time to look back and evaluate where I've been and we're I'm goin'! The years fly by and this sounds old, but the years really do start going by faster and faster. I don't want the years to get away without really appreciating each one for whatever that year holds. No 2 years are the same and I'll only be this age once, so I want to make the most of it! I'd have to say I'm not quite where I expected to be at age 25, but where would the fun be if I knew what was coming?!?!? Back in the days of playing the "lets plan our lives out game," (maybe only girls do this), but when I'd map out my future I was certainly married and had at least one baby by age 25. Good thing that was just a game because if I had planned things out myself, I wouldn't be here, in Virginia, experiencing new sights and cultures, watching God bring children into their forever families every day, meeting new people, spreading my wings and shoveling 25 inches of snow. There is no place I'd rather be! So in the spirit of looking back over the last 25 years, I'm going to do my best to think of something I'm thankful for, something I learned or something to note about each year so far...some of them blend together, so I might be a little off, but here goes....

Year #

1. This one is obvious. I was born.

2. My first even number. good times.

3. My best friend was born; Katie Jean Meier.

4. I think I cut my bangs to my scalp this year.

5. I got glasses. Clearish pink plastic frames that covered most of my face and I fogged them up while trying them on because I was crying. Good thing my parents had the matching brown ones to help me fit in.

6. Started school. Rocked the side pony tail and learned to read.

7. Moved into a new house.

8. Spent every day with my friend, Brigette.

9. 3 new siblings joined the Meier house.

10. Double Digits, baby!

11. Cut my hair...or rather, had my hair cut, "short" to my shoulders with "whispie" sides. frightening.

12. Junior High. life is cruel sometimes.

13. My life was changed forever-literally. I learned what it meant to have a personal relationship with Jesus and gave my life to serving Him.

14. High School...didn't love it.

15. Worked at a Summer Camp.

16. Moved to Bismarck. New town, new school, new friends. For most, it would have been traumatic, for me it was a welcomed change.

17. Senior Year...Visited Washington D.C., grew closer to my 3 amazing amigas.

18. Graduated from high school and started college- woot woot!

19. Spent a month in Romania serving with Livada Orphan Care. God solidified my desire to work with orphans through missions...adoption...however He saw fit.

20. Figured out my college major: Social Work. Started working at a group home for kids with special needs and loved it.

21. The few kinds of alcohol I've tasted are icky. I don't see the attraction.

22. How did college go by so fast??? I spent way too much time studying. Meier family addition: Cheyannie

23. My first "real" job. World was turned upside down by a trip to China. SO many orphans in the world, seriously began asking God, "what can I do?"

24. Became an auntie to the cutest little boy in the world. Started second, "real" job. Huge learning experience working with children in foster care. Started getting the hang of the new job and then*****POOF***** I went to China again in August and loved all the sweet babies all over again. Prayed that God would show me how I can live out the passion He's given me to share His love with children who need a family....so now lets break it down in slow motion....

September 22nd: Saw job posting online with an adoption agency...working with CHINA adoptions. One issue: it would require a move across 9 states...

October: Interviewed over the phone, was offered the job, went to VA for a weekend to check it out, looked at places to live, visited the at that point "potential job," decided that moving here seemed crazy, but not moving seemed crazier. Accepted the job over the phone from the airport in D.C. Went home, packed my car...cried my eyes out...

November 13th Began the 26-hour road trip to McLean Virginia with my wonderful co-pilot...mom.

November 16th...started new job at an international adoption agency working with familes across the U.S. adopting children from China. Is this really happening?

Everday since then...I'm extremely humbled, daily, and in awe of the way God has worked out every step and prepared me along the way for where He has me right now. It truly is the PERFECT job for me and I could not have planned it out had I tried. Perfect has not meant easy, but this truly is where I'm supposed to be right now and God is teaching me every day. These lessons are not lessons I could have learned at other stages of my life and I'm trying to soak up all that He has for me in this time, right now.

25. So far, I have slept in, tried a new recipe: black bean cakes with avacado, salsa and fried eggs, eaten cake, and freed my car from a tree and snow bank...and this is just day 1!

Move Over ND Winters!

2010-02-06T17:22:00.005-09:00

Before I moved to Virginia, I asked a simple question. "Does it snow here?" And the answer was, "Maybe once or twice a year, but its only a little bit and it melts quickly." Perfect, I thought! Since I spent the first 24 years of my life in snowy ND, I thought a little hiatus from life in a snow globe sounded kind of nice. Then I moved here. No more than a month later, I was in the middle of a Historic Snow Storm, wondering if I'd make it home for Christmas. The locals were astounded. The grocery stores were packed with people stocking up on enough food for a month, shovels were sold out at every hardware store and work, school and every activity was canceled. I was ok with this, the first time. A white Christmas really is how its supposed to be after afterall, isn't it? The nice thing about snow here is that it doesn't stick around for too long. After the December snow storm, I thought we had "winter" behind us. After all it was of "historic" proportion. Surely, there could not more snow this year. Its even gotten up to 65 degrees since then and it was glorious. Little did I know that the first storm was just a practice round for the next "real" blizzard. Early this week, the news began to throw out hints that a snow storm was in the works. By Thursday, school was canceled, the grocery store shelves were bare, shovels were gone and people were bracing for the worst. There was even Christmas music on the radio. I really actually enjoy the "pre-snow" buzz around here. People freak out. The news becomes saturated with silly stories like, "will there be enough salt for the roads?" and "there's no parking to be found at costco." Driving is disasterous and there is very little snow removing equipment. Friday the Federal government closed at 1 pm, so we also closed early. I discovered the trick to shopping when snow is coming--wait until the snow starts! The grocery store was QUIET and restocked by the time I went! It made me laugh because as soon as the first flake flies, the streets are deserted. The snow started Friday morning and by afternoon it was starting to stick to the roads. I did go out around 7...the roads were yucky, but it was very pretty...

By this time, it wasn't just a little dusting; it mean business. If it was rain, it would have been pouring. The snow continued to fall all night and there was even some thunder and lightning. How weird is that!?!?!? Saturday brought more and MORE snow. Public transportation was shut down, businesses were closed, the news stations had minute by minute coverage of the snow with twitter updates coming in by the hundreds. Its funny how dozens of stations can fill 2 entire days of "breaking news," by simply showing us images and videos of the obvious: its snowing and no one is outside. Thousands gathered for various "organized" snowball fights and the businesses that were open offered discounts based on the number of inches of snow at the time. Thankfully, I think the worst is over-final totals in the area were between 20 and 30 inches!!! Finally about 5:00 pm, the heavens took a little break and we ventured outside! An angel shoveled our side walk SEVERAL times...The snow plow went through once, blocking everyone in-

And then I found my car...

And tried to start shoveling...only I sunk in and couldn't exactly move or figure out where to put the snow.
To make matters more complicated. There is a tree on my car. This is a problem.
So I did what I could to reveal bits of my windows and doors, but I'm afraid it was a pretty pitiful attempt. I'm a little worried that its going to be completly frozen in by tomorrow...but what's a girl to do?!?!?!?! It will be like an igloo garage! So now the top is cleared off and its deeper around on the sides...we'll just pretend this is progress.

I sense a theme...for Christmas I got a historic blizzard. BUT for my birthday, I got Snowpocalypse 2010! It was the biggest blizzard in 90 years!! I guess D.C didn't want me to be home sick for my first Christmas and Birthday away from home. Now how's that for a warm welcome?

Quinoa with Courgette

2010-02-04T18:32:00.002-09:00

Charlotte's delicious qunioa recipe...live and in full color!!!!!

Lost!

2010-02-02T15:53:00.002-09:00

I navigate around D.C. one way and one way only: My GPS. I'm telling you, without it, I would be driving around for days on end completely lost and confused. I pretty much go to church, work, home and small group, and the metro station, so I can technically get to where I need to be, but I usually still use the GPS just because I'm so used to it. So what that means is that I have used very little brain power to actually think about where I'm going. I just do what it tells me too. I've gotten familiar with the main roads, but only what is absolutley necessary. So Monday morning, much to my surprise, I turned on my GPS and....nothing. It was fully charged, but it just blinked and made an obnoxious sound over and over ad over. It was stuck. Nothing would happen. So my first true test...get to work! Ok. focus. you can do this. So irritating. Its only 2 1/2 months old and of course I didn't buy the Geek Squad warranty, so they won't even speak to me at Best Buy. Great. So helpful. My next option was to spend 30 minutes on hold to talk to the GPS people. Now I have an email listing the 107 easy steps to download new software. Blah. Blah. Blah. Its not looking good people. I will now need to actually figure out how to find places ON MY OWN. It should be interesting! Wish me luck!

D.C. in a Day!

2010-01-25T17:05:00.005-09:00

Michelle, Scott and I put on our walking shoes, well kind of, Michelle had on fuzzy boots and Scott wore his steel-toed boots, but none the less they became walking shoes and we WALKED. We had a great weekend of seeing the sights! This was their 1st time in D.C., so we saw as much as we could in a 24-hour period. We walked from the Capitol, to Washington Monument, Visited Abe and then on to the White House. We started this adventure at about 4:30 pm, so we ended up doing the dusk tour, which turned out to be quite beautiful! I've decided that I am a big fan of the monuments at night. It was fun to put on my "tour guide" hat for the first time and see D.C. through new eyes! Scott even had a movie scene for most of the sights. I almost witnessed a reenactment of Forest Gump running to Jenny in the reflecting pool. However, being soaking wet would have put a serious damper on our dinner plans, so they refrained. After a long afternoon of walking, we found a good restaurant to relax. We actually felt like we were still moving. I know its not THAT far, BUT my main activity these days is sitting, so walking was much needed, but my feet were feelin' it! I looked up the distances from one monument to the next and we probably walked about 4 miles. Not bad for a little Saturday afternoon stroll!

The next day, we were up bright and early and off to Old Town Alexandria.
I have to say, I was VERY impressed. It was a cloudy, rainy day, but once we started walking, the rain stopped and it was a perfect day. We walked down King street and window shopped at all the fun shops and soaked up the picture-perfect cafes, old buildings and museums. It almost seems to perfect to be real. It was very peaceful and quiet...every so often a couple would jog by, stores were just starting to open, people were walking their dogs, no one was in a hurry and just being there was medicine for the soul! We had a great breakfast, black bean cakes, eggs, potatoes with peppers and tomatoes and avocados, orange juice and the best coffee with vanilla cream. I was so content, I could have stayed there all day! We walked to the end of King Street and walked around a great art gallery, formerly a torpedo factory. What a contrast...create weapons to blow things up....to creating pottery, glass art, and paintings. Then we hung out with the seagulls for a while on the docks of the Potomac. Then we began our trek back to the metro. We finished our day with pure deliciousness at the Cheesecake Factory and a tour of the last 2 sights on the guided tour: Aimee's work and Aimee's House : ) It was refreshing to spend the weekend in the fresh air, surrounded by beautiful sights and in the company of 2 great friends.

Memories and Miracles

2010-01-22T20:27:00.003-09:00

What a week it has been! Exhausting. Rewarding. Fast-Paced. Emotional. Fun. Intense. Exciting...just a few words that come to mind as I think about the last few days. At times, I feel like my brain cannot hold any more information, but I know it has too, so I cram it somewhere in there and beg my neurons to fire a little faster and pray that the information sticks. By the end of the week, I'm spent and I feel like a bear has been chasing me for 5 days and I just need to relax. I truly want to "be anxious about nothing," and "let the peace of Christ rule in my heart," but somehow I have not been able to successfully live these commands from scripture. I know that God is teaching me and He will not give me more than I can handle, but there are moments when I certainly wonder how much that is exactly!?!??! But, as I think back at the way that God has opened doors in my life to bring me to the place I am right now, there is no doubt in my mind that I am in VA for a reason. I know that God is always working in my circumstances, but at times in my life where I have stepped out of my comfort zone, it becomes much more evident that I must face the fact that I can do nothing on my own. I recognize that what I am doing is ONLY through Him and the strength that He provides. I'm incredibly thankful that He is kind enough to give me the strength and patience for each step along the way. What a mess I'd be in trying to figure life out on my own! That really was a tangent. So back to the metro miracles. I had my crash course in using the metro system on Wednesday and Friday was my first chance to fly solo. I was not feeling 100% confident, but its not like its rocket science, its just new and I kind of prefer the buddy system. But, it was just me. I left work later than planned, drove around trying to figure out the parking situation at the metro station, looked for a map, and walked down to where I needed to get on the train. I had no idea what time the one I needed was coming or how often they come, but I'm pretty sure it was less than a minute and there it was. I realized that I must be standing where the end of the train will be and it almost seemed like I should move down the platform a little ways in order to make sure I was able to get on, but then I realized the last car would stop right in front of me, so I stayed where I was and got on. As a side note; remember that I don't know a ton of people here and millions of people live here. As soon as I stepped in, who do I see??? My roommate! Seriously bizarre. She was running late, never takes the metro, decided to take the metro, was going in to D.C for the evening...what are the chances that I would see someone I know, yet alone someone who lives under the same roof! Tell me that was not a blessing from God. So, she confirmed that I was indeed on the correct train, what I needed to do when I switched and was great company for the ride. Then, I got to see Ann, her mom, sister and friends for the evening. We had a fun dinner together and we were able to catch up. It was really nice to see some familiar faces! After dinner we decided to go for a walk. We were at Union Station, so we walked to the Capitol Building and it was absolutely gorgeous. It was a perfect evening, clear sky, not too cold and just so refreshing to be outside in the fresh air. We walked right up onto the stairs of the Capitol and it was just beautiful; it is such a massive building and looked amazing at night. Then of course, we could look down the mall to Washington Monument and that too was a spectacular view. The moon was just a sliver and there were even a few stars out. Loved it! By this time it was getting a little late and again I was not terribly excited about getting home by myself. So, Ann's sister was going to be riding the metro as well and maybe, by chance, we were going in the same direction. We checked out the map and YEP, she was going exactly where I needed to go. Wow! So, not only did God bring me someone to ride into D.C. with, but also someone to ride home. I made it back to my car and was behind someone at the gate to exit and they started backing up...so I did likewise and they rolled their window down and asked how to get out if you don't have a pass. I said I didn't know any way besides using my card and bringing it back to me, so I could exit. I figured it was safe because it was a dad and 2 kids, but when I gave them my card I thought, "oh good, I just put $40 on there and they are going to speed away with it." But they didn't and the kid ran the card back to me with $20, however, parking is only $4.50. He said his dad didn't have change and not to worry about it, but randomly I had some cash (never do) and gave him some money back. So not only did I have someone to ride with me both ways, but I also made $9.00. The other thing is that I just bought the pass and had no idea it was necessary for exiting the parking lot AND I just added money, not knowing that I would have needed enough for me and this family to get out. Why did I just write this long story about riding the metro and exiting a parking lot? Well, you see. I was reminded in a very tangible way that God cares about every detail of our lives and that He is constantly working out the details of my life. He will not give me something I can't handle. He knows what I need, just when I need it. He faithfully provides and keeps all of His promises. To me, this is very good news. Especially at the end of a very challenging week in the midst of learning how to rely on God's strength and to trust that He will not let me down. God is at work all around, performing miracles while I live in a blur pretending to have the ability to accomplish things on my own strength. I pray that I would not get so consumed by trying to do things on my own, that I miss the miracles you are performing right in front of me...even the miracles on the metro.

Founding Farmers/Metro System Lesson

2010-01-22T19:40:00.003-09:00

My first 68 days in Virginia have been filled with MANY new experiences and fun times. However, these experiences have stayed within about a 5 mile radius and been limited to my fixed driving knowledge or I've been with somone else. So, I decided it was time to branch out. My roommates were kind enough to teach me how to navigate the metro system. Now I have to say the metro is a world of its own. As we walked up to the station, there was a swarm of zombie-like business creatures emerging from the depths of the lower level...drawn by the light that awaited them outside. These poor souls, who knows how many hours of their lives are spent in this miserable cave-like existance riding back and forth to work every day. It was 7 pm and they were free! At least for another 12 hours, when they will need to do it all over again. Thankfully, for me, the metro will not be associated with hours of commuting, but fun times to see and experience more of D.C. It is a strange feeling to go into the metro station in my "familiar" area of town, spend 30 minutes UNDERGROUND and be spit out into the middle of a completly unfamiliar place in the middle of a bustling city. I have to admit, I often feel like I've fallen off the turnip truck and that I'm in some weird state of permanent tourist status, but hopefully as time goes on, I will feel a little more at home! We went to a great restauraunt that supports "sustainable development," and is eco-friendly. That's lovely and all, but I was exhausted and famished from the intense train venture and was all about dinner! I had a very yummy pasta...basically glorified mac and cheese with homemade pasta, peas, ham and green apples. Weird huh!??!?! But oh so delicious! I don't know why, but I take pictures of food. So, here is my pasta and the apple, brie, flat bread we had:

And this was our server; he was a ghost.

Well, chalk up 2 new experiences: 1. Metro System Navigation Lessons and 2. Eco-Friendly Noodles.

House Warming Party

2010-01-17T08:40:00.008-09:00

Come one, come all, and bring a signature! Yeah, you heard right. Join us Saturday night January 16 for a casual "signature"-themed housewarming party. Bring a signature dish, a signature drink, a signature sweater ... or a pen to sign your signature if you plan to be famous someday! You get the idea. Just come ready to show off your signature.We just had two new roommates move in, Aimee and Lyndsay, and it's a fresh new year so a perfect time to mix and mingle with all our friends. Chances are you haven't met all 5 of us yet, so here are the brief introductions:

Penny: Fondly known as the Dancing Queen, she's our longest standing house member and a regular Southern ballroom belle - ask to see her signature dance moves! You can't miss her signature Southern drawl.

Charlotte: Commonly known as The Enforcer, our "temp" roomie all the way from England will have you in stitches in minutes as she practices her wanna-be Southern drawl - ask to see her signature "wig picture" since she's a British Barrister.

Val: Famous for her late nights at work, she's our resident wanna-be British barrister/boring wigless attorney licensed from the great state of Florida - ask her two show off two closets full of signature shoes. Or dig into her signature spinach artichoke dip.

Aimee: Our friendly face hailing all the way from the Midwestern Tundra, Aimee is new in town, so be sure to give her a big DC welcome - and you don't even have to ask, you are sure to see her signature smile. :) Oh and ask her for a lesson on how to tie her signature scarf knot.

Lyndsay: Our globetrotting superstar who floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee, she has a flair for antiquing so you can ask to see her signature furniture pieces or hold out for her signature surprise baked dish.

Can't wait to spend some quality time with you all (y'all for 3/5 of the house) and meet some new people.

We all had a great time creating our "Signature Dishes" and sharing them with friends! Charlotte created a masterpiece veggie lasagna with aubergine and courgette...aka eggplant and zucchini!

Aimee's Mocha Brownies

and fruit salsa in the works...

Jenna, Aimee, Caitlin and Melissa...(friends from small group and work)Buttermilk Cupcakes and Fresh Tulips...nothing says house warming better!

A fun time was had by all!

Chick-Fil-A

2010-01-11T17:18:00.005-09:00

Whenever I'd mention I'd never been to Chick-Fil-A, I'd get a look of shock and disbelief. Someone even gave me a coupon for a free Chick-Fil-A original...hoping that my life without this experience would end soon. Apparently one has not lived until having experienced the special sauces and waffle fries that accompany the famous chicken sandwiches. So last week, the roomies and I ventured to the nearest restaurant and I can officially say that I have NOW been to a Chick-Fil-A. I thought it was tasty, but I'm afraid that my expectations were set a little too high. Having heard for months that it is SOOOO yummy, I had created some supreme, super version of what I could expect from fast food. Don't get me wrong, I definitely liked it and appreciate the fact that I didn't feel the fast-food brick in my gut feeling afterwards. Its a keeper in terms of fast food establishments!

So much work...so worth it!

2010-01-04T16:40:00.005-09:00

I left work on Wednesday and started my very busy 4 day weekend of cleaning, organizing, packing, unpacking, sorting, shopping, painting and moving in. It was a lot of work, but so worth it in the end! I was determined to get it all done and get settled as quickly as possible. It was really fun to start with a blank...aka...ugly slate and make it my own.

Lets start at the very beginning...

Making Progess...

And after DAYS of work, work, work....TA DAAAA!!!!!
Home Sweet Home : )

Blog-a-la-la-la

2010-01-02T17:46:00.005-09:00

Chicago from the sky was spectacular!

I new I could make it through the first 6 weeks in VA because then it would be Christmas and I would get to go home. I spent the week before Christmas glued to weather.com because of course another snow storm was on its way and it was going coast to coast with ice, freezing rain, snow, wind...all things yucky when it comes to traveling. I could not imagine the possiblity of not getting home. Spending Christmas in an airport or hotel in Chicago would have put me over the edge! I am beyond thankful that I was able to get home with not problems and on time! It was wonderful to be home and spend time with my family and see a few friends. I soaked up every once of ND...no traffic...all my family...just the slower pace of life that I miss. The snow held off until I was home and then it snowed and snowed and snowed. Basically, I stayed inside for 3 to days and loved every minute! We ate lots of yummy food, played games and spoiled Hudson! It went by really fast and was really hard to leave, but was great to be home.

Dinner in D.C.

2010-01-02T16:55:00.005-09:00

Look out the window...

My Dessert Buddy : ) Molten Chocolate Cake...

This doesn't do the view justice : (

New evening is complete without a photo shoot!

The moon and one star...nice added touch.

It was beginning to look a lot like ND!

After being stuck inside for a few days due to the "Historic VA Snowstorm," I was ready to get out of the house! One thing that is still a strange concept is being able to go into D.C. for dinner. Its minutes away...especially when the streets are deserted because "winter driving," is not something people are willing to brave here. Amy was in town and we met a friend of hers, who gave us a great tour of Old Town Alexandria, downtown D.C., and a fun restaurant. We had dinner at one place and then went to a roof top restaurant that over looks the city and it was AMAZING. The view was beautiful! You can see several of the monuments and the White H*use is just out the window. Everything was decorated for Christmas and the snow gave everything a wintry sparkle. It was a very fun evening!

One Month...many firsts

2009-12-18T16:55:00.002-09:00

Oh what a month it has been! November 13th, I loaded up my car, said lots of "see you laters," shed even more tears and took off across the country to begin a new chapter of my life. I arrived here in Virginia on November 16th, which means Wednesday of this week was the official one month anniversary. The weeks seem to fly by, but it has been so many new experiences that I cannot believe its all been crammed into 35 short days. I guess the biggest and most obvious first is that I am living away from home for the first time. I really think it was perfect the way it worked out. I had a lot more "home, family-time" stored up than most who flee from home at age 18. I was ready for an adventure and it came at just the right time. For the most part it has been good. I wasn't sure how home sick I would get, but I think I have been too busy to think too much. Don't get me wrong, I have certainly had moments of "what on earth am I doing here, I do not fit in here and I don't know a soul." I miss home, but I'm not sitting around crying my eyes out or anything. God has given me everything and everyone I need at just the right time. So here is a run down of the other firsts I have experienced:
1. Life in a big city. There is a definite "buzz" to city life. Constant people, noise, traffic...there are so many things to see and do and experience. Its fun to experience new cultures and take in all the new sights and sounds around me. For example, just since I've been here. I have had Peruvian, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Thai food. Even the grocery store is a different experience. There are so many different choices, brands, and options. Yet, I buy what looks familiar. I need to branch out!
2. Traffic gets its own category. It has a life of its own. I'm always amazed when I'm driving over the crazy beltway and I look down and see a sea of cars for as long as I can see in both directions. The on and off ramps are backed up to the next state and can I just say that I find it extremely frustrating to have to sit through multiple red....yellow...green cycles at one stop light before making it through. It does make going through a green or even yellow light seem like a huge achievement, though. I have become WAY less intimidated by the insanity and am learning new routes to try an avoid the really bad areas. Its strange to think that I'm thrilled when it only takes 30-40 minutes to get home. It is all a matter of perspective!
2. Another first, one that I am not so proud of is my first true case of road rage. I had to pick something up between 5:30 and 6:00 pm and I made a wrong turn at 5:22. There is no easy way to turn around when you are sucked into the traffic vaccum moving the wrong direction. I was SERIOUSLY frustrated. I had NO idea how far I'd need to go in the WRONG direction before I could turn around and then sit in traffic the other way before being back to where I had intended to be. I was frazzled. It was bumper to bumper moving 0 mph and it happened. I threw a tantrum. I threw my head back. Stomped my foot and wanted to scream and just get out of my car and start walking. I was surrounded, my GPS was squawking orders at me, everywhere I looked was headlights or brake lights and I was going to be late and felt trapped. But, I realized behaving like a 2 year old was getting me no where. So I tried to relax, got myself turned around and made it to where I need to be and wasn't even too late.
3. Attending a Mega Church. Seriously. Huge. There is a book store, a coffee shop, a cafeteria...traffic police...multiple services. Several campuses. A parking ramp. Any ministry you'd ever want to get involved in. I started attending a small group and am very excited to get connected. There will be 8-10 of us, all girls, meeting on Tuesday nights...getting to know each other and doing a Bible study together. We've met a couple times and its been really fun. I love to hear what people do for a living here. Not just teacher, nurse....its like "I work at the FBI headquarters, or I'm a chef at an ambassadors house." Love it!
4. Where are you from? North Dakota. Blank stare. People don't understand why anyone would live in ND. Everyone asks, "isn't it really cold there?" I have appreciated the fact that people haven't commented on how I say bag or roots or phone. Usually people point that out right away. I had to laugh at the mall when a guy said, "Oh, ND, that's by California, right?" Ummm.....close buddy, but not quite.
5. Cardio Cinema. The movie theater portion of the gym. Its nice because at least you are distracted and not focusing on the fact that you are on a moving belt, but not getting anywhere. However, I think it could be a little dangerous being on a treadmill in an almost completly dark room.
6. Rent. Seriously. Life is far to expensive. ND=low cost of living. D.C.=obsurd cost of living. Money seems to vanish in the blink of an eye! I spent every evening for a week setting up utilities and being on hold. Lights just don't turn on, water doesn't magically flow from the faucet and heat is not just matter of adjusting a thermostat. Oh no, there are hook up fees and deposits and service charges. But, I'm thankful to have all of these blessings that most of the world would love to enjoy.
7. A Virginia Blizzard. FOR REAL. I leave ND thinking that Virginia is going to be all peachy weather. Its colder than I expected and we are currently in the beginning of what is supposedly going to be a "historical snow storm." Perfect. I'm SO glad its happening on a weekend. I am not leaving. The prediction is 10-20 inches in the next 36 hours. Crazy talk. I went to the grocery store to get baking supplies and it was actually entertaining. The parking lot was packed. People were filling their carts to the brim. The milk was almost gone. The bread was picked over. People were stocking up on everything. My favorite customer: Diapers and a bottle of wine. The store had a huge pile of firewood and fake logs outside and I even saw someone with a shovel in their cart. It was great.
8. Living in a place that people actually want to come visit! I CAN'T wait to have anyone and everyone come and visit me here. I could become a tour guide eventually!
9. Going home for Christmas. I've always been home for Christmas. So, there really is a thrill and extra excitement being able to go home. I can't wait to be home and I know it will feel like I never left. But, it really is starting to feel distant.
10. Finally, a true appreciation and understanding that God has things under control. Its so great to see how He has opened doors, prepared me for YEARS, provided along the way and taken care of me every step of the way. I serve an amazing God who always keeps His promises and blesses me so much more than I deserve!

Day in D.C.

2009-12-13T08:06:00.005-09:00

I have been wanting to experience more of D.C. and the places I haven't ventured to yet and this weekend I had just that opportunity. I went into D.C (rode, did not drive, thank goodness) with some WONDERFUL people that God has brought into my life. Its one of those situations that we have technically only ever seen each other 2 or 3 times EVER, but it seems like we've known each other a lot longer. Its one of the mysteries in life that I'm a fan of. Our journey began on a beautiful, blue sky, sunny December day. 4 girls, 3 guys. We started off at Union Station, which was all decked out for Christmas and very pretty. Our first photo opportunity of the day was in front of the Capital-let the kodak moments begin! After that we began our tour of many of the famous monuments and museums. We stopped at the Air and Space museum...kind of to look...but mostly to eat lunch : ) The highlight of my McD's dining experience was the Nerf air hockey toy I got in my kids meal. Yes, I got a kids meal and it indeed was a HAPPY meal, until we started analyzing the calorie chart they so graciously provide. WHY!?!??! Oh well, those calories soon became the fuel for the marathon walking adventure we were just beginning. We went on to see the Washington Monument, WW II Memorial and decided that the Lincoln Memorial didn't took too far away and its a classic, so we better check it out. So, we began the walk along the frozen reflecting pool to visit good ol' Abe. It truly is a massive monument and was worth the treck. By this time, the sun was starting it's descent and our fingers were the first to let us know that the temperature was also dipping. None the less, we pressed on! Next, we saw the Vietnam Vetran's Memorial and decided that a peak at Julia Child's kitchen at the American History Museum and our other ambitions for the day were going to have to be put on hold, because by George we were almost to the White House, according to the map. Now you see, what you have to understand is that the map makes distances seem way less innocent than they really are. But, when you are that "close," you can't just skip the White House. So, one step at a time we marched on. By this time, we were to the point of "my fingers are so frozen, its funny" and we got the giggles and began making fun of the way we had to manually bend our fingers or how the skin would stay put when moved a certain way. We also began to ask ourselves, "what is possibly in this purse that is so important that I would feel the need to lug it thousands of steps around Washington D.C.?" I had no good answer for the items being drug to and fro in my giant purse. Soon, we were in front of the White House, gazing at its familiar white houseness, taking pictures, wondering what they were having for dinner and why they weren't inviting us in for hot chocolate, adoring the Christmas decorations, when all of the sudden reality sunk in. Clearly we had begun this journey many hours before, sunset was now imminent, our legs told us our journey was over, our fingers could no longer speak and then it clicked. WE HAVE TO WALK BACK TO THE CAR. Truly this was not possible. This could not be done and BEHOLD-the 3 wise men along for the day spoke the most beautiful words of the day, "we will get the car and pick you up at that coffee shop." REALLY!?!?!? Could it be??? We don't have to walk back AND we get yummy coffee goodness while we wait. SPECTACULAR! So, with a gleeful skip in our step we finished the last part of our day in a cozy, WARM coffee shop sipping deliciously sweet, hot chocolate and reminiscing about our day and every so often chuckling at the fact that we could still be walking and we're not. So, the guys got a taxi to the cars and came and rescued us from what would have been a very chilly crawl back to Union Station. THANK YOU! It was crazy to put things in perspective and realize that I live SO close to all this. Minutes really. After our busy day, we ventured to one of the busiest possible locations on planet earth; the mall. What a crazy place to be this time of year! After successfully making it out of that battle field alive, we enjoyed a culinary first for me; Thai food. It was very good and always fun to try something new! It was a wonderful day of spectacular sights, new food, good laughs and great people!

Settling In

2009-12-08T17:32:00.004-09:00

In some ways it seems as if I have been away from Bismarck for a REALLY long time. BUT, I haven't even been here for a month yet. Time can kind of play with your mind...it can go fast and slow at the same time. Weird. I did officially change my address today which was a step out of "I kind of live in VA limbo land." Last weekend I was able to spend some time with the people I'm going to be living with. We had breakfast at the Original Panc*ke house and it was delicious! Pumpkin pancakes are yummy. It was good to get to know them, roommates not the pancakes) a little better...considering I will be spending a good amount of time with them : ) I also was able to go to the town house and look at it again. It has been WONDERFUL to be with a family for the first 6 weeks, but it will also be nice to get more settled and to unpack my car! My trunk and back seat are still full. I'm kind of a gypsy! The other day I wanted to make scotch-a-roos and it was funny because I knew exactly where in the stuff on my back seat, my 9x13 pan was. By the way, people looked at me like I was from Mars when I said "scotch-a-roos." Scotch of what? Some knew what it was, but others thought I was crazy. But they ate them! I am also excited that I no longer feel like I'm going into cardiac arrest every time I drive. However, I stick to the same 5 roads. BUT, not having a heart attack is a good thing and I'm slowly adding to my repretoire! I have even started trying new ways to get home. Its weird because the actual area is not that big and I'm constantly finding myself driving by something that is familiar, but I had absolutley NO clue that it was on the way from A to B. Its coming together though! I am also excited that I get to paint my room when I move in. I'm a big fan of nonwhite walls! Other than that my life is pretty boring...I made apple crisp, I go to bed early and spend way too much time on my computer. This is my 4th week of work and I feel like I am starting to put a few of the pieces together. I am learning SO much every day. I knew there was a lot to the adoption process, but clearly, I had no idea. It truly is a miracle when a child comes home to their forever family. After every document is properly signed, dated, sealed and approved, sent off to China, reviewed and a family receives a referral for a child, its quite a process! I am so honored to be a part of it. The details can overload my brain and lead me down a thousand bunny trails a day, and bring me to moments of "what was I doing again?" And then there is the emotion of seeing so many children in need, childen with special needs, families waiting so long, BUT it is beyond worth it. It can be overwhelming to think about the millions of orphans around the world, but it is TRULY amazing to see them come home...ONE at a time. It is amazing to look back at the doors God has opened in my life to prepare me for where I am now. I love that God is working in our lives, even when we are unaware, and He is creating something so much bigger and better than we can imagine. I wish that for a second I could stand back and see how its all going to end up, but that really takes the mystery, faith, and excitement out of it all. But curiosity really does get the best of me sometimes! One thing we can do, however, is look back and see all of the amazing things God has done in the past and where He has brought us today. As I look at all the little faces of the children needing a family, my heart breaks, my stomach turns and my brain hurts. I simply will never understand why I was born into a loving family, always had a warm bed, food on the table, and an abundance of blessings and why others, have nothing. But then, I'm reminded that I have these things to share with those who do not have them. I just get too caught up with the word, "mine," and forget that NONE of what I have is mine and need to start asking God more often how He would have me use what he has allowed me to use for this time. When I was in China, I would walk down the halls of the foster home and see all the babies sleeping and it would hit me. This is NOT daycare. I wasn't playing with the children this afternoon until their mommy or daddy came to pick them up. This is there LIFE. They live here and NO ONE is coming to pick them up, take them home, feed them at their table, bathe them in their bath tub and tuck them into their bed. I wish I could be their mama and I look forward to the day when I can, but for now I just wish I could do more. This is all very scattered and not clearly stated, but just my random thoughts of the day. In summary, I'm thankful that God has me where I am and that He is willing to use me as a part of His plan. I just need to come to terms with the fact that I can never understand all of life's mysteries. It is God's job to have all the answers and I look forward to the day when every orphan's bed is EMPTY and they are ALL sitting on their Daddy's lap! Third Day has a song out this year called Merry Christmas. First, you should listen to it. Second, you will cry. Well, maybe not, but if you listen to it, you will understand why it hits me the way it does. Over the next few weeks, as we all prepare to spend time with our families and friends, take a few moments to pray for the children around the world who will not be home this Christmas, but pray that some day they could be.

Thanksgiving Goodness...

2009-11-30T17:45:00.006-09:00

Here I am back in blogger land...it has been a busy week! My first Thanksgiving away from the fam. Weird...but I survived! I had LOTS of people taking very good care of me. I rode with 2 of Amy's friends and spent Thanksgiving with Amy's husband's family. It was a nice relaxing day in Amelia, VA...another new place to add to the list. There were 25 or 30 people there and just about as many pies...not really, but there were A LOT of very yummy pies and Thanksgiving food. It was very strange to not be cooking...I peeled a few potatoes--whoopee! One new tradition I was a part of was going to the neighbor's house...family's friend's of where I was at...and everyone sat around the living room with a plastic spoon and sampled a bite of their Thanksgiving wonderfullness...stuffing...gravy...just enough to tease and make you REALLY want to eat MORE! I'm not entirely sure why we were sampling other people's food, but hey, I am game for anything these days and it was very tasty. We finished the day with a very LONG game of mafia and of course no get together is complete with at least one round of Apples to Apples. The rest of the weekend I spent with Amy in Lynchburg. It was SOOO relaxing and wonderful. We had VERY busy days, which included sleeping until at LEAST 10:30 am, breakfast around noon, for sure a coffee break some where in the day, watching an insane number of episodes of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC, almost as many episodes of What Not to Wear, strolling through a Market, visiting a few cafes and eating Pumpkin Apple Pie...it was excruciating as you can probably imagine. ; ) We did out do ourselves by putting Christmas lights up outside and doing a bit of shopping. Oh and you will never believe what I bought...just one blog post ago I was mocking the number of people who wear boots here...and what did I buy???? Well, of course...BOOTS! They are brown and fuzzy and have pom poms. Don't judge me. I have to admit, I like them quite a lot, but now I need different jeans to wear to tuck into them. Another highlight of the weekend was going to Snowfleks. It is difficult to describe, but basically, it is an astroturf, white rug, with a mist of water, on a mountain that people ski and snowboard down. It requires some time to soak up the concept, but it did look like a lot of fun. Plus, how great to be able to "ski" on a warm, sunny day and not freeze to death on a real mountain! It is a bit of an eye sore from a distance, it looks like the mountain is wrapped in a bandage. Oh and I spent some time with Amy at work at the TV station. It was fun to see where she works and to watch the news, live and in person. It gives a whole different perspective to see all that goes into the 30 minutes we sit on the couch and half listen to the day's happenings. Finally, the weekend had to come to an end...sad day. Amy drove me ALL the way back to Annandale and I had this really weird thought as we got closer. I thought, "I'm almost home." WHAT!?!??! Home. How does that happen? I've lived here 17 days, but I guess its a good thing to know I'm starting to feel settled. I am SO thankful for Amy driving me all the way back and sitting through HOURS of crazy traffic and navigating curvy mountain roads. Driving through the mountains was beautiful! It was crazy to see old cabins along the way with confederate flags flying...welcome to the SOUTH! Oh I did have another Virginia experience...eating at Sheetz. Apparently gas stations are a big deal here and they have a lot more food options than just roller dogs. So, Amy has told me about Sheetz and the fact that they have yummy sandwiches and coffees and you order yourself on a touch screen and VIOLA-instant gas station lunch. I now fully understand the Sheetz experience. I got home just in time to go meet my small group for the first time before church. I sat the church coffee shop...yes they have a coffee shop...and I asked random people if they were there to meet with a new small group...all said NO. I waited forever and got frustrated and gave up...came home and checked my email about the date and turns out I was 2 weeks early. Oh well- better than 2 weeks late, I guess. I am ready to not feel like a new person and meet some people...its too hard to meet anyone in the sea of 1,000 people on Sunday nights at church. Ok, I'm almost done...2 more accomplishments of the day. 1. I found a post office and successfully went there and BACK without any driving catastrophes AND this is a big one... I actually found a grocery store and went there as well! What a day!?!??!?! I'm telling you...its the little things these days that get me through! Here are a few pictures from the weekend....

Durian...ugh!!

2009-11-24T17:43:00.003-09:00

Life's adventures are in no short supply these days! It seems that each day has a set of goodies just waiting for me. Today was no exception. First I will start with a confession: basically, I am a really bad driver. I don't know what I am doing and it never fails...if I have 2 options, I seem to chose the wrong one. It is actually quite a stressful part of life and I try to focus and not make people angry, but it is just kind of tricky! I am getting good at turning around because I miss a lot of turns because I can't seem to get my butt in the correct lane in time and then there is another dilemma or 2...if I creep out into an intersection too far I may be stuck there when the light turns and then I will be sandwiched between 50 cars on each side, but if I stay back the people behind me have a hissy fit. The other problem...I CANNOT see here. They do not believe in street lights and its completely dark when I drive home and all I see are glaring head lights, brake lights, tail lights and all swirled together in the RAIN. Tonight I got stuck behind a bus and stopped behind it when it stopped on its route and apparently that is not the thing to do...I guess I will learn a little at a time, but for now it creates this HUGE knot of anxiety in my chest that I have never quite experienced before...I don't think its good and it kind of seems like it could develop into a heart attack or float higher and make my head explode...either one would be bad. So, I will focus, think ahead, use my GPS, not talk on my phone or play with the radio and do my very best to be a better driver and stop making others angry. For now, GIVE ME A BREAK! That is my traffic rant for the day. On to other adventures. I had a productive day at work and was actually able to do a few projects, so I didn't feel quite so useless. I am really liking it more and more and am thankful to be there. One weird thing I realized today is that some of the families I am working with right now will not be adopting a child for so long that the child isn't even born yet...crazy to think about! Tonight the people I am staying with picked up dinner at a Peruvian restaurant. It was chicken, salad, rice and beans and various sauces. It was very yummy. I had never had it, so its always fun to try new things...I will never have to eat the same thing twice here with SOOOOO many cool places to try. I managed to go to the gym, which I find to be an absolute necessity here, in order to beat the burning mass of anxiety out of my chest...and it does help. However, there is always a catch. Have you ever heard of Durian fruit? It is a large, strange fruit that I first met in China...actually my nose met it. It looks like a puffer fish and I'm not sure how its used or why it was ever eaten in the first place, but when I was in China and would get any where near the produce section, this SMELL would hit me. It cannot be described because it is like nothing you've ever smelled before. Essentially, you just want to get away from it as fast as possible. Why am I talking about this? Well, you see, Gold's Gym is connected to an Asian grocery store and I THINK that some how this crazy fruit smell has managed to creep its way into the gym and it STINKS! When you walk in my nose meets a wall of durian stank, air freshener and sweaty gym all mixed together and it almost makes me shiver and want to run screaming, BUT I don't and I manage to work out, but I cannot get the smell out of my poor little nose. So, I thought I would try and escape and go in the Cardio Cinema...a cool bonus to the gym...a large movie theater with work out equipment. I go in there expecting to see a light hearted comedy...something to make a work out more bearable, but no its The Haunting...this creepy little girl walking across the screen in a scary attic. No thanks. So I went back to the big stinky area and managed a work out...I think I will have to go next door to the grocery store and see if there really is durian in there or if its all in my head. Well, I think that about covers my day today. Oh what a day! I am excited that tomorrow is kind of Friday and that I will have a long weekend with Amy and be able to relax because I don't have to drive! yipee : ) Cranberries, sweet potatoes and stuffing here I come!

Week 1 at a Glance...

2009-11-23T15:56:00.004-09:00

TRAFFIC!!!!!Lunch at the Cheesecake Factory...

Yummy!

BUGS!

I have officially been here one week! It has been good so far and I am settling in a little at a time. Work has been fun. I have a lot to learn and all the details seem slightly overwhelming at times, but I know it will come together soon enough. It has been interesting to learn about the different countries that America World works with and to be a part of the adoption process. As I’m getting trained in and hearing about what I will be doing, I just have the phrase, “I work here,” float through my head several times a day. It seems surreal. It is going to take a while for me to soak up my new surroundings and come to terms with the fact that I live in Virginia. Its exciting and I was ready for an adventure! I am getting a tiny bit more comfortable driving….that is in the 10 mile radius from where I live. It takes me about 20-30 minutes to get to work and 1 to 1 ½ hours to get home…which is NOT fun. However, someone at work showed me a much better way and now it only takes me 40 minutes to get home and its on way less busy roads. Its funny that I’m excited about ONLY 40 minutes for go 6.5 miles. If someone would have told me last week it will take you 40 minutes to get home from work I would have been disgusted, but now I’m excited that its only 40…its all a matter of perspective. I’m glad I only had the 1 ½ hr commute for a short time, but at least I have experienced “true” rush hour traffic and can check it off of my list of things to do in life. This was my first weekend here and I managed to keep quite busy! I had lunch with Victoria and her mom and sister at the Cheesecake factory and it was VERY tasty. I also shopped like a mad woman on Saturday. I was on a mission for jeans and shoes and I was actually successful. Shopping, like pretty much everything else here, has a whole new level of intensity. It seems that what I make in a year, some people make a day. Money is no object and its thrown around like water. I quickly put down the $650 high heels I saw at the mall. I also volunteered at Mclean Bible Church on Saturday to help with their Thanksgiving Dinner Box packing. They packed 6,000 boxes, (each box serves 10 people…now that is some serious Turkey dinner!!!) for needy families in the area. It was great to see so many people helping and it got done SO quickly. It was like a Thanksgiving Dinner MACHINE. I went to church tonight at a young adult service at Mclean. It was really good, but there are about 1,000 people, so it is kind of intimidating. Being new is humbling…its definitely a new perspective and I suppose its good for everyone to be new at some time or another. I know that I will try harder to watch for people with that, “oh my goodness, what do I do, look in their eyes,” and make a point to say hi. I kind of feel like I’m in junior high again and trying to find my place…everything from what to say to how to dress and feeling extremely awkward as I figure it all out. Let me tell you one thing I have figured out: boots, tights and sweater dresses are for SURE the thing to be wearing! Pretty sure I will remain uncool in that category because I would look like a clown! So after church I went to the new-comer dinner at Fuddruckers, what a funny name for a restaurant, but any ways, I met a couple people and realized that not EVERYONE at church knows other people and there are new people who feel the same way I do. The girl next to me is a meteorologist for the National Weather Service and the guy across from me is a personal chef for an Ambassador’s family. My interest was certainly sparked when he talked about being a chef, and a PERSONAL chef at that. So asked him if he just cooks for the family at their house, or if he does other parties and events. He politely said that he cooks at their “RESIDENCE,” and he cooks for the family and their staff. Folks, this is when I realized, I am not in Kansas anymore! So, it was a good evening of meeting new people and connecting on a much smaller scale. I will also be starting a small group in a couple weeks, so that will help as well. I think this is going to be really long post, so I will wrap it up with my top 3 likes and dislikes of VA so far. First the dislikes: 1. GIANT BUGS (see pics) 2. Driving in the dark when its raining because I can’t see anything but reflecting headlights and its just generally scary 3. Not being close to my friends and family …Likes so far: 1. An awesome young adult church service 2. Helping China babies get a family 3. Sweet Potato French fries at Fuddruckers

1600 miles...26 hours of driving...3 days with my mom...priceless!

2009-11-17T17:44:00.010-09:00

Here are a few pictures from the drive here. Everything from the beautiful ND sunset, a MCLANE truck- of all the trucks to see, we see one that has the name of the place I'm going AND we saw one when we left Minneapolis too... time with friends, Wisconsin Cheese, one of MANY toll booths...the drive actually went faster than I expected it would. Its not too often that a person can just sit and do NOTHING for that amount of time. The only scary part was staying in a not so super 8 in cleveland and when we turned the news on it was about the Clevland Slayer and we were in a crappy hotel room with scary woods out the window an odd hotel room with 2 bathrooms????? Weird. We tried to take pictures of the state signs, but failed miserably. We got a couple, but its hard to take pictures while driving!!!!! So, overall a good trip and now I'm off to SLEEP! First day at work was good, but I'm tired out : )

10 years and I should be used to this!

2009-11-16T17:47:00.002-09:00

WOW! That is all I can say after traveling almost 1600 miles across 9 states, moving into my home for the next 6 weeks, having a day of driving 101, and getting ready to start my job. It truly has been a whirlwind both in experiences and emotions. I do not have a lot of time and will update more about the actual journey here, but I just wanted to say we are here and settling in. I COMPLETELY underestimated the craziness of traffic. We have 2 cars in ND...here 2 billion. Traffic has a life of its own and it is mean and scary and does not want to be my friend. I have heard I will get used to it, but really?!?!?! 8 lanes of flying, manic, turbo, unsanity pumped full in Starbucks, late for work, stressed out and coming at me in all directions...oh and I hear the next 10 years this area is on a road construction revamp, so that adds to people's already not so peaceful selves while driving in their crazed fashion. There have been a few points of almost tears, but I figured if I started that business, I would only fog up my glasses and we'd be in some serious trouble. So, for now, I have set my GPS to avoid highways, u turns, toll roads and traffic...basically I'm taking the long way to where I need to be, but I'm not ready for the super highways and fancy foot work. Tomorrow I start work and I'm looking forward to getting into a routine and get one more of the big unknowns out of the way. My mom is leaving tomorrow, which makes me VERY sad. She's my last bit of connection to ND and my biggest one. So, I just HATE to think of flying solo after tomorrow, but I know it had to come at some point. Well, I better get to bed. It's a big day tomorrow. Stay tuned for pictures and updates along the way!