i'm sinking.

My schedule...

wake up early. 

devotion & homework. 

breakfast. 

work. 

coffee. 

eat lunch while driving.  

school.  

traffic. 

dinner. 

read.  

collapse in bed.

Oh friends, I am struggling over here.

I had no idea what this 2-week intensive class would do to me.

I miss my husband, my dog, meal planning, cooking, driving with two hands, slow mornings, long evenings, 8 hours of sleep, evening walks, and not sitting in a classroom with white walls and no windows for hours and hours.

3. more. days.

be back soon.

tweet.

If I had a twitter, I would be tweeting...

-two thumbs down to summer school

-why would you want Doritos at Taco Bell?

-High School Event- Amazing Race style Bike to the Beach this weekend!

-i am madly in love.

-boo to summer shedding.  (denver, not me...)

-i really like cheez-its

-my schedule for the next 2 weeks is just a little bit nuts.

-i wish i had time to organize my bookshelf.

-my best friend is currently honeymooning in Aruba.  & i miss her.

-bought our tickets to the east coast!

-on episode 9-10pm on season 1 of 24 (the tv show).  we're making progress!

-there is no way to disappear in a class of 5.

-i see the light.

father x 3.

Happy Fathers Day

to my fathers.

because i love lists & goals.

-read 3 books

-have coffee with an old friend

-get frozen yogurt

-go on a hike with Den

-make a complicated dinner

-buy a soccer ball and start a pick-up game

-bake something from scratch

-find a new home to live in

-go swimming with my nieces

-write my first ministry magazine article

-write & apply for the Real Simple writing contest

-be quiet and still for 1 hour

-go to the beach alone

-organize my craft stuff

-eat a great burger & cupcake in DC

-tour the national monuments in Georgetown

-take a walking tour of Old Town Alexandria

-sew us new cloth napkins

-go on a lunch date...just me & mom

-use up my new bottle of sunblock

Who doesn't like a good list?

This summer D & I are going on a holiday to North Carolina and Washington DC to visit family.  So naturally, I had to list some east coast to-do's!

I'll be sure to keep you in the loop when I get to cross these things off...

What's on your list this summer?

photo taken in Carpenteria

8:52.

It is 8:52 on Thursday morning

So far I have...

read my Bible

curled my hair

watched 2 episodes of Say Yes to the Dress (yay Netflix!)

vacuumed

eaten a bowl of cereal

And now I result to this...organizing my bookcase by color.

Um, so what do people do during the summer when they're not in summer school (this summer) or planning a wedding (last summer)?

I have no idea what to do with myself.

Denver to you.

"My mom thought it was time again that I update you on my life.

First of all, it is so darn hot.  I am shedding like crazy.  I feel bad because I know it's driving mom a little nuts, but I can't help it.  

The other day, mom woke up with one of my hairs in her mouth.  Not good.  So now not only am I not allowed to sleep on their bed, I can't even lay at the foot of their bed.  I am struggling with this new rule.

When my parents were in Arizona I stayed at my Pop Pop's house.  It's nice and cool there because he isn't so stingy with his AC.  I liked running around in his yard, but ate something I shouldn't have.  I threw up.  Gross.

My dad and mom left me alone in the house a couple weeks ago.  I accidently started chewing the front door rug.  I was going to deny it was me, but then Dad found a piece of cloth in my mouth.  Not so smooth, I know.

I can catch a frisbee.  That was my dad's goal for my life.

I eat lying down.  And I eat very, very slowly.  Food just really doesn't excite me...

ice cubes, on the other hand...

Mom and Dad have started looking for a new home for us to live in.  I am really excited about this.  I need a backyard so bad.

Oh, and what's that blue thing around my neck?"

good morning.

Last night, I finished my last paper for my 6-week summer school class.

I'm officially on summer break.

Until Monday, which is when I start my 2-week summer school class.

Monday-Friday.

1-6.

And then?

I will enjoy 2 months of summer.

Not too shabby, eh?

I slept like a champ last night.

Hallelujah.

In other news,

what's for dinner this week at your house?

pillow fort.

We're back.

Don't you wish you had one of these door thingies for your home?

Ya, me too.

(Thanks for your prayers- I am feeling a lot better.)

The wedding was beautiful.

Carley, of course, was absolutely stunning.

Every little detail- her hair, her makeup, her dress, her FOUR veils, her bracelet, her flowers...

Everything was so...her.

I couldn't be more happy for my best friend.

Because I wanted to be ever-so-present, I went to the reception sans camera.  But hopefully will get some shots from others.  Like this one:

And yes, if you're wondering, that stuff on my face is makeup.

I absolutely refused to get my makeup done for my own wedding, or even prom, but for Carley?  Anything.  

And this can be our little secret, but I really loved it.

(sister, you should be proud.)

p.s. my friends are gorgeous.  and the one on the left?  single.  come and get her.

i am a mess.

Danny and I think Den looks like a little cub scout with his bandanna.

Big D mentioned how funny it would be if I made badges for Little D.

for instance:

I-can-be-home-alone-outside-my-crate badge

I-can-sit-and-stay badge

I-only-go-potty-outside badge

fire-making-in-the-wilderness badge

etc.

I told him that we could just pretend.

All this to say, yesterday Denver did not receive his pretend no-chewing badge.

gr.

In other news...

I cried this morning.  and it felt good and necessary.

Steph, BF from high school til forever, is moving to Nashville.

Carley, BF form seminary til forever, is getting married in 2 days.

Danny and I are leaving at 4am tomorrow for Chandler, Phoenix, and Tempe.

I have 3 loads of laundry to do.

We're making our way on the packing front.

Got my first "C" on a college paper.

I am totally petrified of the next one due on Wednesday.

3 more weeks of summer school. (I think I can...)

I talked to my youth pastor turned boss turned ministry partner yesterday.

A large handful of students I spent years ministering to are graduating high school today.

I can't stop feeling nostalgic.

I am sort of a mess.

Be back Monday.  In the meantime, I covet your prayers.

as if saturday's couldn't get any better.

This is my new friend, the dutch  baby.  (AKA the oven pancake or German pancake.)

I had it the other day and gave it a go for myself last weekend for D & I.

Oh. my. goodness.

That's all I have to say.

You'll need:

2 eggs

1/2 t salt

2 T sugar

3/4 C flour

1 C milk

3 T butter

Heat over to 400.

Meanwhile melt the butter and place in pie dish.

Mix other ingredients.

Pour on top of melted butter.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

It'll puff up nice and pretty, and then start to sink after you pull it out.

Top with:

 honey butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, fresh fruit, syrup, or anything else your heart desires.

You're welcome in advance.

shoes & hurt feelings.

This is what my husband (and Denver) surprised me with- new yellow flats!  I just love them (both the shoes and the boys).

Then, the next day I hurt his feelings by telling him he has been "chewing gross" for the past 2 days.

(for the record, he does not "chew gross".  Skittles and a stuffy nose can set anyone up for failure.)

Oh friends, I have so much to learn in the marriage department...

oh yeah, and...

I wish we were all here together today.

Oh, Mondays...

f&e.

Okay, this post has been long in the making.

Please, please, please tell me you've made a visit to your local Fresh & Easy.

I swear, this grocery store has helped us stay on a budget for our first year of marriage.

While I would love to be a coupon girl, I just don't have the time to commit to searching & printing & clipping.  F & E has regular coupons that they send to me (sometimes in e-mail, sometimes in snail mail) that can be used for my entire bill.  For instance, $10 off $50, $3 off $30, or $6 off $30.  We never, ever go without a coupon- that's how regular they are.

Anyway, I am amazed every week at how much we buy for so little.  This week pushed me over the line- I knew I had to share with you guys & gals.  This was our grocery list for the week:

4-pack of sub sandwich rolls

1 loaf of bread

bag of croutons

bag of kettle corn

tortillas

wheat thins

triscuits

peanut butter granola bars

blueberry granola bars

lg. bag of tortilla chips

sm. bag of bbq chips

2 personal ciabatta rolls

5 lb. bag of white rice

2 boxes of cereal

apple juice boxes

can of black beans

can of roast beef

bag of frozen turkey meatballs

2- 2 cup packs of shredded mozzarella/cheddar

3 romaine hearts

4 roma tomatoes

4 activia drinkable yogurts

1 lg. yogurt tub

green onions

6 apples

2 lbs. of grapes

12 eggs

1 gallon of milk

19 qt. cooler (for our road trip this weekend)

Total (with 2 (did I mention you can double up coupons?!) $6 off $30 coupons):

$56.37

WOW!  I think that's just amazing!  I still usually go to another grocery store for deli turkey, because I just can't do packaged lunch meat.  But it's so worth the 2 trips to get what we get.

So please try F & E.  They don't use artificial flavors or preservatives, which means it goes bad within a week of buying.  But it's so worth it- I have a friend who even lost weight after switching grocery stories.  That's big time, my friends.

The end.

(Fresh & Easy did not pay me for this.)

from my boys.

This was on my table when I got back from a photo-shoot yesterday afternoon.

Gosh, I am a lucky gal.

Hope you have a beautiful Saturday.

he accessorizes!

The weekend is here.  Hallelujah.

Am off to do Friday things...laundry (Dan was out of underwear this morning...oops.), meal planning, cleaning, homeworking, playing with little Denver, and, hopefully, sneaking in a little afternoon nap.

Have a beautiful weekend.

PS Please don't tell Denver he is wearing a bandana- he doesn't know yet.

400.

This is post 400.

This is me.

Do you ever feel like you can hardly wait for the next stage in life?

for instance...

"I just can't wait til _________."

I fill that statement with:

"I am done with seminary."

"we live in a house and not a complex."

"I am pregnant."

"I can go shopping for new clothes/shoes/bedding."

"we have babies."

"we can trust Denver out of his crate during the day."

etc. etc. etc.

Well, God has been teaching me what it means to be content.

just. where. i. am. at.

To enjoy the season of life I am in.

Otherwise, it'll just pass away when I'm not looking and I'll mourn it when it's gone.

So, today I choose to love where I'm at.

One day (like when I have time to mop my floors for real or when my belly is so big that I can no longer sleep on my stomach), I want to look back on my life as a 23 1/2 year old and remember what I was doing, what I was learning, and what I was dreaming. So, here it is.

These days I

-wear my hair up. we have a love/hate relationship right now.

-watch 24 at night with Dn. Because LOST is over and we don't have cable and it is on Netflix's watch instantly. We're currently on episode 4 of the first season and I am pretty sure we're hooked.

-meal plan on Fridays and shop on Saturdays. We spend about $60-$80 weekly, depending on if we're having people over or taking a student out to eat.

-I have been studying Genesis, Exodus, and James.

-can't go a day without listening to Ingrid Michaelson, the Weepies, and Azure Ray.

-love the sound of Denver walking on the hardwood floors.

-can drink my 8 cups of water a day if a lemon or lime accompanies it.

-can't get enough cherries.

-have been craving frozen yogurt for at least 2 months. D and I still haven't gone. Maybe I should recognize the craving before 10:30 at night.

-notice my "perfectionist" trait in not so good ways and am praying that the Lord would transform my heart and mind.

-feel strong and healthy, regardless of my lupus.

This is the day the Lord has made;

Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

summer.

It's summer around here...

which means our youth group will be looking a little different for the next 3 months.

And boy, are we excited!

(click to enlarge.)

If you're in youth ministry, this post was for you.

I always love seeing what other youth groups are doing, so here you go.

thought for today.

filling my new bowl with skittles was a bad idea.

surprise!

This weekend I was involved in two really great surprises.

1.

Our dear friend Dan got engaged on Friday night.  This guy is top-knotch and I am so glad we got to watch him fall in love with Meghan.  I know he has been waiting for her, praying for her, longing for her.  And it is so good to see God fulfill his desires.

Danny and I got to be in on the engagement.  He proposed at Orange Hill Restaurant (where we went the night my Danny proposed!).  On the north side of the restaurant Danny played a song for them to dance to (Dan had written it for Meghan), while I snapped some pictures.  Then, he got on a knee and asked her to spend forever with him.  And she said yes!  It was absolutely beautiful.

Congratulations Dan and Meghan.  We love you.

2.

I really missed my friend Carley Block.  So naturally, I drove 5 1/2 hours to Chandler, Arizona to spend 2 days with her.  (Have I mentioned before that this girl commutes to Azusa, CA from Chandler, AZ weekly???  I know...she's a rockstar.)  We made wedding programs and fans.  We glued jewels with toothpicks.  We tied bows.  I got to see her in her wedding dress.  We ate and laughed and cried and shopped.  It was well worth the drive and I would do it again in a heartbeat.  In fact, I might even do it next weekend.  

I love you, Carley Block, soon-to-be-bride (11 days!).

content.

My friend Kate posted this on her blog and I absolutely had to re-post it.  This little girl has captured my heart- I want to be more like her.

Today, be content and go in love with your life.

(and your hair, and your aunts, and your whole house...)