friday night!!!
last day of school---woooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
and it's been such a fun week that it feels like my vacation started early.
i know most of you reading this also read mary and matt's blog, but i'm also going to give my report on the past week. so some of this stuff will probably be repetitive, but with my own commentary and perception...
*saturday: mary arrived around 1:00 and we hung out for awhile, then napped, then went up to solana beach to see phantom planet. a good, fun, and relaxing show that started off the week of great music. we came home and ate some food and had some drinks and chatted and laughed some more....
*sunday: we went to ocean beach and it was more windy than it has ever been since we have lived here! i thought i was in big sur! matt and mary bucked up and went surfing (i did not, due to mary using my wetsuit--and you're crazy if you think i would go in that freezing cold water without a wetsuit--i was wearing a hooded sweatshirt while i was on land, for goodness sakes!). so matt and mary got beat up in the ridiculously choppy waves. when they had enough, we went to hodad's for a yummy lunch and the world's best chocolate milkshake!!! then we headed downtown to watch a padres game, which was sold out. :( but we shopped around and messed around and ate some more before we went to see the shins concert. wow. such a fantastic show!!!! i loved every song on their cd anyways, and they really are even better live. such clear vocals and guitar and great stage presence, as well. i would go see them again any day...
*monday: matt and i worked. when i came home, mary and i went mountain biking in tecolote canyon. the mountain biking book i have said it was "rolling hills". apparently, "rolling hills" means "straight up and down hills". it was a fantastic workout--so exhausting and fun (and scary) on the steep downhills. not quite as much fun on the steep uphills! we have some great pictures that capture the ruggedness of the place. then we went to filippi's italian restaurant for yummy pizza and then to our friend eddie's to see his new puppy. so cute!!!! we came home and watched (er, fell asleep to) the season finale of sopranos.
*tuesday: after work, matt and i each raced over to our encinitas campground, where mary had set up camp earlier that day. we charged out to the waves (this time the water was warm enough for no wetsuits for some) and caught some great waves. we all stood up on our boards many times and it was sunny and so satisfying. exhausted and happy, we cooked out hotdogs over the campfire. ahhhhh.... as it grew dark, we listened to music and chatted and ate campfire chocolate eclairs. then matt left around 10:30 or 11:00. i hadn't planned to spend the night, but it was too perfect to leave, so i slept there with mary and woke up the next morning at 5:30 (due to ridiculously loud crows--didn't they know my alarm wasn't going off until 6:00 am) and drove home to get ready for work.
*wednesday: raced to encinitas for more surfing directly after work again. the waves were really rough and the undercurrent strong. we all took a shellacing from the sea, and when we had enough, came up and showered and ate some more hotdogs and grilled cheese. then there was a beautiful sunset, which we watched as we played aerobie, tossed the football, and played horseshoes. matt stuck around until 10:30 again and we had our routine of chatting and laughing and listening to music. i slept over for real because i took thursday off of work to hang out with mary...it was a much better night of restfulness.
*thursday: i woke up around 6:30 and watched the ocean from our campsite (did i mention that we could see it? so relaxing, and great white noise to fall asleep to, as well!). then i went for a nice long walk on the shore. when i got back, mare was still asleep, so i made some eggs and read "my utmost for his highest". then mare got up and we had an early morning surf session. the sun was shining, the water was nice, the waves were still a little choppy, but not as strong--so we had a great session. such a great way to end the camping trip... then on to sea kayaking. you can read mary's blog for her rendition of her fiasco with getting out into the calmer portion of the ocean :) hee hee. yet i was not laughing in about 30 minutes from then. we kayaked out to some sea caves, which were very cool looking but too dangerous to kayak into. we saw a friend called a sea lion who popped his head out of the water about 10 feet from us and stared at us for awhile. so cute!!!! more sea lions on a big rock quite a ways away, barking and yelping. then i started feeling a little queasy so i put a little cool water on my head. "do you have a migraine?," asked mary. "i'm just a little seasick," i said. "me too! i was trying to buck up since i had a hard time getting out, but..." the we both started paddling back to shore as fast as we could (which was about a half an hour away, which may not sound long to you, but when you're battling nausea on a rolling ocean, every moment seems like an eternity), taking breaks and trying not to throw up. we finally made it back to shore and sat there, trying to recover for awhile. we didn't even use our kayaks for the full rental time. a waste, you may be saying to yourself, but so much better than the sickness option. we got in the car (more motion) and headed home. being home was so refreshing that we got our second wind after 45 minutes and we headed out to sunset cliffs and watched the ocean and chatted. then matt called us as we were on our way home and we went to play tennis. i was sort of losing steam but i bucked up and played (and may i add, very poorly?). remember, i had been doing constant activity since 6:30 am, people!!! then we showered, ate wahoo's with our friends sue and tom, and went to see our 3rd concert of the week. stellastarr was great (the portion we saw, at least), the killers were fantastic--the lead singer was such an entertainer. then the yeah yeah yeahs were funny at first--insane--and then just too dark and scary and sad for me to handle. i had to go wait outside in the hall until it was finished. then back home to collapse into bed. whew!!!!!
*friday, today.... i worked my last day--yes!!! then when i got home, mary and i went up to torrey pines and had such a great hike and more great chats. we came home and had chicken tortilla soup and sangria for dinner-so yummy. now we're getting ready to go see "saved"--the first movie we've seen in a theater since i can't remember even....
it's been an awesome week--thanks mare, for the fun and talks and laughs and pre-triath training!
i head to cincy on tuesday!!!!!!!
can't wait to see the good side of the family!!!
i'm out.
tracey
p.s. hi kim! i do read your blog--i hope that's not too creepy!!!! :) but i enjoy hearing what is going on with you!!!!
Friday, June 04, 2004
hello everyone.
it's friday night and i'm cleaning and matt is doing some editing work for scantron.
mare will be here around noon tomorrow-yay!
and then on to see phantom planet play in solana beach in the afternoon
(and maybe see the stills play in the evening)
and then sunday we get to see the shins
and then camping in encinitas
and exercise/triathlon training mongrels of mary and tracey throughout the week....
oh yeah, matt sort of got guilted into helping a friend's wife paint their new house tomorrow morning (but his friend will actually be out of town and he called a bunch of people to go help his wife--ha!) so wierd. not the best timing, but this guy and his wife are so nice, so i guess it is hard for matt to say no.
this week i met the boy counterpart of myself at age 6. nonstop talking from his teeny little mouth.
he was so cute, though.
when i went to get him in his classroom i said, "you get to come with me to my room today" (i see another little boy in his class, so he knows who i am). and he yelled "woohoo!!!" in the tiniest little voice! i was cracking up!
i love working with elementary aged children, but i really do miss working with babies (16 months +), toddlers, and preschoolers. that was one of the best things about working at toledo hearing and speech center. the little ones are too young to follow direct instructions with speech and language, so you have to address it all through play therapy. it is the most fun thing in the world--plus, you get to see their little brains actually working and language literally developing before your eyes.
anyways....
inspired by justin's top ten list of music this year, here's my own list (in no particular order)
-snow patrol
-the shins
-all things bright and beautiful
-belle and sebastian
-deathcab
-postal service
-(new) get up kids
-the killers
that's all for now...
have a great weekend, everybody!!!!
ry and michelle--have fun in myrtle beach!
it's friday night and i'm cleaning and matt is doing some editing work for scantron.
mare will be here around noon tomorrow-yay!
and then on to see phantom planet play in solana beach in the afternoon
(and maybe see the stills play in the evening)
and then sunday we get to see the shins
and then camping in encinitas
and exercise/triathlon training mongrels of mary and tracey throughout the week....
oh yeah, matt sort of got guilted into helping a friend's wife paint their new house tomorrow morning (but his friend will actually be out of town and he called a bunch of people to go help his wife--ha!) so wierd. not the best timing, but this guy and his wife are so nice, so i guess it is hard for matt to say no.
this week i met the boy counterpart of myself at age 6. nonstop talking from his teeny little mouth.
he was so cute, though.
when i went to get him in his classroom i said, "you get to come with me to my room today" (i see another little boy in his class, so he knows who i am). and he yelled "woohoo!!!" in the tiniest little voice! i was cracking up!
i love working with elementary aged children, but i really do miss working with babies (16 months +), toddlers, and preschoolers. that was one of the best things about working at toledo hearing and speech center. the little ones are too young to follow direct instructions with speech and language, so you have to address it all through play therapy. it is the most fun thing in the world--plus, you get to see their little brains actually working and language literally developing before your eyes.
anyways....
inspired by justin's top ten list of music this year, here's my own list (in no particular order)
-snow patrol
-the shins
-all things bright and beautiful
-belle and sebastian
-deathcab
-postal service
-(new) get up kids
-the killers
that's all for now...
have a great weekend, everybody!!!!
ry and michelle--have fun in myrtle beach!
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
welp, we're back from mexico.
such a fun, fun weekend.
it was one of those deals where the days seem so long.
we just hung out on our own beach (the house was right next to a nature preserve, so there were miles of untouched beach beauty (i.e. no houses, condos, highrises, etc.). our house was awesome, just the right size, and with a huge deck outside. the weather was perfect--sunny and breezy (a little windy the first day, but not out of control--enough to make cool patterns in the sand). we relaxed and read, played horseshoes, bocce ball, aerobie, and cards. one night we went out on the town to ensenada, which was crowded and not a lot of english spoken. slight culture shock, but we had so much fun. then we went to a cool place called la boufadora. there is a formation of rocks along the shore that when waves come crashing in, there is somehow a pocket of air that gets pushed up and sprays water maybe 100 meters into the air! they call it the blowhole, because that's what it sounds like. but on the way to that spot, many vendors have set up shops and it was bargaining time for tracey! it reminded me of nairobi's city market. i did end up getting a prada purse for a good price and some earrings for matt's boss, who gave him $ for me to buy her stuff (a little bit of pressure, i must say...) hopefully she likes what i bought her...
i ate so much good food (and probably more lard in those 3 days than i have in the rest of my life put together!) we went to this big fish market that was right on the bay and ate at a taco shop right there. the fishermen were literally bringing the fish into the restaurant and the workers were preparing it right then. so fresh and so good. mmmmmmm.....
i enjoyed runs and walks on the shore by myself every morning (of course i was the first one up! but no one slept in really late--i think the latest was 10:00, so not bad). i didn't mind, though. early morning walks on the beach by myself are one of my favorite parts of this life on earth.
tracey
p.s. can't wait to see mary in a few days!
p.p.s. finally! a blog from casey! er.. i mean... from bo!
such a fun, fun weekend.
it was one of those deals where the days seem so long.
we just hung out on our own beach (the house was right next to a nature preserve, so there were miles of untouched beach beauty (i.e. no houses, condos, highrises, etc.). our house was awesome, just the right size, and with a huge deck outside. the weather was perfect--sunny and breezy (a little windy the first day, but not out of control--enough to make cool patterns in the sand). we relaxed and read, played horseshoes, bocce ball, aerobie, and cards. one night we went out on the town to ensenada, which was crowded and not a lot of english spoken. slight culture shock, but we had so much fun. then we went to a cool place called la boufadora. there is a formation of rocks along the shore that when waves come crashing in, there is somehow a pocket of air that gets pushed up and sprays water maybe 100 meters into the air! they call it the blowhole, because that's what it sounds like. but on the way to that spot, many vendors have set up shops and it was bargaining time for tracey! it reminded me of nairobi's city market. i did end up getting a prada purse for a good price and some earrings for matt's boss, who gave him $ for me to buy her stuff (a little bit of pressure, i must say...) hopefully she likes what i bought her...
i ate so much good food (and probably more lard in those 3 days than i have in the rest of my life put together!) we went to this big fish market that was right on the bay and ate at a taco shop right there. the fishermen were literally bringing the fish into the restaurant and the workers were preparing it right then. so fresh and so good. mmmmmmm.....
i enjoyed runs and walks on the shore by myself every morning (of course i was the first one up! but no one slept in really late--i think the latest was 10:00, so not bad). i didn't mind, though. early morning walks on the beach by myself are one of my favorite parts of this life on earth.
tracey
p.s. can't wait to see mary in a few days!
p.p.s. finally! a blog from casey! er.. i mean... from bo!
Tuesday, May 25, 2004
i hear american idol in the background.
dang, that diana chick is annoying.
the only thing good about her being on stage is matt's funny and horribly mean comments about throwing an apple up on stage so she can have it in her mouth (uh, like a roast pig). sorry, matt. after your blog where you just got right with god, i had to go and blow your cover. but i'm worse, because i laugh every single time and then yell, "matt, that's mean!" as i'm still laughing.
just a few more days to get through until we are relaxing on our beach in mexico.
matt bought a big aerobie and horseshoe set (rydogg, you'll be into that when you come out here, eh?), our friends have bocce ball, our other friends have snorkel gear, the house has boogie boards, and we're all bringing cards, catchphrase, etc. it's fun to have friends who are gamers. there's always some fun game or competition going on. for example, this house we're staying in has 3 bedrooms, but the master bedroom has a jacuzzi and other fun stuff. so to be fair we played roulette to see which couple got which room. and then while we were playing we decided each couple could have the master bedroom for a night. matt and i won and picked the last night (we're working our way up from the ghetto rooms!!!). but i love that instead of being awkward and trying to figure out who deserves the best bedroom/who needs the best bedroom, etc., it turns into a game and no one even cares about the bedroom anymore--it's all about the game (michelle, i think you can relate!).
i'm off to ice my shins and read harry potter (#3). i'm saving #4 for the beach this weekend.
hey justin, remember when you were on the junie b jones kick and we would sit in the living room and read them? and then one of us would laugh and the other one would say, "what?" and the one who just laughed would read the funny part out loud to the other one? (you and me had some fun that year....)
today in speech i read "three billy goats gruff" and thought of my granddad, who used to read me that story all the time when i was young.
and then i thought about my first boyfriend who had a mechanic's coat and he had written in the name "billy" where the name tag was supposed to be, and then he said, "it's my billy coat!" and then i thought of kevdogg, who shares my love of goats, but to the extreme!!! when we were in high school, we tried to talk my dad into getting us a goat for the back yard. he didn't go for it, surprisingly....
have a great night, everyone.
dang, that diana chick is annoying.
the only thing good about her being on stage is matt's funny and horribly mean comments about throwing an apple up on stage so she can have it in her mouth (uh, like a roast pig). sorry, matt. after your blog where you just got right with god, i had to go and blow your cover. but i'm worse, because i laugh every single time and then yell, "matt, that's mean!" as i'm still laughing.
just a few more days to get through until we are relaxing on our beach in mexico.
matt bought a big aerobie and horseshoe set (rydogg, you'll be into that when you come out here, eh?), our friends have bocce ball, our other friends have snorkel gear, the house has boogie boards, and we're all bringing cards, catchphrase, etc. it's fun to have friends who are gamers. there's always some fun game or competition going on. for example, this house we're staying in has 3 bedrooms, but the master bedroom has a jacuzzi and other fun stuff. so to be fair we played roulette to see which couple got which room. and then while we were playing we decided each couple could have the master bedroom for a night. matt and i won and picked the last night (we're working our way up from the ghetto rooms!!!). but i love that instead of being awkward and trying to figure out who deserves the best bedroom/who needs the best bedroom, etc., it turns into a game and no one even cares about the bedroom anymore--it's all about the game (michelle, i think you can relate!).
i'm off to ice my shins and read harry potter (#3). i'm saving #4 for the beach this weekend.
hey justin, remember when you were on the junie b jones kick and we would sit in the living room and read them? and then one of us would laugh and the other one would say, "what?" and the one who just laughed would read the funny part out loud to the other one? (you and me had some fun that year....)
today in speech i read "three billy goats gruff" and thought of my granddad, who used to read me that story all the time when i was young.
and then i thought about my first boyfriend who had a mechanic's coat and he had written in the name "billy" where the name tag was supposed to be, and then he said, "it's my billy coat!" and then i thought of kevdogg, who shares my love of goats, but to the extreme!!! when we were in high school, we tried to talk my dad into getting us a goat for the back yard. he didn't go for it, surprisingly....
have a great night, everyone.
Monday, May 24, 2004
another monday down...
and only 1 more monday left to work, since i have next monday off! yay!
12 more days total....
yikes. how will i fit it all in? oh well, i have to.
lately when i check on peoples blogs, it keeps giving me a url not found error message. maybe blogger is updating? or having problems? anyone know?
this weekend i was so lazy! well, i did finally paint my wine nook purple, which looks very cool. but that was the most exercise i got all weekend. the rest of the time was spent laying around on the couch, in the bed, on the beach.... i did, however, exercise my brain and read the first 2 harry potter books over again. so good! if anyone reading this has not read those, you really should. they're very clever and use decent vocabulary and are so great for the imagination. i think i will always have extra fondness for those books just because i read them in africa when i was awake at 3am, due to time change issues. nothing was better than being awake and reading and seeing matt come down the stairs all sleepy, then mary, and hearing justin and michael upstairs (still hadn't started their night of sleep yet) chatting and laughing about pseudobook (mom and dad were asleep, of course). and then reading some more and playing video games and eating with matt and mary, and then finally going back up to bed around 8 am, when mom and dad were just getting up...
matt and i heard this band called the veils last night on mtv2 and they're pretty good. you peeps should ch-check it out.
well, we're going to go and watch the sun set.
so have a good evening everyone.
and only 1 more monday left to work, since i have next monday off! yay!
12 more days total....
yikes. how will i fit it all in? oh well, i have to.
lately when i check on peoples blogs, it keeps giving me a url not found error message. maybe blogger is updating? or having problems? anyone know?
this weekend i was so lazy! well, i did finally paint my wine nook purple, which looks very cool. but that was the most exercise i got all weekend. the rest of the time was spent laying around on the couch, in the bed, on the beach.... i did, however, exercise my brain and read the first 2 harry potter books over again. so good! if anyone reading this has not read those, you really should. they're very clever and use decent vocabulary and are so great for the imagination. i think i will always have extra fondness for those books just because i read them in africa when i was awake at 3am, due to time change issues. nothing was better than being awake and reading and seeing matt come down the stairs all sleepy, then mary, and hearing justin and michael upstairs (still hadn't started their night of sleep yet) chatting and laughing about pseudobook (mom and dad were asleep, of course). and then reading some more and playing video games and eating with matt and mary, and then finally going back up to bed around 8 am, when mom and dad were just getting up...
matt and i heard this band called the veils last night on mtv2 and they're pretty good. you peeps should ch-check it out.
well, we're going to go and watch the sun set.
so have a good evening everyone.
Friday, May 21, 2004
i had a splitting headache all day today but now it's finally gone after a nice relaxing run by the ocean with two girlfriends. we now have 3 members in our after school running club (me, a spanish teacher, and the nurse)! yeah! several more interested parties, but none who will actually buck up and get out there with us. they may be intimidated by our "grand finale" of running all the way up hill street (the street my school is on with the, uh, big hill). we're going to do that on the last day of school (maybe, since mary will be here--and maybe mare wants to do it :)!
matt and i are getting ready to go to our friends' (sue and tom) house. we'll be heading down to mexico over memorial day weekend. we rented a cool condo on the beach for so cheap!!! (hey michelle and mary--maybe girls trip? or maybe camping in san luis obispo?) so we're getting together with the other two couples tonight to figure out who brings what. well, the LADIES will figure out what to bring. the guys will probably fool around (ry, i know you've just been through this!)
one of the janitors at our school was talking about how her 10 year old daughter is getting her black belt in karate, so i acted interested (which i was) and made a comment about how t i thought it would be fun to do karate. which i actually do. and matt of course refuses to entertain the thought of engaging in that sort of activity with me. well, anyways, to me it was a passing comment. but to her, it was a committment to now join this karate club and now every single time i see her, she has to remind me of the times and place of the class. and finally i said, "i'm so busy with this end of the year stuff, i won't have time to even think of it until summer." so she said she had my number off the staff directory and would be calling me the day after school got out (she was laughing, but i know she is not kidding!). so then i had to tell her that i was going to be gone for half of summer--jeez! get the point. i guess it is just one of those people who can't take a hint (respect my time and my schedule!!!) and i'm going to have to be blunt and just say, "nope because blah blah blah..."
dad edwards, good luck and have fun with your indians reunion game!!!!
new(er) music that i'm listening to: the killers, franz ferdinand, the walkmen, plus, i love the new beastie boys single--yes, they have to be one of my favorite bands of all time-just when i'm about to forget about them, they come out with something new and fun-always solid and catchy and fresh!
today i heard this great song by kings of leon that reminds me of when matt and i were dreaming of moving to san diego and we wanted to do it ASAP. but we knew that for things to work out perfectly, we had to wait for God's perfect timing:
by giving in
what am i giving up?
am i losing way too much?
california waiting
every little things gotta be just right.
matt and i are getting ready to go to our friends' (sue and tom) house. we'll be heading down to mexico over memorial day weekend. we rented a cool condo on the beach for so cheap!!! (hey michelle and mary--maybe girls trip? or maybe camping in san luis obispo?) so we're getting together with the other two couples tonight to figure out who brings what. well, the LADIES will figure out what to bring. the guys will probably fool around (ry, i know you've just been through this!)
one of the janitors at our school was talking about how her 10 year old daughter is getting her black belt in karate, so i acted interested (which i was) and made a comment about how t i thought it would be fun to do karate. which i actually do. and matt of course refuses to entertain the thought of engaging in that sort of activity with me. well, anyways, to me it was a passing comment. but to her, it was a committment to now join this karate club and now every single time i see her, she has to remind me of the times and place of the class. and finally i said, "i'm so busy with this end of the year stuff, i won't have time to even think of it until summer." so she said she had my number off the staff directory and would be calling me the day after school got out (she was laughing, but i know she is not kidding!). so then i had to tell her that i was going to be gone for half of summer--jeez! get the point. i guess it is just one of those people who can't take a hint (respect my time and my schedule!!!) and i'm going to have to be blunt and just say, "nope because blah blah blah..."
dad edwards, good luck and have fun with your indians reunion game!!!!
new(er) music that i'm listening to: the killers, franz ferdinand, the walkmen, plus, i love the new beastie boys single--yes, they have to be one of my favorite bands of all time-just when i'm about to forget about them, they come out with something new and fun-always solid and catchy and fresh!
today i heard this great song by kings of leon that reminds me of when matt and i were dreaming of moving to san diego and we wanted to do it ASAP. but we knew that for things to work out perfectly, we had to wait for God's perfect timing:
by giving in
what am i giving up?
am i losing way too much?
california waiting
every little things gotta be just right.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
only 14 more days of school left! woohooo!!!!
i can make it!
plus, those last 5 days for me are like the last day of school for teachers (since i see the majority of my kids once or twice/week) and that means party time! and making my cheap slave labor help me pack up all my belongings and tear down my office for the summer! yes!
matt and i went to the farmer's market last night and we did enjoy the OB people, as well as the cutie dogs that were everywhere. matt encountered a silly beagle that appeared to be in love with him. that guy howled and stared and wagged at matt all through our dinner. last week i got a bouquet of flowers for $1 that lasted about 5 days. i meant to try to find some more, but alas, i forgot.
i had a nice chat with michelle, who called last night.
looks like we have a 3 person adventure racing team for next spring (me, mary, michelle)!
yes!
since michelle posted her thoughts on turning 30, i wanted to put in my 2 cents! ha!
it won't be happening for another year and a half for me, but it does seem to be such a huge event in ones lifetime.
(of course, inflamed by american culture of youth-worship), but really, it is a big deal.
i'm just trying to make it a positive deal. i was considering trying to squeeze a bunch of stuff in that i've always wanted to do in the next year and a half so i could say, "i did that by the time i was thirty". but now, i'm going to celebrate turning 30 by either running a marathon or doing an adventure race, or something else physical--to show that my life isn't over! and how about a great trip to tanzania to celebrate? heehee! matt just informed me that he will not be a father while he is in his twenties. "what?" i said, "how do you know?", "because i'm going to be 30 in january", he said. oh. how did that happen? how were we just baby 22 year-olds when we got married and now he's turning 30?
well, enough of life's deep and mysterious questions.
oh yeah, justin, i want a dvd, please (matt will buy one from you when he comes in june). and so does michelle.
welp, i have to get going.
have a great thursday everyone!
i can make it!
plus, those last 5 days for me are like the last day of school for teachers (since i see the majority of my kids once or twice/week) and that means party time! and making my cheap slave labor help me pack up all my belongings and tear down my office for the summer! yes!
matt and i went to the farmer's market last night and we did enjoy the OB people, as well as the cutie dogs that were everywhere. matt encountered a silly beagle that appeared to be in love with him. that guy howled and stared and wagged at matt all through our dinner. last week i got a bouquet of flowers for $1 that lasted about 5 days. i meant to try to find some more, but alas, i forgot.
i had a nice chat with michelle, who called last night.
looks like we have a 3 person adventure racing team for next spring (me, mary, michelle)!
yes!
since michelle posted her thoughts on turning 30, i wanted to put in my 2 cents! ha!
it won't be happening for another year and a half for me, but it does seem to be such a huge event in ones lifetime.
(of course, inflamed by american culture of youth-worship), but really, it is a big deal.
i'm just trying to make it a positive deal. i was considering trying to squeeze a bunch of stuff in that i've always wanted to do in the next year and a half so i could say, "i did that by the time i was thirty". but now, i'm going to celebrate turning 30 by either running a marathon or doing an adventure race, or something else physical--to show that my life isn't over! and how about a great trip to tanzania to celebrate? heehee! matt just informed me that he will not be a father while he is in his twenties. "what?" i said, "how do you know?", "because i'm going to be 30 in january", he said. oh. how did that happen? how were we just baby 22 year-olds when we got married and now he's turning 30?
well, enough of life's deep and mysterious questions.
oh yeah, justin, i want a dvd, please (matt will buy one from you when he comes in june). and so does michelle.
welp, i have to get going.
have a great thursday everyone!
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
i'm listening to hot rod circuit and remembering the drive up highway 1 on the coast last year. matt slept in the passenger seat and i had a 6 disc rotation of deathcab, travoltas, hot rod circuit, saves the day, ash, and ben folds. my scenery included the ocean, mountains, and vineyards...
matt is finishing the neverending job of painting our kitchen a deep red (cherry cobbler, for those who are interested in the actual name-probably no one :). i apparently am a little too sloppy and when using such a dark color, it really shows. so matt volunteered to finish/made me stop--ha! oh well, he's doing an awesome job. i think i like the way it looks (matt says that i'd better, with as long as it is taking him). it's just a lot of color. i might rag some reddish brown paint on top of it, to break it up and give it some depth and texture. we shall see.....
i received a fun letter from grammy in the mail, as well as a fun motivational packet/running journal from mary!
grammy/aunt deedee, i looked up your vacation condo-it looks fun! that lap pool is pretty neat. sounds like you all will be having so much fun!
and a second entry has been made in the training journal, mary.
matt has a job interview tomorrow, so pray for him everyone!
it looks pretty good on paper and he is really interested in it.
17 more days of school.
and i got permission to take june 10th off to go kayaking with mary!
so really only 16 more days :) yay!
how long is too long?
-get up kids
farewell.
matt is finishing the neverending job of painting our kitchen a deep red (cherry cobbler, for those who are interested in the actual name-probably no one :). i apparently am a little too sloppy and when using such a dark color, it really shows. so matt volunteered to finish/made me stop--ha! oh well, he's doing an awesome job. i think i like the way it looks (matt says that i'd better, with as long as it is taking him). it's just a lot of color. i might rag some reddish brown paint on top of it, to break it up and give it some depth and texture. we shall see.....
i received a fun letter from grammy in the mail, as well as a fun motivational packet/running journal from mary!
grammy/aunt deedee, i looked up your vacation condo-it looks fun! that lap pool is pretty neat. sounds like you all will be having so much fun!
and a second entry has been made in the training journal, mary.
matt has a job interview tomorrow, so pray for him everyone!
it looks pretty good on paper and he is really interested in it.
17 more days of school.
and i got permission to take june 10th off to go kayaking with mary!
so really only 16 more days :) yay!
how long is too long?
-get up kids
farewell.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
yesterday i had another hiking class. this time it was at torrey pines, which i love already!
i arrived early so i decided to park at the bottom parking lot and take a mile hike up a winding hill. so i did, and when i got to the top, i realized that i didn't remember locking my car door. (we have 2 different keys for our jetta, one to unlock the doors and one to start the car--i only had the unlocker, the starter and the rest of my bulky keychain were in the glove compartment). so after considering that someone could drive off with the ghetto jetta with no problem, i ran back downhill for a mile, got to my car and realized that i had, in fact, locked it. by this time i was going to be late, so i did a run/walk back up the hill to meet up with my group. i arrived sweaty and out of breath, but it was quite a workout before the class even started!
it was really an interesting hike and at the end, the instructor bought us all big posters of plants and flowers in the area-so nice!
not something i'm going to hang up, but i will make it into a brochure type thing for next time i go.
when we were at the top of a bluff overlooking the water, we saw a fat, slippery seal bodysurfing in the waves! he was so happy and cute, flipping over and under the waves, going over and inspecting a kayaker (who had stopped to watch him--man, i wish that was me!), and then riding waves in. we also saw some dolphins making their way along the top of the water. ahhhhh.....
since i was already up north, i called matt and he decided to meet me up in encinitas.
we went surfing and i rode a few all the way in on my knees--it was so fun!
then, on my last two runs, i actually stood up at the end (it was all slow motion standing, screaming with glee, then slow motion bailing because i was getting too shallow-i wish i could have been an observer--i would have laughed at that girl!) then a preteen boy told me to watch out, he just saw a jellyfish. i asked him what color it was, thinking maybe he had just felt seaweed or something. he said it was red and white, which is exactly the kind i've seen there (and been stung by before). so i became frozen and matt finally came over to see what in the world was going on. it ended my surf session, but not a heartache, since the waves became so choppy right after that. poor matt got worked!
then we played some aerobie (little disc/ring thing that looks like a frisbie with a giant hole in it) and then i was down for the count--i took a fantastic nap on the beach!!! we finally headed home around 5:00, i listened to cush the whole way, and arrived home completely pooped!
19 more days of school--i can totally do it! it's going to fly, with everything going on.
p.s. i love how God heals everything in us
take that shame back
feel that heart attack
making it new for you
-cush
i arrived early so i decided to park at the bottom parking lot and take a mile hike up a winding hill. so i did, and when i got to the top, i realized that i didn't remember locking my car door. (we have 2 different keys for our jetta, one to unlock the doors and one to start the car--i only had the unlocker, the starter and the rest of my bulky keychain were in the glove compartment). so after considering that someone could drive off with the ghetto jetta with no problem, i ran back downhill for a mile, got to my car and realized that i had, in fact, locked it. by this time i was going to be late, so i did a run/walk back up the hill to meet up with my group. i arrived sweaty and out of breath, but it was quite a workout before the class even started!
it was really an interesting hike and at the end, the instructor bought us all big posters of plants and flowers in the area-so nice!
not something i'm going to hang up, but i will make it into a brochure type thing for next time i go.
when we were at the top of a bluff overlooking the water, we saw a fat, slippery seal bodysurfing in the waves! he was so happy and cute, flipping over and under the waves, going over and inspecting a kayaker (who had stopped to watch him--man, i wish that was me!), and then riding waves in. we also saw some dolphins making their way along the top of the water. ahhhhh.....
since i was already up north, i called matt and he decided to meet me up in encinitas.
we went surfing and i rode a few all the way in on my knees--it was so fun!
then, on my last two runs, i actually stood up at the end (it was all slow motion standing, screaming with glee, then slow motion bailing because i was getting too shallow-i wish i could have been an observer--i would have laughed at that girl!) then a preteen boy told me to watch out, he just saw a jellyfish. i asked him what color it was, thinking maybe he had just felt seaweed or something. he said it was red and white, which is exactly the kind i've seen there (and been stung by before). so i became frozen and matt finally came over to see what in the world was going on. it ended my surf session, but not a heartache, since the waves became so choppy right after that. poor matt got worked!
then we played some aerobie (little disc/ring thing that looks like a frisbie with a giant hole in it) and then i was down for the count--i took a fantastic nap on the beach!!! we finally headed home around 5:00, i listened to cush the whole way, and arrived home completely pooped!
19 more days of school--i can totally do it! it's going to fly, with everything going on.
p.s. i love how God heals everything in us
take that shame back
feel that heart attack
making it new for you
-cush
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
hmm.
a nice, relaxing tuesday night.
after a ridiculous day at work
(the server for the whole school district got that virus; therefore, nothing got done that needed to get done today. for anyone. and who knows when it will get fixed. really bad timing, i have a ton of stuff to do before the end of the year.)
but enough about that!
let's see, what has been happening?
snow patrol saturday night: oh man! i wanted so badly for it to be awesome, but alas-the sound in that venue was really bad.
way too much bass, too much drums, you could barely hear vocals or guitar-bummer.
it would have been great if the sound was right, though. i'll see them again at a different place.
matt and i spent a lot of time at the beach this past weekend.
we finally bought an umbrella (SPF 100, can you believe it?) so we can stay out all day long and not look like leather skins!
i relaxed and read "the bridge to terabithia"-anyone remember that from late elementary/jr. high?
we went to encinitas and took our little grill and made a yummy lunch of grilled hotdogs, chips, strawberries....mmmm...
why does food taste so good at the beach????
we also went surfing and it felt so great! i could not stop laughing!
the waves weren't that great, but it was fun to paddle around, sit on the board, and try to catch the breakers.
i got up on my knees a few times, so i consider that victory.
i have always felt that i was a semi-strong swimmer.
until i entered the ocean with a 9 foot piece of fiberglass.
that deal is hard to handle when the waves are rough and unforgiving!
absolutely exhausting! but a fantastic workout that you don't even realize you're getting!
i received a fun letter from grammy yesterday! hey grammy, my friend had one of those cool water bottles today and hers was not leaking :)
emily, you will be receiving 2 pkgs in the mail soon, so keep a lookout!
i (like mary) am looking forward to the triathlon, getting mentally prepared, doing research, working out a training schedule (we start june 13th for any interested parties...)
22 days of school left!!!
26 days until i come home to ohio for a nice summer vacation!
a nice, relaxing tuesday night.
after a ridiculous day at work
(the server for the whole school district got that virus; therefore, nothing got done that needed to get done today. for anyone. and who knows when it will get fixed. really bad timing, i have a ton of stuff to do before the end of the year.)
but enough about that!
let's see, what has been happening?
snow patrol saturday night: oh man! i wanted so badly for it to be awesome, but alas-the sound in that venue was really bad.
way too much bass, too much drums, you could barely hear vocals or guitar-bummer.
it would have been great if the sound was right, though. i'll see them again at a different place.
matt and i spent a lot of time at the beach this past weekend.
we finally bought an umbrella (SPF 100, can you believe it?) so we can stay out all day long and not look like leather skins!
i relaxed and read "the bridge to terabithia"-anyone remember that from late elementary/jr. high?
we went to encinitas and took our little grill and made a yummy lunch of grilled hotdogs, chips, strawberries....mmmm...
why does food taste so good at the beach????
we also went surfing and it felt so great! i could not stop laughing!
the waves weren't that great, but it was fun to paddle around, sit on the board, and try to catch the breakers.
i got up on my knees a few times, so i consider that victory.
i have always felt that i was a semi-strong swimmer.
until i entered the ocean with a 9 foot piece of fiberglass.
that deal is hard to handle when the waves are rough and unforgiving!
absolutely exhausting! but a fantastic workout that you don't even realize you're getting!
i received a fun letter from grammy yesterday! hey grammy, my friend had one of those cool water bottles today and hers was not leaking :)
emily, you will be receiving 2 pkgs in the mail soon, so keep a lookout!
i (like mary) am looking forward to the triathlon, getting mentally prepared, doing research, working out a training schedule (we start june 13th for any interested parties...)
22 days of school left!!!
26 days until i come home to ohio for a nice summer vacation!
Sunday, May 09, 2004
Saturday, May 08, 2004
yes!
the weekend!
matt and i have had a fun week together.
on wednesday we rode our bikes to the OB farmer's market and bought fresh vegetables, which i stuffed in my little hawaiian backpack (that mary brought back for me from a cali trip, i believe). then we got dinner from some of the vendors there and walked down to the beach to eat it.
then thursday we took a longer bike ride (about 7 miles) over to mission bay area, which was quiet and peaceful.
today we're planning on going up to encinitas to get in a surf session. i'm going to give it another go. swimming in encinitas usually freaks me out because of the amount of kelp and seaweed (it brushes against one's legs and feels like jellyfish tentacles before the fact that you've been stung actually registers the pain to your brain). but i'll be safe and sound in my wetsuit. that is, if i decide to get my lazy self off the sand and into the water. we shall see....
tomorrow is supposed to be just as nice, so yet another weekend of not getting the kitchen painted. oh well...
the physical therapist says i can run, as long as i don't overdo it. and i've been doing the stretches and strengthening exercises she gave me daily and my knees really do feel better. so now i am in triathlon mindset. mare and i are doing a triathlon on october 3rd here in san diego. any other takers? it will be a 500 meter swim, 15k bike, 5k run. here's the web site if you want more info: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1092373
and then tonight---snow patrol!!! can't wait!!!!
welp, i must do some grocery shopping--we have no food in this house!!!!
24 more days of school left! or in mary's 24 hour day converted system = 6.5 more days of school left, if worked hour upon hour.
have a great weekend everyone!
the weekend!
matt and i have had a fun week together.
on wednesday we rode our bikes to the OB farmer's market and bought fresh vegetables, which i stuffed in my little hawaiian backpack (that mary brought back for me from a cali trip, i believe). then we got dinner from some of the vendors there and walked down to the beach to eat it.
then thursday we took a longer bike ride (about 7 miles) over to mission bay area, which was quiet and peaceful.
today we're planning on going up to encinitas to get in a surf session. i'm going to give it another go. swimming in encinitas usually freaks me out because of the amount of kelp and seaweed (it brushes against one's legs and feels like jellyfish tentacles before the fact that you've been stung actually registers the pain to your brain). but i'll be safe and sound in my wetsuit. that is, if i decide to get my lazy self off the sand and into the water. we shall see....
tomorrow is supposed to be just as nice, so yet another weekend of not getting the kitchen painted. oh well...
the physical therapist says i can run, as long as i don't overdo it. and i've been doing the stretches and strengthening exercises she gave me daily and my knees really do feel better. so now i am in triathlon mindset. mare and i are doing a triathlon on october 3rd here in san diego. any other takers? it will be a 500 meter swim, 15k bike, 5k run. here's the web site if you want more info: http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1092373
and then tonight---snow patrol!!! can't wait!!!!
welp, i must do some grocery shopping--we have no food in this house!!!!
24 more days of school left! or in mary's 24 hour day converted system = 6.5 more days of school left, if worked hour upon hour.
have a great weekend everyone!
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
i think i like every single song on the shins album (chutes too narrow).
mare, come on down--june 5th is calling your name!
i know, you can't help it--big time bunko game for you!!!
4 more mondays left for me, people!!!!
(5 more of everything else, i think)
man, this school year has gone by so fast!!!
it's been such a great one!
i forgot to mention that matt and i went to the padres game on friday night.
it was our first time in the new stadium, which actually was very cool.
very fun atmosphere and just neat things that gave it a ton of character.
for example, the stadium is built around an old metal supply building (still intact and used for seating as well as a big gift shop on the bottom floor). and all throughout the stadium there are a bunch of little nooks where you can just sort of stand and watch at different places. and the best was the huge hill behind the outfield with open seating. we brought our blankets and peanuts and layed around and didn't get uncomfortable or bored the whole time!
there was a giant (redundant?) jumbo tron in front of us also, since we were quite far away from home plate.
we wanted to get on TV, of course (and matt and desiree's plan was to pick their noses when the camera came to us).
but there was some debate about whether or not we would actually make it up on the jumbo tron, since i was wearing a stocking cap (hey, it gets cold and windy at night--it's right on the bay). everyone decided that no one would want to film me because i would be a bad advertisement for san diego ("come to san diego, we're all bundled up in our winter woolies!"). anyhoo, i proved them all wrong!!! because during one of the breaks, there we all were, jumping and waving our free shirts they had handed out at the gates!
yay!
i've never been on a jumbo tron before!!!
it was a great rush, and made me want to go wild! (what is that?? i'd like to do a study on human behavior and cameras...)
i hope someone i know was watching!!!
we've had some great beach time and have been spending a lot of time up in encinitas.
for those of you who don't know, one strange evening in august 2001, matt and i decided to drive to california from ohio. we met up with mary at 9:15pm in the BG parents' home and proposed an offer she couldn't refuse (we tried to convince justin and he was almost convinced until he realized he had a film due for film class :() and the three of us were on the road by midnight that night. we drove straight through and just drove up to this state park in encinitas, (on top of cliffs overlooking the ocean) where they magically had an opening. we set up camp, had a fire, talked, laughed, made grilled cheese and hot dogs and drank wyder's cider as the sun set. we finally felt like we were home. (i can speak for matt and myself, that is. but at the time, i think mare had similar feelings) so it has such strong sentimental/emotional/etc. ties for us.
and just writing about it makes me think of two songs:
1. denison witmer's "miles" : "we'll get in my car around 10:30 that night, for the new york city (san diego) skyline destination of our sight, it's the biggest healing session that i've had for some years, the laughter and the driving and the letting go of....and we feel the push of the christ directed life, the love directed life..."
and 2. snow patrol's "chocolate": "this could be the very minute i'm aware i'm alive, all these places feel like home..."
i'm looking forward to coming home this summer and seeing everyone!
and also looking forward to having all of our visitors here, too.
(also, mary, can you tell casey that his birthday present is going to be extra late? apparently, i had it shipped here--duh! i've only done that 100 times now--you'd think i'd have learned by now!!! so is it okay if we give it to you on june 5th? okay, okay, june 6th...)
have a great wednesday everyone!!!
mare, come on down--june 5th is calling your name!
i know, you can't help it--big time bunko game for you!!!
4 more mondays left for me, people!!!!
(5 more of everything else, i think)
man, this school year has gone by so fast!!!
it's been such a great one!
i forgot to mention that matt and i went to the padres game on friday night.
it was our first time in the new stadium, which actually was very cool.
very fun atmosphere and just neat things that gave it a ton of character.
for example, the stadium is built around an old metal supply building (still intact and used for seating as well as a big gift shop on the bottom floor). and all throughout the stadium there are a bunch of little nooks where you can just sort of stand and watch at different places. and the best was the huge hill behind the outfield with open seating. we brought our blankets and peanuts and layed around and didn't get uncomfortable or bored the whole time!
there was a giant (redundant?) jumbo tron in front of us also, since we were quite far away from home plate.
we wanted to get on TV, of course (and matt and desiree's plan was to pick their noses when the camera came to us).
but there was some debate about whether or not we would actually make it up on the jumbo tron, since i was wearing a stocking cap (hey, it gets cold and windy at night--it's right on the bay). everyone decided that no one would want to film me because i would be a bad advertisement for san diego ("come to san diego, we're all bundled up in our winter woolies!"). anyhoo, i proved them all wrong!!! because during one of the breaks, there we all were, jumping and waving our free shirts they had handed out at the gates!
yay!
i've never been on a jumbo tron before!!!
it was a great rush, and made me want to go wild! (what is that?? i'd like to do a study on human behavior and cameras...)
i hope someone i know was watching!!!
we've had some great beach time and have been spending a lot of time up in encinitas.
for those of you who don't know, one strange evening in august 2001, matt and i decided to drive to california from ohio. we met up with mary at 9:15pm in the BG parents' home and proposed an offer she couldn't refuse (we tried to convince justin and he was almost convinced until he realized he had a film due for film class :() and the three of us were on the road by midnight that night. we drove straight through and just drove up to this state park in encinitas, (on top of cliffs overlooking the ocean) where they magically had an opening. we set up camp, had a fire, talked, laughed, made grilled cheese and hot dogs and drank wyder's cider as the sun set. we finally felt like we were home. (i can speak for matt and myself, that is. but at the time, i think mare had similar feelings) so it has such strong sentimental/emotional/etc. ties for us.
and just writing about it makes me think of two songs:
1. denison witmer's "miles" : "we'll get in my car around 10:30 that night, for the new york city (san diego) skyline destination of our sight, it's the biggest healing session that i've had for some years, the laughter and the driving and the letting go of....and we feel the push of the christ directed life, the love directed life..."
and 2. snow patrol's "chocolate": "this could be the very minute i'm aware i'm alive, all these places feel like home..."
i'm looking forward to coming home this summer and seeing everyone!
and also looking forward to having all of our visitors here, too.
(also, mary, can you tell casey that his birthday present is going to be extra late? apparently, i had it shipped here--duh! i've only done that 100 times now--you'd think i'd have learned by now!!! so is it okay if we give it to you on june 5th? okay, okay, june 6th...)
have a great wednesday everyone!!!
Saturday, May 01, 2004
hello everyone.
it's saturday again.
i had an all day conference today and yesterday (and it was so nice outside i was so fidgety!)
matt and i are really into this band called ambulance ltd (check out their music here: http://www.ambulancenyc.com/) the clips are really short, unfortunately, and you have to click exactly on the 56k part. they're going to be in san diego either may 7th or 11th, and we're in!!!
we just had a perfect night.
we took a picnic (roast beef sandwich, hard boiled eggs, bread and gouda cheese, strawberries, and soybeans) to sunset cliffs and talked and laughed for so long. matt said, "we're on the edge of the earth" and i loved it. because we were on the edge of a cliff and it felt so great to picture a map of the us and think of us on the very end of the country.
"we're at the top of the world
here tonight
we gotta lot of time
and it sure feels right"
--juliana theory
that's all for now
have a great sunday everyone.
it's saturday again.
i had an all day conference today and yesterday (and it was so nice outside i was so fidgety!)
matt and i are really into this band called ambulance ltd (check out their music here: http://www.ambulancenyc.com/) the clips are really short, unfortunately, and you have to click exactly on the 56k part. they're going to be in san diego either may 7th or 11th, and we're in!!!
we just had a perfect night.
we took a picnic (roast beef sandwich, hard boiled eggs, bread and gouda cheese, strawberries, and soybeans) to sunset cliffs and talked and laughed for so long. matt said, "we're on the edge of the earth" and i loved it. because we were on the edge of a cliff and it felt so great to picture a map of the us and think of us on the very end of the country.
"we're at the top of the world
here tonight
we gotta lot of time
and it sure feels right"
--juliana theory
that's all for now
have a great sunday everyone.
Thursday, April 29, 2004
hello everyone.
it's thursday but it feels like friday since i have a conference tomorrow and will not be attending school.
i feel sort of weird, though. extra tired, fake sore throat on the right side only, and slightly nauseous.
i haven't called off sick even once this year and i don't plan to do it during these last 6 weeks of school.
oops, that is, except for when mary comes into town and i decide to go camping with her in encinitas and
find that i just can't make it in to work that morning....
not feeling guilty at all, either.
i think probably my biggest pet peeve is someone who acts like they work so much harder than i do and assume that my job is easy just because i'm not complaining. (it's always people who complain about how busy they are, how hard they work, etc.) i've had a couple of comments come my way in the past few weeks, so i've been really bothered by this lately. it was really weighing on me and in my head i kept thinking of everything i do everyday, ticking off each event and getting more and more upset as i tried to justify myself in my head in imaginary conversations. so ridiculous! the enemy knows exactly how to get us to feel bad about ourselves...
but, so perfectly, i had a time of refreshing in the most unexpected venue...
remember that fun hiking class i went to last saturday?
well, the teacher was a totally cool lady who obviously had a great style of teaching (taking people outside to teach actual history/outdoor education) and was explaining her philosophy on teaching teachers. "you have one of the hardest jobs in the world and most people have no idea how much of yourselves you put into it, etc etc etc." which was nice to hear for once.
i know, i have a perfect school schedule and lots of time off, which i focus on. but i do put so much of myself into what i do, every day. i'm always "on", always performing, always thinking of how i can be more effective, always managing behavior without showing frustration... it can be exhausting. but even now that sounds like complaining, which i never want to do.
because i love what i do.
because i'm fulfilling God's will in my life.
because i'm using my gifts and being obedient.
because i normally don't desire affirmation from a person.
so strangely enough, at this outdoor education class that i was taking for credit, i received the refreshing that i had been needing.
just a reminder from the Lord that he knows what i do, he knows what i'm feeling, and now get on with it!
and back to the easy yoke of giving and flowing in my gifts of teaching and compassion and mercy---and not focusing on myself.
(and ignoring the weirdness of others who want to make me feel bad for being relaxed and confident).
at the end of the class the lady read, "thoughts of the dying person", which is why i'm taking a day off to be with mare.
one of the thoughts was, "i would play hookey more and worry about work less."
so that's what i'm doing! guilt-free, too!
and looking forward to a great night with a great campfire, hot dogs, wyder's pear cider, s'mores or chocolate eclairs, snow patrol, ocean, stars, and palm tree sky...
since justin's blog about the sad news at BGHS, i've just been thinking about how the enemy tries to stop us from fulfilling the will of God in our lives, but the holy spirit is so powerful in us that it is nearly impossible--as long as we are listening and being obedient. justin, you've had to struggle with your health and pain in your physical body in these past few years more than most people will ever have to deal with in their lifetimes. and you could have easily been selfish or full of self-pity and stayed in PA when you received the call. but you were obedient and put others above yourself (during maybe one of the most difficult times of your life) and were a broken vessel, out of which flowed the life of God.
i always think of this song "run" by snow patrol as if God were singing it over us:
light up
light up
as if you have a choice
even if you cannot hear my voice
i'll be right beside you dear
sorry for the emo blog
God's just dealing with me on some things right now
good night.
it's thursday but it feels like friday since i have a conference tomorrow and will not be attending school.
i feel sort of weird, though. extra tired, fake sore throat on the right side only, and slightly nauseous.
i haven't called off sick even once this year and i don't plan to do it during these last 6 weeks of school.
oops, that is, except for when mary comes into town and i decide to go camping with her in encinitas and
find that i just can't make it in to work that morning....
not feeling guilty at all, either.
i think probably my biggest pet peeve is someone who acts like they work so much harder than i do and assume that my job is easy just because i'm not complaining. (it's always people who complain about how busy they are, how hard they work, etc.) i've had a couple of comments come my way in the past few weeks, so i've been really bothered by this lately. it was really weighing on me and in my head i kept thinking of everything i do everyday, ticking off each event and getting more and more upset as i tried to justify myself in my head in imaginary conversations. so ridiculous! the enemy knows exactly how to get us to feel bad about ourselves...
but, so perfectly, i had a time of refreshing in the most unexpected venue...
remember that fun hiking class i went to last saturday?
well, the teacher was a totally cool lady who obviously had a great style of teaching (taking people outside to teach actual history/outdoor education) and was explaining her philosophy on teaching teachers. "you have one of the hardest jobs in the world and most people have no idea how much of yourselves you put into it, etc etc etc." which was nice to hear for once.
i know, i have a perfect school schedule and lots of time off, which i focus on. but i do put so much of myself into what i do, every day. i'm always "on", always performing, always thinking of how i can be more effective, always managing behavior without showing frustration... it can be exhausting. but even now that sounds like complaining, which i never want to do.
because i love what i do.
because i'm fulfilling God's will in my life.
because i'm using my gifts and being obedient.
because i normally don't desire affirmation from a person.
so strangely enough, at this outdoor education class that i was taking for credit, i received the refreshing that i had been needing.
just a reminder from the Lord that he knows what i do, he knows what i'm feeling, and now get on with it!
and back to the easy yoke of giving and flowing in my gifts of teaching and compassion and mercy---and not focusing on myself.
(and ignoring the weirdness of others who want to make me feel bad for being relaxed and confident).
at the end of the class the lady read, "thoughts of the dying person", which is why i'm taking a day off to be with mare.
one of the thoughts was, "i would play hookey more and worry about work less."
so that's what i'm doing! guilt-free, too!
and looking forward to a great night with a great campfire, hot dogs, wyder's pear cider, s'mores or chocolate eclairs, snow patrol, ocean, stars, and palm tree sky...
since justin's blog about the sad news at BGHS, i've just been thinking about how the enemy tries to stop us from fulfilling the will of God in our lives, but the holy spirit is so powerful in us that it is nearly impossible--as long as we are listening and being obedient. justin, you've had to struggle with your health and pain in your physical body in these past few years more than most people will ever have to deal with in their lifetimes. and you could have easily been selfish or full of self-pity and stayed in PA when you received the call. but you were obedient and put others above yourself (during maybe one of the most difficult times of your life) and were a broken vessel, out of which flowed the life of God.
i always think of this song "run" by snow patrol as if God were singing it over us:
light up
light up
as if you have a choice
even if you cannot hear my voice
i'll be right beside you dear
sorry for the emo blog
God's just dealing with me on some things right now
good night.
Sunday, April 25, 2004
finally a blog.
first of all, happy birthday to casey!!! yes! now you're as old as me!
welp, lots of things to catch up on here...
last weekend in cleveland was so great! on friday my plane arrived and mom/dad/ryan picked me up and took me back to the hotel where a sleeping michelle and sleeping hannah baby were. then they woke up and i held that sleepyhead girl and kissed her on the head. then i held hannah. ha! anyways, she's so cute and sweet, especially when we put her on the big bed and she just sat there by herself, flapping her arms around.
the wedding was nice (except for the screaming child whose parents refused to remove him from the sanctuary) and graig and melissa were so happy. we all missed mary henry. but like matt reminded me when i got home, we'll have forever with her in heaven someday. our family had so much fun at the reception with yummy food, drinks, and fun dancing. i think the highlight was when dad did milli-vanilli-type chest slams with graig during the song "jump around". i'm still laughing thinking about it.
it was so good to see the good family--i miss you guys already! but i'll see you in a month and a half!
when i came home, matt had sweet surprise waiting for me--a new ipod, with an armband that i can wear when i run.
and a perfect extra gift--he loaded up all 15Gs for me with the music that i love! (yet another example of the little effort i am required to put forth for fantastic music!). speaking of which, snow patrol may 8th!!! and then lassie foundation (or is lassie foundation first? i can't remember...) yay!!
oh, and also, the shins are playing in san diego june 5th, mary, if you want to come down a day early...
we will be there for sure!
on tuesday this past week i came home from a run, feeling great, and matt wasn't home. so i got in the shower and by the time i was out, matt was running down the steps saying, "i'm taking you on a date!" yay! and then he took me to ocean beach and we had a campfire and grilled hot dogs and just sat there chatting and listening to snow patrol on the ipod speakers. we watched the sun set over the ocean and then came home and hopped in the hot tub--ahhh.... so fun to have a date randomly in the middle of the week. and even more fun that it was a beach campfire!!!
last night we had a martini party here at our house. we had all different flavors of martinis to choose from (blue raspberry, bikini--pineapple/coconut, chocolate, grapetini, watermelon, sour apple, lemon, vanilla sunrise, etc...) and yummy food and good friends. people didn't leave until 3:00 am. of course i had fallen asleep on our living room floor by then. come on now! i'm not a college student anymore. i was impressed that our "older" friends (and realtor), dan and deb, made it until 12:30. when they left, i was ready for bed but felt that i needed to be sociable, as i was one of the hosts!
justin, to respond to an earlier post: i wasn't actually kidding about all things bright and beautiful--and then i said the same thing to matt and he told me it was the luxury guy--ha!!! are there any more songs (besides the 3 songs you sent us?) you should check out camera obscura--girl singer with sort of a sweet voice, acoustic guitar, mild drums and piano. and i was sad (yet i laughed at parts) to read your most recent blog about your health issues. know that i pray for you always.
there was a thick fog when i woke up this morning at 7:00, but now it's completely sunny! another beach day for us! well, whenever matt gets up that is.
what a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be...
-over the rhine
first of all, happy birthday to casey!!! yes! now you're as old as me!
welp, lots of things to catch up on here...
last weekend in cleveland was so great! on friday my plane arrived and mom/dad/ryan picked me up and took me back to the hotel where a sleeping michelle and sleeping hannah baby were. then they woke up and i held that sleepyhead girl and kissed her on the head. then i held hannah. ha! anyways, she's so cute and sweet, especially when we put her on the big bed and she just sat there by herself, flapping her arms around.
the wedding was nice (except for the screaming child whose parents refused to remove him from the sanctuary) and graig and melissa were so happy. we all missed mary henry. but like matt reminded me when i got home, we'll have forever with her in heaven someday. our family had so much fun at the reception with yummy food, drinks, and fun dancing. i think the highlight was when dad did milli-vanilli-type chest slams with graig during the song "jump around". i'm still laughing thinking about it.
it was so good to see the good family--i miss you guys already! but i'll see you in a month and a half!
when i came home, matt had sweet surprise waiting for me--a new ipod, with an armband that i can wear when i run.
and a perfect extra gift--he loaded up all 15Gs for me with the music that i love! (yet another example of the little effort i am required to put forth for fantastic music!). speaking of which, snow patrol may 8th!!! and then lassie foundation (or is lassie foundation first? i can't remember...) yay!!
oh, and also, the shins are playing in san diego june 5th, mary, if you want to come down a day early...
we will be there for sure!
on tuesday this past week i came home from a run, feeling great, and matt wasn't home. so i got in the shower and by the time i was out, matt was running down the steps saying, "i'm taking you on a date!" yay! and then he took me to ocean beach and we had a campfire and grilled hot dogs and just sat there chatting and listening to snow patrol on the ipod speakers. we watched the sun set over the ocean and then came home and hopped in the hot tub--ahhh.... so fun to have a date randomly in the middle of the week. and even more fun that it was a beach campfire!!!
last night we had a martini party here at our house. we had all different flavors of martinis to choose from (blue raspberry, bikini--pineapple/coconut, chocolate, grapetini, watermelon, sour apple, lemon, vanilla sunrise, etc...) and yummy food and good friends. people didn't leave until 3:00 am. of course i had fallen asleep on our living room floor by then. come on now! i'm not a college student anymore. i was impressed that our "older" friends (and realtor), dan and deb, made it until 12:30. when they left, i was ready for bed but felt that i needed to be sociable, as i was one of the hosts!
justin, to respond to an earlier post: i wasn't actually kidding about all things bright and beautiful--and then i said the same thing to matt and he told me it was the luxury guy--ha!!! are there any more songs (besides the 3 songs you sent us?) you should check out camera obscura--girl singer with sort of a sweet voice, acoustic guitar, mild drums and piano. and i was sad (yet i laughed at parts) to read your most recent blog about your health issues. know that i pray for you always.
there was a thick fog when i woke up this morning at 7:00, but now it's completely sunny! another beach day for us! well, whenever matt gets up that is.
what a beautiful piece of heartache this has all turned out to be...
-over the rhine
Thursday, April 15, 2004
yes!!!
new music from the justy boy!
i really am into sondre lerche, rocky votolato, and all things bright and beautiful (doesn't it have traces of luxury?).
modest mouse is always good.
and on that note, in response to mary's blog, yes, my music collection requires very little effort on my part. because matt is such a music hound, he automatically and constantly plays music that he loves, therefore i get exposed to it and love it/like it/ or hate it. and even bands that he researches and doesn't like, he'll say, "i'm not really into this band but i think you would like it." additionally, if i do hear of a band i want to check out, i just have to tell matt and suddenly we have the mp3s on our computer. yes, it is a nice, musically filled life!!!
and we got a fun easter package from kevin and emily! apparently the delivery person didn't want anyone to see the package and steal it so he hid it under a huge bird of paradise plant on our front porch. this caused us not to be able to find it for awhile either!!! ha! but now we have it and are pigging out!!!! yum yum yum.
matt and i went to the farmer's market yesterday and just walked around. cutie dogs everywhere! and the ocean within view...
well, i must straighten my hair before i depart for work!
have a great day everyone!
can't wait to see the goods tomorrow!!!!!
new music from the justy boy!
i really am into sondre lerche, rocky votolato, and all things bright and beautiful (doesn't it have traces of luxury?).
modest mouse is always good.
and on that note, in response to mary's blog, yes, my music collection requires very little effort on my part. because matt is such a music hound, he automatically and constantly plays music that he loves, therefore i get exposed to it and love it/like it/ or hate it. and even bands that he researches and doesn't like, he'll say, "i'm not really into this band but i think you would like it." additionally, if i do hear of a band i want to check out, i just have to tell matt and suddenly we have the mp3s on our computer. yes, it is a nice, musically filled life!!!
and we got a fun easter package from kevin and emily! apparently the delivery person didn't want anyone to see the package and steal it so he hid it under a huge bird of paradise plant on our front porch. this caused us not to be able to find it for awhile either!!! ha! but now we have it and are pigging out!!!! yum yum yum.
matt and i went to the farmer's market yesterday and just walked around. cutie dogs everywhere! and the ocean within view...
well, i must straighten my hair before i depart for work!
have a great day everyone!
can't wait to see the goods tomorrow!!!!!
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
i came in to one of my schools today to find out that some neighborhood kids had stolen a car and crashed it through the fence and into my former speech room. so weird!
it's wednesday and i'm discombobulated because of spring break and my training on monday.
last night i was flipping through the channels and saw that the shins were playing on "gilmore girls" --what? how? but they were pretty great! and then just the regular music of the show included "the new pornographers"--how did those people get into some good music, i wonder...
today i read a book that my mom read to us as kids, called "pretzel", about a weiner dog who is really long. does anyone else remember it? so fun!
welp, my next group of kids is coming, just thought i'd update while i was thinking about it.
it's wednesday and i'm discombobulated because of spring break and my training on monday.
last night i was flipping through the channels and saw that the shins were playing on "gilmore girls" --what? how? but they were pretty great! and then just the regular music of the show included "the new pornographers"--how did those people get into some good music, i wonder...
today i read a book that my mom read to us as kids, called "pretzel", about a weiner dog who is really long. does anyone else remember it? so fun!
welp, my next group of kids is coming, just thought i'd update while i was thinking about it.