Cuz Joanna Wants Me To :0)

1.Grab the book nearest you, turn to page 18, line 4? “My health is: excellent, compromised, i have physical challenges, I have weight challenges"...don't ask :0)
2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch? a coffee table with coasters and several enticing magazines
3. What's the last thing you watched on TV? the Seahawks/Raiders game, followed by the documented history of the Seattle Seahawks...can't wait for the season to start!!
4. Without looking, what time is it? 11:00pm
5. What time is it actually? 11:09pm-heck yes, i was close!
6. Except for the computer what can you hear? goodnight's from my roommates, who are going to bed, just as i should be...note the operative word- "should"-haha
7. When did you last step outside and what were you doing? walking from the car to the backyard after a long run and weight lifting :0) i was good and tired.
8. Before you started this survey what were you doing? sitting lazily on my new couch watching tv and enjoying the fact that i have NO HOMEWORK subconsciously stressing me out! i love graduated life :0)
9. What are you wearing? jeans, tank, and an old track and field sweatshirt of my mom's (it's my favorite and i usually only put it on when i need to feel cozy)
10. Did you dream last night? yeah...but after a minute of deep thought i can't for the life of me remember what it was about...
11. When did you last laugh? about 1/2 hour ago at a commercial
12. What's on the walls in the room you're in? new paint called "latte" (joanna, i hope you're proud!) and a clock
13. Seen anything weird? in a picture i saw recently, there was a lady with dark hair and a yellow/orange 'mohawk' type thing...my overall imperssion was skunk...that can't be good.
14. What do you think of this quiz? i don't normally do these but i guess it gives someone a quick snapshot of daily life..
15. Last film or video seen? Finding Neverland (Johnny Depp is undeniably the SINGLE-MOST talented actor in hollywood)
16. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight what's the first thing you'd do? travel (and i agree with joanna-i'd go see Sarah in Africa)
17. Tell me something I don't know about yourself? i want to go to 'the running of the bulls' in pamploma, spain before i die
18. If you could change one thing about the world regardless of politics what would it be? free the sex slaves and demolish the existence of that idea-forever.
19. Do you like to dance? yes, but i'm shy about it around other people
20. What comment would you like to make to George Bush? hats off to you-i would suck as president!
21. Your first child is a girl what do you name her? don't know but that's not happening anytime soon...so when i figure it out i'll let you know!
22. Your first child is a boy what do you name him? same response as above.
23. Would you ever consider living abroad? it's more like every month or so, i have to reconvince myself to stay here in the good old USA
24. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gates? "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Last Day

Today was my last day as nanny, and more importantly 'friend', of Carly and Max. Sad. I am looking forward to moving into a professional career but after being a part of Max's ENTIRE life and the majority of Carly's, I am feeling a loss. As much as nannying provides challenges, the rewards far outweigh the grief...seeing Carly take her first steps, hearing Max's first giggles...and a million more memories infuse my thoughts of these precious children I have had the priviledge of loving on for the past 2 years. For the past two weeks, I've been savoring every adoring look and special cuddle knowing my time there would go quickly...and today at the beach, as Carly made a silly face at me and then threw herself into my arms, I gave her an extra squeeze. Here's pictures of my two little ones...and I hope they won't forget me!!

Emily Wears Furla

Today I felt like I was living in "The Devil Wears Prada"...I work for a regional design magazine and do some crazy stuff...which today included dropping some stuff off in downtown during the middle of the business world's lunch break. Walking down 5th Avenue in my tan pencil skirt, black sweater and bronze-colored shoes with the wind whipping my hair everywhere, I had two Furla bags flung over my shoulder (which caught more than one glance as I walked by) and a box full of REALLY expensive jewelry I myself had never even seen! Talk about nerve-racking...but I strode into the jewelers with a friendly confidence and an authoritative voice that stated who I was and what I had brought with me. Norman, the one we had borrowed this elegant garnishing from, intimidated the snot out of me while he inspected the three pieces...thankfully, everything was in order, and I managed to exit gracefully and continue on my way. Next came Furla. Note: I am not entirely familiar with the part of downtown it's located in and ended up walking around the block a couple times before calling our office manager yelling above the noise of traffic to ask where in the world I was supposed to find this store. Amusingly enough, I rounded the next corner and saw the huge black and white sign staring back at me, sighed with relief, and dropped off the rest of my precious cargo. Ah, the life of an assistant can be oh-so-demanding in a glamorous sort of way!

Wine and Cheese

Last night, we had about 15 people over to our new house for a wine and cheese party...it was absolutely amazing! we spent all day getting the house ready and preparing food. the lovely thing about our new house is the yard and garden space we have but that also means a lot of maintenance...so after hours of sweating, grooming both the lawn and flowerbeds...we presented a pretty spiffy place for our company! Our herb garden officially has 5 tomato plants, squash, basil, rosemary, and cilantro. our gardens include pink lilies, orange day-lilies, a bleeding heart, roses, spearmint, etc...it's coming along...and there's wildflowers, bulbs, and hydrangeas waiting in the wings to be planted :0)...
ok, back to the party...we had gouda, edom, brie, chevre, madrigal, danish blue, and fontina cheeses with sauvignon blanc, syrah, pino grigio, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and chardonnay. we played games, caught up on life and enjoyed the fine hors d'ouvres-a splendid evening to say the least!

Weiner Dog Races

I was hanging out at Seattle Center with Carly today, watching the fountain, and stumbled onto Star 101.5's Weiner Dog Races...I'm not even kidding. There were Daschunds (sp?) everywhere and owners proudly holding them like children...now we all know how pedigree dog owners are-yep, that's right...crazy obsessive. All this to say, I had the time of my life watching fat, long-bodied dogs move their short little legs as fast as they could down the race track! (they even had a derby track race trumpeter...haha!) Here's a few pics of the amazing fountain and me/Carly.

City Sunsets

i absolutely love summer sunsets! laura, nicole and i went to gasworks park to watch the sun set, and part way through the show someone pointed out that we were facing the wrong direction. we were facing downtown which is south of gasworks instead of west where the sun sets...but the reason why is because the sun reflects so brilliantly off all the glass buildings of our great city and then casts this gorgeous light onto the water of lake union...in some ways its more mesmerizing than the sunset itself...sometimes. God sure knows how to paint the sky and the funny thing is-He never gets tired of amazing us with it! :0)

Home Improvement

i absolutely LOVE thrift stores...there are so many treasures just waiting to be discovered. now you must be careful because it' s easy to collect junk if you view everything as a project...but some pieces have such character and lots of redeeming qualities...in which case you must buy it, give it some tender loving care (TLC), and revel in your new creation.
recently i found an amazing bookcase that holds all my millions of books, and after visiting a reclaimed architectural materials store, have firmly decided that my headboard is going to be an old school classroom door (i stole the idea from a friend's family)...the number will read 221 and i think i'm going to upholster the beveled-in portion with a yummy fabric and button tufts...can't wait for it to be done:0)
things are officially up on my walls now...pictures, prints, fabrics...makes the white walls so much more bearable for a color-lover like me! i'll post pictures soon.

Nanny Diaries

well, today i had a first. I gave a two year old an enema...yuck. bless her heart...she was in tears from pain, and it had to be done. i thought of all my friends who work in the medical profession and have inevitably encountered this type of situation; in some ways i would much prefer giving one to a two-year-old rather than an 80-year-old...but that's just weird that i'm even making a distinction like that-yuck.

Fruit

so can i just say there is nothing that delights a soul more than going produce shopping at Top Banana. it's kinda this hole-in-the-wall place that has the freshest produce for a really good price...and walking through the aisles with the vivid colors stealing my attention and the smells filling my senses-you can't ask for a more organic experience. ripe peaches with just the right amount of fuzz, sweet strawberries, mounds of cherries, cartons of freshly picked blueberries, crisp peppers, verrigated lettuce leaves, and orange-red tomatoes. call me weird..it's ok...but it totally made my day-yum! :0) this is a picture from europe and the fruit stands we saw so frequently!

Brokenness

Tonight I learned much about my own brokenness...i realized again how frustrating my humanity is. Each day I struggle for perfection, fail to meet the standard and find myself at the feet of Jesus. A viscious cycle, yet one that marks my life because of sin.
After work I went for a run to release this built up disappointment in myself and general frustration at life, only to be reminded about grace. As I sat on a bench overlooking the Canal Locks, Jesus whispered in my ear; reminding me that each day is new, that His work on the cross covered all my failures, and that He desires me to understand how to show grace to myself. After all, He has chosen this for me. By not living in the truth of grace, I am hindering His work in me.
Next, a childhood song came to mind that states so simply and profoundly what to do next: 'have patience, don't be in such a hurry, when you get impatient, you always start to worry, remember that God is patient too, and think of all the times that others have to wait for you.' i love the third and fourth lines...and how inevitably worry follows impatience...this i must re-learn (like so many other things it seems like).

Weekend in Colorado

So I just married off a second friend within the month. Talk about lots of primping, smiling, crying, and posing. Not to mention the Starbucks runs, decorating, rehearsals and food…If I keep up this pace, I’m going to be a professional bridesmaid before I know it. One of the things that made this day the most special was the phone call from Sierra Leone. Sarah had calculated the time difference and was able to call us on my cell phone…we missed her so poignantly today. Seeing her parents at the ceremony was such a wonderfully tangible way to connect with her too.
The wedding was absolutely gorgeous. Callie was the most happy stunning bride and Brandon the most proud groom. They were truly a delight to watch. Both their faces are so expressive and carried us through an emotional service. Our turquoise dresses were eye-catching and stood out vividly against the forest backdrop. It was a perfect representation of Callie’s style and personality.
Joanna was the most precious part of this weekend. The dearest of friends, I cannot even begin to express how much she means to me. Her beautiful heart radiates and her fellowship is sweeter than any I have known. We had such a wonderful time catching up and filling each other in on details that have happened in the last month. She and Taylor have just moved to Pennsylvania to work at Geneva College for at least two years. They have received such a warm welcome and are confident they will make a home there. The only unfortunate thing about that is the fact that I am now farther from them than I have ever been…this breaks my heart. I must be satisfied with the few visits a year I get and trust the Lord to sustain our friendship. Those two mean the world to me and few have carved such a dear place in my heart.