"wherever you are, be all there." -Jim Elliot

cranberry bliss bars

2010-01-18T12:17:00.000-08:00

Brandon's favorite Starbucks pastry is the cranberry bliss bar so this year when Christmas was over and they no longer carried them he was pretty sad. So he found a recipe for them and let me tell you they taste exactly the same and are ssoooo good!

i got the reciepe at:
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/

christmas cards...

2009-12-29T17:26:00.001-08:00

Brandon decided that for some of his relatives we could do cards and pictures for christmas, and of course i couldn't pass up the fun of making them! so here's how they turned out...
*notice the cute snowman one, Brandon decided he would let his creativity come out and make one...i love it!

6 months...

2009-10-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

...some of the best months of my life.

: )

2009-10-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

here are a few things that have been adding happiness to my life...

- house. i kept watching them out of order but Britt just bought me season 1 so me and Brandon have been watching it all the time. what can i say its a great show!

-a trip to la including rain, little toyko, farmers market, disneyland, and my momma! makes for one wonderful birthday trip.

-My birthday! i mean who wouldn't be happy on there bday! especially when it consisted of pizza for dinner and my favorite pumpkin cheese cake for dessert! (i guess britt thought i liked math and made my cake 9+8+3=20 :))

- dinner with the girls at my favorite Italian place...so yummy!

- Brandon is officially the best gift buyer i've ever met! he got me a white pea-coat, a pizza stone, a yellow hankie, an antique heart locket, and the best loose leaf tea i've ever had!

- and then the best discovery of the month! this amazing ice cream! its like heaven...its sweet cream ice cream with swirls of hawaiian lehua honey. its so delicious.

- my morning ritual has been combined with my obsession of playing hearts on the computer. and this morning billy joined in on the relaxing morning : )
needless to say my life has been busy and amazing. and i'm loving it : )

its true. i wanna be taylor swifts friend...

2009-09-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

playing house...

2009-08-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

i love bookstores! especially the kids section... : )

so my parents are in alaska on a cruise and i'm playing mom for the week...its not the easiest thing going from no children to 5 but its fun and exciting. : )
we've gone to olive garden, gone shopping, made pizza, bought lots of food, watched the hannah montana movie, made milkshakes, gone to the pool, went to farmers market, ate and drank lots of starbucks, went to mcdonalds, done a lot of cleaning, stayed up late, woken up early, laughed, cried, and now been sick. yup Jo decided to get a fever and Lydia decided to follow suit and do the same as well...
needless to say its been an exciting week!

handon.

2009-06-03T22:02:00.000-07:00

yeah this has pretty much been my life lately...

and i find it quite amazing.

The Orphanage...

2009-03-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

When I was staying in Nepal a couple came to see the orphanage I lived at, I totally forgot about it untill today when I was going through my letters from the kids and came across there card. They wrote a nice little page and posted some super cute pictures.
you should go see how adorable my family in nepal is...Our Father's House

this rain makes me want my tin roof in nepal back...

2009-03-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

I tried my hand at making samosas the other day. The dough was a little to flaky for my liking but it still tasted delicious. I had never tried garbanzo beans before going to Nepal but now I really like them. I mean they kinda taste like nothing but I like the texture and the slight flavor they do have : ) I've learned that I really miss the flavours of Nepal. They use like the same 5 spices in everything, its become almost like a comfort food to me now. I couldn't even tell you how many garlic cloves I peeled and ginger roots a cut up at the orphanage!

this inspires me:
"The seasons remind me that I must keep changing, and I want to change because it is God's way. All my life I have been changing. I changed form a baby to a child, from soft toys to play daggers. I changed into a teenager to drive a car, into a worker to spend some money. I will change into a husband to love a woman, into a father to love a child, change houses so we are near water, and again so we are near mountains, and again so we are near friends, keep changing with my wife, getting our love so it dies and gets born again and again, like a garden, fed by four seasons, a cycle of change. Everybody has to change, or they expire. Everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons."
-Donald Miller

David after the dentist

2009-02-22T20:36:00.000-08:00

If you feel like a good laugh you need to watch this. I found it quite funny...

John Winthrop

2009-01-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

So one of our bookstores in the mall went out of business so of course before it did I had to go check out the deals. I got this really cool book called The Greatest American Speeches. I love hearing speeches because there so inspiring and passionate. Kinda a random book for me to buy but so far I love it.
The first speech in the book is by John Winthrop. In 1645 he was accused of exceeding his power and him and other magistrates were impeached following an incident in which people believed that they had involved themselves unnecessarily in a local election. I thought the speech he gave when leaving office was really quite good.

"When you see infirmities in us, you should reflect upon your own, and that would make you bear the more with us, and not be severe censurers of the failings of your magistrates, when you have continual experience of the like infirmities in yourself and others.
...This liberty is maintained and exercised in a way of subjection to authority; it is of the same kinda of liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. The woman's own choice makes such a man her husband. Yet, being so chosen, he is her lord, and she is to be subject to him, yet in a way or liberty, not of bondage; and a true wife accounts her subjection her honor and freedom, and would not think her condition safe and free but in her subjection to her husband's authority. Such is the liberty of the church under the authority of Christ, her kinda and husband.
...If you stand for your natural corrupt liberties, and will do what is good in your own eyes, you will not endure the least weight of authority, but will murmur, and oppose, and be always striving to shake off that yoke. But if you will be satisfied to enjoy such civil and lawful liberties, such as Christ allows you, then will you quietly and cheerfully submit unto that authority which is set over you, in all the administrations of it, for your good. Wherein, if we fail at any time, we hope we shall be willing, by God's assistance, to hearken to good advice from any of you, of in any other way of God. So shall your liberties be preserved, in upholding the honor and power of authority amongst you."

love actully.

2008-12-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion...

love actually is all around."

"we’re called partners, because it’s not just a job, it’s our passion." -starbucks

2008-12-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

So lately i've been in the crafty mood. For my birthday in oct. i got a adjustable dress form which is simply amazing! it makes fitting and sewing tops super easy! So my first project was this dress. Usually i end up never wearing the things i make because i see all that is imperfect with it but i actually wear this all the time. this isn't the finished product, i don't have a camera at the moment so its kinda hard to get pictures of everything.

So i always just look at the patterns at the thrift store but they are usually crazy patterns from the 80's and 90's but the other day when i was there they had some awesome patterns that are all mostly from late 60's. And at only 10cents a pattern i couldn't pass any of them up!

Then this last saturday was the civil war ball and so i made myself a new top for my dress. the last one was a last min rush so i wasn't really a fan of it so somehow i made a new top without a pattern (thanks to my dress form!) and it turned out pretty good, not perfect, but way better then the last one.

In other news did you guys know starbucks came out with a new mission statement. It is amazing i think. the last one was just blah but this one just sounds so starbuckish : )

To inspire and nurture the human spirit— one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.

onward.

Emma comes home today...

2008-11-25T10:31:00.001-08:00

its been almost 6 months...

red cups.

2008-10-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

its right around the corner...

apple scones and quotes...

2008-10-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

So I don't have much to say but I was reading my friends blog the other day and found some good quotes. And also I wanted to share these amazing apple scones. They were oh so delicious.

“I have but one passion: It is He, it is He alone. The world is the field and the field is the world; and henceforth that country shall be my home where I can be most used in winning souls for Christ."
Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf

“‘Not called!’ did you say? ‘Not heard the call,’ I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear Him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. Then look Christ in the face — whose mercy you have professed to obey — and tell Him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish His mercy to the world.William Booth

2008-10-09T13:05:00.000-07:00

"I truly believed there is a higher being if I ever had a doubt. It can't always be around for everyone soo that's why he made family and friends.. Which I thank everyone who has been prayin and keepin me and zephyr in their thoughts.

It was ur thoughts & prayers that saved him I know it.. Cuz I almost lost my most valuable treasure. Little things do count. Every little thing. And the last 9 mos are fully worth every second. I cannot explain to u the feeling of lookin into ur childs eyes or holding them for the first time. I feel whole for the first time and am the happiest I've ever been. He's so amazing already.. What a soldier.. Just like his mama. I love like I never have loved before. And my promise to him is that I wil live everyday workin my ass off to make the best life for him and make it worth his fight.

Thank you soup mom dad ash & kate for bein there every step of the wayy {thou u probably saw things u never wanted to see :)} I love you guys so much.

He can't wait to meet all his aunt && uncles well be out of the hospital soon I hope with ur continous love support & prayers/ thoughts.

Zephyr jahke

7lbs 12 lbzs 21 inches.

10. 02.08

The day life began.

<3xxb"

I am so proud of you Brittany Rose and I cannot wait to met lil Zephyr.

You both are such fighters and I love you two so much!

Colossians 1:24-29

2008-10-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

"Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me."

I read this passage while I was trekking through Mustang and it quickly became the passage I kept coming back to for the remainder of the trip.

I walked through villages with out a single believer, you could walk up to people and ask them if they knew who Jesus Christ was and they had never heard that name before. They are so lost in darkness. They believe if you read that bible you go crazy. I never though I'd see a demon possessed person. I also never thought I'd have to amazing privilege to see people come to Christ, to see people get baptised in those villages. God is working. You know how you will share the gospel with someone and then just pray that someone will come along to water it. Well we got to be the ones to water the seed.
There was one village in particular that was so ready for harvest. But we weren't able to stay and that was the hardest place to leave. Knowing that you're leaving baby Christians in a pack of wolfs. We covered that village in prayer and still are. But our God is great. What he started He won't let die. We just had to learn that God is bigger then us. And He has a plan for them and there growth.
The people in Nepal are so beautiful. I pray that God will continue working in there lives.

Home is where the heart is.

2008-10-03T13:35:00.000-07:00

If that phrase is true then I guess I have homes all over because pieces of my heart are all over the world. Sometimes it hurts not to be everywhere my heart is but most of the time I feel so blessed to have had the chance to go and see and learn and love.

First, of course, it went with my family. I miss them so much every time I go away.

Then I went to Ireland. Oh the beauty. And the precious kids I got to spend time with. And the family of believers I got to spend time with. (oh and is it ok to mention the amazing ice cream : ))

Then there was that hayfield in Illinois and of course Minnesota. I know those aren't any amazing overseas place but really, they were amazing also.

Haiti. (yeah sorry I didn't have an actual pic in Haiti on my computer and I didn't want to go search for one) That was amazing. The sweat. The bug bites. No really I loved it. But those memory's seem to stick out in my mind sometimes : )

Israel. I walked to roads Jesus and His disciples walked. Need I say more?

Oh Nepal. I know I've been a few places, but really, will I ever go anywhere else so beautiful.
The people are the most welcoming people I've ever met, the mountains are amazing, the food is so delicious. I left I big piece of my heart in that orphanage with my kids.

But those are only the places I've been so far. I'm only 18 I've got a lot of adventures left to go on and a lot more places to see and so many more people to love.

Oh I can't wait...

2008-09-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Oh how i miss you Nepal...

2008-03-08T00:59:00.000-08:00

so my new enjoyment on the web is this blog www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com Its this fashion-loving photographer guy who takes pictures of people on the street. Some of them are quite amusing and others make me feel so plain and unfashionable. But nonetheless I totally enjoy it.
In other news Jojo and Lydia have been even more mischievous then usual. No can leave anything laying about. If you leave paper out they will find something to cut it up with. Jo also loves to do Lydias makeup so half of the time you see Lydia it looks like she has a black eye. The other day Robby even caught Jo convincing Lydia that she had "hair lotion" so Lydia had the greasiest looking hair you've ever seen! It's really amusing untill you realize that you're running out of all your toiletries and the note you left on the table is in now cut into a million pieces. : )
No I love it. They really make my day so lively. I don't know what I'd do all day without them...

2008-03-05T20:29:00.001-08:00

I started posting some things about nepal on my other blog finaly! so go check it out!
i'm ssooo excited to go! its finaly hitting me that i'm leaving in may and that is really soon!!!!

oh yeah here is the link...
http://hannaharlene.blogspot.com

2008-02-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

So today I worked from 2-6:45 and let me tell you it may have been really slow but that doesn't mean nothing happened...

So there is this creeper who comes in all the time and just sits there and stares at all the girls, well he called me love and lovely everytime he ordered today! eewwww!!!!! Totally creepy!

Then this old man comes in, like in his mid 70's. And he asked what coffee I was brewing so I sad verona and our decaf komodo dragon...so he proceedes to tell me that he want's a verona... and he could even write a song about it! So he starts singing this song he was making up about verona! So I was like ok whatever he sings alright here's your change now go away. Nope. He says something about tomorrow being valentines and so he starts singing my funny valentine! So I was just like "haha oh yeah tomorrow is valentines day! well have a nice day!" and start walking over and cleaning the pastery case, he just follows me there and keeps singing. It was so funny! It took me so much self control not the burst out laughing in his face. So then he finaly leaves and I laughed about it all day.

Then! The police officer that used to come in with Parker but now has a new guy he rides with came in and asked me why I was still here cuz we had talked about me going to Nepal. So then he went on to tell me that I had got him thinking and the other night him and his wife were looking at places overseas they could go when he retires and work for a month or two and things like that. It made me kinda excited that maybe I had inspired someone to do something like that! Then he said he would keep me in his prayers and left with his venti iced cm.

yeah (besides the creeper thing) i love my job!

2008-01-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

so here are some of the higlights of my week...

Saturday (ok i realize this is really last week but were just going to make this a week meaning within the last seven days cuz its my blog and i can do what i want) -
me and emma made a stormy weather beach day which was simply amazing.

we got a little carried away singing i believe i can fly...

Sunday -

We had a mini family reunion at my aunts house with my moms dad and all the sibbiling and cousins and stuff.

My cousin Chase and his friends Jeremy decided that since the back patio was pretty much already a pond from all the rain why not add fish!? So they went and bought $4 worth of goldfish and ended up putting them not only in the huge puddle but also in all the little light fixtures around the pool...to say the least it was amusing.

tuesday -

hurray for coming across amazing new quotes and rediscovering old ones...

"we get one story, you and i, one story alone. God has established the elmemets, the setting and the climax and the resolution. it might be time for you to go. it might be time to change, to shine out. i want to repeat one word for you: leave. roll the word around on your tounge for a bit. it is a beautiful word, isn't it? so strong and forceful, the way you've always wanted to be. and you will not be alone. you have never been alone. don't worry. everything will still be here when you get back. it's you who will have changed."

-Donald Miller

"everybody has to leave, everybody has to leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons."

-Donald Miller

"You wonder why people choose feilds away from the states when young people at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to there problems. I'll tell you why I left. Because those stateside young people have every oppertunity to study, hear, and understand the word of God in there own language, and these indians have no oppertunity whatsoever. I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it to show the indians what it means to crucify a man. When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here. Those wimpering stateside young people will wake up on the day of judgment condemned to worse fates then these demon-fearing indians, because, having a bible they were bored with it -- while these indians have never heard of such a thing as writing"

- Jim Elliot

tonight akawednesday -

I fixed a yummy Israeli inspired meal. a falafel sandwich!!!

well that was a very edited verson of my week in pictures : )

Nepal...

2008-01-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

So it is officaly offical...I'm going to Nepal this year! And Oh I am ssoooo excited about it all!!!

I'll be leaving in May and going to live in an orphange in the capital city Kathmandu. There is a single missionary gal there, Jenn, who lives only a 2min walk away so I'll be able to go over there whenever I want plus I guess there is anoter girl in her 20's who will be there some of the time. I think most of my work will be in the orphanage but ABWE, which is who I'm going with, has a church there which is what the orphanage is a part of and they also have a bible college I believe so I'll be able to help with those also.
Then come the end of August I will come back home on another crazy long flight.

So that is whats going on in my life right now. Just trying to put everything together for that and working it all out with the people who are helping me. It is pretty exciting stuff!

2007-12-28T12:57:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/garden/27childs.html

So here's something from the New York Times. An article featuring my Uncle JT's photos (hurray!!!). I didn't really read the whole article but I did look at the pictures. My Uncle is amazing : )

http://www.jtthomasphotography.com/index.htm

2007-12-17T14:44:00.000-08:00

So I realized that as soon as I got back from Israel I got swept up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and have been lacking in doing anything but emptying my wallet of all its wealth.

And so here is some of the wonderful things that have been happening this christmas season...

- first we picked out our amazingly fat christmas tree

...And after loading on all the lights, ornaments, and ribbons it is finished! A work of art I must say...haha

- Then it was off to a little family road trip. Our first stop being a shop where my dad could get a new uniform. Oh my word I never knew there were so many choices of black boots, It was ridiculous. They did have some pretty cool coats! For dinner we went to Pinks, a very yummy place to get hot dogs. But the reason for the trip was Knotts Berry Farm...not anywhere near as magical and the happiest place on earth but still fun.

- This last weekend my mom and Robby went to Vegas for Robbys swim meet so I had to play mom for a couple days. So we baked gingerbread cookies!

- For some reason I decided that this year was the year of making things for people so my time has been filled making gifts for people and shoping for everyone else. Mind you I haven't even started wraping yet.

Oh and another wonderful thing was eating this delicious pomegranate that Robby had.

2007-11-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

Goodbye Hannah Goodbye -By Kevin Lindsey

Verse 1:
Goodbye Hannah,
You're on your way
Oh Hannah Banana,
I can't find the words to say
We'll miss you sorely,
Every single Thursday
Just sitting around chatting,
With boring Brittany Mae

Chorus:
Who will continuously skip songs for us,
While we're driving in the car
Who'll be adventurous,
And smoke big old fat cigars...

Bridge:
Oh yeah, Emma's still here,
She'll do that for us (2x)

Verse 2:
But we'll still miss you,
While you're on your trip
And if you want to come back,
Stay off the Gaza Strip!

(Instrumental)
Goodbye, goodbye to you
Goodbye, goodbye to you Hannah
Goodbye, goodbye to you
We hope and pray, that you won't come back a Jew...

Like Kevin did!

(Instrumental)

2007-11-07T23:25:00.000-08:00

I love adventures. If someone says something that I find somewhat adventurous I will most likely do it.
My all time favorite adventures though are the ones that involve traveling...like my first ever plane flight being by myself not knowing what I'm doing, going on missions trip where i don't know anyone there, taking a road trip over to CO with a some friends, sleeping overnight in an airport by myself when my flight got canceled, going and working at a camp in MN, camping (an adventure in and of itself), and of course any family vacation is an adventure : )
and then there are the adventures where a friend is like lets do this and I'm just like ok whatever...and i do it.

so that said little adventures are amazing.

my new adventures that are coming up:
-going to SF with my sis and Emma this weekend
-going to Israel with a bunch of old people!
-and hopefully going somewhere AMAZING for a couple months next year...

yeah I'm excited about it all.

christmas time...

2007-10-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

well today I was invited to go over to Emmas house...for some reason she had decided that today was going to be a christmasy day!
So we put on a little Bing and made some hot coco with whip cream and red and green sprinkels and ate some peaunut butter fudge.

But then we decided that we needed to bake! So we made these amazingly yummy cookies that Morgan had told me about from her friends blog so after a little internet search we found the recipe.

They were the most amazing cookies ever!!! I ate so many i hardly had room for our christmas dinner of "turkey" (aka Chicken), mashed sweet potatos, stuffing, gravy, green beans, corn and whats christmas with out the cranberry sauce!

So in honor of today... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Nepal...

2007-10-10T23:06:00.000-07:00

2007-09-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.

~Ansel Adams~

oh life...

2007-08-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

so i just wanted to give a shout out to the guy today who came in to starbucks and told me i had nice teeth. i got a good laugh out of that : )

2007-08-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

well summer is over. it makes me really quite sad. i decided that summer is my favorite time of year because i feel like each summer holds a new adventure. some of the highlights from this summer were...

- roadtrip to colorado
- lots of days at the beach
- sunshine
- volley ball
- 80's beach day
- my aunt sue getting married
- yearly Camp Pendleton camping trip
- stick shift
- being barefoot
- getting tan
- yosemite
- curly hair
- a nice walk on the beach with my friend

and that is only what i can think of off the top of my head! yeah this summer was so much fun but now its back to life and school and work. oh well i will just have to wait and plan my adventures for the next summer...

work...

2007-08-05T00:27:00.000-07:00

so today i had a crazy day at work...and when i say crazy i mean it! i was only supposed to work 4.30 hours but ended up working 7. yeah that kinda says something. but i was happy to get some more hours in!
i some pretty silly customers like the guy who started singing frank sinatra to me and then the guy right behind him tried to put on this southern drawl, didn't work to good, but i was pretty funny. then there were these extremly hyper girls who were yelling at each other and yelling into the drive thru so much that we couldn't understand them, i cried i was laughing so hard at them.
needless to say i am sssooooo tired right now and cannot wait to go to bed! then its off to work again tomorrow!
yeah so hurry for pointless blogs!

2007-06-25T18:10:00.001-07:00

the boys built a raft on one of our hikes, i'm not gonna lie i didn't really think it would float but it did! i guess they are just amazing raft builders.

my Aunt is a dj on tuesday morning so she let us go and pick out music and talk on the radio one morning.

the boys smokin' pipes. our nightly tradition.

the cool kids.

Colorado was amazing!! It is so beautiful there! I had so much fun spending time with my Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle. We fet so much into the week we were there! I am totally ready to go back again!

2007-06-14T00:05:00.000-07:00

oh man i'm totally leaving for a little colorado road trip tomorrow...or wait today.

yeah i am really excited about it.

just wanted to share.

be back sometime next week...

2007-05-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

is it just me or have the stars been extra bright lately?

i highly encourage you to lay outside and just gaze at the stars for awhile.

its beautiful.

i love stars.

oh our God is amazing.

amazing...

2007-04-30T22:59:00.000-07:00

well this past friday was one of the best days! My family was out of town so my friend stayed over and well we pretty much had way to much fun. : )

oh i love my friends so much what can i say

2007-03-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

One time I got a note and it said that I was an inspirer. You know I never really thought about myself that way. I mean I did always get annoyed when someone would 'copy' something I did. I wanted to be original, I don't like to be like everybody else. But I really like the thought of inspiring. I hope I can inspire people to do things. I want to inspire people do go on mission trips. I want them to think less about what will happen and what there going to do with there lives and more on the moment that there living that they'll never get back. To not waist there energy on being stressed out when it really isn't that big of a deal. To love without holding back. To spend time with there family while they have them, cuz they won't be there forever.

I really hope I can live up to what my friend said and be an inspirer.

2007-03-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

Oscar Party... Britney, Nicole and Paris

2007-02-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

i am so tired of people thinking i'm perfect. they seem to think i don't have any problems. when they want to encourge each other they just over look me. they think i'm this like machine who never stops.
well the truth is i'm tired. i have problems and i have to deal with them on my own cuz no one even tries to be there for me. i cling on to evey little encouraging thing someone says to me because it doesn't happen very often. and trust me i do stop. i can't even count the times i just lay on the floor and cry.
so i just wanted to let you know. i'm not some crazy indestructible perfect girl. i need people. i need friends. people say i seem stuck up and self confident and trust me i am pretty much the farthest thing from that.

a map of where i've been...

2007-02-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

http://www.travbuddy.com/widget_map_display.php?id=78114

2006-12-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

'imperfection is beauty.
madness is genius.
& it's better to absolutely rediculous
then absolutely stupid.'
-Marilyn Monroe

'Dying for something is easy because it is associated with glory.
living for something...is the hard thing.
living for something extends beyound fashion, glory, or recognition.
we live for what we believe.'

'You wonder why people choose fields away from the States when young people at home are drifting because no one wants to take time to listen to their problems. Ill tell you why I left. Because those Stateside young people have every opportunity to study, hear, and understand the Word of God in their own language, and these Indians have no opportunity whatsoever. I have had to make a cross of two logs, and lie down on it, to show the Indians what it means to crucify a man. When there is that much ignorance over here and so much knowledge and opportunity over there, I have no question in my mind why God sent me here. Those whimpering Stateside young people will wake up on the Day of Judgment condemned to worse fates than these demon-fearing Indians, because, having a Bible, they were bored with it---while these never heard of such a thing as writing.'
-Jim Elliot

2006-12-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

2 Things working at starbucks has taught me...

1. I talk really quiet. Only on occasion do I make it through work without someone complaning that they can hardly hear me when I talk. At first I'd say sorry and try to be louder now it just bothers me and I just tell them to get some hearing aids...ok not really but I want to.

2. I need to work on my writing skills I probably can't even count on one hand how many times I've written SCF for a syrup cream frap and they make a java chip frap which is JCF. Ok I'm not gonna lie to you my J's don't look anything like my S's do but they just seem to assume that I can't write so they try to help me when really it is what they think it is.

yup thats about it...

2006-11-08T22:37:00.000-08:00

Psalm 8:3-9
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

I love getting out of doors...I guess you could call it my hiding place, my place of solitude, my meeting place with God. It is so calm and still listening to the wind blow, the birds sing, the trees rustle. Oh it is a beautiful time. When I get out in creation by myself I feel as though life is but a dream with its ups and downs twists and turns all leading to to one place and when I'm there everything is in it's place, I don't worry about what I have to do later, when will this happen or this get done, everything is put into perspective and can put everything in its place. Its a wonderful time with me and my Lord, my love.

2006-11-06T22:25:00.000-08:00

What is this thing called life...because I don't know how to live it.
I feel like a blind person trying to take a hike, if I'd only use my guide more maybe I wouldn't have all these scrapes and bruises.

I think I need to take a step back and rethink this whole thing...

Pirate ships and whatnot...

2006-10-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

yup we went to go see the pirate ship at the beach...it was pretty much amazing. Grumpy Gracie (aka Joanna) was ssoooo excited!

2006-10-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

-HAPPINESS
I've relized that sometimes choosing to be happy is kind of a joke. I don't believe that happiness is a choice.
I don't believe an individual can "decide" away a chemical embalance or be happy every situation.
I think Joy is a choice but also that you can have joy and still be sad. Joy is probably closer to a perspective then an emotion. . . I don't always have happiness to keep me going.
I won't try anymore to find it.
Why, after lying to the whole world,would i turn and try and lie to myself?
As a side note, i am actualy happy.

- josh -

2006-09-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

" Anyway, I hope that you are doing well and enjoying being single :). I have no doubt that God has an amazing, godly, wonderful, gorgeous, funny, smart, awesome man for you out there. If He created Eve just for Adam, I'm sure God has created an "Adam" for you too! Just to let you know, I'm half giving myself the same advice right now :)." haha oh I love my friends!
You know I have been doing a lot of praying lately. but hey thats a good thing so i'm glad. as much as a wish life wasn't hard you know if life was all just fine and dandy it would be so boring and we wouldn't have much character. so i just press on.
yeah so i guess lately you could say i've been a little random in my thoughts...ok so maybe i'm just like this all the time.

2006-09-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

yeah my life has been pretty silly lately. i almost started crying when i couldn't find a new devo book at the store. then i had to spend like 2 hours of the night with this girl who is always mean to me. but my friend said i have a pleasant laugh so i think that is a good thing. then i had a yummy misto. tomorrow i have the day off and i have no school. i got a bright red ribbon to go on my civil war dress. i love my family. the end.

2006-09-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

oh quotes are amazing...

"Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshippers meeting together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship. Social religion is perfected when private religion is purified. The body becomes stronger as its members become healthier. The whole church of God gains when the members that compose it begin to seek a better and a higher life." -A.W. Tozer

"It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China. With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home." -Hudson Taylor

the beach...

2006-08-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

Hannah, Tay and me just hanging out (ok just gotta say if Tay ever asks you to play truth or dare...just say no)

the boys

so there are some pictures from the beach. Those kids are great. We had some pretty amazing times together.

oh my guess what my parents gave me for graduation?!?!?! A TICKET TO MINNESOTA!!!!! Yup that's were I'm going to be this winter. I am way excited about it! it's gonna be the coolest winter break i've ever had!

2006-08-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

so camping was amazing. i had sooo much fun. oh i love my friends there amazing. but i haven't realy been thinking about it because today was like the worst day so far of my year. So works been crazy, I turned in a paper that said what times i had school a couple days before the paper said i needed to turn it in by but i guess there was this unspoken rule that i was supposed to turn it in "weeks" earlier then i did but no one told me that. So now my manager is mad at me and the other people who didn't know the unspoken rule and i'm supposed to work when i'm supposed to go to classes. So pretty much i tried to get someone to cover my shift but no one would, no surprise to me, so i called my manager and left her a message saying i'm sorry about the misunderstanding but i did what the paper told me to do and i'm not going to be able to come to work because i have my first classes at school and to call me if she wants too. so now i am so scared they are going to be really mad at me but i mean i can't really just miss my first classes after i did everything right to get the work off. yeah if you couldn't tell i'm pretty upset about it all and have had a pretty emotional day. but oh well life goes on what happens happens.

2006-08-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

well i'm leaving to go camping at the coolest beach ever tomorrow and then on monday i'm starting hancock. oh and i'm going to a bar-b-q for work tomorrow it is something about how we sold x amount of banana drinks. (i'm not sure how much x is) and i'm not gonna lie i'm getting pretty good at shoping : ) i've gotten some pretty cute stuff.
well thats it for now kids

this is one of my senior pictures.

2006-08-04T22:46:00.000-07:00

Haiti was amazing!
yeah I really don't even know what to say about but you can see some of my pictures of it on my myspace which is... www.myspace.com/thewrightstuff
and if you want to know more well ask me about it!

2006-07-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

well i'm off to haiti! it is pretty exciting. yup. i don't really have much to say about it just keep me and the team in your prayers! i will be back home on the 26!
bye!

2006-07-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

well i leave for haiti on thursday...i am so excited...but it is crazy i didn't realize it was so close! a-mazing
i had my first 4th of july home in 2 years and it was really fun...i had to work for part of the day but work is fun cuz i'm actully getting the hang of what i'm supposed to be doing : )
i've been thinking alot lately...i like thinking alot..
i want to go to minnesota this winter but i'm gonna be working and going to college so i don't know if i will be able to which is kinda sad...

2006-07-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Well you guys our cat Bell had 3 kittens today and they were all still born. She had 2 this morning after church and then on just this evening. It was so sad. I feel so bad for our poor little cat. And yeah that is really all I have to say right now.

I'm Graduated!!!!

2006-06-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

me and Britt after the ceremony

yup i did it. high school is over! amazing huh? Brittany and I with our friend Brittany who graduated with me.
and then there was grad night at disneyland...

emma and i arn't to screamo but we tried to sing along to Zach's music

pretty much the coolest sign i've ever seen! so i took a picture...

2006-06-08T22:20:00.000-07:00

Oh friends are so funny. Like some friends stoped by while on there road trip the other day and oh man they make me laugh so hard. Jared comes up with the most random questions (like is Seth hot? or am I a gentleman?) and Seth's hair...umm yeah what can I say about that, I think I'm going to get Nate to like Josh Groban and then Phil well he is just weird (not that the rest of them arn't I just really don't know what to say about him except that he is pretty funny). And then Nichole got a job at starbucks!! So now we are partners (even though we work at different stores) Man she sounded the same way I did my first day. haha And well I don't really have much more to say. My graduation is on monday! Amazing huh? Kinda nervous because I am going to be singing but soon enough it will be over.
Well untill later...

"I shall not die of a cold. I shall die of having lived." (Willa Cather)

2006-06-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

Wow I have been so busy lately. And full of people, some I love and some who just really annoy me. : ) Anyways... I went on a family trip to the Morroy Bay Aquarim, a dodgers game and the Getty Musuem for 4 days. It was really fun. I love family trips they are so fun. I love the people I work with and my managers are amazing and really funny. I even sold 12 1-pound bags of house blend coffee to one person! It was crazy. And they even wanted them all ground, yeah we were at that for a while. I also went to a Crepe pary which was so much fun. We called my friend Jared when we were there, oh man that was probably the most I've ever laughed on the phone. And I get to go to the rodeo tonight with some friends. I even borrowed my gradmas boots because she never wears them and I decided I needed to look rodeoish. Well seeing how much I like pictures here are some...

ummm what can I say...that is me and Jo hanging out at the motel.

after the dodger game. the amazing water fall thing at the museum

haning at the crepe party with Bizzy.

2006-05-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

"Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket--safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” -C.S. Lewis

2006-05-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

penguins...

2006-05-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well I've just gotta say work today was hilarious! The people were so funny. This one couple had these really complicated drinks and so they we showing me how to mark them and then they were telling me what they wanted in spanish (which I don't speak) and so once I finaly understood what they wanted I was like ok so what name do you want on this...umm yeah they asked me to write a bad word on it! So I just looked at them like yeah umm your joking but they were searous! I just about fell over with laughter. And then there were these 2 little british ladies who came in with these amazing accents. Then the one spilt her whole drink on the other lady. Oh man they were so funny. And then this one guy was like 'when do you work till Hannah...love' and I was like did he just call me love? weird. Oh and I managed to cover my shirt in coffee splaters because they don't have my apron yet. Pretty much work is really fun and makes me pretty tired.

life...

2006-05-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

2006-05-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

oh I am just giving a shout out to life...it is beautiful. Sometimes things get rocky but you just gotta keep going and hoping it will all turn out good and you know it does. Oh God is amazing and blesses us even when we feel we don't deserve it.
Here's to anyone who never quit when things got hard.

2006-05-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went and hung out with Emma and Kat. So our favorite thing to do is eat fortune cookies. I don't know why but we always do. Here were a few of my fortunes...You are going to have a very comfortable old age...umm ok that is nice to know, but I hope I don't live to long cuz I don't want the last 20 years of my life to be me sitting in an old folks home wearing diapers, not a comfortable feeling. Then one was 'You are very pretty' so not really a fortune but hey I like it. : ) Then I had a couple more that were kinda funny (as long as you know what to add on the end of your fortune, and for those of you who don't well I won't corupt you in that way).
I had such a freaky dream last night! I went to visit this guy I haven't seen in almost 2 years and I was all excited to see him again So I went and asked his parents if he was home and then I saw him and he was an old man!!! And I tried to give him a hug but he was like 'no I can't do that Hannah' so he shook my hand. And now I don't think I want to see him cuz it totally freaked me out seeing him old like that. It was funny in a weird sorta way.

There will be little rubs and disappointments everywhere, and we are all apt to expect too much; but then, if one scheme of happiness fails, human nature turns to another; if the first calculation is wrong, we make a second better: we find comfort somewhere.
Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds. Or bends with the remover to remove. Oh no! It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.
Marianne, Sense and Sensibility
(oh I love Jane Austen movies and books)

2006-05-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

Well driving with Hannah is an amazing experince I'll have to say. And if you haven't done it...well you'll have to wait untill november. My favorite thing is turning up the music and hot air and rolling down the windows, yeah not many people will do that with me so for those who do, you are true friends. : )
You know these past couple weeks have been like the worst of my life! Ok not the worst but pretty bad. Like I look at myself and think I'm pretty pitiful. Well you could just say I am an emotional girl. Oh well such is life. I've learned way to hard a lesson these past weeks and I almost wish I could just skip these lessons but I know I need them. But it is getting better, I think I'm seeing the rainbow after the rain.

2006-04-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend was simply lovely...
walking to starbucks, picking flowers, Carl giving me a broken chair so I fell, driving 2 hours in a car that is breaking down, having to pee so bad I thought I was going to die, the freaky bathroom with mirrors everywhere that we finaly stoped at, Kate being cold and almost making me fall of the bed from trying to take my body heat, singing and dancing in the car, being getto, shocking my aunt by listening to and singing along to grilz, my aunt embarrasing me by telling this lady I should hook up with her son while I was sitting there, laughing, spilling coffee on my shirt at church, jumping in the freezing cold pool to get the net out because no on would get in, being coverd in ants, watching a movie on Mike's lap-top and having no clue what was happening cuz I couldn't hear it, gettting some really exciting purses from my Aunt, and well lots of other silly things that I like doing...
yeah I need more weekends like this.

2006-04-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

Well here is one of my faviorte pictures from this summer...It shows the fun, the sweat, the dirtyness and some awesome girls all in one picture! We look so silly. Ashley is laughing and has black stuff on her face from sanding chairs, Hannah is showing the coolness of being a barney by holding her frapachino, I am "glowing" from all the work and heat! and my shirt has black smudges on it from who knows what and then Kelsey has black stuff on here shirt too! I wish I was going back to the hay field this summer. It is so much fun. It is even more fun being a barney cuz they are there just to break the rules. Like taking showers everday instead of once a week!! And other stuff but I won't spill all our secrets ; ) I just pretty much think everyone should go on Royal Servants! Hopefully I will be back at training camp next summer...

2006-04-22T15:58:00.000-07:00

This is just a cute story I read awhile back and came across it again today while I was helping my mom.

The Garden - by Douglas Wilson

As my horse trotted wearily up the road, I could see the walls of a beautiful garden ahead. Outside the gate was an equally beautiful woman. At the sound of my greeting, she turned and dropped a curtsey. "Good sir... good morning."

I looked at her, and then at the garden walls extending out to the right and left. Behind her was the garden gate. I said, "I am very thirsty...for something clean." She smiled, and her smile made me thirstier still. But she said nothing. "Is there water here?" I asked.

"There is a stream within my garden." Her statement was simply a statement of fact; there was no invitation at all in it.

I asked, "May I come in and drink?"

"No," she said. "The lord of my mother's garden does not permit that."

"Why is this? Other women have let me drink from the gardens that they tend." I glanced at the fruit-laden branches, which were visible over the top of the garden wall. "You have a lovely garden, but those who let me drink had gardens just as beautiful."

She laughed at this, and her laugh was merry indeed. "I have no doubt that you have been in some lovely gardens. But was the water clean?"

"No," I said, and in spite of myself, turned my head and looked down.

She continued with a question. "Is that why you are no longer in the gardens tended by these women?"

I was ashamed so I did not answer her. Instead I looked past her into the garden. The path through the gate disappeared after a few feet, leaving the view of anyone on the road. "It seems like a shame for such a garden to go to waste."

She seemed both puzzled and amused. "How does it go to waste?"

"Does any man drink from your stream?"

"No, but no man fouls it either."

"But is that not a waste? Was not your stream made to quench the thirst of travelers?"

"I'm afraid you are seriously mistaken. It was made to quench the thirst, not of travelers, but of the lord of the garden."

"Oh," I said, "this garden has a lord?"

"No," she said.

"Then I don't understand. Are you speaking in riddles?"

She smiled. "No, I do not. The garden will one day have a lord, although it does not yet. The stream is for him alone."

"And who will your lord be?"

"When my mother's lord gives a blessing, the one whom I appoint."

"How can the lesser appoint the greater?"

"How can it not be so? When my lord comes, I will grant to him my garden. But until I do, he is just another traveler."

"And what do you look for? I am sure there are many who knock at your gate."

At this she blushed slightly but looked straight at me. "I will not have a lord who does not have a lord himself--my lord must have taken an oath of fealty to the Landlord."

"The Landlord? Who is he?"

"He is the owner of all the gardens along this road. In order to come into my garden, my lord must take an oath before the Landlord to tend the garden well. He must also swear that he will enter no other garden."I had never heard such words as these before. "How long must he stay out of other gardens?"

"Forever."

"But what if he is born to travel?"

"Then he is not born for my garden."

"I see," I said, becoming a little angry. "Then why have I never heard of such an oath? I have been in many gardens."

"Yes, you said that before. But was the water clean? Were the gardens tended? That is what happens when there is no oath."

"So that is all? If someone takes an oath before this Landlord, you will make them your Lord?"

"No."

"Well, what else then?"

"There are many men who think they can tend my garden well, and who would be willing to swear an oath before the Landlord saying so. But that does not mean that my mother's lord, or I, share their confidence."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I know the extent of the garden. I have a knowledge of it that cannot be gained from the road. But no man can share that knowledge until after I have made him my lord and husband. So I must have the measure of the man before."

"So what must a man do?"

"The first thing is to--"

"Yes, I know. He must swear to the Landlord. But after?"

"He must return to me, and ask to see my mother's lord."

"And what would he say?"

"That depends on the man."

At this parting comment, she turned and walked slowly back into the garden, pulling the gate closed behind her. I spurred my horse, which began to trot down the road. I did not know what to think, but I needed to find this Landlord.

2006-04-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well I am offically not going to college group at my church till october. Oh well. I am to young. Man I really am glad I'm graduating early I just hate being "to young" My dad told me that there are always thorns on a rose and so this is my thorn. I have even been called jail bate now! haha I thought that was pretty funny. Thats me! I think I'm going to just go to college group at a differnt church where some of my other friends go. Anyways no more sad talk I don't wanna be upset I just need to get over it.

I just have to say that my friend Hannah is so funny!!! She makes me laugh so hard. here are some quotes of stuff she has said to me...
"Hannah you are a really messy eater. But that is ok cuz when you make a mess eating it just means you are having a lot of fun"
"That is kinda sketchy , but I think Hannah's like being sketchy so ya know what, I approve"
"I don't get it so lets just pretend likes it funny"
A really funny thing she does is acting getto (whatever that means I still don't know) and she trys to get me to do it also. She really knows how to make me laugh. When she was visiting I think I had a constant pain in my stomach from laughing so hard all the time. Like when I was making malto for our breakfast and she was making our peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I thought I had made enough peanut butter and honey for 3 half sandwichs but she made like 6 out of it!!! That is only because a put a LOT of peanut butter and honey in the sandwichs when I make them and she puts a normal amount in it. : )
Well I just did a whole post about nothing really...oh well.

The Civil War Ball...

2006-04-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Well here are some pictures from the civil war ball we went to a week or so ago. It is pretty crazy how many we have now that people are starting to realize they are fun!haha I have now I think been to six. And then I am going to another one in a couple months with the Macs in Crestline (I've gotta say that is a cool place with cool people)
anyways here are the pictures...

little Lydia on the way to the civil war ball...

Michael and Brittany

a picture from our little photo shoot before the dancing started

Southern belles
Kaleb and I waiting for the dance to start

2006-04-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

Well tonight at youth group we were singing this one song and I really started to miss my little park that I used to walk to and do my devos at. I decided next clear day we have I will walk there again. I love sitting outside on the grass with the trees and blue sky as my ceiling. Even though I always seem to go when school is getting out and all the kids look at me funny, But hey I'm ok with that. That picture of a tree is one I took one time at the park.

I just finished reading 'The Great Divorce' It took me a long time to read it because I would read a chapter and then be like 'umm what did I just read' and then read it again. But I finished it. I really enjoyed reading it.

"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning, Great is Your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion." says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!""
Lamentations 3:22-24

2006-04-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

I love the rain...today driving home from youth group I turned off my music so I could just hear the rain and I even rolled my window down cuz it feels amazing when the rain hits your hands. It's days like this I want to drink hot tea and read a book, well more like drink tea and make my civil war dress seeing as that is what I've been doing all day. But I am happy to say it is almost finished! It should be done tomorrow (hopefully).

I will leave you with a funny picture of me and Britt and 2 of our friends Chris and Kyle. We have known them pretty much forever, well since I was about 2 because that is when we have a video that says how my best friend is Christopher. Then they moved and now we only see them about once a year. It is pretty funny to look back and see how much we've changed.

2006-03-23T15:20:00.000-08:00

"I believe in Christianty as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything" C.S. Lewis

"You can't love someone for what they stand for, who they seem to be, you have to love them for there detals, for the little things that are true to only them." Roselee Futch (with a date with Tad Hamilton)

"Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength" Corrie ten Boom

"God didn't call us to be successfull, just faithful." Mother Teresa

"There is no half singing in the shower you are either a rock star or opera diva" Josh Groban

2006-03-17T23:49:00.000-08:00

Well today I went hankie shoping with some friends. We went to this awesome little, well actully it was pretty big, antique store that had tons of hankies in it. I got one white one with some lace on it and then another white one with a chicken on it! So it was random and I had to get it. Then I went crazy getting ready for our friends to come over for dinner. It was a fun and really busy day!

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!!!

Joanna Grace (aka Grumpy Gracie)

2006-03-11T10:34:00.000-08:00

So Jo is pretty much the funnest little 4 year I know. Me and her are little buddies and we pretty much just mess around and laugh all day. Except for when she decided she doesn't like me. I have never met such a little drama queen in my life!!!

She always finds something exciting to do. Like using markers as lipstick or having me dress her up like a pirate and then she'll chase everyone around the house.

One of the things she loves to do is sing Josh Groban songs. And then her new thing she always tells me about is how she is going to marry my friend Josh.haha

Yeah she is a crazy little girl.

2006-03-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

The other day me and my mom had to go to a meeting that was an hour away so and on the drive we talked about submission. yup. It is an amazing subject. It breaks me heart to see the way women are leaving behind God's will of women submiting to there husbands. I am actully reading a book right now called 'created to be his help meet' by Debbie Pearl. So maybe it is a book for married women but I mean come on why wait to get married and mess up and then read the book? I might as well learn now. I could pretty much write pages and pages about it but I won't, I will just say I am excited to submit to my husband someday and be his help meet and through that honor God. In Titus 2 it says "older women likewise...that they may admonish the younger women to love their husbands, to love thier children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed." I am so greatful that God has given me so many examples of Godly women.

Crepe party

2006-03-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

I finaly learned how to make crepes! thanks to my great teacher Emma : ) A week or so ago my friends had a crepe party. it was pretty fun. me and Emma ended up pretty much making crepes for everyone and there were like 10 people there so making crepes for that many people takes a while.

in between making crepes for everyone me and emma found time to take pictures, lots of pictures but i'm only going to put a few cuz we took a ton!
There really were more people at this party it is just that me and Emma made the crepes so by the time we sat down there was no room left at the table they we all at. and we have this thing that whenever we see each other we take a million pictures together

this was probably the funnest picture we took all night. I don't know what we were thinking when we took it because we look like total dorks.

2006-02-20T20:01:00.000-08:00

This is a list me and my friend made of everything I did for my first time in MN last summer.

Hannah's Fisrt time list:
-going to Minnesota
-going to Wisconsin
-tubing
-swiming near (almost in) a waterfall
-gotten a leach on the leg
-hiked tettegouche
-saw split rock lighthouse
-swam in lake superior-a "great lake!"
-worked at a camp (camp lebanon)
-went in a paddleboat
-saw a loon
-caught a fish
-took a fish off the hook
-got a hook stuck in finger
-went to a twins game at the metrodome
-rode the MN lightrail
-went to the mall of America
-gagged over cleaning bathrooms
-grew an irishman-'seamus'
-had sweet and sour meat balls with pinapple and rice
-ate fruit with ice cream
-watched National Treasure
-made carepacks
-ate rhybarb
-had crepes

2006-02-14T22:17:00.000-08:00

A night out with the girls from youth group...

2006-01-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

Royal Servants Ireland team 2004.

Yup the Ireland trip was pretty much amazing...

2006-01-22T21:29:00.000-08:00

God is our Romancer. amazing thought. The God who made the universe and knows every star in the sky is in love with me and wants me to be totally and completly in love with Him. He wrote a whole book of letters just for us. I don't know maybe it is just me but I love that thought. it is so humbling. And you know what? I am totally in love with God. He is amazing. Like I can't even put into words how in love I am. Each and every day all that happens is I just fall more in love. Yup and that is pretty much all I have to say.

2006-01-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

Beautiful Soldier
She's a beautiful soldier who
wears knee boots instead
of combat boots and has
never set foot in a desert.
If you passed her on the street,
you'd probably think
she doesn't have a problem
in the world.

(i didn't write that i actully just read it and thought it sounded really cool and like most christian girls living on this place called earth)

2005-08-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Galatians 5:13 'For you brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.'

What I think this verse means is that we are free but but since we are free we should serve each other, and not serve each other because we have to but out of love. Serving each other because we love them.

Last summer I went on a mission trip with royal servants and I fell in love with that group. So this summer I went back except I just went to training camp and went to serve. I also went to camp Lebanon in Upsala MN.

At the camps I did the behind the scens things that keep the camp runing. I did odd jobs such as cleaning bathrooms, washing tarps and seting up and taking down tents. But my most important job was encourgment. At the royal servants training camp part of our 'job' was to encourge the students, staff and leaders who were going over seas. The team I was on was made up of alumni and the name of our team was Barnabas which means 'Son of encougment'. Some of the ways we encourged was that every night we did a prayer walk and we wrote letters to the team leaders.

Through out the hours spent cleaning bathrooms and days spent standing in the hot sun some of the things God taught me were...

That is it so important to keep encourging your brothers and sisters in there walk with Christ, Satan is constantly trying to bring us down in our walk with Christ even though we don't always see it we always need to be praying not only for ourselves but for those around us, And then through how utterly tired I got I was reminded that we need to give everday to God and rely on Him to give us the strenght we need to make it through each day.

Being at royal servant training camp and not on a team I was able to see the ways God worked in the big things like the teams getting the support money they needed to go over seas to the small things like we counted the passport holders and came up 6 short and then I was sorting through the blue bags and opened up a zipper pouch and there were 6 passport holders in it.

As you see I didn't go over seas this summer but that isn't the only place we are needed. God can use you right here in the USA to do work for Him and further His kingdom. You just need to be open to His calling and ready for the moments He gives you.

God has been more then faithful this summer. He helped me make it through every day when I felt like that last bit of strength was gone. And I just want to thank you all for the prayers and letters I got while I was gone. It is so engouging to know that you all support me and what I feel called to do.

On sunday evening a couple weeks ago me and some of the other high schoolers who went on mission trips this summer and camps all talked about what we did/learned over the summer. So that is what I said (well not like word for word seeing as I didn't read it or memorize it or anything like that).

2005-07-26T16:31:00.000-07:00

-For Good- Wicked (the musical)

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you

Because I knew you
I have been changed for good
And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the thing I've done you blame me for
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share
And none of it seems to matter anymore

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood

Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a bird in the wood
Who can say if I've been
Changed for the better?
I do believe I have been
Changed for the better

Because I knew you...
I have been changed for good.

2005-06-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

my girls that I did book time with. I miss all the girls so much, I can't wait till next school year!!!

2005-06-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

the 3rd and 4th grade girls awana group i worked with over the last school year.

2005-06-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

this is what happens when the youth from church go out to dessert together! haha

2005-05-31T21:46:00.000-07:00

you know i love tea. i went to ireland and london and the british people got to me and i love tea! so right now i made my self a nice cup of tea. i used to only like it with milk and honey in it but then i decided the it wasn't as good for me then so now i drink it stright up (well sometimes i add milk and honey but not a lot).

ok so i'm in a random mood and just did a whole post about tea. yup good stuff. here i'll add a cool quote to the end!

'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of there dreams' -Elenor Roosevelt

2005-04-26T22:50:00.000-07:00

Give of your best to the Master
Give of the strength of your youth;
Throw your soul's fresh,
Growing ardor,
Into the battle for truth.
Jesus has set the example;
Dauntless was He,
Young and brave;
Give Him your loyal devotion,
Give Him the best that you have

~Howard Grose

Lately I've been feeling like i need to give God everything i possibly can. Like i'll admit sometimes i want to date. but i know that would be a part that woldn't be God's anymore...i need to give him my attractiveness and my beauty...i need to give Him my attention...that would be fulfiling my dreams but don't want to live my dreams i want to live Gods dreams for me. I just want to give God my all, in ever since of the word all, that is what i want to give Him. And ok you caught me i'm not right now, but i want to, i want God to have every little thing.

and those are my thoughts right now.

2005-04-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

if you click on the picture it will show you a bigger one.

2005-04-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

after the ball a bunch of us went to starbucks and then all of us girls took our pic with the guy working there!haha oh his name is Ben.

2005-04-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

Me, Bizzy and Brittany having fun with the roses we got

2005-04-22T17:50:00.000-07:00

some of us girls at the civil war ball. (i am the 6th in from the right)

2005-04-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

taking a break from dancing at the civil war ball

2005-04-17T18:09:00.000-07:00

ok so i am sick for the 3rd time in a row. yup this is life. i think i got sick this time from not enough sleep mixed with working to hard.
I went to a civil war ball last night!! it was so fun. Somehow I finished my dress before I had to leave! I was all with God's help I can tell you that I finished it. And then after the ball a bunch of us went to starbucks, the guy there Ben was great he was all into it all, So of course we had to take our picture with him.hahaha Then we went to one of my friends house and played games till me and bizzy left around like 1:30 but we didn't get to sleep till like 2:30. Yeah 7:30 came way to quick this morning.
Ok here are some of the main lines from our sermon this morning. (ok i know random but i really like it!)
'when God takes things away from us, we must not become bitter, but we must trust Him always'
'Faith assists works, works perfect faith'
'works perfect faith, that is, they bring faith to maturity, so that you must see works if there is true faith'

And then i love questions. like...
what does music have to have?
a. singer b. instruments c. composer d. sound
ok so first i thought sound but then i was like wait i don't know if i'm just weird but can't you have like the music of silence? So i decided that you have to have a composer. Because God is the composer of everything. ok i had more to say but i think this sickness is geting to me cuz my head hurts and i can't think of what else i was gonna say. hahaha

ok here is a question my pastor asked this morning and i am still thinking about it.
If someone came up to you and asked 'Are you a christian?' and then you said 'yes' and then they said 'ok prove it' what would you do?

2005-04-13T14:44:00.000-07:00

me and my brother Robby at disneyland.