love actully.

"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

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...

its been almost 6 months...

red cups.

its right around the corner...

apple scones and quotes...

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

"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

"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.

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...

Oh how i miss you Nepal...

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...

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

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!

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...

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!

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

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.

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)

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...

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...