Take a Bit of Time and Half Off

Wow, I am almost ashamed to write, on account of it being so long since I have written. However I think that it would be nice to keep some sort of discipline in my life, and let those whom I love know a bit about whats going on with me these days. So I am going to try and do a six month recap of my life, ya right we shall see how that goes.

Job: When I cam home last June, I hit the pavement looking for a job. As Kiki and I were sitting in Panera job searching and writing our resumes, she found an ad for Peets Coffee and Tea, and it was in Happy Valley! It was the next day so I thought, shoot why not? I went, and a week later I had a job. I am still employed at Peets and Love It! First off I get free coffee and tea, (my sisters are much enjoying the perks of that.) and I get to know so many people and serve them. I love my customers, they have become my friends! (their dogs too :))

School: I started at Clackamas Community College in September. The first term was a struggle to say the least. It was a bit of an ajustment coming from dorm life to a commuter school. I didn't meet anyone from my classes, and I was exhausted by working full time and 16 credits. However God has really provided for me this term. I started Anatomy and Physiology, which is...challenging...to say the least. About a week before the class started I found out my friend Elliot was also in it, and in my lab! Such an incredible blessing. We have become each others study buddies, and I have seen improvements in my grades (probably because I get so competitive, but passively of course!) I am also taking a theater class, which has been so much fun! I have met lots of awesome people in that class as well. So I am generally really enjoying school right now, which is huge for me, and very encouraging!

Church: When I got home from school in June, I soon got a job where I had to work every Sunday morning. This became my favorie excuse not to go to church. Over the last six months I became very lazy with my faith. I was not in His word, I was not praying. I was very spiritually dry and was waiting on Him to entice me. I wanted the, desire, to come back to him. But after talking to some people whom I trust, and in all their wisdom, they guided me back to the word. I have a new desire to serve and to read, to be prayerful and head His wisdom. I am currently attending Solid Rock church. I have signed up to be a greater, serve coffee or do whatever is needed. I am excited to get into a Home Group during the week and really get connected to this church and pour my heart into it!

Family: I have loved being back in Portland for the fact that I get to be with my family. (some members a little more than I would like :), just kidding mom and dad I love you!) I am pretty busy with work and school, but I love being with them whenever I can. The only thing that is missing is my dear Lolo. I love to skype and catch up on her life whenever I can. I am also currently planning trip to visit her in June after school gets out. Do a little sight seeing as well!

Friends: It has been a huge ajustment, coming from SPU, where I was surrounded by people all the time, to living with my parents,driving a half hour to school, and eating alone. But God has provieded some truely great people in my life. He has reintroduced me to old friends and made the relationships that I have here in Portland even stronger. I still stay in touch with friends from Seattle and much as can be, which is hard given all of our crazy schedules. But I am feeling blessed more and more each day.

ME: Hmm not alot. Im a brunette, it was a sort of impulsive "I dont have any money, what the hell, lets buy a box of hair dye." Oh and I also have bangs, which was also a bit impulsive and rash, but Kiki is now in Hair school so I am excited for all the new rash and impulsive hairdo's to come!

It's Almost Over

I have been at SPU a year and it has flown! Now I find myself studying frantically and packing all my belongings into UHAUL boxes. The feeling is a bit indescribable. I am so excited to be moving home, but it is so hard leaving Seattle. I have loved this year so much, and the people that I have met AH, amazing! I have been so blessed up here. My floor had a bonfire the other night to celebrate, then the night continued with a little mermaiding (skinny dipping.) That was a story in itself let me tell you. So I was set on not going. I was sure it was going to be freezing, and I did not want to swim in salt water, very uncomfortable. However once the girls told me we were going to a fresh water lake and it was going to be warm I really had no more excuses, "well alright lets go skinny dipping." I was one of the drivers so on the way there we blasted a little Lady Gaga, some Black Eyed Peas and Flo Rida. When we got there, there was about twenty or so of us, we all jumped out and headed to the water. I was walking next to my friends Heather, Shelly and Chelsea, all of us nervous and kiddy. Once we got to the water we all sort of stood there not know what to do, then our PA started declothing so that was that, we all started taking off our articles of clothing. Once we walked into the water up to our stomachs we all held hands and sumerged ourselves. However when I took hands with the girls on either side of me I realized that these werent my friends, I wasnt really even sure who they were, but one thing I did know, we were naked, holding hands in a lake...awesome. When we started to get out I put on my pants, the only problem was, they werent my pants. As I analyzed them I heard a small chirp from Vanessa as she covered herself "where are my pants?" Woops, here you go! Once I got MY clothes on I joking said "Lets go girls and skipped away, well obviously I did not see the curb and biffed it hard onto my face. Literally laying completely horizontal on the ground. Awesome I hear a chorus of half clothed girls laughing behind me, the only thing drowning them out was the sound of my own laughter. Needless to say it was a blast of a night. I am going to miss this place so so much!

Gorgeous Day with Family

Oh there is nothing quite like the beautiful outdoors of Oregon. I decided that early on Friday morning I would get up at 5:30 and drive down to Portland to hike Multnomah Falls with my family. So I met Tiff and Tony and the boys at about 9, and we drove to the falls, me sitting, no squeezing in between the two boys' carseats. When we got there it was beautiful outside, the perfect day. At first Curtis proceeded on foot, but after realizing that the kid doesn't get out of the house a whole lot and the overwhelming outdoors was giving him severe ADD we put him in the backpack. Tony took Curt, Tiff took Henry and I took the backpack, and we set out. Oh man as Tony was pushing ahead, Tiffany and I were panting in the rear, holy crap that is an incline, I am so freakin out of shape. But when we did get to the top, it was beautiful. I feel so blessed to be an Oregonian, and apart of God's creation. What a master artist!

So I switched it against better advice

I decided that I am extremely impatient (in some things) and probably completely naive and stubborn. I have really wanted to switch my nose piercing to a small hoop. I was going to get it done initially but I chickened out and have been regreting it ever since. So I resolved to do it myself. I went into a shop in University Avenue at UW to buy the smallest hoop they had. The guy asked how long I had it, I thought for a moment as I reached my finger up to touch the diamond stud, "Uh about 6 days?" As I said that he gave me a disgusted look and handed me a sanitizing wipe, "stop touching that and here, clean your hands." Awesome, he then advised me to wait at least 6 weeks at the very minimum. Yah ok I said, yah right I was thinking. For the next couple weeks I tried repeatedly to try and remove the stud, impossible, it was still sensitive and the stupid thing wouldnt come out. Everytime I tried all my friends would leave the room, "you idiot," they would say, they were right. Until one day i was determined. I went and got my friend Brie, she has her's pierced and knows a lot about them. She stuck with me and manuvered the ring out, it only took about 15 minutes to get it out, no big deal. then I had to get my hoop in, well the good news is that after about 10 minutes I got it in, the bad news was that I couldn't get my ball in the hole so I had to go back to the piercing place and have them put it in for me. The guy was furious and showed no mercy on my nose, which I guess I deserved. However now the moral of the story is, well there really isnt a moral, but I have a hoop and I love it, and its swollen and red, but I love it!

My New Addition

So I have been wanting a tatoo for a long time but of course the parental units are not totally keen on the whole ink for life idea. So I settled on a new piercing...my nose! I really wanted to get a hoop, I thought it was super cute and trendy, a bit edgy. I told my sisters and it turned out that Lo wanted to get hers done too. So for both of our birthdays Nicole and Tiffany bought our piercings for us. We got to go together all four of us, Lo and I held hands while we were getting it done. When I tried on the ring though I sort of got freaked out, it was so big and new, but now I am totally regretting it. So I might soon upgrade to a nose hoop.It was so fun! So now three of us have matching hair dos and three of us nose rings. I just love my sisters so much and miss when we cant all be together!

My New Hobby

So this last Christmas break I discovered making headbands, it started with me making them for friends Christmas presents, and when I wore one into the store and someone asked me where I got it, I said that I made it, she was like o wow you should totally sell them. HMM I thought, thats not a bad idea. I looked all around my house for old scraps of cloth, ribbon and buttons. Then I ventured down to the good old dollar store and cleaned them out of tacky kids headbands. I ripped away all the jewels and sparkles and started to create. I have continued to create here at school, I have multiple offers on them, and some that requested special ones. I am thinking that I will try and sell them to raise money to go to Africa next summer. Not sure where to sell them or in what capacity. If you know of anyone with little shops or bizarres please let me know! Thanks. Oh and please make any comments or suggestions, I love new ideas!!

There is no place like HOME

I realize it has been quite a while since I have updated. Well I guess I should get right to the point. I will be moving home this coming fall. I have decided that in the interest of saving money, it would be wise for me to finish my prerequisites at a community college before transferring into a nursing school. This decision is one that is daunting, scary, exciting, welcoming and saddening. I have had an amazing journey up here in Seattle. I love the mission of this school, how everyone is so people and service minded. I have met so many amazing friends that I am disheartened to leave here. I am excited to know though that the majority of these people live in and around Portland, and that Seattle is only three hours away. I will miss being around Seattle, this city is big and exciting and there is something to be said about being independent in a big city, but I guess I'm just hopping from one big city to the next. I am excited for a new adventure, living on my own (hopefully), and meeting new friends. Oh and being close to my family. I have always thought of myself as such an independent spirit and while I think that this is still in part true, I really like my family, there pretty cool. I love getting to spend time with them and loving on them. As far as cities go I have loved Seattle, but I love Portland so much more! My friend Chelsea from California was just commenting the other day, "It's so weird to hear people talk about Oregon that are from Oregon, they really love their state, they're so passionate about it, sort of in a weird obsessive way, I wish I was that excited about my state." Its so true I love Oregon!

So now I find myself waiting in anticipation for this new chapter, I just have to remember that this chapter is not yet over, and I am excited for that! I am excited to continue exploring and putting my heart into Seattle.