I like to know the plan. My dad must have told me, "Stick around and find out," hundreds of times when I was little. Even if it's going to change, I like to know what the plan is so I know what to expect (in fact, I've been known to plan to be spontaneous in certain instances just so there is an official plan in my head).
I often wish God would tell me what the plan is. I know that in reality, knowing what He's got planned would overwhelm me, and I'd probably try to do things my way so they wouldn't work out the way He wants them to. But I still like to know what the plan is.
I was recently reminded (yet again) that there's a lot I don't have control over. What I can control is my attitude and actions. The Bible doesn't specifically say, "Emily, this is what you should do in December 2011 or January 2012," but it does provide three actionable items that are what God wants for all of us:
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I guess that gives me three things to focus on until I find out more of the plan...
Last night I had an awesome dream. Well, maybe I should back up a bit to provide a little bit of context.
The San Francisco Giants are coming to Seattle in June!!! I am beyond excited. Considering the last Giants game I went to was the day Matt proposed, it's been way too long since I've seen them play in person. Don't get me wrong, I watch them on TV every time they're on (which sadly isn't often when you don't live in the San Francisco media market), watch games online and follow the team on Twitter/Facebook (in addition to a couple of beat writers)...but it's not the same as being in the park, rooting for your team as they play.
I've also been to several Mariner's games since we moved up here, but it's not the same. I mean, I'll root for the Mariner's and I like them and all, but they aren't my team. I'm not emotionally invested in their wins and losses. Even if their games are close, it's nowhere near Giants torture.
So, the Giants are coming to Seattle for three days in June. I really want to go to all three games; I WILL be there for at least two of them. I'm already counting down the days with a paper chain I made a couple of weeks ago (below). Current total? 185 days!
Anyway, back to my dream. Last night, I dreamt that one of Matt's customers worked at the airport, in the section where athletes flew in and out, so he got us in to meet the Giants! We got front row seats for the game, too! It was pretty awesome. Sadly I woke up and realized it wasn't true, but it was still a really fun dream. Who knows, maybe sometime in the next 185 days one of us will meet someone that would make it happen?
If you haven't seen The Muppets yet, go see it. There were a lot of funny moments, many of which got me laughing out loud (literally) the second time we went to see it. Ever since we saw it the first time, I've had the songs running through my head. I don't want to give anything away though...so just go see it.
I will say there was a part at the beginning that made me think of our Halloween costumes this year (especially Matt's):
Okay, I'm no expert when it comes to Bed & Breakfasts, but I know enough to know the one we stayed at this past weekend, owned by Olaf and Charlotte, was way above average.
The Red Caboose Getaway in Sequim is fantastic! You get to choose from several luxurious cabooses to stay in overnight. We opted for the Grape Escape:
In addition to the fabulous theming (with great attention to detail), the breakfasts in the mornings were delicious! Served in a dining car, Charlotte created four-course gourmet meals despite my wide array of food allergies. My favorites included:
Orange Pull-Apart Mini Loaf
Strawberry Dutch Baby
I also really liked that they offered a lot of suggestions for things to do in the area and places to try for lunch and dinner, but also gave you a lot of space to do your own thing. If you ever make it up to Sequim, you should definitely give the Red Caboose Getaway a try.
If you're friends with me on Google+ or Facebook, you may remember I accidentally stayed up really late a few nights ago reading an entire book. Which one, you may ask? Heaven is for Real. My mom recommended it a while ago, and I finally had the chance to check it out from the library. Originally I was just going to read a few chapters, but I ended up finishing it before I put it down. It's a quick and easy read; it's also one I've been thinking about for days.
I hate spoilers, so as usual I'm not going to give anything away. Heaven is for Real is the story of a Pastor's son (Colton) that almost dies at the age of three. A few months later, after turning four, his parents start to piece together what he really experienced: heaven.
When Colton makes a few offhand comments about God that most 4 year olds wouldn't grasp, his parents attribute it to amazing Sunday School teachers. But when he starts going into detail about God, heaven and his family's time at the hospital - including what his parents were doing while he was in surgery - they realize it's more than anything he was learning at church. They begin asking him open-ended questions about his experience, trying to find out more about it while not confining his answers to their preconceived answers.
There are a lot of things I liked about this book. One thing I really like is that it doesn't try to be more than it is; it's a father sharing his experience of a terrifying experience with his son, and his struggle to really understand what happened and allow his son to teach him about God and heaven.
I previously shared that we're going through the 40 Days of Purpose at my church, and one of the concepts Rick Warren shares is that we were made for eternity. We want to live forever, and we will; just not on this side of death. With that in mind, it's not surprising that a story about heaven is riveting enough to keep me enthralled into the wee hours of the morning.
Another important element is that everything Colton says fits with what's described in the Bible. Plus, with everything described through the eyes of a four-year-old, ideas that are revealed but hard to grasp even seem more simple.
Heaven is for Real tells Colton's story better than I can, so I'm not going to go into specific details. Instead, I'll just recommend that you find a copy of it online, in a local bookstore or at the library.
I have a new favorite book trilogy: The Hunger Games. Okay, to be fair, this doesn't replace my other books as favorites, it's merely added to the list of those I re-read from time to time. But back to The Hunger Games...
These books are popular right now, and for good reason. Although they aren't a challenging read, they're a fun one. Without giving too much away, the trilogy is about a suppressed society that the government controls through taking advantage of its citizens and their need for food. The books follow the story of Katniss, a 16 year-old girl that's grown up in a coal mining district.
A few things I like about the story, without spoilers:
It's told through Katniss' eyes, which helps you see her growth and development over the course of the story. You can also see the character development of her friends and family through her eyes, too. Character development is always a key part of a good story.
It takes place in the future in the United States (although it's not the U.S. anymore). No, we don't know what the future will bring, but there are elements of the society described that seem fairly realistic.
It's a quick read. I've already read it twice; the first time I read all 3 books in 6 days (it would have been much faster if I didn't need to work, sleep, eat...).
I'm also excited to see the movie, although I'm sure the books will be better. The official site seems like it has a lot of fun stuff to help prepare for it, including a separate site mimicking The Capitol where you can get your District Identification Pass. Here's mine:
And here's the teaser trailer:
Anyone else into the Hunger Games? Did you get your District Identification Pass yet? What's your assigned occupation?
Okay, here's a confession: I've kind of always wanted glasses. I mean, I'm sure I probably would've hated them as a child, but I like all the different types of cute frames, and it seems like everyone else had them (I tend to be a bit of a sheep sometimes). I even remember this one time I was at the glasses store with a friend of mine in elementary school, and I got so excited when her mom told me I could try on the frames.
Well, I went to the optometrist a little while ago because I noticed it was kind of hard to read things in the distance (street signs, posted menus, etc), and he said I needed glasses. So last week Matt went with me to pick out my first pair, and they came in a few days ago! I really like the two-tone design. What do you think?
It's amazing how much of a difference they make. My vision isn't terrible; I can still legally drive without glasses, but when I put them on it's like the whole world is in HD. I've always liked how pretty everything looks this time of year with the leaves changing color, the constant drizzle and the way certain colors just pop. It's even better, now! Now that everything is crystal clear it's like the colors are even more vibrant and alive. I wonder if there's some scientific reason for that...anyone know?
My church is doing the 40 Days of Purpose right now. I have to say I was intrigued by it when they did it at the church I grew up at back when it was really popular, but I was in college at the time and when they actually started going through it I happened to be studying abroad in Norway. I did get really excited when I saw a 40 Days of Purpose poster outside a church in Hamar, though!
So I was excited to hear my church was going to do the series. I also thought this might serve as a good time to reign in my sweet tooth, so while we go through the series I'm not eating any desserts. I figured 40 days is a good amount of time to let my body get used to less sugar, and this is an easy way to keep track of how long 40 days is. I have to say, a week in and it's really tough! I know the first week is the hardest and then I'll get used to it, but it seems like all I want is chocolate, cake, chocolate cake, cookies...I think I already would've broken down if it wasn't for Matt holding me to it.
Despite the not eating desserts, I've been enjoying the series so far. We're even hosting a mid-week small group for it, which is exciting as well. I really enjoyed our first meeting this week. It was fun to hang out with a couple of friends we've known for a little while and get to know a couple of new friends, too. Plus, in addition to our small group, we're going through the study with the youth - so Matt and I are going to know the material well!
Anyway, I'm excited to see where the rest of the 40 days go. On that note, I'm going to go eat a pear.
It seems to be time to blog again. It's been a while. Almost a month. I really have been intending to update more, and even have a bunch of ideas for blog posts, I just haven't felt like taking the time to write recently. Well tonight that changes.
Compelling intro, huh?
Anyway, I think the focus of this blog post will be...(drumroll please):
Being a Real Adult!
Okay, I still don't feel like an adult, but my older and wiser father told me a few years ago that he doesn't feel like an adult either, so I've gotten used to the idea of faking it. So why am I a real adult now? We have Costco cards! At least, that's Matt's definition :)
Anyway, I think I also sound more like a "real" adult because of the nature of our day-to-day activities:
Matt's heading up the high school & middle school groups at church.
I'm the Communications Director for an alumni organization.
We're hosting/leading a weekly small group.
We get a bi-weekly box of produce from a local farm.
We've actually been keeping our apartment decently clean.
I had the opportunity to help my company hire someone new. I created an ad, conducted initial interviews and made recommendations to my boss. It was pretty cool to have such a big role in the process, and my boss and I have both been really happy with the person we hired.
That being said, we try to remember to keep having fun and acting the age we feel. Check out this Bed & Breakfast we just booked for our anniversary: The Red Caboose Getaway B&B!
Have you seen Captain America yet? If not, I would encourage it. To be honest, when I originally saw the preview I wasn't exactly convinced I wanted to pay to see it in theaters, but my wonderful husband convinced me to go, and I really liked it! Here are just some of the elements I appreciated:
The overall retro feel to the movie.
Humor is interjected throughout the story.
Two of the characters speak Norwegian for a brief moment in one scene.
It's a fun story.
The action scenes were fun.
It reminded me of Iron Man in terms of the fun story and overall feel.
I'm not sure how much longer Captain America will be in theaters, but if you have a chance, you should go see it. It's worth staying through the credits, too. There's a fun bit at the end.
I just realized I've posted more posts this year than last year...and it's not even September yet! Just a quick update on my life and random thoughts recently:
We've started on going for evening walks. I don't know why, but this makes me feel like a grownup. Maybe because it seemed like there were always adults going for walks around dinner time in my neighborhood growing up?
Last weekend our church had a baptism service at Black Lake. The weather was actually warm enough to play in the lake afterwards, too. Here are a few pictures I took:
We saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes earlier this week. It was pretty good. By the end I was emotionally attached to the main ape (Caesar) and the main character.
The other day I tried an ice cream substitute made out of coconut milk. It was really good! I'm excited to try their other flavors
This weekend looks like it will be a good one! Here are a few things I'm looking forward to (in no particular order)
Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'! - Audrey Hepburn
One of my friends posted that quote on Facebook a couple of hours ago. It reminded me that during the day-to-day journey of becoming prepared for your future, at present it often feels like there's just no way. To a teenager it can seem impossible to finish high school and become a self-supporting adult. To a young adult it can seem impossible to provide for children through college and still have resources left for retirement. Along the way "impossible" transforms into, "I'm possible!"...but it is usually hard to see.
I can't see myself without You With You I get strength to do things I've never ever dreamt in a million years I'm unstoppable 'cause You're here with me Unbelievable how I can believe how powerful You've caused me to be, yeah
See only You got me flying with eagles, walking on water With You I can do the impossible Jump over mountains with one single bound I've found out I can do the impossible Do the impossible
No other soul could have saved me I feel You in every heartbeat You're incredible, invincible - so easy to see You've strengthened me I'm out of this world, oh yeah, now that I'm with You I'm unbreakable, there ain't no way I can lose
See only You got me flying with eagles, walking on water With You I can do the impossible Jump over mountains with one single bound I've found out I can do the impossible Do the impossible
'Cause heaven is at the end of this road Me and You, now I know I'm not alone You're pierced in my heart, You're not just in my head This is what makes You the best
See only You got me flying with eagles, walking on water With You I can do the impossible Jump over mountains with one single bound I've found out I can do the impossible Do the impossible
No other soul could have saved me I feel You in every heartbeat
It's that time of night again. That time when I want to stay awake, but I really know I should go to sleep. The result of which is usually me writing about random things.
We went to the Tacoma Rainiers game with the youth group tonight. It was a lot of fun! I totally forgot to take pictures, though...and my camera was sitting in my purse. Maybe next time? Regardless, we still had a great time hanging out, watching the game and seeing fireworks at the end.
I've started re-reading the Circle series by Ted Dekker. It's a fantastic trilogy. Well, technically there's a 4th book too, but I never got around to finishing that one. I just couldn't get into it...anyway, the original trilogy is so good! I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say that it's worth your time to read. If you want to know more, read the description on Amazon (I don't think it gives away any spoilers).
I've been rewatching Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix recently, too. That's also been fun. I remember so much from childhood, but understand so much more now. It adds another level of depth to the characters I met as a young lass. Plus it takes me back to when a roommate from college and I watched them (although I don't think we made it through all 7 seasons).
I'm going to cut myself off from writing random thoughts and updates. It's time for bed. I have plans to be productive tomorrow and I want to see them come to fruition!
Matt and I spent most of this past weekend up in Seattle for my friend's wedding. In case you were wondering, I had a lot of fun. In addition to getting to celebrate one of my best friends marrying a really great guy, I got to see friends from college I haven't seen for a while.
I loved pretty much everything about my friend's wedding. She was an absolutely beautiful bride. The ceremony was a combination of a traditional Lutheran service and personal touches (mostly through music); the pastor's homily included a few personal touches as well.
The reception was at a nearby Sons of Norway hall, which is pretty much awesome in itself. In addition to that, they had Kransekake, a traditional Norwegian cake, plus strawberry shortcake. Before dessert, though, we were given the chance to eat our fill of delicious appetizers, pizza, a pasta dish and chicken.
All three toasts were great. I especially liked how her sisters tag-teamed it, and how a friend from college used pictures to make her toast even better.
Another fun part of the reception was a photo booth they had set up, complete with ridiculous costumes for guests to wear. What a fun idea! One of my favorite accouterments was the bicycle helmet we spray-painted gold back in college when we dressed up for the midnight premiere of Star Wars Episode III.
And then there was the dancing. This wedding would not have been complete without a fair share of dancing, and it did not disappoint. In addition to the standard couples dances and the mixture of crowd favorites and slow songs, there were a few songs that required specific dance moves; I love how everyone joined in. On those specific songs, the entire dance floor was mirroring each other: scooping up salmon, jumping in the line, etc.
I'm debating internally right now. Stay up later and bake a few cookies (we have cookie dough in the freezer) or be responsible and go to bed right now. I'm leaning more towards going to bed, but that might change in the next few minutes.
Lately I've been entertaining myself by playing Carmen Sandiego on Facebook. I've noticed my geography has really been getting better and it's a basic activity that doesn't require too much brain power. A fun feature of the Facebook version is they import your friends list so you actually get to catch people you know. Earlier this evening I caught a couple of friends from California.
So at the moment I'm playing on the computer, watching a movie and debating in my head. Cookies or sleep? I think I'll make the responsible choice and go to sleep...
Israel! Okay, I know I haven't done one of these posts in a while (looking back, the last one was in October 2009 - wow). Anyway, I would love to visit Israel for a couple of reasons:
It just so happens one of my best friends from high school lives there. Just from her talking about what life is like for her, I think it would be really eye-opening to visit an area so different from the communities I've personally experienced.
I think it would be a great way to put various Bible stories into perspective. I'm more of a kinetic learner, followed by visual, so physically seeing and experiencing the region would go a long way for me.
Matt and I actually talked about visiting Israel on our honeymoon, although it didn't work out. Maybe someday we'll have an opportunity to check it out, though.
Have you ever been to Israel? What are the must-see or must-do locations & activities you experienced?
I had a hankering to redesign my blog tonight. I think, despite how nice this summer has been, I'm ready for fall (hence the leaves on the sides).
I guess I like every time of year for different reasons, but these are the ones that come to mind as to why I like fall, in no particular order:
Everyone else stops complaining about the cooler weather and rain because it's "expected."
My birthday!
The colors of the leaves changing colors.
TV shows start up again.
Our anniversary!
It means Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming.
Football season (although this has potential to be bad depending on how well my teams play - Go Browns! And go Cal Bears!).
Baseball playoffs (also dependent on how my team is doing - Go Giants!).
The air feels crisp and cool.
It tends to rain more often.
I think I also like fall because it's the time I associate with new beginnings, probably due to when school starts each year. Even though I don't get summer break anymore, I tend to make my goals in the fall instead of January 1 like everyone else.
Do you look forward to fall, too, or am I alone in this??
So last week Matt and I finally explored our apartment complex a bit (after living here for a year and a half) and discovered a hidden gate behind a dumpster! Of course, I got a little over-excited about this and decided we needed to come back the next night when I had my camera. Here it is:
So of course, once we went through the gate and continued on our walk, I had to snap a few more pictures (I did have my camera with me). Here are a couple of my favorites:
Then, for church on Sunday, we met at Burfoot Park. What a fun park! In addition to the typical playground and open grass they have woods and a beach. Okay, so the beach isn't a real beach (not one with sand that you can go surfing on), but it's still a great view.
While we were there I snapped a few pictures of a few friends including my friend's daughter. Here are a few favorites:
I just spent about a half hour reading through old posts. It was fun! I started this blog a little less than 2 years ago. Reading through the posts from the beginning to now was like briefly visiting the last couple of years. It's fun to reminisce and get nostalgic, even if it's a shorter period of time.
I'm super excited because next weekend will probably take me back a few years, too. One of my best friends from college is getting married!! I'm so excited and can't wait.
As much as I miss my high school and college friends being around, I really love where I am now. The last year and a half has brought some new friends that have started to become close friends and have become such a blessing.
I know it's easy to wonder what life will be like 20 years from now, but I wonder what it'll be like 2 years from now. Just seeing how far we've come in the past few years has really made me realize that, although the changes along the way are small, it's possible to see growth in even just a couple of years.
Apparently I haven't grown out of avoiding bedtime and late-night blogging, though...maybe in a few more years??
I can finally see, that you're right there beside me I am not my own, for I have been made new Please don't let me go, I desperately need you
Despite being short, I think Meteor Shower is one of my favorite Owl City songs. It's amazing how just 30 words get me to stop, slow down and realize how much God has done in my life...and how much I need Him.
I've been listening to Owl City's newest album, All Things Bright & Beautiful, on Spotify recently. So far my favorite song is Angels, although there are definitely some other fun tracks, too. I'm excited to continue to become more familiar with them. I still really like the Ocean Eyes album also. My favorite songs? (Well, besides Meteor Shower) Vanilla Twilight and Fireflies.
I have a few hours with absolutelynothing to do for the first time in a while...and it is great! I've been enjoying the Giants game on Sunday Night Baseball while surfing online, reading a book and drinking a homemade smoothie. I figured I could take a break from reading to update my blog :)
Fireworks on the 4th were super fun - I even set one off! I think I still enjoy watching more than creating the show, but it was a good experience. I was able to snag a few photos, too. Here are my favorites:
The next fun event of note was Thursday night, when my small group spontaneously decided to go to a Tacoma Rainiers game together (too bad we missed the Grizzlies by one week). Sadly one of our friends is moving to Minnesota, and she mentioned she hadn't been to a Rainiers game yet and she wanted to go, so a couple of women stepped up and pulled it together overnight to make it happen. Here are a couple of pictures:
Then, the next night, our church softball team had a game - and we won! After 2 forfeits and 2 losses, it was really fun to actually win one. Here are a couple of pictures my friend Sarah took:
This week also included a trip to the mall where I actually found several items I liked (I'm really picky). I kept forgetting there was an Old Navy in Olympia; now that it moved to the mall I'm much more likely to stop by. The sad news from my trip to the mall: I found out bothAuntie Anne's and Wetzel's Pretzels are gone! Of course, upon this discovery, I started craving an almond flavored pretzel. I might have to venture up to Tacoma sometime soon...
Happy 4th of July! What do you have planned for the day?
Matt & I will be heading up to a friend's house to hang out with them for the afternoon / evening. Last year these friends introduced us Matt to the excitement of setting off fireworks, so I'm sure the evening will include a few explosions. At least it's legal and the friend we're visiting has 3 acres of land :)
Matt setting off fireworks with our friends last year
Last night, Matt started teaching me how to do the scorebook during a baseball/softball game. I mention that because baseball is American. Anyway, my dad used to keep score when we'd go to games so I've understood the basics before, but never actually filled out a book myself. Granted this will probably mean I get to keep score during our church softball games...but it's a useful skill, right?
Regardless of what you do, I hope your 4th of July is a great one! Want to know more about America and Independence Day? Check out this fun infographic.
For those of you that don't know, Google+ is slowly rolling out. What is it, you ask? The basic definition is "Facebook, but with a few key differences." Check out their demo to get a better feel for what it is and how it's different.
So what do I think? I really like it so far! Granted, I've only been using it for a couple of hours and I only have 10 contacts, but there are a couple of elements I really like so far:
Circles. I like to organize things. I like it when everything fits into little boxes. Unfortunately, relationships just aren't like that. A relative can also be a friend from church; a neighbor can also be a friend from college. I've tried to organize my friends on Facebook from time to time, but it just gets confusing…and I don't really see much of a point beyond me liking to be organized. Google+ organizes your contacts through circles, and when you post something you can select which circle(s) you want to see it. So my friends from rowing can see crew posts and my friends from the area can see local area posts…or everyone can see them all. Circles give you the ability to decide who sees what in a very easy way in addition to being extremely easy to set up, edit, etc. The organizer in me likes it!
Sparks. You can basically save search terms for things you're interested in, read them in the browser and post them to your profile really easily. Kind of a cool way to keep up with random things you care about.
I'm excited to keep using Google+ over the next few weeks so I can understand how to use it even better!
July 4 update:
A few more things I love about Google+
The ability to format your posts. You can use bold, italics and strike throughs.
The ability to edit both posts and comments whenever. There isn't a time limit, you just select "edit" from the drop down menu.
The ability to mute a post. You know how sometimes you comment on a post, and then a bunch of people you don't know have a whole conversation? Google+ lets you mute the post so you aren't notified for every. single. comment.
This month has been busy. Really, really fun, but busy.
Weekend 1
It started out with the regular busyness: working 40-50 hours/week, rowing, church, small group...add a Sunday School teacher meeting, Matt coaching youth baseball, and me anticipating the busy month ahead and trying to work ahead a little bit...and it was busy.
Weekend 2
I knew I was taking a half day on Friday the week leading up to this weekend, so I tried to work ahead a little bit this week as well. Of course, I still managed to work about 50 hours in addition to attending our weekly small group, having dinner with a family new to the church (a fun couple with two really great kids) and trying to make it to crew practice.
So why was I taking off early on Friday? Well, one of my best friends is getting married in August, and her Bachelorette Party was this weekend...PLUS another best friend was flying up from California to attend! I got off early on Friday so I could pick up her up from the airport, get a few last minute things for the party, eat dinner with another local friend, and make cookies for everyone (also for the party). Of course, the actual party was a LOT of fun, too. I love the bride (she was a roommate for 3 years in college), and I like her friends - those from college that I'm friends with, and those from high school that I've only seen a few times. We had a lot of fun hanging out in Seattle - from dinner and a show to karaoke. Plus we all stayed in a hotel together and got brunch the next morning. All in all, a really fun weekend!
Everyone at the Bachelorette Party
Weekend 3
I knew I was taking half days on the Thursday and Friday during the week leading up to weekend 3 (more about that later), but this also happened to be the week Common Ground was in town! Last year was the first time in 15 years I didn't get to see their show, so I had to make it to one of their Washington concerts. Plus my brother is one of the sponsors - I wanted to see him, too! The night we ended up going, they were staying in host homes anyway, so Matt and I took my bro home with us so we could actually get to see him for a while. We went for pie at Shari's on the way home, and then hung out for a little while before hitting the hay. The next day Common Ground was coming back south through Shelton, so we decided we'd rather drop him off their instead of driving all the way back up to Auburn, so I took a few hours off to grab lunch at Daddy O's before heading out to Shelton. I had SO much fun seeing my brother, and I'm SO glad it worked out for him to stay with us :D
NOTE: I totally spaced and forgot to take a picture with my brother while he was here...so the above is a video he created (along with a few other talented individuals) for the show!
Of course, all of the above meant I still had a lot of work to do before taking off early on Thursday afternoon. Matt's parents happened to win a week a timeshare of their choosing at an auction through their church, so they picked one near Long Beach as it was about equal distance from us and from Matt's sister in Portland. So on Thursday, we packed up all our stuff and headed out to Long Beach to hang out with the in-laws. Of course, I still put in a few hours of work in on Friday (yay for Internet access everywhere and a boss that's really understanding!), but it was still a really fun and relaxing trip!
Matt and our nephew at the beach
On Friday we wandered around Long Beach, played cards and enjoyed [some of] the Ole & Lena jokes Matt's dad was reading from his new Ole & Lena joke books. On Saturday, Matt's sister came up with our adorable 3-year-old nephew! Over the next couple of days, we went to the beach, went swimming in the hotel's pool, and just hung around enjoying each other's company. One activity I really liked was seeing the pictures Matt's parents took on their recent cruise to Alaska. It was fun seeing what it was like - from life on the ship to their excursions of whale watching, flying over glaciers, dog sledding, zip lining and kayaking - and really inspired us to want to go on a cruise (we'll see if that happens within the next few, or 20, years).
Our nephew playing with bubbles
Weekend 4
The week leading up to weekend 4 was actually a bit quieter. I actually had 5 full days to work, and was even able to get a little housework done, too! Yay for clean dishes and clean clothes that are actually put away :) Of course, I've had a lot of work to get done this past week, too...and I also got to go to dinner with a friend from college that was in town visiting her sister.
One perk from this weekend is I actually got to sleep in on Saturday. I usually get up at 6am to row (yes, I'm a crazy crew kid that rows instead of sleeping in every weekend), but practice was cancelled this morning since half the team was already at the regional regatta down in Vancouver (more on this in a minute).
Anyway...after sleeping in on Saturday I got to go to lunch with a couple of good friends from college, which was super fun. I always love seeing good friends! After that they took me over to Shari's and a teammate picked me up so we could head down to Vancouver for the Masters Regionals regatta at Vancouver Lake.
Talk about a big regatta. I don't remember the numbers, but over the course of the weekend there was something like over 1000 races...? There were a lot of crews there from all over the region - even one as far as Los Gatos, CA. Our team's guys were already down there since their race was on Saturday; all of our women's races were Sunday. Saturday night was fun. I always enjoy hanging out with the team, and steak fajitas/tomalito from Chevy's never hurts, either (guess where we ate dinner). Anyway, I was in two races on Sunday, and I felt like both went well. We didn't make it into the final for either race, but I felt like we had a strong showing and we hung with the rest of the pack. We were only a few seconds away from making it into the finals, too, so that's encouraging. Now we have even more motivation to train for next year!
Vancouver Lake
So after we were done racing Sunday afternoon, we packed up the boats, stopped for lunch, drove back up to Tacoma, unloaded the trailer, and got home around 5:45. Just in time to start getting ready for the youth BBQ. As it was our last meeting of the school year and the first week for new 6th graders to come, we fired up the grills at our apartment complex, ate hamburgers and hot dogs, and played on the basketball and tennis courts. It was really fun, despite being worn out from the regatta (leaving the hotel at 5:30am, hanging around in the sun, 2 races plus moving boats around really takes a lot out of you). Again, I always enjoy hanging out with people.
The Rest of June
So it looks like the last few days of June will be a little bit less crazy...last night we went to dinner and Super 8 with a friend, and tonight I finally had a chance to sit down and play online for a while plus talk to a good friend from California for a couple of hours on the phone. I'm looking forward to getting back to our regular amount of busyness as opposed to being just insanely, crazily busy.
A few other random items of note:
The Giants have been doing well, despite all the injuries. That makes me happy (the doing well part, not the injuries part).
We downgraded back to dumb phones (as opposed to smart phones...), and the transition has been amazingly smooth. I miss browsing Facebook from my phone sometimes, but actually prefer calling and texting from a regular phone...and ultimately that's the point, right?
My mom is awesome and sent me a couple of really cool items in the mail...don't want to give away the surprise for when I pull them out, but if I'm ever invited to another white elephant / ugly sweater party I'll be prepared.
If you're looking for a good movie, go see Super 8. Great story, good characters...I won't reveal any spoilers, but I will say that I felt invested right away. I love how they told the story and used dialogue to explain important events the viewers don't see; the characters filled the audience in without needing to stop and say: this is what happened.
I'd make time to see it in theaters, too. With the effects, etc, the giant screen and surround sound makes it that much better. We even splurged to see it on in an IMAX theater and it was totally worth it. There's a fun part to the credits, too, so don't leave right away.
During the month of May we went to two movies in the theater: Thor and Pirates 4. Sadly, I found both to be a bit disappointing. Maybe I've just become pickier about movies, but I thought both movies had a lot more potential. I'll try not to reveal any spoilers (at least any that aren't obvious) in my reviews:
The good: This movie was visually very good. I thought all the effects looked really cool, and I liked the overall feel of the film. It was an adventure, but it could have been a LOT better.
The bad: I thought the characters were really weak. They could have shown a lot more character development for Thor. Not to give too much away, but it was like he just all of a sudden flipped a switch and did all his growing all at once and everyone could see he was different. I'd like to see that take more time, or see him go through something more emotionally challenging that takes more of the movie. I just didn't end up caring about him, or really any of the other main characters. To be honest, I thought the most interesting character was the gatekeeper. I would've liked to know more about him.
The good: Visually everything looked okay...but I can't really think of anything I liked.
The bad: To be honest, I was bored. Although I wasn't offended about anything, I actually considered leaving because I felt like I was wasting my time. As amazing as Captain Jack Sparrow was in the first Pirates movie, I'm done with him. I just don't think he's a deep enough character to carry more than one (let alone four!) movies. He doesn't (much) about people, and I don't see really any character development over the course of the films. If anything, I think the movie would have been better if they explored the relationship with his father as opposed to some woman he cares about that we've never seen before. And of course they left the door open for yet another sequel...
I keep telling myself I'm going to blog more, and then another month and a half goes by without writing a word...I don't feel especially verbose at the moment, but at the same time I feel like writing. Strange combination, I know, which I think will amount to a post of lists.
I've been feeling extremely blessed lately. Here are 5 of the many reasons I'm blessed:
I have a husband I adore that loves me despite my imperfections.
I'm surrounded by supportive friends that I get to see on a regular basis.
I like, respect and have a good relationship with my parents and my in-laws.
I have close friends I can go for months without talking to, yet pick up exactly where we left off once we do finally talk.
Despite there being a lot of things I want, I have more than I actually need.
Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to be born in a different time. I wonder how I would do being cooped up knitting all day, what it would be like living in a tribal culture, or what my opinions of current events would have been - without knowing the end result.
All of this also gets me thinking about how technology has changed so much more than adding the convenience of shopping from your living room or streaming movies through to your TV. As much as I enjoy Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Blogger, etc., I think it's easy to get distracted from real, face-to-face socialization. That being said, here is a list of what I like about my favorite types of social media:
Wow, there are numbers in each of those movies titles...weird.
To change topics again, I'm switching to animals. I recently realized I'm not an animal person. As much as I find pictures / videos adorable, I'm just not into taking care of them...maybe that's why I prefer wild animals? Here's a list of my top 5 wild animals:
It amazes me how the human body can heal. I mean, with all the crazy science and inventions, there's nothing that can repair itself the way a body can. I was reminded of that this past weekend when my lips got burned and then started to peel (gross, right?). And then I was reminded again this morning when I ripped some skin off my hand at practice to form a new blister in my palm (even grosser, right?). Can you imagine how terrible it would be if even minor things like blisters and chapped lips didn't heal?
So why did my lips get burned this past weekend? Because I was outside in the sun! Normally this isn't an exciting thing for me as I much prefer clouds and rain, but I do like calm weather when it comes to regattas. Our club had a good showing (at least the Masters team did). I was in two races in which we got 1st in one (women's 4+) and 2nd in the other (women's 8+), and our mixed 8+ got 3rd in their race (although I wasn't in that boat). It was a lot of fun!
So it looks like I failed on my 365 Project this year. It's been over a week since I took any pictures and, to be honest, I don't really care that much. I guess I just lost interest. I think it would be easier if I had a child to take pictures of (although that's not a good reason to have a baby). Maybe if we have kids someday I'll give it another try.
That being said, I did take a few pictures a few weeks ago during a walk that I wanted to share:
