You know the depths of my heart and You love me the same. You are amazing God!

John Mayer Said it better...

2008-03-31T06:43:00.000-07:00

I'm writing you to
catch you up on places I've been
And you have this letter
you probably got excited,
but there's nothing else inside it
didn't have a camera by my side this time
hoping I would see the world through both my eyes
maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm]
in the mood to lose my way with words
TODAY skies are painted colors of a cowboy cliche'
And its strange how clouds that look like mountains in the sky
are next to mountains anyway
Didn't have a camera by my side this time
Hoping I would see the world through both my eyes
Maybe I will tell you all about it when I'm
in the mood to lose my way
but let me say
You should have seen that sunrise with your own eyes
it brought me back to life
Today I finally overcame
tryin' to fit the world inside a picture frame

This song was a good description of my weekend :)...
Spring Break update and [hypocritical] pictures to follow

Hypothetically...

2008-03-29T04:19:00.000-07:00

Hell is supposed to be a place that is worse to experience than anything imaginable on earth for eternity. I may have experienced the closest thing to Hell on Earth this morning.

I got the first migraine I have had in about six months. Pretty good considering I used to get them all the time before working for the chiropractor. However, anyone that has ever experienced a migraine knows that you just want to throw up or crawl into a dark quiet hole all day... Here's the problem, I live next to an Italian freeway. A wall of my room literally overlooks the largest freeway in Florence. I can hear traffic (mopeds, motorcycles, honking, ambulances ever 10 minutes or so) at all hours of the day and night, so when I woke up with a migraine I felt like someone was taking all of that noise and channeling it through a drill bit that was pushing its way through my skull in between my eyes. I immediately ate some crackers and took some pain killers (which barely ever helps that much) and tried to stay in the quieter living room for awhile. Again, anyone that has experienced a migraine knows that light is not your friend in this situation... Nowhere in our house are there shutters or dark curtains besides the loud bedrooms. So I am sitting on the couch with a washcloth behind my neck and a blanket over my head. A much longer story short, I had a really sucky morning and finally just gave up and took some of my roommate allergy medicine to knock myself out. Six hours later, it's just a headache :) Thank Jesus!!

Brussels

2008-03-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

Brussels and me are fighting right now... It made me gain probably around 10lbs in a weekend. Hey, when in Rome right?! Can I just say, the food there is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Belgian Waffles, Belgian potato wedges (they invented the "French" Fry), Kebab places open 24 hours a day, Belgian Beer, Belgian Chocolate, Belgian Mussels... Oh yes, I tried ALL of these wonderful things in the span of 2 1/2 days. All of them wonderful.

I think my new traveling habit is to do all the major touristy thing the first day as soon as possible. I went to see the peeing boy, which I still don't know what he is actually called, St Michel's Cathedral, this comic book museum (don't laugh I found it on a "10best" website and it was kind of cool), then Grand Place and the historical museum there, and a historical instruments museum (random I know). I did ALL of this at a leisurely pace by 4pm on the first day. The second day we did a walking tour of the city, Belgium has some amazing tag art by the way, totally fun. Later at a more appropriate time we did another beer factory tour. (Someone take me running when I get home!!) After the girls did some shopping we were wiped so we made our way back to the hotel (by the way, NEVER stay in the Hotel De France in Brussels) and then headed back at 7am the next morning. Another wonderful weekend.

Prague

2008-03-19T13:32:00.001-07:00

For those of you who know how much I LOVE Russia... Prague had a ton of similarities; very Soviet Union drabby buildings, stern but really nice people, really amazing (and heavy) food. I had a BLAST. The first day (immediately following a 12 hour bus ride) I did all the touristy stuff. Went to Old Town Square, walked the Charles bridge, did a walking tour of the city, saw Prague Castle, and took a tour of the oldest Jewish synagogue in Europe. The girls went out that night but I opted out because I hadn't had much "real" sleep since Wednesday night.

The second day they had this adorable fair going on in Old Town Square that was the Czech's early Easter celebration. I had some AMAZING apple cider and a sweet Czech sausage/hot dog. YUUUMMY!! Then we did a little shopping and a boat tour. After that we went out to this beer factory. It was fun, they had taps on the table and there was an electronic scoreboard on the wall that tallied up how much each table had drank in liters. We didn't really get into it, but I had to try what the Czech's call the "god of beers," but one was plenty. Very fun experience, I highly recommend it to anyone in the Czech Republic.

The next morning I took a nice long sit in the hostel sauna then we headed back around noon. Absolutely amazing weekend!!

Wow...

2008-03-04T04:01:00.000-08:00

Doubting Thomas - Nickel Creek

What will be left when I've drawn my last breath,
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who know me,
Will I discover a soul saving love,
Or just the dirt above and below me,

I'm a doubting thomas,
I took a promise,
But I do not feel safe,
Oh me of little faith,

Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face,
Then I beg to be spared 'cause I'm a coward,
If there's a master of death I'll bet he's holding his breath,
As I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power,

I'm a doubting thomas,
I can't keep my promises,
'Cause i don't know what's safe,
Oh me of little faith

Can I be used to help others find truth,
When I'm scared I'll find proof that its a lie,
Can I be lead down a trail dropping bread crumbs,
That prove I'm not ready to die,

Please give me time to decipher the signs,
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted,
I'm a doubting thomas,
I'll take your promise,
Though I know nothin's safe,
Oh me of little faith

I currently am going through the Apocryphal and Gnostic Gospels in my world religions course, and it shook me up a bit. I have been doing background research since my teacher is rather bias in her practice of Gnosticism and have found plenty of the proof I need to knock sense into me. This strikes me as a bit pathetic though that one hour and a half discussion would have me looking elsewhere for answers. Been a Christian since I was 5, been pursuing it myself since I was 19. I guess that just goes to show I still have TONS more growing to do. Humbling past 2 days...

Pisa and Lucca

2008-03-01T23:46:00.001-08:00

This is the bapistry in Pisa... gorgeous!! Best acoustics of any building in Italy (that I've been in so far) and the art work on the outside was some of the most impressive in my opinion.
This is the rest of "Miracle Square" which is basically the only thing worth while to see if you are a tourist in Pisa as most of the city was destroyed by bombings with the one exception.
The leaning tower was absolutely as impressive as I expected it to be. Huge, stable and moves 2mm every year. Breathtaking!!
The last thing we saw in Pisa was the cemetery. This was awesome. Decorated sarcophagi, fresco-ed walls and this beautiful garden in the center where you can see the top of the Jewish Synagogue in the background.
After a WHOLE LOT of stairs I got to the top of this tower that overlooked the city. Wow! There are no words. This tower had 2 trees growing on top of it and was tiny, but the view was great and the weather was perfect.

What you don't see from these pictures is the sweet, ginormous wall that surrounds the city on which I took an amazing walk. Lucca so far was the prettiest place I have been in Italy. Absolutely loved this day!

Kevin & Bean from KROQ

2008-02-25T01:52:00.000-08:00

"They really love the game. That's one thing about hockey players, nobody gets into it for any other reason than they really love the game. You have to to put yourself through that. That really comes across when we speak with them." - Bean at the St Louis Game

This made me so happy. And it is the #1 reason I love this sport more than any other. Real men playing for their passion.

Siena & San Gimignano

2008-02-25T01:02:00.001-08:00

I have been sick and swamped. But the good news is... I didn't do anything fun this weekend? I have had a really bad cold which has sucked the energy out of me and I had been working on a 10 speech for art history that I gave on Thursday. This week I will catch up with my happenings in the last week and a half.

Last Saturday I went to Sienna and San Gimignano. Super small, super medieval, super cold and windy towns. Loved it. Rome and Florence are totally great but the small hilltop towns are my new favorite. Here's the comparison, Rome has 4 million people, Florence has 300,000, Sienna has 60,000 and San Gimignano has 13,000. So WAY smaller than any place here I had seen before. Sienna was probably the coldest place I have ever experienced without a ski jacket on. That was actually the culprit of me getting sick. While travelling, I am not the biggest complainer because my mind set is completely different and I am trying to take it all in. As a result, my hands and feet were numb all day and I was constantly trying to fit my head in my jacket with a smile on my face. Glad I did it though because it was gorgeous. Sara and I want to come back some day and see the Palio together (huge, famous horse race). Here we saw the Duomo, walked to the top and saw the whole city, took a tour of the town hall and saw where the Palio took place every year.

I think I would love to retire in San Gimignano if I have the money at that stage of my life. I liesurely walked from the beginning to the end of San Gimignano in about 15 minutes, which tells you how small it actually is. This town was so quiet and so unbelievably 13th century I totally fell in love. There is a marble well in the heart of the city, which is no longer used, that still has grooves around it from ropes pulling up the buckets before the plague hit this town. That was amazing to me. Here we walked the entire city, visit the main cathedral with AMAZING frescoed walls, and sample some of the local Vernaccia wine (best white wine I've EVER had).

First Load of Laundry

2008-02-13T09:48:00.000-08:00

First of all... This is long overdo. I left California on January the 27th and I have just now been able to do laundry. This partially has to do with the fact that my landlord is a really attractive FLAKE, which apparently is a common thing over here, and he only just got around to fixing our washing machine this morning.... Which is February 13th. UGH!

Anywho, there are no dryers here, the washing machines can only take up to 4kilos, and the water temperature is in Celsius. I have been doing laundry since about 10 years old and I felt like that was my first time. When I got home from class and my clothes looked relatively clean, I was ecstatic!! I hung my entire dark load up on the clothes line and felt totally accmplished. I'll post pictures tomorrow when there is day light and I get my white on there too :) Go me

So... ROME!!

2008-02-12T22:21:00.000-08:00

Rome was soo fun, but it kinda went like a blur. We were there for 2 and 1/2 days and most of it was scheduled for us. We literally dropped our stuff and went for a walking tour (this is after a 4 hour bus ride) which was really cool but extremely cold and windy. The next day was the Vatican which was amazing, but we literally RAN through the entire thing and our group got separated so I was in with the people that didn't make it into St. Peter's (good thing I've already been there). After that was the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain and shopping. The next day was another walking tour mostly of the old ghettos, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum and the Palentine Hill. All amazing.

At the end of it I was exhausted! It was amazing... This coming Saturday I think will be more of the same in Sienna.

In all of these pictures are the roomies by the way (minus one)

I LOVE my roommates

2008-02-07T21:48:00.000-08:00

But one of them is particularly adorable. Her name is Amanda and she is the one that, so far, I am the closest with in the house... She had a lot of trouble and was a little depressed the first week, but last night she was in a GREAT mood (we're talking giddy) and she decided to sing us a bunch of songs from camp. This one was my favorite.

Cooking Class!!!!

2008-02-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

So I took a class last night at the Apicus Culinary Institute of Florence. (Bragging rights much???) The class consisted of me 5 girls from TCU and 2 girls from UC Santa Barbara. It was extremely informative and are Chef was hilarious.

The recipes were amazing. I got to learn and make, in detail, bruschetta, gnocchi with a from scratch pesto, and AUTHENTIC chicken florentine. The bruschetta was absolutely amazing, the chicken florentine ended up being if-y because it sat out too long, and the gnocchi would have been a bit better if it was cut a little smaller.

The experience was amazing and my apron is totally grounds for bragging rights. AAAAAND the Chef, Piereluigi (yes that's one name), He was prolly about 6'5 and he was really really fun to work with, mostly because he made fun of everyone for not cooking :).

The best part was cooking a huge authentic Italian meal and knowing that I could SO prepare this at home. Anyone that wants me to cook for them when I get back, just let me know :) I dig it

Superbowl

2008-02-06T21:37:00.000-08:00

Definitely watched the superbowl in Italy... I didn't even think that was possible.

Fun things to note:
1. I didn't get to watch much of the game because I was helping drunkies around.
2. Italy didn't get the Italian commercials
3. Tara Reid was there... Who, we later found out, is here for 4 months for something stupid like more plastic surgery
4. Don't ever let someone have another drink if they say "just one more, I'm fine"

This club that we went to, called Maracana, was gigantic. It had a 3 level dance floor all of which could see this huge projection screen and I have never been anywhere so cool... lol I just sounded like a nerd.

I made my first Italian friend

2008-02-03T04:52:00.001-08:00

I went out last night with my TCU friends and they all wanted to get smashed... I ended up having a Corona and hanging out. These really great Italians came and sat next to us and we struck up a conversation. I went to talk to one of the girls, Ilaria, and she turned out to be really cool. Her and her boyfriend Claudio were so fun. Asking me about California in broken English and me asking her about Florence in my VERY limited Italian. At the end of the night we exchanged digits and she wants to hang out sometime this week. YAY!! I made my first Italian friend!

I got a surge protector!

2008-02-02T01:15:00.000-08:00

Because of this you lucky people get to see what Austria looks like...

Note: I was there alone so I'm not in any of them. And it was a little gloomy :(

The first part is Freud's old office/apartment and the rest is around the city of Vienna.

What the heck?! I'm in Europe for the next 4 months!! UNREAL

First Day in my new Apt

2008-01-31T12:49:00.000-08:00

This is the first day I am in my apartment (my 17th century apartment that is). The Italian government dictates that people living in Firenze are only allowed 8 hours of a day, which could be interesting in the dead of Italian winter. Apparently we made out pretty good compared to the other groups. There are 5 girls in the apartment I am living in including me and I GOT THE ONLY SINGLE ROOM!! Everyone except me had friends in the apt and I was the only potluck (which I am totally fine with) but they took the doubles before I got my stuff in. I have a feeling with my geeky ways of living I will be extremely grateful in the long run. We have 2 bathrooms; which apparently is unheard of; fairly large bedrooms, and a terrace that overlooks a gorgeous park on the edge of the city. I have to say I am really excited…

They told us to plan on spending about 100 Euro a day, which seemed outrageous to me seeing as how that currently converts to just under $200, but for my first couple of days in the country it has been WELL OVER. If you are planning a European vacation full of luxury and sites, I would plan on more like 300-400 a day. I’m sure spending will settle after a while, but for now I feel like my bank account is hemorrhaging.

Lastly, to end my wonderful day of new-ness, we got to meet our ladlord tonight, Alex... HOLY COW. He's a part time butcher, totally hilarious, and EXTREMELY attractive. He frequently saying things like "they will break my balls," "tsunami of shit," and " look at my lips... ARE YOU FU**ING JOKING ME?!" Love it... He has 6 seats in his car and offered to show us roomies around the far side of Florence (really far to walk).

BTW I now have internet in my apt and so I will be able to upload pics after I get a surge protector tomorrow. LORDY!! I love this place and I love that I am connected too.

YAY! I'm such a happy girl.

HOLY FREAKING COW!!

2008-01-29T02:37:00.001-08:00

WHAT WAS I THINKING!!

I am in a foreign country (for the 2nd time this week I might add) all alone.

LOL, sort of freaking out, sort of excited, very lost, and growing up(?)...

So Austria was amazing. I got hit on by a mercedes benz taxi driver, got to see the Sigmund Freud Museum in Vienna, navigated around speaking NO German whatsoever, and visited the weirdest museum/art gallery EVER.

At the Freud museum I learned all sorts of craziness about one of the largest contributors to my feild of study. I found out he was at one point addicted to cocaine while trying to find a treatment to help his friend's dependence on morphine. I also learned that he had 6 (not 1) children. Sidenote: I do not agree with all (sometimes ANY) of his teachings, but I thought it would be a fun and geeky thing to do while I was there and I REALLY enjoyed myself.

When I left I decided to grab a bite. I walked around the corner to this little cafe and sat down. The menu, of course, was in German and when the waitress came to take my order all she knew was, "I cannot Engleesh." So after a couple minutes of trying to figure it out I decided to order "solo kauffee" because that was the only thing we could both understand. Needless to say I came out of there shaky and still hungry. But I decided to make the best and keep going.

I grabbed a taxi and made my way over to the KunstHausWien. This came HIGHLY recommended by more than one travel cite so I thought I should check it out. When I got there, I found this 5 story museum with uneven flooring and different sorts of art. The artist on the first 3 floors was named Hundertwasser and I soon found that the reason for the uneven flooring was that he once said, "straight lines are not of God." That made me laugh a little inside. The paintings, at the end of the day, were colorful, kind of interesting and definitely unique, but made me think of a 5 year old with watercolor. The tapestries were not a whole lot better either. Nice uses of color but I don't have a whole lot to say for that. The 4th and 5th floors were reserved for a photographer whose name I do not remember. His best friends, according to his wall biography, were Pablo Picasso and Jean Cocteau. This stunned me to say the least. Anyway, I noticed that he had 3 major themes in his photography...
1. Latin culture represented by flamenco dancers and bull fights
2. Death in the awkward photos of things that looked broken and withered
3. And the 5th floor which was dedicated to nude women with no faces usually in a water setting.
Odd...

After that I caught a cab back to the airport and had some "authentic Austrian food" in the airport. It was a braut-ish kind of something-ness. HAHAHA basically I don't know what I ate, but it was good.

So I got on a plane and now I am in Italy trying to find out the phone and permanent internet sich. Bear with me til I get my bearings, but I will be FREQUENTLY updating this once I get settled.

PICTURES TO FOLLOW!!

I really miss Russia

2007-11-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

I love this little boy with my heart and soul. His name is Andri. I met him 2 1/2 years ago at a day center for street kids in St. Petersburg, Russia. He was six years old when I met him and our translator told me that he wasn't actually a street kid. He had a home to go home to at night, but his mother would frequently put him out. He also had scars all over his little body from an alcoholic abusive father.

I got into a discussion about him with a friend of mine and it revived my love and pain for Russia. I want to go back. I want to adopt a ALL of the children living on the streets and in abusive situations there (granted we are talking about hundred of thousands of kids)

I'm thinking about putting together a missions trip a year or 2 down the road. Anyone interested?

Diesel Fashion Show

2007-11-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have NEVER been to a fashion show before. I got a random invite from my friend Jonathan to go to a Diesel fashion show at the Northpark Mall in Dallas. I was absolutely amazing and like nothing I have ever experienced. The first thing we noticed when we walked in was this DJ that looked like Sheryl Crow's tranny brother/sister. She was enteraining to say the least. I would say she was in her mid thirties and was just being ridiculous with her dance moves.
Then there were all of these professional photographers trying to get mine and Jhall's picture. It was so fun. The fashion world now strikes me asa series of really sweet parties. YAY!!

Then came the actual show. What can I even say except, "WOW!" I loved it, it was so intense I felt like I was watching the stomp off episode for a season finale of ANTM. SO FUN!! I would go again in a heartbeat.

FANTASY HOCKEY BIOTCH!

2007-11-15T06:54:00.000-08:00

Next to real hockey (specifically Ducks hockey), dark chocolate, and Disneyland; its quite possibly the next greatest thing. I got invited to play by a friend of mine, Josiah, at the beginning of the season. He told me the rules and helped me get set up yada yada...

Cut to 6 weeks in:
I haven't lost a matchup yet
My smallest win margin ever in a given week was 7-3-1
Oh, and did I mention I am the only girl??

Basically it gives me great bragging rights and makes me feel like a champ. Much like I felt last year at this time when my Ducks were winning. The feeling is not nearly as satisfying as if the Ducks were actually doing well right now, but for the time being it will have to do.

Yahoo! Sports

It's Decided

2007-10-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

Almost everyone I know, knows about my battle with eating disorders (at least everyone that would read this blog). Recently I have found that there is a very fine line between me trying to be healthy and falling back into that scary pattern of thinking. So, for the sake of my mental well being, I decided that I was going to set an exercise goal that I would have to stick to in order not stare at the "Calories Burned" options on cardio machines.

The Goal: Prepare to run the LA Marathon
The Deadline: March 2009
The Request: I need a partner

I don't necessarily need a training partner, but I am not a good runner (never have been). I only need someone that feels like they could keep up a 10-12 min mile pace for 26.2 miles, because I can't imagine trying to do that alone. I know that sounds astronomical, but its honestly not that bad. I did it March 2006 and didn't train a day. Yes, it was stupid, but I made it through it and actually had a really good time (the time is nothing to brag about however). If you are interested, or know someone that might be, please please please let me know and I will break down my running schedule from now til March 2009. Thanks ya'll

>:-o GRR!!!!! Selfish people

2007-10-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Serving people are the target for takers, or as I like to call them "leeches." If your a "serving person" by nature stay away from:

1. Needy people

2. Selfish people

3. People with no empathy

4. People who "expect" (not ask of you) certain things from you

5. Guilt trippers

6. People who will only do things for you if you bribe them

I found one that all these rolled in one. My how lucky I am...

I've been tagged

2007-10-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

While catching upon Sara's blog yesterday, I realized I was tagged. So here goes.

It's fun! You have to use 3 words to answer each question. No more, no less. It's harder than you think!

1. Where is your cell phone? In my purse
2. Who is your boyfriend/girlfriend or Husband/Wife? loving being single
3. Where is one of your parents? in foothill ranch
4. Cheesecake? chocolate tuxedo cheesecake
5. Your favorite thing to do? watch hockey live
6. Your dream last night? freaking weird stuff
7. Your favorite drink? probably bottled water
8. The room you're in? brachman dorm room
9. George Bush? bring home kyle!
10. What you're good at? talking to people
11. One of your wish list items? 80 gig ipod
12. Where did you grow up? mostly Riverside/OC
13. The last thing you did? blog about M&M's
14. What are you wearing? wearing pajamas currently
15. Who stole your sunglasses? someone very stupid
16. Ketchup? hot barbecue sauce
17. Your computer? is absolutely ridiculous
18. Your life? a fun mess
19. Your mood? never more relieved (see 2 blogs below)
20 Your next blog? blogging alot lately
21. Your car is? stinking amazing man!!
22. Your summer? I <3 Pronger
23. Your relationship status? so very single
24. Your favorite color(s)? orange and black
25. When is the last time you laughed? extremely recently thanks

I tag Brian!

Dark M&M's

2007-10-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

I made the trip over to CVS yesterday I was going get passport photos taken for all the things I need them for concerning my trip to Italy. While I am waiting for the most ridiculous of all people to cut out my pictures (which were absolutely horendous by the way, CVS lighting my made look yellow) I see a bag of dark chocolate M&M's. Granted, I have been wanting to try these since I heard they can out, so I bought a bag (a BIG bag).

For all you chocolate lovers, these little things are amazing!! Not to mention I really dig the fact that they say dark on them. I don't really know why.

Southern California Fires

2007-10-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

My world was rocked today. I found out that California was having some severe fires yesterday when I was talking to my good friend Mark. Naturally, I thought, "wow, that sucks," but then wrote it off as something that would probably not affect me. Little did I know God felt like stretching me today.

I called my dad this morning only to find out that the fire is now 300 yards away from my house and they have evacuated the first row of homes next to the hill by my neighborhood. I may have called him every hour after that, maybe more... I was horrified, anxious, worried, sick to my stomach, emotional, and completely unable to focus on anything academic. All this to say I was in a constant state of prayer and speechless shock until late this afternoon.

Around half-way through my academic day, I get a call from the beautiful Sara Flynn telling me that she is being evacuated from San Diego, the traffic is not moving, her chest hurt from breathing in too much smoke, and there were major accidents on the freeway from the 250,000 people they were trying to evacuate from San Diego County, most of them were from people passing out because there was too much smoke.

My how God tested me... I went to the rest of my classes and still have no idea what came out of my professor's mouth. Sara got home and sent me a text saying that they had evacuated all of Foothill. I went into panic mode and ran out of the room to call my dad he said he was ok and that he was trying to find a cop or a firefighter that could tell him more. I went back into class fighting tears and scared as hell. I must have been white as a sheet, but my friend Jenna stopped me and asked me what was wrong. After I had explained the situation she said we need to pray about it, and in the middle of class she closes her eyes and prayed for my family. I didn't even know this girl was a Christian!! She promised to continue to pray throughout the day, and I left after the class to call my dad. By the end of that class period, the section of the fire that was threatening my house had been put out, and my dad was safely and legally in the house.

God showed up today! Thank you, Jenna. If nothing else you helped me get through my day. Thank you to Brett, Sara, and Jhall also, ya'll prayed for me/kept me updated, and I am truly grateful.

Ducks v stars in Dallas

2007-10-21T22:11:00.000-07:00

So last night I had the privelege of watching my Ducks play the stars in Dallas. I was pumped. I came prepared with my signed jersey, an impartial hockey fan, and lots of energy. Needless to say I was excited.

The night however turned out to be nothing like I had expected. The stars put one in in less than five minutes, and anyone who knows JS Giguere would have been able to tell that he was not playing 100%. So 3 stars goals and 2 fights later Randy Carlyle decided to pul Giggy. I am proud to say that the stars did not get another scoring opportunity. The offense from my boys never happened though. My man, Chris Pronger, put in a beautiful top-shelf slapshot, but I am sorry to say it was not legit. It counted, but it was scored while we had the advantage of a 5 on 3.

To sum up, my Ducks never stepped up enough last night to play even 5 full minutes of Ducks hockey, and there were some players, namely Andy Mac, that just couldn't do anything right last night. Love you boys, but that was not your night.

I did get to see this recap video tho from 1998... Does anyone remember this??

Fall Out Girl??

2007-10-19T16:41:00.000-07:00

So there is this group Paramore... who I actually really like by the way... The lead singer sounds like what i think the love child of Avril Lavigne and the Fall Out Boy front man should sound like. That's just my opinion on the subject. The new single is fantastic and a song off the album called "Fences." Good stuff.

Weather

2007-09-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!! Can I just say, I LOVE TEXAS... I really really do, but EFF WORD. If it not a million degrees with 80% humidity, then it's friggin pouring with thunder so insane it sets off car alarms. Either way, when I walk outside I am drenched in like 5 minutes TOPS!

Dear Jesus,
If you could bring winter early to Fort Worth, that would just be the greatest thing ever... Think about it.
Love,
Lo

HIS (He Is Sufficient)

2007-08-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

I am joining a Christian sorority called HIS. I am kind of excited about this. It is opening the door for me to meet a lot of amazing girls and is going to force me to be in a church body and a weekly small group. Awesome, yay accountability. Can't wait to be completely plugged in, but for now I just met these girls and I already feel like a part of their community.

Worst day so far....

2007-08-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

Doesn't this look amazing???

It was amazing. However, about 12 hours after eating I found my stomach, literally, began interrupting conversations and I had a pain in my stomach that made me feel like my insides were going to burst. I spent the next six hours running to the community bathrooms about every 20 minutes. Worst day in Texas so far. The whole community bathroom thing too... it was just a little embarrassing for me to do that within earshot of a good 30 people. Ugh! No more spinach salad @ Pond St Grill for me. I SO QUIT YOU!!

Oh... my Scottish geology teacher

2007-08-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

Dr Donovan is, hands down, my favorite teacher here. Can I just say, geology is SO boring to me. This man makes me want to study, as he so lovingly puts it, how to "love and fondle rocks." He comes in every morning with his little briefcase, turns to look at his loud lecture hall of 150 people, and screams "RRRRRRRRRIGHT!!! GOOD MORNING" at the top of his voice in his awesome Scottish accent. Scaring the B-jesus out of half of the class. Love it! He calls all the boys laddy, and I have heard a lass or 2 in there. Not to mention he seems a little ADD, so when a student comes in during lecture, he will have half a conversation with them in front of everyone, even if he was mid-sentence. Not a fan of geology so much, but he is fantastic at his job.

First Football Game on Saturday!!

2007-08-30T06:08:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you HOW FRIGGIN EXCITED I am. Holy crap!! First of all, the ENTIRE town comes out for the game, and the tailgate party is in my dorm lot (YAY). Secondly, my roommate and I are getting prepared... This means buying face tattoos, shirts and all sorts of other random paraphernalia that we may need. Lastly, we are projected to lose maybe 2 or 3 games this year, great team, and we are starting off playing the Baylor Bears (the equivalent of the Ducks vs the Kings) I can't wait, it's going to be AMAZING!

This made me homesick, sad, and thankful...

2007-08-26T20:42:00.000-07:00

My sister was in a car accident yesterday. She explained to me that her friend was driving like an idiot to be funny and ended up fishtailing on a overpass and hitting the wall. This could have been so much worse. They could have flipped, they could have gone off the overpass, they could have been thrown from the car. THANK GOD, my sister told everyone to put their belts on, and she was sitting in the middle (could have been soo much worse).

All this to say that as she was telling me this story I started balling. I missed her, was mad at her friend, was thankful she was okay, loved her, wanted to hug her and be home, etc etc etc... So I gave her a mini lecture through tears about how her life was in other people's hands everytime she got in a car and all that. I totally turned into a mother for a minute. Then I thought to myself that if anything were to happen at home to anyone I cared about (especially family) I might not forgive myself for not being there. (as if I could have done anything). I love my little sister SO MUCH. I am so glad she is alright.

From now on, just so ya'll know (and yes I have started saying it), I am praying for your safety consistently. I love you guys, and I hope you know that.

First 2 Days of School

2007-08-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

Your going to have to bear with me... I left my camera at home so I can't post any pictures yet that haven't already been taken. Give me a couple of weeks, my fam is shipping some stuff to me and it's supposed to be in that box.

That said, I would like to frist start out by giving a description of my first impression of all my teachers.

Geology: I LOVE DR DONOVAN!!! Amzing man.. He loves to say, "I love rocks," in his Scottish accent (YES he is from Scotland) He told this "laddy" to wear a kilt when he asked if there was an on campus dress code. I am going to love him.

Religion: I don't know how much I am going to like this woman... She is, what I am deciding to refer to as, a pastey white Baptist. Now I am a Baptist, so I have nothing against that, it only seems that she may have not seen the sun in a few years. And she is pretty monotone.

Psychology: I was hoping for a winner, but I kinda got let down. She seems very nice, and I think she is Russian. I am not completely sure however, her accent is almost unnoticable. She has this quirk, either from too many drugs in college or should could have Parkinson's... Whatever the reason, her head bobs a LOT when she talks and she tends to look out of the corner of her eye at the room. SO HARD TO PAY ATTENTION with all that going on.

All of this was monday...

Tuesday:

Political Science: This man is one of those "I am going to let you teach the class" kinda guys. He seems nice enough, but there is this small problem. As a boy he was involved in an accident, playing baseball I think, in which part of his vocal cords were paralyzed. This did not have much impact other than the fact that since he was 7 he has talked like he has a bad case of Larangitis (there is no way I spelled that right) Needless to say it is also EXTREMELY hard to concentrate on what he is saying while I am trying to decode the squeeks.

Here comes the fun one
Women in Literature: This has got to be the BEST first 5 minute in a class of my entire life. Picture this: An African American women in about her late 50's, sort of bigger round the middle that speaks is if she does not know the next word that is going to leave her mouth. For example, she said "um" or "uh" 158 times (yes, I kept a tally) in the second half of the class period. On with the first 5; She is about to pass out the syllabus, when she steps on her skirt taking it clear down to her ankles. There is this poor possibly senille women standing in front of 30 students in her black bloomers. PRICELESS. I might hate her class overall, but that moment might make it all worth it.

Italia!!

2007-08-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Italy was beyond anything I could have imagined. We got a chance to see Venezia, Firenze, e Roma (Venice, Florence and Rome).

Venice was a fun little tourist town that can definitely be seen in a day. It was a fun first stop and we got to see St Mark's Square, the Bridge of Sighs, and a glass factory while we were there.

Florence was someplace I could see myself living. It is gorgeous there. We got to hike the Duomo, see David, go to a leather factory, and had some of the BEST Italian food in that city.

And finally, Rome was, what my dad described as, an Italian New York without street laws. CRAZY! We met cool people there though, and all the street vendors only knew how to say, "For you, half price." While there we went to the Vatican, and the Colleseum and got tot walk around in 3rd century Roman streets!!

Ducks Fan Cruise

2007-08-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

Here's the deal. I had so much fun, so many good times, and was knock off my feet so many times, that it would probably take me 2 years to finish an adequate blog for that week. So I am going to pick the best pictures, and try to describe my emotions at the time.

This picture was after 2 seconds of meeting them... I was shaking, nauseated and ecstatic all at the same time. This was one of the few times that Mrs. Pronger was not there. Which made it all the better

Brian Burke is by far one of the most intimidating men I have ever encountered. He lives and breathes by the rule, "smiling is for the weak." He demonstrates emotion with the face you see here... What a goober!!

This would be us ice skating with the current stanley cup champions!! I love them so much!

I got to drive a speed boat in Haiti... a privelge that was saved only for me and my sister. Then later we asked about the tour by the Duckies. That made me smile:)

We were absolutely amazed at the level of face time we recieved with the players. I am serious when I say that they know us. It was incredible, and I plan on going EVERY year they do from now on.

My 21st

2007-08-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, there was no better place to celebrate my birthday than the Jazz Kitchen at Downtown Disney. For those of you that know me well, you know that Disney is probably one of the things I will miss about California living. So as the beginning of the end of my stay there I thought it would be great to celebrate my last big birthday with them. Most of the people I hold dear to my heart came out for dinner and drinks. SO MUCH FUN!!! Mario screaming at passerbys, Dillon pushing me in strollers, and just being plain ridiculous with my closest friends. I could never have asked for more.

Not to mention... the women at our table all got done up for the occasion and looked smoking hott :-). I didn't bring my camera, but Sara got a couple of shots and I am still waiting for Sparkle's email with all the pics.. MORE TO COME.

To sum up. This night could not have been better, or more fun, if I dreamed it up myself. Thanks for babysitting Linz!

Ducks won the Cup

2007-08-17T18:22:00.000-07:00

Can I just say how amazing life was for me on that night?? First of all, WE OBLITERATED them. After such a close series, it was nice to sit back and know it was in the bag. It was definitely a historical night and a night for rubbing Kings' fans faces in our first victory after only 14 years... What has it been for them?... Oh, that's right, 40!!!

We had signs, we bought merchandise, we saw Teemu cry, and we saw the Neidemeyers take one home together. EPIC!!! What an amazing way to end an amazing year for them.

This way how my face looked for the better part of this years playoffs!!

Since my last blog....

2007-08-16T05:09:00.000-07:00

A TON has happened. I am planning on blogging all of these things individually, but for now I have 5 min and I am just going to do bullets and overviews.

1. My ducks won the Stanley cup!... I laugh, I cried, I hugged strange people. It was the top moment of my life up to that point.

2. I turned 21... Holy crap, BEST birthday EVER!

3. My sister and I got to go on the Ducks fan cruise to the Caribbean. Most amazing experience of my life, and I am now on a first name basis with Chris, George, and Todd (or as ya'll know them Pronger, Parros, and Marchant)

4. I went to Italy... No words, except breathtaking.

5. I moved to Texas. More to come on this.

I will try to blog one of these a day, but I am ALL OVER the place right now so we'll see how that goes.

I'm officially blogging again!!

Synopsis

2007-04-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

I haven't been in the blogging mood lately. So, in case this apathy continues, I have decided to give a breif overview of my life right now.

1. I could NOT care LESS about school right now, but I still have fairly decent grades.

2. I just set EVERYTHING straight with the DMV and the Orange County Court system, so I'll find out if I still have insurance in the next couple of weeks.

3. I am having this need to be constantly occupied with something. It's usually has to be extremely fun, or spending time with people I am going to miss when I leave.

4. I am taking a road trip to Oregon the weekend after Easter with my sister, one of her roommates, and hopefully sara flynn.

5. April 20th I am going back to TX to meet with a school counselor to talk about classes and things

6. Last but definitely not least, the Ducks have their last home game of the season tomorrow night, then Playoffs start the following week!! Can't wait!

That's all. If you don't hear from me from now til may that's what I am doing.

MY TEAM!!!!

2007-04-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

It's official, we have clinched the playoffs and (at least for the moment) have taken the lead not only in the Pacific divisionbut also in the Western Conference. We are tied for first with Detriot and the only team in the East with a higher rank than us is the Sabers. I am SOOOOO insanely proud of my team.

This is by far, one of the best team dynamics I have seen on the ducks overall. We have huge stars like Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Teemu Selanne, but we also have severely underrated up-and-comings like Dustin Penner and my personal favorite Travis Moen. All in all, I have high hopes for the Ducks in the Playoffs this year.

To add to this, last nights game was absolutely awe-insipiring. I honestly think that we let the Blues hang with us awhile so that Andy could show them up after 25 seconds in overtime from a beauty of an assist from our team captain. I am a HUGE fan of Paul Kariya when he is playing for the ducks. He is fast, a great scorer and has an amazing record, especially when him and Selanne shared the ice. But the truth is, he's an ass, and so I hate him if he skates for another team. Andy McDonald has, in my opinion, picked up the slack and watching Andy and Teemu on the ice together has been absolute magic in the past handful of games.

Then there's our captain. He scored our first goal last night early against the Blues in the first period, he also had the last assist of the game in overtime. Scott Niedermayer is one of the classiest players in the NHL. He doesn't get in fights unless it is ABSOLUTELY deserved, he is a quiet leader, and his ability on the ice continues to amaze me. I think when I move, the thing I will miss most is watching some guy come skating full speed, center ice to knock Scotty off his skates, and when it's over watching Scotty completed unmoved and the other guy end up on his ass. YOU ARE MY HERO!

Loser

2007-04-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

Adam posted a live video of "Loser" on youtube... I felt compelled to say a little something.

I have been watching (usually indirectly) this band and these men individually grow, as musicians, as young men, as new husbands (3 out of 4),and most of all as men of God. I unable to fathom the ability that God has given the Rodriguez brothers and Adam Watts. I am so impressed with the growth in all your lives since I met you nearly 3 years ago. I sincerely hope God continues to bless you in your abilities and in your musical ministry.

I'm back

2007-03-28T08:56:00.000-07:00

I got in, safe and sound, last night at about 1:30am California time. My trip was beyond amazing. Texas is my new favorite state (sorry guys). TCU is my home. I loved every second of the trip and was tempted to miss my flight back. Thanks for the prayers for my flight, most of you knew I was a little nervous. I made a wonderful friend, who in turn introduced me to his wonderful friends, and had the time of my life. Too bad it only lasted 24 hours. Only 4 more months and I will be where I belong. As if I wasn't detached enough from my California responsibilities already...

Anxious

2007-03-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

So I am going to Texas today, and I am almost overwhelmed with excitement, but I am also a little anxious. I have gone places by myself before, but I have always had someone waiting for me at the end of the runway. This time, it's all me. It's almost affirming, like I am becoming more independent in some small way, but it's nerve wrecking and probably will be until I have been there a few hours. I am going to work out the kinks of my transfer to TCU and learn more about what my experience there will look like. The closer it gets to moving day the more excited (and simultaneously anxious) I become. I will be back by midnight Tuesday night then it's back to the Junior College grind, to which I am completely apathetic... Do I have senioritis all over again? Somebody, please, tell me this is natural.

TWSS

2007-03-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

I didn't want to post an embarrassing picture and force people to comment. That seemed unoriginal to me (even tho Ill prolly do it eventually.) I want your BEST "...That's what she said" lines from the week. Here are the rules...

1) You had to have used this in relation to something someone else said, not something you just came up with.

2) It has to be classified as PG-13 (nothing TOO raunchy)

3)Your time is up next Thursday the 22nd. I'll anounce the winner on that Friday afternoon.

The winner gets the next extra ticket to the ducks game that I get.

And the winner is....Sara Flynn

"I'm sticky. I'm not always this sticky."

SHOULDERS :)

2007-03-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

I am so excited. Most of you know I have been working my BUTT OFF to get back into shape. As of this morning, I started to see definition in my shoulders. All that work is finally starting to pay off. I have also lost 12 inches overall. Not much, I know, but I am excited. The End

Much Needed Girl Time

2007-03-17T23:33:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows how much I love my girl, Sara. She is my best friend, accountability partner, and confidant. I hadn't seen her in two weeks, which to most people seems like nothing, but we were used to spending 3-5 days a week together... Needless to say I missed her like crazy.

I totally value my girl time and it just wasn't being met. Guys, I love you, and I loved hanging out with all of you these past two weeks, but there is just a need met in a woman's heart when it comes to estrogen vs testosterone.

To wrap up that ramble, Sara and I had a fantastic night catching up, sitting in the sauna at 24 Hour with some crazy/creepy people and doing face masks while blog commenting. Let's hope I don't have to wait another to weeks to unload my life and spend time with the friend that makes my heart smile.

internal thought: (what am I going to do without you when I move??)

Thanks Brian

2007-03-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

So me and horrible laugh along with Brent's amazing shout out to the ducks are on a slideshow on the oc register's website. I would have to say that this is my most famous year. I have been on TV at ducks games twice, and now I am on a newspaper's online slideshow. I should get an agent.

Disclaimer: I am not actually this conceited.

I had SO much fun at the Chick-fil-A camp out it was ridiculous

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/local/irvine/article_1620920.php

Ridiculousness

2007-03-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

So Disneyland was pretty shweet the other day. I had an all time Astro Blasters score of 6000 or something horrible like that before the other day. There is no way I could Ever beat Andrew, but I did beat Brent even though there is no photographic proof. I can live with 66000 considering my previous high score.
I HAD to buy this picture. 1) Brent is ducking because he is afraid of getting hit in the head with a beam 2) Jon looks like he is stoned 3) Andrew is ridiculous 4) the girl in the back is throwing up hand signs and 5) I look like I am terrified... Amazing... This was the second day in a row of trips to Disneyland. I love my life. When I get the pictures I will blog about the great time in the parking lot of Chick-fil-A.

Accuracy??

2007-03-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

I absolutely LOVE the Jung-Meyers-Briggs Personality Test. I think it is totally accurate and reliable. However I only have my perspect of my own. Let me know if you think that this is an accurate depiction of who I am according to this test

The Performer

As an ESFP, your primary mode of living is focused externally, where you take things in via your five senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Your secondary mode is internal, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit with your personal value system.

ESFPs live in the world of people possibilties. They love people and new experiences. They are lively and fun, and enjoy being the center of attention. They live in the here-and-now, and relish excitement in their lives.

ESFPs have very strong inter-personal skills, and may find themselves in the role of the peacemaker frequently. Since they make decisions by using their personal values, they are usually very sympathetic and concerned for other people's well-being. They're usually quite generous and warm. They are very observant about other people, and seem to sense what is wrong with someone before others might, responding warmly with a solution to a practical need. They might not be the best advice-givers in the world, because they dislike theory and future-planning, but they are great for giving practical care.

ESFP is definitely a spontaneous, optimistic individual. They love to have fun. If the ESFP has not developed their Thinking side by giving consideration to rational thought processing, they tend to become over-indulgent, and place more importance on immediate sensation and gratification than on their duties and obligations.

For the ESFP, the entire world is a stage. They enjoy stimulating other people's senses, and are extremely good at it. They would love nothing more than for life to be a continual party, in which they play the role of the fun-loving host.

ESFPs love people, and everybody loves an ESFP. One of their greatest gifts is their general acceptance of everyone. They are upbeat and enthusiastic, and genuinely like almost everybody. An ESFP is unfailingly warm and generous with their friends, and they generally treat everyone as a friend. However, once crosesed, an ESFP is likely to make a very strong and stubborn judgment against the person who crossed them. They are capable of deep dislike in such a situation.

The ESFP under a great deal of stress gets overwhelmed with negatives thoughts and possibilities. As an optimistic individual who lives in the world of possibilities, negative possibilities do not sit well with them. In an effort to combat these thoughts, they're likely to come up with simple, global statements to explain away the problem. These simplistic explanations may or may not truly get to the nature of the issue, but they serve the ESFP well by allowing them to get over it.

ESFPs are likely to be very practical, although they hate structure and routine. They like to "go with the flow", trusting in their ability to improvise in any situation presented to them. They learn best with "hands-on" experience, rather than by studying a book. They're uncomfortable with theory. If an ESFP hasn't developed their intuitive side, they may tend to avoid situations which involve a lot of theoretical thinking, or which are complex and ambiguous. For this reason, an ESFP may have difficulty in school. On the other hand, the ESFP does extremely well in situations where they're allowed to learn by interacting with others, or in which they "learn by doing".

ESFPs have a very well-developed appreciation for aesthetic beauty, and an excellent sense of space and function. If they have the means, they're likely to have to have many beautiful possessions, and an artfully furnished home. In general, they take great pleasure in objects of aesthetic beauty. They're likely to have a strong appreciation for the finer things in life, such as good food and good wine.

The ESFP is a great team player. He or she is not likely to create any problems or fuss, and is likely to create the most fun environment possible for getting the task done. ESFPs will do best in careers in which they are able to use their excellent people skills, along with their abilities to meld ideas into structured formats. Since they are fast-paced individuals who like new experiences, they should choose careers which offer or require a lot of diversity, as well as people skills.

ESFPs usually like to feel strongly bonded with other people, and have a connection with animals and small children that is not found in most other types. They're likely to have a strong appreciation for the beauties of nature as well.

The ESFP has a tremendous love for life, and knows how to have fun. They like to bring others along on their fun-rides, and are typically a lot of fun to be with. They're flexible, adaptable, genuinely interested in people, and usually kind-hearted. They have a special ability to get a lot of fun out of life, but they need to watch out for the pitfalls associated with living entirely in the moment.

Dominant:
Extraverted Sensing
The dominant function of ESFPs is concerned with the reality that is perceived through the senses. This type's prime directive is to examine the tangible through taste, touch, sight, feeling and hearing. ESFPs' need for new experiences surely results from this function. Feeling gives focus to the collected information, producing the amiable nature of this type. As perceivers, ESFPs do not linger on moral concerns unless it is in service of a Greater Good and/or a unifying cause.

Auxiliary:
Introverted Feeling
Feeling, which tends to decision-making in the interest of individual beings, is auxiliary to sensing. As with all introverted functions, feeling for ESFPs has a surreal, cryptic, quintessential nature. It is more often implied than verbally expressed, more apparent in countenance and deed rather than word or creed. Feeling takes care that playful pokes and pranks do no harm to the victim.

Tertiary:
Extraverted Thinking
This tertiary funct ion is at the ready to give definitive answers when the world requires them. It provides a measure of balance to Introverted Feeling, allowing the ESFP some level of boundary and protection from those who would take advantage. When overused or overestimated, however, Thinking becomes a liability. ESFPs do well to seek out confirmation of the soundness of tough-minded decisions.

Inferior:
Introverted iNtuition
This function is least visible. As is the nature of the inferior (fourth) function, ESFP intuition lacks a sense of balance. This type seems most successful in deducing patterns and seeing connections only after a thorough examination of the facts (which process appears quite unorganized and haphazard to non-SPs). Although some ESFPs may develop such abilities, the mastery of logic, analysis and abstraction is usually difficult and wearying, and not very much fun.

Moving Fever

2007-03-11T21:47:00.000-07:00

I think I am ready to go. No particular reason. I have just mentally checked out of EVERYTHING and I am more than ready for Texas. I need perseverance in the next 5 months.

NERD!

2007-03-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

I think I am a nice in-between point of Andrew and Brent... It's all about balance.

Disneyland

2007-03-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to Disneyland with my little sisiter. We had planned on just going to see Brandon and his band play at Downtown, but we got there litterally 2 minutes after they ended. So, we decided to hop on the monorail and go into Disneyland. It was so amazing. My sister, I found, was great Disney company which is very hard to come by. (Looks like Lindsey might tag along with us from time to time, Dillon.) We had some vary magical moments last night. For example, we went on Peter Pan and flew over the star of the United Kingdom, we explored Toontown with NO CROWDS, and Alice In Wonderland... This ride is great already, but something particularly amazing was going on last night. We hopped on the ride while the "Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams" was going on without knowing that the parade path went RIGHT NEXT TO the ride. If to have ever been on that ride you know that most of it is inside, but you come out 2 or 3 times. So while we were flying high in Mr. Catepillar, the float with the Disney Princesses was following us and we got to wave at Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. My sister was being absolutely ridiculous and screaming Snow White's name like a crazed fan, and poised Snow White started laughing. That made my night.

We decided to wind down the night with coffee and cinnamon rolls overlooking Main Street. We sat in my recently found Happy Place and just watched the park empty out. When we got to the car (parked in Downtown) we realize, much to our dismay, that we couldn't find the parking ticket to pay to get out of the lot. We thought, "No big deal, we both have paid parking on our season passes." Not realizing that they didn't accept season parking for the park in Downtown... We stroll up with our passes and he says it's $30 dollars for a lost ticket. My sister and I put on the "I'm just a helpless, stupid girl" act and he used our receipt from coffee, so that we got out free. Why are all the employees at Disney so will to help and make you feel at home?? It's a beautiful thing. Anyway, I have to say that was a very good Disney experience last night and definitely a first going with just my sister. Thank you Disneyland for ALWAYS making my nights with you enjoyable.

Midterms...

2007-03-08T11:48:00.001-08:00

THREE DOWN!!!! One to go. THANK JESUS!

Switchfoot

2007-03-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

So last night I went to the Ducks game with Brent and Andrew and they were playing this song on the way home. I felt like they wrote it specifically for me :-/

American Dream lyrics

When success is equated with excess
The ambition for excess wrecks us
As top of the mind becomes the bottom line
When success is equated with excess

If your time ain't been nothing for money
I start to feel really bad for you, honey
Maybe honey, put your money where your mouth's been running
If your time ain't been nothing but money

I want out of this machine
It doesn't feel like freedom

This ain't my American dream
I want to live and die for bigger things
I'm tired of fighting for just me
This ain't my American dream

When success is equated with excess
When we're fighting for the Beamer, the Lexus
As the heart and soul breath in the company goals
Where success is equated with excess

I want out of this machine
It doesn't feel like freedom

This ain't my American dream
I want to live and die for bigger things
I'm tired of fighting for just me
This ain't my American dream

'Cause baby's always talkin' 'bout a ring
And talk has always been the cheapest thing
Is it true would you do what I want you to
If I show up with the right amount of bling?
Like a puppet on a monetary string
Maybe we've been caught singing
Red, white, blue, and green
But that ain't my America,
That ain't my American dream

What's sad is I don't know if this is something I just straight up agree with or if it just totally convicting... That's something to think about.

Partial Relief

2007-03-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

I don't know if you know the feeling of having to CRAM for 4 midterms in three days, but I just want to say I have been PULLING MY HAIR OUT for the last week. I am only half way through but I can feel the pressure lifting already. My hardest (and probably the one I totally bombed) was this morning and I feel like I am over the hump. HOORAY! Not to mention, since I have gotten into TCU I have kind of adapted a "checked out" attitude. I feel like my grades don't matter this semester, my life is only temporarily located in southern cali, and I have absolutely no reason to get involved in anything that isn't hockey or work. That's all.

It's Official

2007-03-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

I am now a horned frog. I recieved my acceptance letter from TCU on friday and I paid my deposit yesterday. My name is on the housing wait list and I am MOVING TO TEXAS in August. WOO HOO!

My Best Girl!!

2007-03-01T21:14:00.000-08:00

Sara just had her birthday a couple days ago, so I thought I would write a little about the platonic love of my life.

Gotta tell ya, this girl (next to Jesus) is my saving grace. She is one of the most amazing women I have ever met, and definitely the first woman in my life to partake in a give and take relationship. Not to mention she is a KNOCKOUT!

She is a commit-a-phobe in a committed relationship, which I love (your facing your fears head on!) She is one of the two women I have found it a joy to serve with in this and other coutries. She is completely unafraid to tell it like it is when I show weakness and is totally accepting when other people do the same.

She goes out of her way to take care of the people she cares about. I called her "sugar momma" for quite awhile. She compliments EVERY physical insecurity I have ever had without me EVER voicing them, and makes it a point frequently verbalize how much people mean to her.

She has a heart for hockey, missions, and fashion and is by far one of the most stunning people I have ever met (inside and out) I love you girl! I don't know where I would be without you. Happy Birthday for like the 5th time :-)

2007-02-27T15:18:00.000-08:00

So today was the best day ever in school. We were learning about the parts and functions of the brain, and it was one of the most grueling informative lectures ever. Needless to say I think I was drooling on my desk from a short circuit in my own brain trying to figure all that stuff out. I think she realized she was throwing too much information at us for one day so she went on youtube and pulled up this video. I think I have watched it 30 times by now.

Traffic School Degree

2007-02-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

After March 31, 2007 I will have been to traffic school three times. I think I should get a degree or something. I want to HONESTLY say I am consciously make an effort to slow down from now on. I'm tired of wasting money and my Saturdays.

Oh Parents

2007-02-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

So most of you know I have a very rocky relationship with my dad. I have spent my whole life (up til about 17) fighting him on EVERYTHING and anything. It resulted in my being kicked out of the house and having to fend for myself for two years. Since then I have had a massive change of heart. Most importantly I love Jesus, I try hard in school, I work, I make an effort to serve others; but the problem is he still sees me as this little girl that pitches a fit everytime I don't get what I want. So when I do things like ask my brother to do the dishes... my dad responds with something like, "Oh, you never do anything around the house." It's just really frustrating when the one person you really want to see the change in your life is the one person who couldn't care less.

Long Story Short...

2007-02-25T15:28:00.000-08:00

This weekend was amazing! SO VERY TIRING, but amazing. I love working up at camp, but it sucks all the energy out of me. I spent days making food, and working in the camp store and night making more food and cleaing up the camp. I am so happy to say that I did NOT get sick this time at camp. I figured out the cure for altitude sickness :-). For anyone who is curious, it is more water than anyone should ever drink in a three day period. And I think my feet are getting more used to me standing on them for an average of 15 hours. I miss spending time with the Ducks. They haven't won a game since the last time I watched, which is totally bittersweet. I love being the good luck charm instead of the jinx, but since I have been so busy I haven't been able to make a game in awhile. On a heavier note, I'm kind of worried about my grades. It's hard to keep up lately. I feel like God is intervening and pulling me away from everything by making my schedule so busy that I won't feel overwhelming homesickness when I move. I hope that's it.

Physically: Falling Apart

2007-02-23T05:01:00.000-08:00

True to my weblink I am running myself ragged. I just got home from Dallas last weekend, and I am leaving this afternoon to work up at camp for the weekend. My body is telling me to slow down but I don't know how to fit in down time. I know I am not sick, but I have that lingering lethargic feeling (constantly) because I am going from 5am to usually about 8pm. (unless I'm at camp which is more like 6am - 11pm) The problem is I don't feel over-committed. I go to school, work, go to the gym, and as of lately I lead a small group, for some reason that doesn't sound like all that much to me. Anyway, from now until the end of March I will be working Fri - Sun every weekend. Pray for my ability to persevere because I know it's going to be harder and harder to be cheery toward the end of March. Til then I have to keep a B average, stay ahead of my group in Galatians and keep a cheerful disposition @ work. (oh, and if I find time, my trainer would like me to drop 5lbs lol) We'll see how that goes.

My Hero

2007-02-19T19:24:00.000-08:00

This is the footage from the ducks vs stars game where Chris Pronger beat the hell out of Barch.

I am obsessed with a man's man!

For everyone who didn't get to see the ducks vs kings game last night, Chris Pronger took a slapshot to the throat and SKATED OFF THE ICE. He should have DIED but he walked out of the locker after the shoot out with nothing more than some bruised vocal cords. MY HERO!

TEXAS!!!

2007-02-16T17:20:00.000-08:00

I am so blessed to be in one of my favorite states right now. I flew in to DFW airport yesterday @ 4am Texas time, and I have been going ever since. First, me and my mom got to visit Dallas Baptist University. OH MY GOODNESS! Talk about a gorgeous school. This school was in Dallas, but it had the feel of being its own small town. It's 15 minutes driving distance from anywhere, but EVERYTHING you need is on campus or fifteen minutes away (including the rink the Stars play at :) ) The things I really loved about the school were it had an average class size of 15 students, they have mission trips directed by students AND teachers happening every break, and it had this amazing feel of community. Then we went to TCU in the afternoon. As far as Christian schools go, these two were polar opposites. I almost wish I had gone to TCU first, because I was starry-eyed with DBU and totally biased during the other tour. TCU was in the heart of downtown Fort Worth surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the city. There were huge dorms, stadiums, gyms, chapels..... etc etc etc. It had the big school feel with a little bit of homey Christian school thrown in. There were a number of things I really liked about the school. 1. they had a study abroad program active in over 40 countries!! (as most of you know, that's something I have always wanted to do) 2. the experience there seems like it would be one of more school run activities. (ie football games, student hangouts, etc) and 3. it had this amazing lighthearted atmosphere. You could never hope to meet ALL the students there, but it had a friendly feel. When I got done with the tour I didn't like it as much as DBU, but now I am not so sure that is the one I liked the most. Today we are going to check out Baylor, the intimidating, (at least for me) newly Ivy League school. I hope it's a peice of crap and I hate it so that my decision isn't that much harder. It is going to be hell trying to figure out which one of these schools is right for me. Say a prayer for my decision if you think of it. I know one thing is for sure, I am a Texas girl at heart and I'll be making it official come next fall.

Support Our Troops

2007-02-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

These guys mean more to me than just about anything the world has to offer.

My best friend, Kyle, is home from Iraq until 5am Wednesday morning. It has meant the world to me that I have gotten to spend this much time with him. I wish Canada wasn't so cold, otherwise I would say you should go AWOL and I'd meet you up there. I can't even put into words how many times you have indirectly saved my life and now you are doing it tangibly. Thank you so much for all that you do, Kyle. I will miss you so much over the next 8 months. But hey, only 2 and a half years to go right?? Then I will come and help you and Garrett do the books at the restaurant.

And then there is Dillon. Oh, Dillon. You are amazing. I can't believe the transformation in your life since you joined the Navy. I officially hate all branches of the military, but it is such a joy to see how much growth it has forced upon you. I know that only good things will come of all of you new found knowledge and experiences. I am sad that you are going on deployment this summer, but I know it will only bring more of the same.

I pray for you both everyday. I hope in some small way that encourages you to get through your day to day. You have both told me how monotonous and trying it can be. It will all be over soon. Just know that I love you guys so much.

Essential

2007-02-11T21:20:00.000-08:00

The one thing no woman should be without. Men should definitely use the vitamin E kind because its non scented. But I think I have every flavor of body butter ever made in the last 5 years. It is by far the best reasonably priced body hydrating product on the market. LOVE IT! Friends, take notes. If you have a hard time shopping for gifts for your female friends, you can't go wrong with this.

Signed the ultimate Body Shop addict,
LoLo

FREEDOM!

2007-02-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

I know I am posting a ton of blogs today, but this Sabbath has held a lot of self reflection for me. I was looking through a bunch of pictures on my hard drive and I came across these 2 not so distant memories of what I used to be.

These are my two extremes

In the first picture I was an combination of a regular bulimic (binge and purge) and an exercise bulimic (count calories and stay on the treadmill til you burn ALL of them.) I would spend countless hours exercising, to the point where I would throw up on a daily basis from exhaustion. I had a small spiral bound journal I would carry with me everywhere that I would log everything that I put in my mouth. Even a stick of gum. If I couldn't make it to the gym I would force myself to throw up.

In the second, I was a depressed overeater. I ate everything I could so that I drown out all of my emotions in a sea of greasy food. In that period of my life, if I wasn't stuffing my face, I was getting as drunk as possible as often as possible. Gotta tell ya... neither one held any comfort for me, and they are both probably the loneliest moments of my life.

It is surreal, I feel like that wasn't even me in those picture and it really wasn't. (In Christ you are a new creation.) I can't believe I have come so far. I am at a point in my life where I have constant accountability over my eating habits and exercise regiment. Not only that, but I am comfortable (and dare I say satisfied) with the way my body is. I am finally letting the phrase, "fearfully and wonderfully made" sink in. THANK GOD!! It only took like 7 years. I feel free!!

2007-02-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

Holy Moly!! I know everyone and their mom has seen this video, but I feel like I want to have a smidgen of a say on this. I can't remember when a music video has made me cry after the 700th time I have watched it. This video came out before I went to Africa last year and I remember it inspiring me. In a very small way I would say it contributed to my decision to go. Sarah McLachlan had just become a Christian before writing this album and she was obviously inspiring (if not convicting) people to get involved and help make the world a better place. As cliche as that may sound, isn't that what Christ calls us to do? She took initiative the second she found Christ to make a difference. I don't know if I have stood up that drastically for Christ the entire time I have been a Christian. Seeing this video, and the small amount of transformation truly visible in a public figure's life made me realize there is always more to be done to further the kingdom, even if you think you have it covered. However, yesterday I was listening to a discussion about serving and how God doesn't need anyone. He is perfectly capable of doing everything Himself without any effort on your part. I guess the struggle then becomes how much of yourself are you willing to give up for God to use, and how humble are you to not take any credit for yourself.

Can you tell I'm in the serving mood?? <3

Break Through vs. Break Down

2007-02-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

Preface: I have been horribly disgusted by feet since I was about 5 years old.

Yesterday was probably one of the biggest break throughs of my life. (which is kinda pathetic) I went to serve in Mexico, and because I had never gone with this ministry I didn't know what to expect. While waiting for logistics of the trip to be covered in the church office, I learned from my dear friend that there was a foot washing station in the line of free showers and new clothes. The funny thing was that she was praying all night for me to have to work that specific station, knowing full well how traumatic that would be for me.
So as we are setting up tents to give the Tiajuana dump children their monthly baths I noticed that only one station was not covered. (Side note, if anyone needs prayer, tell Sara Flynn. Apparently God does whatever Sara asks.) As you may have already guessed it was the feet washing station. The lady came by with buckets to sit on and socks to put on the girls feet. So Sara and I sat there washing feet for a good 2 hours.
The crazy thing about this whole experience was that not only did I not want to vomit the whole time, but I loved serving these little girls that had no one else in their lives (including parents) serving them. It's funny how God can take you out of your element and show you how trivial the supposedly "traumatic" things in your life are. So as much as I was dreading it, and as much as those girls were blessed by us going there, I was blessed a thousand times over. Not to mention I got to hear Sara give her entire testimony in sections to Earl. (Which I have heard a thousand times, but never gets old or less encouraging) All in all I think feet are becoming not such a big deal to me. For everyone that really knows me, that's a massive break through.

I don't know how many people know Philippians 4:13... but it reads, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I don't know when my strength magically appeared to wash a whole bunch of little mexican girls feet, but I know where it came from. :)

WOW

2007-02-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those days where it seems like everything you have worked for, prayed for, and dreamed of start coming together. When you can finally see the fruit of your labor, and when everything seems to make sense.

Today was one of those days.

That's all.

COPS ARRRGH!!!

2007-02-06T12:53:00.000-08:00

I now OFFICIALLY have 8 speeding tickets.

I was driving to school this morning and I got pulled over. I was pissed because I normally watch my speed on this particular area of Antonio. What made it even better was I had gotten a ticket from this guy before and he remembered me. So he was nice but he gave me a hard time. Anyway, I know I can't go to traffic school for this one because I am scheduled already to go next month, but worst case scenario is I might be getting my license suspended. I forget how many points I have on my record and I don't know how many points you have to have for them to take your license away. Another thing that makes me mad is that a whole bunch of 10 mile an hour violations shouldn't be a big enough reason to take someone's license away. I understand if I was going like 30 over or something, but whatever. And for crying out loud, I have already given the Sherriffs Dept like $2000 since I have gotten my license. UGH! Thats it. I'll keep people posted on if I am going to need to bum rides til I leave for Texas :-/

Convicted

2007-02-06T07:35:00.000-08:00

"These things i have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations; but be of good cheer, i have overcome the world." John 16:33

I read this verse this morning and it hit me really hard. I have been struggling lately with having "good cheer." As my web address says, I have been running myself ragged. All the things I am participating in are good things, but sometimes it's overwhelming. On top of all this I feel as though God has called me back to my first love of serving in the mission field. With my schedule, I have absolutely no idea what that looks like. I am going to Mexico this weekend to serve with a couple good friends. It has been so long since I have really served that I am giddy at the thought of giving up one day. I know it shouldn't be like that and I should find my strength and delight in the fact that nothing in my life is important, because most of it is worldly. Even though none of it is necessarily bad, it takes me away from serving others and spending time with God. I think that that in and of itself MAKES it bad. A devoted girl (who I love, but barely know) of 14 years old made me a list of 6 verses about worry before I came home from camp and she said that she just felt that I need them. She spent and hour and a 1/2 in her devotions one morning just finding all of them to give to me. So this morning I am convicted to be at peace and give of my precious time to the One who has overcome all the trouble in my life.

Football and Hockey Let-Downs

2007-02-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am very sad to say that both of my teams lost this weekend.

As most of you know I love football, but I don't usually pick a team to get behind. This year I REALLY wanted the bears to win. I got to see the first 5 minutes of the game. Everyone who watched knows that that was a wonderful 5 minutes for Chicago. As I drove home from camp I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. And I mean literally... I threw up everytime I changed freeways :( Anyway, I got a chance to call my dad 2 minutes before the game ended and learned that the game was going to end with no rememberance of how it started. Ben, Sara, Jeremy... I know all of you guys were rooting for Chicago too. Let me be the first to console you in our loss. (Btw I know I am lame)

Another horrible sports upset took place this weekend that I also did not get to watch. I cannot tell you how far my heart sunk when I heard the news. The Ducks got there butts handed to them by the Nashville Predators on Saturday. I still maintain that they cannot win a game unless I watch it all the way through. I was so sad. First, because nashville is leading the Western Conference in game points. And second, because this was our opportunity to pull ahead. The Ducks are now tied with the Detroit Red Wings for second in game points. I will try not to miss anymore games this season.

I am inspired

2007-02-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

So my best girl, Sara, has a blog and I find myself wanting to have my own online "journal." I tried to do it for a while on myspace, but then I figured out that they delete the old blogs after you reach a certain number. Hopefully this will keep me accountable to getting all my thoughts out. Hooray, for new things! And for those of you that know me... I will definitely be talking a ton about my boys in black and gold. GO DUCKS!