ah! how time flies!

I was chatting with my roommate this morning as I was getting ready to fly out the door and start my day at work when a piece of mail caught my eye. I stopped dead in my tracks and picked up the postcard sized "High School Reunion Announcement". 10 YEARS. I remembered that I had to leave, and heard myself say to my roommate "Oh my gosh, I am getting old!" Bless her heart, she yelled back "No you're not!" I had an hour drive to where I had to be for work, so the thoughts began to unwrap themselves. Honestly, I began to assess where I am at and what I have accomplished vs. where I thought I'd be. Milestones such as these tend to tempt us to do this. I had always figured that I'd show up to my 10 year reunion married and pregnant...perhaps on baby number two. I am nowhere close to this! Ha ha. If God so desires, I may get the chance of being in a somewhat serious relationship that is headed toward marriage by the time next June rolls around. God would have to start me on that path soon if that will be so. Is this a bad thing? No...it just reflects the fact that we may have our own ideas about how our lives should go, but God, being the author of our stories, usually overrides those for better ones. I know that God has the right timing for meeting the man I am going to marry and for starting the family I have always dreamed of. And there is no shame in not being at the place where I expected to be. Disappointment is a trap that the enemy uses to lock us into shame, and prevents us from seeing the blessings that God intends for us. I do not intend to allow this to enter into my mind simply because I am crossing a milestone. I am right where God wants me to be, and ultimately, I know that that is the best place I can be. So, ten year reunion, here I come! Wow, how time flies...

one of the guys?

One of my close guy friends made a statement to me today that made me think... "you are one of the guys"... Unintentionally this friend's statement, in a way, was an insult. As a woman, it is hard to reconcile the thought of being "one of the guys". It was meant as a compliment, to say that I fit in well with the guys and that they feel comfortable around me. And I love that. But the idea that ALL guys see me as such is not a thought I want to entertain, yet such a statement makes it difficult not to. I grew up with the guys...my dad and brother. My mom stopped playing an active role in my life around age 9, a critical time for a young girl. And so I became comfortable with being around guys and relating to them. To this day, that has not changed. However, as I heard this statement and tried to disregard its many meanings, it lingered. I am a woman. One who wants one of the guys to eventually recognize me as such. To find me beautiful and captivating. That is every woman's desire. And therefore, really, it is not ideal to be thought of as one of the guys, because those two are not congruent. It does not matter that this particular friend is just a friend...it is the idea that no guy will be able to see me as anything but "one of the guys" that strikes at my heart so deep. So, while I recognize the blessing that comes in the heart of that statement, I also recognize the arguments, and advocate that perhaps rather than using that phrase, I could simply be told that I am a wonderful friend. :)

almost fall!

It is almost fall time! Pumpkin lattes, lollipops, candles and yummy desserts are making their way into my heart as the sun sets sooner and the nights get colder. I am glancing over at my scarf and beanie wondering how soon I will joyously wear them. Soon I will smell fireplaces burning and see the trees triumphantly change colors as we progressively move through fall into winter. Explosions of orange will color the sides of the road as pumpkin patches abound. Glorious fall. A romantic season. A beautiful season, as things die to become new again. And I am just soaking it in. Cuddling and coziness, warmth and wonder, here comes the bountiful fall!


I love the fall season, as you can see...it kicks off as a fun-filled summer ends! I will leave you with a refresher on all the excitement that encompassed this last summer as I look forward to fall :)

Graduation for Carol, Aimee and Michelle! Yay!


New roommates! :)


Celebrating Emily, my favorite latina ever...












4th of July fabulousness/move in party for Estevan and the guys!






Camping!!!


Spirit West Coast- best K-Life crew ever :) /my birthday


love and marriage (awww......)

and last but not least.....


Giant slip n' slide for grown ups! (sort of...)

fun childhood memories

I spent the first few years of my life growing up in Burbank. It is where my dad grew up and where grandma and grandpa's house was. We lived on Verdugo St. which was right around the corner from the "jet" park- George Izay Park. I loved that park! It has a huge jet in the front of it, and I remember it had some sort of fountain pools and real wood playgrounds. They changed the park later to the plastic stuff...safety...pshaw. Anyway, my dad, brother and I would always yell "JET!!!!" at the top of our lungs when we drove by. Such sweet memories there.



And then there was the Jelly Bean Store. My dad loves jelly beans. I don't specifically remember ever going into that store, but just as enthusiastically as we yelled "jet", we would yell "JELLY BEANS!!!" when we would drive by. The picture below, I believe, is the same store with a new sign. For some reason, we were particularly excited about these two things and would yell them out in excitement.



We also made late night stops to 7-11 to get snacks for the trip home after visiting family once we moved to Oxnard. I usually chose a drumstick or funyuns and a soda (Pepsi). On those road trips, my dad would listen to some sports comedy talk show that would play sound clips of pig noises that would get my brother and I giggling!

I just thought it would be fun to take a brief walk down memory lane...good times!