Going to the Chapel ....

and we're gonna get married!!!! :)

Pinch me....

I think I might be dreaming!!! In the past few weeks, my life has done a complete 180! I went from single, full-time student working as a nanny very part time....to having my OWN place, living alone, working a full-time REAL job that I LOVE and thought I could only ever get with a master's degree (soooo not true). Oh and to top off everything else that I'm trying to "learn" and figure out in this "new" life, I tossed a boyfriend into the mix. Its been a crazy few weeks, but I have been having the time of my life and just loving it! Almost daily I find myself thinking that its all going to slip away and I'm going to realize its all just been a dream... I have lived my entire life to this point PREPARING for the life that I wanted (basically what it is now) and now I get to actually LIVE it! Its just soooo crazy to me! Not sure life could get any better right now :) Well...it could. I could get a pay check any day now ha ha!

I got the job!!!

I am the new Employment Counselor at Resource, Inc.!!!!!! :) My first REAL full-time job!!! Which means...responsibility has fully arrived. Fun and scary all at the same time. I move Friday (to THE cutest little place!!!) and start my new job on the 29th...AHHH! Can't wait to start this new journey...but I am scared out of my mind!

Just over a year ago I moved to New Brighton and started a journey called Seminary. It was an exciting move full of new transitions and changes. I had my own place and was going down a path in life just for me. Little did I know how challenging and growing that "just for me" path would be. It didn't take long for me to realize that Bethel was not actually where I wanted to be and I started to question how I even got here...what lead me to this decision? The first quarter of school was really rough...overwhelmed with working too much and taking too many classes and not allowing myself enough time to process it all. Second quarter was better. My faith had really been challenged in Hermeneutics the previous quarter, but at least I had been able to adjust my schedule (fewer classes) so that life wasn't so overbooked all of the time. I had begun to come to terms with the fact that Bethel was where I was supposed to be. And that maybe I even was supposed to become a therapist! Third and fourth quarters I was still excited about all that I was learning and how it was all growing me in my own understanding of myself and just as a person. But then summer came...In all its sunshine and blue skies, full of relaxing days at the beach, processing life, and oh yes, did I mention volunteering? I have been volunteering with the church at which I previously worked. The volunteering was supposed to help me start trying out some play therapy and get a feel for if I could really like play therapy as a career. I thought for sure I would. While I'm not exactly trained in play therapy, and just kind of make it up as I go (with doing my own research and reading of course), I have realized that I just don't think play therapy is my thing. I love kids. But as a future mommy wanna be. I think that's it and I need to stop trying to make it more. So as I came to realize that play therapy might not actually be my niche, I started looking for some other volunteer things that, honestly, didn't really float my boat either....bummer. And then I came across a job. A full-time job which I thought I would very much like. And next thing I knew, I was applying not only to that job but to 2 other jobs where my good friend from college works. Within a matter of days, 3 to be exact (I applied on Saturday and got a call on Monday), I had an interview all set up!! And I soooo want this job!! While I don't know if I am exactly convinced that I 100% for sure do not want to be a therapist, I do feel like the Bethel season of my life may be coming to a close...at least for now? Maybe someday I'll go back (if I leave that is), maybe I won't. It's been good while it lasted. I am really keeping my fingers crossed and praying that I get the Employment Counselor Position or even the Mental Health Employment Counselor Position. Either one I think would be a great fit for me! And I want it sooo bad! And if I do get the position, then maybe grad school next year to become a school guidance counselor? I don't know. We will see! First things first. I gotta get this job!!! :) However....getting this job would mean leaving the 2 little people who have been my life for the past nearly 2 years....that will be hard. I don't even want to think about it.

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven" ~Ecclesiastes 3:1

Week in Review...

This week has literally been like Christmas in July!
Danced around the house to Frosty the Snowman and various other Christmas songs while nannying...all of Zoe's favorites! She wanted to play it...
And now...to add to the feel of 'Christmas' I have come down with a slight cold which started off as a terrible sore throat. The cold isn't too bad, but I feel like it is taking a lot out of me. I'm not supposed to get sick until at least fall! :( Boo.
However, I think this cold could be a symptom of my continued lack of balance...
My life has went from this:

Too much work...
To this:

Too much fun... Always on the go.
In a lot of ways I was thinking that to have balance meant to make time for relationships in my life. But now that I have made time for relationships, they have overtaken my life to some extent and not left any time for me and for rest and relaxation.

Instead of taking time to relax and bring balance to my life, I have been filling my schedule with country music...baseball games...and time with family and friends.
My view of the stage at Country Jam last weekend.

Even had a "Social Networking Hot Spot" Seriously!?! Can't people leave their computers for even a few hours!? Wow. That was funny and I had to document it :)

This past Wednesday I made a trip back to Wisconsin and went to an Eau Claire Express Baseball game...learned a thing or 2 about the game even!
My family...

The Express players warming up with some little t-ball players...or maybe little league players?

Me and my mommy-o

Cute little bat boys!

Lesson learned...the "Ks" hanging on the fence are not from some fans representing the Ku Klucs Klan with an extra "Ku" .... The K stands for the strike outs...the number of batters the team's pitcher has struck out during the game. NOT the number of players on that team that have been struck out. Good thing to learn! ha ha

Despite all my busyness, my garden has been doing great and bringing in 'slow moments' to my life.
My peas have arrived! :)

And my tomatoes are getting red! I'm thinking tacos this week to use up a few...


I only have a handful so far...

Goal for this week - rest more. play less. and still work hard. :)

Sunshine and Summertime...Dresses!

It is weird to think....but summer is almost over!!! :( It feels like it just started. Maybe it really isn't that close to being over, but my "Summertime Fun" list has almost been completed:

+Jonna's Wedding. Check.
+Sara's Wedding. Check.
+Amanda and Isaac's Wedding. Check.
+Stanley Rodeo. Check.
+Spooner Rodeo. Check.
+Hamel Rodeo. Check.
+Summer walks with Danielle and Blake. Check. But hopefully more to come!
+Joe Nichol's at the Northern Wisconsin State Fair with Amy. Check.
+Tubing with Small Group girls. Check.
+Country Jam with Jim. Check.

All that's left is:
+Express Baseball game with the fam in EC
+Laurel and Erik's wedding
+Minnesota State Fair


So far, it has been a darn good summer! Couldn't have asked for more. And I have been livin' it up in cute sundresses! :) Love it! So cool in this heat we have had too. And by 'livin' it up' I also mean I have been living at the beach...no I haven't yet taken up residency there, but I'm pretty sure "my spot" is on reserve ;) Gettin' my tan on that's for sure!

Almost time for fall, though, now....time to start my fall list! What fun fall activities do I want to make sure to get in??? Let the brainstorming begin!

Who's the King of the Jungle??

Who? Who?
Who's the King of the Sea?
Bubble, Bubble
Who's the King of the Universe? And Who's the King of me?!

Just taking a little trip back to my VBS days and my favorite camp song :)

But literally...my porch garden is starting to look like a jungle!!!

My tomato plants are growing out of the planter they are getting so big. And not just that, but they are as tall as the deck railing! I think I must not be pruning them up right to get them to stop growing. However, there are several little bunches of tomatoes growing! Most of which look like this:

Now, just for them to ripen up :)

My experiment growing sugar snap peas is also still in progress. I haven't been able to successfully get them to "climb" and grow up the deck railing....but they are growing and are starting to get a few flowers, so maybe peas will be here soon!


My basil is also growing like crazy! And....note to self for next year...one basil plant would probably suffice for this single lady. It grows so fast I can't keep up with using it! So far I have only added it to some pasta sauce for a chicken dish I made. Need to research some more ways to use basil.

I am now on my second crop of lettuce. Ate up the first little bunches already...at least what had been surviving the heat and rain. Another note to self: plant more lettuce next year. I also think I might arrange the plants differently in my planter next year.

Planter 1:
Peas by the railing (grow straight from seeds in planter)
1 green pepper (start seeds early)
tomato plant in the middle (start seeds early)
basil (start seeds early)
1 green pepper (start seeds early)

Planter 2:
Lots of lettuce (start seeds early)
flowers in middle (buy as plants)
tomato plant on side (start seeds early)

And there you have it! My lessons learned in gardening thus far! :)

What is the chief end of man?

I am currently doing a Bible Study with some girls titled Duty or Delight? It is all about how much our relationship with God is a duty or whether we allow it to be the delight that God desires for it to be. Doing the study, so far, has definitely been such a delight for me! It is very refreshing. Because I joined the study late, I'm still working to catch up with the rest of the ladies. Today, I'm being challenged to Eat More Bread and fill my deep hunger with satisfaction in my relationship with Christ. However, I also find myself challenged by a statement quoted in the study from the Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1674 asking "What is the chief end of man?" The world would tell us something quite different than what God wants us to know. God wants us to know that our chief end, the reason He created us, is to glorify Him [God] and enjoy Him forever! How freeing is that!? If you would believe this to be true, would you live your life differently? I know I would. And I am challenged by this today. My prayer is that we would all live lives that allow us to enjoy God and bring him glory...not just to enjoy ourselves and bring ourselves glory. We are missing out on so much when we overlook God.

Check out Tammie Head's study. I definitely recommend it!!


You can buy the study at Lifeway Christian Stores. Copy and paste the link below to order it online:
http://www.lifeway.com/Keyword/duty+or+delight+knowing+where+you+stand+with+god+member+book

God Bless!

Rise and Shine!

It's Morning Time!!

I think I heard this EVERY morning growing up. Followed by my shades flying up, letting in the bright sun. Oh and of course right after my mom told me to "rise and shine", she would begin singing this lovely song:

Rise! and Shine! And give God the glory, glory!
Rise! and Shine! And give God the glory, glory!
Rise! And Shine! And..give God the glory, glory children, of the Lord.

At time this generally would annoy me enough to get out of bed so that my mom would stop singing. But looking back, this honestly is one of my favorite and most special memories of my childhood :)

I'm still not sure that I could be considered a morning person. But one thing is for sure, there are definitely a few things I LOVE about mornings...especially in the summer!

1. Waking up on my own :)

2. Sitting on my deck with a glass of iced coffee and my Bible

3. Ending it all with a nice little run

It's gonna be a great day! Headed to the fireworks tonight at Mystic Lake Casino! There is going to be a free Diamond Rio concert before the fireworks start too!! So excited!


Hope you get to see some of these tonight :)
HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!
I can't believe July is already here....

I was at Target yesterday looking for a folding lawn chair, and guess what!? The summer stuff was getting packed up already and they were bringing out....the BACK TO SCHOOL DISPLAYS!!!! WHAT?!?! I just finished school for the summer ... :( Crazy!

Hip Hip...HOORAY!

Friday marked the end of the school year! FINALLY! After taking my ethics test...my class went out for a celebratory lunch at Big Bowl! I think it may be my new favorite restaurant....YUM :D

It was such a great year with these amazing people! SO blessed to be part of such an amazing class!

Also...in celebrating surviving my first year of seminary/grad school and in moving towards my personal and professional goals, I bought a keyboard today!!! Well, my wonderful mommy bought me a keyboard as an early Christmas present :) So excited to start playing...well...learning to play :) ha ha


I don't know why that one is crooked...but here is where my baby lays :) lol And yes. I am using a tv table as the stand...and a kitchen table chair. Want to make sure I really use this wonderful thing before I (or my mom :) ) invest too much in it! Hopefully I don't get a roommate!! ha ha Her bedroom keeps getting fuller and fuller!

Mary, Mary Quite Contrary....

...HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW??

So big and beautiful even in pots :)

Check out my awesome porch garden!! Loving it!

Planter #1 - 2 tomato plants, 5 Lettuce plants and some begonias.


Planter #2 - 3 green pepper plants, 2 basil plants, and 2 pea plants.


And look...here comes the tomato blossoms. Is that what they are called!?


I thought for sure my lettuce was going to wilt away and die...which it practically did at first, but I revived it! Look how lush it is now!! :)


Some close-ups of my other plants.
Green pepper up front, with peas behind.


Basil


Soooo proud! Can't wait to start being able to eat some of my fresh veggies!! I think I have found a hobby to help bring me some balance in life :) At least for the summer....

Excessive Heat and Pollen

Who would have ever thought it would be possible to have snow on a day that the temperature reached 104 degrees!!!! Not me. But when I was outside today there was fluffy white stuff falling from the sky....definitely wasn't snow, but it sure looked like it! All of those fluffs sure made me itch! Gotta love allergies.

Heading to nanny today, I knew there was an excessive heat warning for the day and that they were advising people to stay indoors in air conditioning if at all possible. But on a beautiful warm summer day you can't expect me (or young children) to stay inside all day! It was the perfect opportunity for water activities!! Too hot for the beach, but we spent the whole morning outside! Broke out the slip n' slide, kiddie pool, water ballons, and water guns! It was so much fun! Then this afternoon, when it was nearing the above 100 degree mark, we headed out to get the kids' hair cut. **Note to self: While I have never taken children to get a hair cut at a regular place, it just may be worth the $16.50 to go to Kids Hair where they get suckers and can watch a movie while they get their hair done. Not once did Zoe scream! I may need to try that trick while combing her hair at home! ha ha After the hair cuts we of course had to go for ice cream :) Good times! And cute kids!

Look at those messy faces :) Gotta love Superman ice cream!

Should have went with a cup for Jaden. He didn't quite get the concept of "licking" his cone and wanted to use a spoon instead.

Zoe and Chandelle love! <3


Check out those hair cuts! I think they look good! Zoe even got a pony tail! I love her hair out of her face!! I thought it was stressful enough getting MY hair cut...but being responsible for the hair cuts of 2 little people is pretty scary too! Especially when I have to report back to their parents!!


All in all, another GREAT day! I love my job!!

Wonderful Weekend/s Recap :)

It has been awhile!! School was wrapping up for the year over the past few weeks, so that took priority. However, SCHOOL'S OUT! FOR THE SUMMER! Well...sort of...I have one class for a week starting in a few weeks and then I have off until Sept. 26th. But I have already started the summer fun! My social life is definitely back in full swing!

Last weekend summer started with Memorial Day...even if I wasn't yet completely done with all of my homework! Don't worry. It got finished :)

Spent Memorial Day weekend with Jaden and Zoe while their mom and dad had an out of town date weekend. Friday night I spent with the kids at there house and we went for ice cream...in the rain! Quite the adventure. But the kids were great and didn't make a mess when we ate in the car :)



Saturday morning Jaden saw me blow drying my hair and later decided he was going to use my blow dryer to get an ant! It was cute! lol



The kids even helped me with the dishes before we left for the zoo with my grandma on Saturday! They were great helpers! And it was THEIR idea to help!!



At the zoo we of course had to get fun lollipops! I remember getting these as a kid and not really liking the taste...but still wanting one! These kids almost licked theirs all gone!! And they were a life saver for keeping them busy when the storm rolled through during our visit...




Luckily, we also got to hang out inside during the storm and watch the dolphins. They were Jaden's FAVORITE! I tried to get him to turn around so I could take his picture with the dolphin but he freaked out!! So all I got was the back of his head :)




Also got to attempt a picture of their cute faces in this submarine! Taking pictures of kids sure is a talent! One which I don't yet have mastered! lol


This was Jaden's face THE WHOLE DAY! He walked around saying "Wow! Wow! Wow!" And the only way I could get him to move on to the next animal was to say "Tell the ______ (fill in name of animal) buh bye, Jaden" And he would say buh bye!



Hanging out, waiting for the tornado warning and severe thunderstorm warning to expire so we could finish seeing the animals. They sure were troopers!


In addition to the lollipops, flirting with this little girl also kept Jaden busy :) lol


By the end of our visit, I was ready to sleep like this cute monkey!! What an exhausting but SUPER fun day! I loved every minute of it :) Actually, every minute of the whole weekend was great!!


Sunday we went to church and the kids were awesome! And then we came home and "fished" on the "dock" before heading to McDonald's for lunch and playing in the playland!!! So fun!




This past weekend was the REAL beginning of my summer...minus summer school.
Got to see my friend from college, Jonna, marry an amazing man! Such a beautiful wedding! Jonna was a gorgeous bride. LOVED her dress!! And instead of having a unity candle or combining sand, they tied together 2 branches (1 from each of their yards) in the form of a cross to symbolize they are the branches coming together being connected by the vine (God). Pretty neat symbolism! Didn't get very good pictures...but check 'em out!









After the wedding, I met up with an old college roommate who slept over. Such a good time! Lots of laughs were shared :)





I also got to meet my cousin's cute new baby boy! She has a SON! I forgot to take a picture because I was so busy marveling in his adorable self...But let me tell you! He is CUTE!!!

Well, that's all...actually a ton, for now. Time for the week to really begin! Back to work tomorrow. It's going to be another hot one...so bring on the sprinkler with Zoe and Jaden!! :) I sure love the excuse to be a big kid!