art.

My great friend Kathi Inglesby has inspired a project.

It's an art exercise. You take a blank paper or index card or whatever and create something.

Doesn't matter what you use. Just create something.

At first I was intimidated by it, knowing that I'm not a very 'out of the box' creative type. But a few of us gals are starting this project tomorrow. Since we are doing it together, it should be fun to see what comes from it. I plan on keeping updates at the the latest creation.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Lamentations 3:21-26

oh, hello real world.

Well, I'm back in civilization. Complete with cell coverage and shorter trips to the grocery store. The good news is I haven't locked my keys in the car or waved at every car that passes by. Life outside the canyon is all about adjusting.

Reflecting on the last year and a half of my life it seems to have disappeared. Sort of an 'out of sight, out of mind' type of scenario. In some way the canyon is much like Narnia.

Anyway, I'll accept my award for the {worst blog updater on the planet} later in the year. But only after not posting anything new for another few months.

What is new in my life, you may ask?

Well, here goes. I left Washington Family Ranch (or the canyon as I often refer to it) a mere 3 days ago. My seasonal position was finished and it was time for me to leave. Even still, I knew that it was right. It was hard to leave some things but other things I bid farewell with a nice kick in the shins. The worst part was saying goodbye to people who have impacted my life in a major way.

Life outside the canyon is fast. You have so many more options. Options for food, gas, people, stores and television. It's almost as if everyone around you is moving in 'fast-forward' and you are stuck in the middle of a crowd.

I'll catch up eventually. I'll remember where my cell phone is and know exactly how to get somewhere I've been a million times before. The fast pace will become my pace soon enough. For the moment, I'm in the job market and looking to start bakery school as soon as I am able.

The ultimate dream? To own a night-time bakery complete with a stage for kids showcase their band. Canvas art on one wall and photography on the other. Couches that you can sink into and not one coffee mug will look like the other. Each night some group of kids can feel safe and at home with their friends or their young life leader. This is the kind of place that I wish existed.

Someday, it will.

insert witty title here.

my boss stuck me in a garbage can because i wouldn't give him the packing boxes that i verbally claimed earlier that morning.

the best part? the workcrew that were helping in the kitchen thought it was so funny that they all got their cameras.

all the workcrew were grown adults.

awesome.

sleep.

sleep.

these days, i don't really get any.

the worst thing is that my eyes will be shut as tightly as can be and i will whisper to myself, "ok, now fall asleep. ok, how about now. alright, fall soundly to sleep."

nothing.

in other news, only 42 days until my next address change.

who knows what will happen then. who knows.

this is a photo of how i feel about not getting any sleep.

because you can't have more than 1,000 characters on a facebook wall post.

dear mom. i know i didn't actually get to talk to you ON your birthday BUT i hope you loved the song on your voicemail.

just thought you should know that i love you.

you tell me all the time that i won't know a mother's love until i have children of my own...but i'm pretty sure that you have taught me what it means to be a mother.

you are humble, self-sacrificing and most of all compassionate.

you give wise counsel to me when i ask and even when i don't.

you shower me with gifts and letters (and somehow they are at the PERFECT moment).

you don't take me seriously.

you love me even when i don't take myself seriously.

you have a mother's intuition and take pity on me when i don't see the train wreck that is up ahead.

you give until there is nothing left. and then you give some more.

you are a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother and most of all a woman who fervently and passionately seeks after the Lord.

know that you mean more to me than i could ever express and if i become half the woman you are...well, what more could a girl ask for then to become just like her mother. :)

happy birthday.

loves.

you have to ask.

Lately God has been at work in my life. Not only in my own personal relationships with other people BUT with those around me. Just this evening God allowed something to happen someone that I love. Talk about tough. It's hard to be on either end. The one receiving and the one watching it happen.

I trust that the Lord is doing something big and will bring this back to Him. Eventually this will glorify Him. If it doesn't...it's not from Him.

Would you pray with me for my home?

Lord, I plead that you bind the evil one from my home and those who reside in it. You are at work. I believe that you are bigger and MORE powerful than our circumstances. Thank you for allowing moments in our life that cause us to fall to our knees. <3, Your daughter.

MARCHing on.

listening to Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve. it's currently on repeat and it's fantastic. sure, it's old. the lyrics are odd but it suits me in this very moment.

i think it's the strings. seriously, orchestra and rock collaboration is powerful. if i ever become famous or have a band or what have you, i will have to have an orchestra. even if it's small.

in other news, i was recently sick. to the point of complete exhaustion. people asked that dreaded question, "are you feeling alright? you look so tired." you could also exchange 'tired' for 'terrible' and that could define the other half of the questioning curious bunch.

honestly, that is the last thing you want to hear, right? even if you know you look like walking death. you want to be sympathized with but not told straight out that you look awful. it dampers the already dwindling mood.

luckily, i went home a little early from work. slept about 8 hours. woke up for 3.2 hours. then i dreamt away another 10 or so hours.

i was a CHANGED woman. believe me, nothing could stop me. don't get me wrong i still sounded like a 47 year old chain smoker with a bad loogie but, i felt like 1.6 million bucks.

camp is busy. we've got group after group. which is nice but at the same time it means a change of pace. lots of explaining and lots of micro managing.

recently, my roommate robyn and i had a little excursion to the awkward shelf that sits above our staircase. this is proof that we have WAY too much fun.

canyon life.

I cannot tell you how many times I open up my laptop and try to think of something to write. Something to help you climb into my shoes here at the canyon. Something to give you a peek into what life looks like these days.

It's not much different from life in Washington. Yeah, it takes over an hour to get to the nearest grocery store and when we 'go to town' it means literally, we are going to town.

4 days a week I work in the kitchen. 3 days a week I hang out at home.

My roommates are pretty awesome. We like to watch ridiculous tv shows and tell funny stories. We laugh a lot.

The room I reside in is almost finished (i'll take pictures and post when it's all cute).

Our christmas decorations are still up and as a house, we've decided that they will be up until our live tree dies or we'll just decorate them for each new holiday.

That's all for now.