In TENTS!?

So when talking to people about my camping trip, the most common question was, "You're camping... like in tents?" To that I laughed! I think there is something to be said about camping in tents vs. trailers or any other way. There is a sense of 'roughing' it, and being in the climate...
Needless to say, we camped in Washington so we experienced multiple different types of weather. Rain, Sun, Clouds, Wind... you name it! Just about everything but snow... (however just a little higher on the mountain there was some.)

We had a blast! The first group (5 of us) got to the camp site about 9pm on Thursday night, so we quickly set up camp and got a fire going! Then the guys pulled out a guitar and we sang tons of songs ranging from "This land is your land" to "We all live in a yellow submarine". (It's stuck in your head now, isn't it! Muah ha ha ha!!! My evil plan worked! ha! Just kidding, I'm sorry for that...)

Here is a picture of our tents... first morning....

We played tons of Tennis, catch, horseshoes, and went for several walks with Sadie (Keith and Paige's dog). It was so fun and Lake Tyee was beautiful (something I failed at getting a picture of...)

Below are some more pictures of our time...

If you look closely... there is dinner in that fire!!! (Poor Mans Stew - potatoes, onion, bell pepper, chicken, celery, and carrots! It was Delicious!)

Here's Paige! She was a trooper! She was on top of it when it came to the meals! She is making our first meal in this picture... Spaghetti!!! Mmmm

Sadie... Love this dog! Though sometimes a trouble maker, I always have a blast with her! We had some good walks around the lake together!

We had a competition for the best s'more. I believe this one was the first of many... but here you have it! Keith's s'more in all it's glory!

Our Spaghettie dinner over the fire! Red sauce with meat, noodles, garlic bread, hot water for hot chocolate and coffee! (It was raining and cold this day.)

There you have it! A snapshot of my weekend! I had a blast! We had a total of 8 people up there over the weekend (in shifts) and I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of people to spend it with! They are truely the best!

Now, I have less than 24 hours to go before heading to Malibu Young Life Camp with over 300 high schoolers, I have a lot to do! :)

Until then...



The 4th and More!

Last night was the 4th...

I really enjoyed my weekend with Friends and Family! I started my weekend off on Friday afternoon shoveling the rest of the river rock from my folk's house into a pickup with Keith and Paige. Then off to our Double-header softball game... Lost the first and won the second, then off to plan for our upcoming camping trip! Hopefully I can get some sweet pics up of that! :)
Saturday morning I was up and hitting to road early with Kristin for our Saturday Garage Sale trip! :) We tend to do this every couple weeks or so! We mainly stayed in Bellingham this time, but we have gone to Lynden and Ferndale in the past as well! There are always such interesting things at garage sales... ranging from furniture to clothing, to random household appliances and pets. I think the bonus is always to have a house selling donuts that early in the morning, accompanied by the sale being a fundraiser for a good cause! (A few weeks back we went to a sale being put on by 3 families that are adopting 7 kids from Haiti! How cool is that!!!) Anyway, Kristin found a few more "project" items and I got the enjoyment of driving! Can't get much better than that! :)
Small group at the Bascom's that night with Caleb, Jaron and Kristin! Sooo good! We are going through James and unpacking all the good stuff in it! I have learned so much since we started! It will be a few weeks now, but it will be good to finish up chapter 5 in a couple weeks!

Sunday morning was a fun experience! I was on worship team, but this weekend was a little different! The team was a little smaller due to the Youth heading to Summer Camp last week in Spokane, WA. So, the team was Jaron, Steve (Jaron's dad0 and myself. We are currently working on a song set as a trio in our spare time, so it was fun to sing together! We were able to spend the morning really focusing on harmonies and doing some a capella pieces too! Ohhh it was so fun! It was great to just take things back to a more simple way of worship! Less distractions and more focused time with Our Lord! Music to my soul, Literally.
Later I got together with friends (some old, some new) for a BBQ and some roasting marshmallows! Always a fun way to start off the month of July with having s'mores! :)

Monday... the 4th... there are so many things to think about... those who fought for us, those who are fighting for us, the freedom we have, the family and friends we share out lives with... so many things to be thankful for! I had a blast with my family for an afternoon BBQ and some ladder ball. It was nice to kick back and relax. Then I was off to Birch Bay to see the fireworks! Awesome night!

All in all, good time had by all!

Happy 4th Everyone!

Catching up a bit...

Do you ever feel like you have too much to do and not enough time to do it?
I feel like I have spent the last several months starting to weed out things in my life... (I have to stop there and say that all were good things that I LOVED doing, I was just doing too much)... and now I came to the realization today that, for me, this will probably never stop! haha!

I love being busy! Not the crazy-can't stop-can't see a light out kind of busy, just a life-full-of-stuff-people-on-the-outside-think-I'm-crazy kind of busy.

A few things to catch up on...

My brother is getting married in August and it's been super fun to be involved in the plans and getting to know my future sister-in-law better! She is the BEST! :) But with all the wedding plans unfolding, it makes me wonder... Will my time ever come? Am I doing something wrong? Do I even have time for someone if the right guy were to come along? For all these reasons and much more, I can truely only give it over to the Lord! My thoughts, desires and so much more only belong to Him! In that I can find peace!

In other things... My summer has begun and is fastly moving forward! I have a camping trip (or 2) planned with friends at Lake Tyee (near Concrete, WA) and can't wait to share what that experience is all about! It's at a property that my co-worker owns who has graciously offered it for me and whoever I want to come join! It's awesome! I get to check it out next week! Pictures to follow on that one for sure! :)

My softball team is up and running as well! We have a great team this year and currently hold a 5-1 record! Best yet I think! :) (however we have had the possiblity of 10 games, 4 of which have been rainned out... but they will be made up for sure!)

Next on the summer agenda, I head off to Malibu Camp in Canada in Mid-July with a little over 50 FHS students! Can't wait! I love it up there! The amazing scenery, the solitude away from life, the ever-changing hearts of the students, and the pure fun and joy the kids (and leaders) have while there! All that while being smack dap in the center of God's creation where the distractions are few! There are 27 girls (including 3 leaders) going so far and I am really looking forward to seeking lives transformed! :)

Well, enough of a catch up for now... I am currently waiting for my clothes to dry for work tomorrow then off to bed! But maybe I will just read another chapter first...

25th year of Vows for Life!

So... my parents had their 25th year Anniversary on September 20th! I know... I'm quite behind on blog posts... but here is a semi-recent one... :)

I got the chance to post their current picture and wedding picture in the local newspaper, along with a little something from my brother and I... It was fun to put together! Being a total surprise to both my folks... they were elated to see themselves that Sunday morning! They are both not the type to draw a lot of attention to themselves...

September 20th, 1985

June 2010

Love them so much! They have been amazing examples in my life, and I know my brother's as well! Thank you Mom and Dad for showing us how to live lives that are pleasing to God. You have set an amazing Godly example of how a true marriage should be... In Sickness and Health, for Richer or Poor, till Death... Love you!

So many things, So little time

So I began this blog, writing about all the things this year that I had committed to.. Sometimes getting overwhelmed I just want to head for the hills!

So many things have happened in the last several months... I thought I would be writing much more than I am now. Let's see...

A couple months ago I headed down south to Silverdale to meet up with Kevin and Kara... While there I started weighing my options... We took a mini tour of the area, seeing all the apartments available, and ministry oportunities were shown as well! I was able to visit the Youth Group that KP is running now, and had a blast! It was an awesome experience! I was given hope of a possible job opportunity as well! So many things to consider... ESPECIALLY when feeling over burdened at home, with A TON on my plate!

At the time I wasn't feeling overly confident in my Young Life ministry; with my girls and campaigners, with Club and connecting with students, and even connection with the other leaders on the team... it was all so new! I had upcoming responcibilities coming up with a wedding that I was going to be singing at... so many details to get through. The song choice changed multiple times! So many questions... What is the sound situation? (the church is not normally equipt with sound equipment) Will I be singing by myself or with someone? If so, when who? (then getting up enough courage to ask...) Then the whole practicing... There was also the whole worship team thing... there are 3 worship teams at GNF. I am on all 3, and co-leading one. Our head coordinator stepped down in December, and we found out that the step in leader is backing off the end of this month! What that means as far as commitment level, and scheduling... Work was getting a little crazy as well, with the economy as it is... Family stuff, with health issues was luming as well! I just felt like everything was caving in, and I couldn't do anything about it!

A week prior to the Silverdale trip, I started thinking about the Summit... The Summit is a Youth Pastor/ Leader conference in Yakima, and KP took a group of us a couple years in a row a few years back. It was an incredible experience each time, and I felt like I needed to be there again... I talked with KP when in at their house, and it was coming up within the next couple weeks. I got home and signed up rightaway! Next thing I knew, time flew and I was on my way!

I made the decision ahead of time that when I got in the car at 5pm that Thursday that I would not think about work, family, roommates, weddings, worship, or anything else looming back in Whatcom County for the entire weekend! The next couple days were going to be purely days and moments between me and God! I got the priviledge of joining my friends Eric, Savannah, Clayton and his wife, Corissa on the way there and back! Great, fun people to enjoy the weekend with!

The Summit 2010 was the best weekend I have had in a VERY LONG TIME!!! I don't know still if I can even put to words what happened there? I felt FREEDOM for the first time in years. I was able to have concentrated intentional talks with God, and was able to take a step back and really evaluate my life as it stood. I didn't have to ask Him any questions, I just allowed God to speak to me...

I returned home with a new sense of "weight lifted off my shoulders". Some people will know exactly what I talk about... My life was officially out of my hands and into God's. Believe it or not, it's a quite freeing experience! :)

I came home knowing that I was exactly where God wanted me for the next spit of time!

Watching God Work

Whoosh! It's been so long, and so much has happened...

My co-worker's double massectomy is scheduled for the 8th... things are getting a bit scarier. My co-worker called me a week prior and told me how scared she really was. She explained everything that was going to happen, and how as it was getting closer and closer the more freaked out she was getting. I sent her a "prayer email" and later on she specifically requested that I meet with her on the 7th to pray for her after work got out.

Wednesday Jan. 6th... I sent a phone call out for some work-related question I had. My Co-worker kindly answered it, and then wanted me to guess what she was doing... She said she was in the HR office and there was a bible on the desk... she said that she had just asked Jesus, "that if He could please let her, that if something happens, that He would let her come to heaven with Him..." I asked her what that meant exactly. She said she asked Jesus in her heart! I WAS ELATED! Talk about something to celebrate! I was so excited! I knew that the next day when the prayer was scheduled would be that much more special for her. I had asked several more people to join us then...

Something that I had never expected to affect me the way it did... I called our co-workers, our former boss, my parents and more... I told everyone I could think of! I was so excited! The next day... the 7th... An owner of the company, the CEO, my current boss, 3 co-workers, the HR, and my co-worker going for surgery all sat in a room talking about faith, and encouragement. All the things that the Lord has to offer her. She shared that she felt as thought a huge burden had been lifted. "Last night was the first night I have actually slept in over 2 weeks!"
We then had a very emotional but truly amazing God lead prayer for her... encouraging her and asking for God's protection... it was fantastic!

The next day, surgery went a little longer, but it all went well... she is now at home resting and getting better... healing slowly... but doing really well! Love it! She is an incredible lady! So happy and excited that she will be spending eternity with our Savior! YES!!!

So... after those things life is good! With the bits of time I have, I made a trip to Oak Harbor to visit a friend! It was great to catch up and stay with her family! Her daughter is so adorable! :) So fun!!!

Well, signing out!

Until next time~

Financial Peace through Coffee

Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Revised is being revisited! Yes, I said it! I have discovered that I need a little more discipline and a lot more savings! lol. Who doesn't? I took this 13 week course less than six months ago, but I'm already seeing a huge slide in the way I am handling my money!
**Example: I LOVE White Chocolate Mocha's. They come is sizes of $3, $5, and $6+. I like the $5 ones... ;-) What I am finding though, is that I enjoy more than one a day. Quite an expensive habit, if I say so myself!

So... through not saving, and making some outrageous purchases lately... I am unofficially, officially on a money strike! No more spending just to spend! Just enough to pay bills, buy food, and keep my car running!

Week one of Financial Peace University (FPU) is called SUPER SAVING... It's what I intend to do. Baby Step #1 is to get $1000 in the bank... ready, set, SAVE!

Here I go! Off to a good start... we will see what morning brings... :)

More to say later! Good night All!