Photos!

Here's the Castle from the view of the church's cemetary

This is the church I go to...morning prayer every day! I've become an Anglican, who would have guessed?

We went to the top of the Keep last weekend and the view is fantastic!

Here's the courtyard of the castle...and Victor!

We met up with Nikki in London and it was too much fun.

We took a bike tour around the city and it was so fun...even in the rain.

Me and Victor survived spending a whole month together...24 hours a day...non-stop...all the time...just the two of us

Another Bible lesson for Victor

As some of you may know, Victor didn't go to church when he was a kid. In fact, until he met me, the only time he went to church was for the occasional wedding. Every so often there are moments when he will say something or talk about a topic that has roots in Biblical stories but he doesn't understand where it comes from.

Yesterday he tried to tell me that "turn the other cheek" meant to look the other way.

I will use it in a sentence: I noticed that Victor was stealing a candy bar at the store but I turned the other cheek.

Right... so our little lesson consisted of me telling him that turning the other cheek was Christ's response to "eye for an eye". He had no idea what I was talking about. I love him.

I can't wait until I can upload photos

Yesterday we spent a beautiful day in Oxford and today is just as beautiful. But today we're doing laundry on base. We drove up to Croughton on Thursday to get some stuff done and pick up the mail.

Speaking of the mail: I got my first package from Knitpicks! I ordered some yarn, needles, a book and a pattern thing with magnets (this all excites me very much). So I've already cast on a baby blanket for my friend Beth and it's about 1/3 of the way done. I love my new needles that I want to be with them forever....ok, that might be a little overboard.

We move in to the house on Tuesday AND all of our stuff will be delivered by the end of the week too. Not that we have a lot of stuff but at least the place won't be so empty. What I'm really ready for is my computer. I would really like to download all the photos from my camera and start posting them. Soon...very soon.

WE FOUND A PLACE TO LIVE!! (no it's not the castle in the photo)

That's right kids! Today we ended our search of the perfect place to live. I didn't bring my camera so no photos yet (and I'm still working off of shared computers anyway) but hopefully in a few weeks you can see our house. It is the true British experience, let me tell you.

We live down the street from Portchester Castle (photo above or click here too) in a neighborhood that dates back to Medieval times. Our house, however, is not THAT old but it is quite charming and I love it!

Now that a house has been selected I am so relieved that I can hardly stand it. The owners are replacing carpet, painting and doing some renevations so right now it looks like total crap inside. But we love the layout and location so much that we decided to go ahead and get it off the market and hopefully sign the lease next week. Move in date will be in about two weeks but we don't even have any of our household goods right now anyway so it's not really a problem to wait a bit. So once I get the address I'll send it out to you all.

This weekend we're going to London to meet up with one of my friends from Camp Luther and it's going to be fantastic...yes, I already know. We're going on a bike tour of London on Saturday and there is a huge street fair on Regent St on Sunday I would love to go to.

AND I also found a church in Gosport that I totally love. We don't really live close to the church...actually, we live close, but I can't actually take a boat across the water to get there. I have to drive around the long way. But the Vicar is so cool and it's such a great community. Hopefully I'll be able to attend there or I heard there is a church on the Castle grounds too. It's nuts.

The fun of our in process

We're traveling this week to in process at various bases around England. First we're up by Oxford at RAF Croughton. And while I can hop on the internet for blogging and email checking, I can't log in to Facebook...seriously, what will I do?
Then tomorrow we head over to Lakenheath for more in processing fun. But not only will that be fun but we get to see our friends Jim and Jean while we're there! Jim has been a friend of mine since he first stumbled into the doors of Peace Lutheran Church as a lowly AFIT student and was immediately overtaken by the Hedlund family. It's a really long story BUT if it wasn't for Jim coming to church I would have never met Victor....it's a REALLY long story.
Today was also our first day to experience driving in England. We rented a car and it came manual (apparently you have to request automatic) and without blinking an eye, Victor took to it like a fish out of water! Ok, so it wasn't that bad and once you get used to the backwardness of it all, it's really not that scary. Of course, I haven't tried yet but maybe he'll let me drive on base. We pick up our car this week too so that will be strange to drive an American made car on the left side of the road.
So far I've been taking long naps during the day but sleeping well at night. Getting adjusted really takes some time. It will be a while before I can start posting photos but as soon as I get set up you'll see where we live from my point of view. However, we've been so exhausted we haven't even thought of getting out the camera.

We made it! And I edited the address because I had it wrong!!

Well kids, we're in England and it's fabulous! Yesterday two Yanks from Vic's office picked us up form the airport and really helped get us around. They live close to our hotel and showed us around Portsmouth. We went to the touristy area for dinner and mainly to stay awake. It was similar to the San Francisco Fisharman's Warf but also nothing like it. Maybe just the water part. And the weather is just like Seattle- yesterday it was really sunny and everyone was shocked and in love with the sun. Today is half as sunny (but the sun is still out) and big clouds. This is the EXACT opposite from where we just came from. I think we'll be suffering from weather shock more than culture shock.

Just to let you know, I totally forgot about where I was moving until I actually got here:
1) I live on an Island. Totally forgot that.
2) I live near the ocean. Totally forgot that too.
3) I'm the one with the accent. Yeah, it's not REAL until you actually get here.

So if you want to see where I live check out the official website on Portsmouth at http://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/
And as for now we don't have a place to live but we do have a post box. So if you really want to send us something use this address:
PSC 50 Box 541
APO AE 09494
It's the mail box we have on the closest base about two hours away. If you send something there it's just like sending it in the US so there is NO extra postage.

That's it from the Island. I'll be keeping more updates when I have internet at home.

Are we there yet?

So we moved into a hotel on Thursday night and I'm just about ready to get on an airplane as soon as possible. However, there is the flip side of not really wanting to leave so soon after moving here. I'm really just starting to make some good friends and saying goodbye just isn't fun. Victor was teasing me the other day when he said that I should just be mean to everyone so it's easier to leave. Ummmmm, I don't think I can do that.

The plus side of living in a hotel is that we have cable and we can watch the Olympics! But we don't really spend much time here so that makes a difference.

We leave on Wednesday at 1pm and there is still a lot to do. Once we get to England I have a feeling that my internet access might be limited so let's hope that I'll keep up with the blog....and facebook....and ravelry!! Arugh, I think I'm addicted.

Olympics 2008: I can't believe I don't have a TV

I just watched the Men's 400m relay on NBC.com and it was so amazing I can hardly find the words. I read an article about the win on Yahoo but then decided to watch it because it sounded too amazing. Tears were in my eyes as I watched the final 50m. And I wonder if I'm sentimental because I have some hard core swimmer friends or because I'm moving out of the country in a week.

Seriously, if you haven't seen it then you must now!

Just click here!

Ou est la piscine?

This one is for my cousin Molly who loves French. Also, I love Flight of the Conchords. It's a good match. And if you don't like this video then you might want to catch FotC on HBO and see why they are hilarious.

What are those photos about?

Ok, so I didn't really explain any of my photos. Here's what they are about:

The first three are of me, Patric, James and Mark on our canoe trip to the Cranford Canoe Club for ice cream. We picked up the river in their back yard (how cool is that?!) and headed down stream about a mile to the boathouse. What a life!

The Snicker's cupcake was at Dylan's Candy Bar in NYC. Too amazing for words.

Next I have a photo of James in Central Park where I taught him how to knit. He turned out to be REALLY good! Must be in the genes.

Then there is the crew hanging out in Central Park on a gorgeous day. Elisabeth had a friend in town from Florida and we had an adventure in the City.

The next two are from when my grandma Judy and I went to Ft Wadsworth on Staten Island. Of all the years I've been to SI I have never been there.

And here's grandpa at Staten Island Historical Society Museum. We didn't actually go in but we did walk around Old Richmondtown. Good times.

Finally, the Alice Austin House.

I wrote about all these places a few posts ago but now you can see what I'm saying. For more photos, I'll be posting them on my facebook soon.

New York (Jersey) Adventure!

I heart NY

It feels like forever since I've been here but really it has only been one year. Last summer: about the same time. The past few days I've been hanging out with my grandparents and it's been GREAT! They live on Staten Island and even though I've been coming here my whole life, there are things I did on this trip I have never done before. At the end of Hylan Blvd, a few blocks from their front door, is the Alice Austin House. I've always known that it existed but never checked it out until this trip. You can also see this house in the movie: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days....ok not the house but in the scene where he's teaching her how to ride a motorcycle, you can see a white picked fence in the background and a house...that's it! Then I went to Fort Wadsworth at the end of Bay St. also located very close to my grandparents house. It is right at the base of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. When my dad was a kid, my grandpa took him and his brother to watch that bridge be built. How cool is that? Also, we took a walk around Old Richmond Town and caught a glimpse of what life was like in 1780. I'm not sure when my family came over on the boat but I don't think they would have lived in any of these houses.

And since my grandpa got a new car, he let me drive all over the Island. We went up the hills and into neighborhoods I never kenw existed. And most of all we had a good time. I heard all the old stories over and over again along with a few new ones. Now that I'm married, my grandpa wanted to make sure I knew about the birds and the bees...a conversation I thought I would never have and not sure I ever want to repeat.

Now I'm in New Jersey visitng with my cousin and her kids. Tomorrow I'll go into the city and decided that since I have become a knitting fiend I'll check out the good yarn stores. So I emailed Kay from Mason Dixon Knitting to get some advice and she so brilliantly replied! Now I have a list of a few places that I'll be parusing tomorrow and see what I can come up with. I packed all the yarn and I'm running out of what I have stashed for the trip to England!! So, unfortunately (?) I might just have to get come NYC yarn. Good times.

Yes, we are total geeks

We love Alex:)

Mom's visit! (edited for Diane)

My mom came to visit us in Albuquerque and it was SO FUN!! I sort of used her trip to visit some of the places I haven't been yet and wanted to visit before I left the country. It's always so wonderful to be with my mom and she really knows me so well. When we went to church on Sunday everyone thought she was my sister...we've pretty much heard that for the past 15 years or so. When we were out on our journey through the Jemez Mountains someone commented that we looked like friends rather than mother and daughter. Well, actually, we are friends. She's the best!
We went to an Isotopes game, Chaco Canyon (what a drive!), Santa Fe Spanish Market, Jemez Mountains, Bandelier National Monument and various other places in New Mexico. It's funny because we really didn't spend much time in Albuquerque, I didn't even take her to Old Town or Flying Star!! Oh, well maybe next time.....

PS- the little girl who looks asleep (and believe me, she's not asleep) in the photo is my friend's daughter. We all got tickets to the game and it was a blast!

ONCE

Seriously, you need to see this movie if you haven't yet. It is fantastic.

Sad news for me, happy news for someone else

So after EXTENSIVE research, blood, sweat and tears, Victor and I have come to the conclusion that it will not be possible to take our cats to England with us. In our opinion: IT SUCKS
However, we are hoping to find a nice family who will take them in for about two years until we get back. There is light at the end of the tunnel but sill sad. Yes, we could ship them as cargo but it would cost us anywhere from $2000-$4000 and we just don't have that kind of money to spare for the kitties.

So if you know that deep in your heart you would like to take care of two precious cats for two years then let me know. They really are wonderful and I am so sad not to have them living with me for two years but alas, that's just the way it goes.

Casey

Definition:
Noun. A leather football.

Sentence:
"Hey Victor, pass me the casey! No the CASEY! Oh, just give me the damn soccer ball!!"

(this is assuming that "football" really means "football" and not "football")

Is Cheating really that bad?

Last night I did something I'm not proud of....I went to another knitting group in town. It just so happened that I found another group on Ravelry and they were meeting Monday night at a Flying Star I had never been to. So I packed up and headed out. I was a little worried that they might be boring because I didn't know any of them and knitters can be boring people. It just so happened that I liked them and had a great time! I felt a little guilty but it's not like I skipped my Tuesday night group to be there or anything sneaky like that. However, I do think that these two groups should collide at some point because I think they would really like each other.
It's just too bad that I'm moving so soon...then again, I'm moving to England so it's really not that bad of a deal.

Bucket Down

Difinition:
Verb. To rain heavily.


Sentence:
"We're moving from the desert to a land where it buckets down. Two words: light therapy."

What a weekend!

Victor and I hit the road this weekend and we didn't stop! Since I have never been to Southern New Mexico, we decided to use our three day weekend and see the sights! It was absolutely fantastic and amazing. I think my favorite part was White Sands. It was like we were exploring another world. The reason White Sands is white is because there is so little rain there that the gypsum (sand) does not dissolve into the ground like it normally would after it runs off of the mountains. However, while we were there, it rained!! How cool is that?


But the Gila (Hee-la) cliff dwellings were pretty amazing as well. They were built between 1270-1300AD. Now that is OLD! New Mexico is seriously one of the coolest places I have ever lived.

I thought it might be unbearably hot this weekend but it turned out to be great! The rain really helped cool things off and it was even humid. How crazy is that?!
This weekend I'll be heading to Dallas to drop off the car so it can be shipped to England. It might take up to two months so we want to get it there ASAP! It won't be long now:)

Victor Finally Got Orders!

It's official: we're moving to England.

I never thought this day would come:) I'm so happy that we get to call the movers tomorrow! Now only if I hadn't planned dinner I could have talked Vic into going out for some Prime Rib.

Other than that, I've been working on a hat and it looks fantastic. And have I mentioned that I'm going to miss my knitting group? Yeah, I am.

knitter's block

So I finished this hoodie scarf for Sandie (doesn't she look great!) and now I'm sort of stuck as what to do next. I really need to cast on some socks before I leave New Mexico or I won't have the Bitches to help me get through them. But I have to get a pattern first. Well, I'm at the point where my stash is getting bigger and I actually have a choice of what I can do next.

What to do next? Well, I really should be getting some work done around the house so let's cut this short:)

oh yeah

and my wedding photos are UP!

go to www.mergeweddings.com and you will see how wonderful Rachel is!!

Pass on the dancing love

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.


I saw this on my friend and wedding photographer Rachel's site and think that everyone should watch it. How much does this make you want to dance with everyone you know?

Bat in the cave

Definition:
Noun. A globule or lump of nasal mucus when visible up a nostril.


Sentence:
Victor, you've got another bat in the cave! No, you can't wipe that on me!


I think I'll be using this one a lot.

You know what?

I love my knitting group. Yes, people have made fun of me in the past for being in a knitting group before I turned 50 but that doesn't bother me. I love them. Maybe it's because they are my first. You know how sometimes when you try something out for the first time and it's so wonderful that anything else it just not good enough? That happened to me with yoga too. I had the best instructor in Berkeley and after that, everyone else just didn't cut it.

Although, it's a good thing boyfriends are not that way because that would not be very healthy.

Arse about /around

Definition:
Verb. To mess around, to waste time.

Sentence:
I need to get some work done instead of arsing around on the computer.

Learning English

Every so often I'm going to have a post about some new English words that I think I should learn before I move to the UK. I found a nice website that has words from A-Z! I'll begin with the A's and post some of the most important ones I can find. I'll post the word, definition and use it in a sentence.

Today's word is: Absobloodylutely : Adv. Absolutely.

I absobloodylutely love football.

Yes, I think I'm ready for the lot!

St. Joseph, with the shovel, in the front yard

St Joe went upside down in the front yard today to satisfy my Catholic half with selling my house. Will it work? I have no idea. Do I believe that it will work? With God all things are possible. St. Anthony usually helps me find the things I've lost so why not try St Joe? I'm all for the Saints!

Videos might be on their way soon!

Victor and I watched some of our wedding videos today and they are pretty hilarious! So hopefully we'll be posting some in the near future.

Other than that life has been pretty tame. I started a new knitting project the other day and realized that I had the totally wrong needles for it and now I have to either buy some new ones or just scrap the whole idea. However, I have a huge scarf-hoodie on the needles now that I definitely need to make a needle purchase for and I'm ready to get that thing done!

We're still sweating out the housing market so if you know anyone who wants to buy/rent a house just let me know...and I don't mean Nichole!

Tagged again...

Meme

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?
I was 19 and just finished my first year at Miami University (that's Ohio). I moved home for the summer and worked at TGIFriday's busing tables. My sister and I started hanging out more and I began to like her more. This was a random summer. I think I also went to see RENT for the first time that summer and now it's closing on Broadway. No, I saw RENT in December...10 years ago. I think I saw it again that summer.

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?
Get house ready for potential buyer visit at 1pm, wash truck and get it ready to sell on Craigslist (anyone need a truck?), go to post office, call my dad, and cook dinner:)

3) Snacks I enjoy:
I just finished a few fig newtons! But I also like to snack on cereal and frozen grapes.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
I would use all my money to help save Camp Luther from erosion damage!

5) Places I have lived:
In order of appearance: Florida, Arizona, New Jersey, Ohio, New York, Ohio, Luxembourg, Ohio, Czech Republic, Ohio, Idaho, the entire Eastern Seaboard, California, Washington, California, and now New Mexico! We're moving this August to England and there I will live for two years, that is the longest amount of time I have lived anywhere for over ten years.

Following a popular feeling, I am not going to tag anyone but if you want to let others know a little about yourself that would be GREAT!

We're leaving tomorrow!

It's been a great adventure and tomorrow we're heading home. I'll make sure to post more photos when I get home but I don't have the time or patience right now for uploading photos!

Here are some fun ones:)

This was the best red cake I have ever tasted in my entire life.

Mount Rushmore was really fun!

100th POST!

I wish I could make this post a little more exciting but I'm not. Today I'm sitting in Bozeman Montana at Victor's cousin's apartment. We're staying an extra night here and that's ok with me. This is a beautiful town and I keep telling Victor that we can retire here if he wants to.
We'll be back in Albuquerque next week and I'm really missing my Bitches on Tuesday nights. Hopefully, we'll be back by next Tuesday:) I went to a yarn store in Bozeman today and bought some local yarn and I'm totally stoked about knitting up a scarf and hat combo for my England move. I'm still working on a really cool project for my friend Sandie! And I also met another friend today that I'll see on Ravelry! I LOVE RAVELRY!!

I love family vacation but I'm ready to see my home again....or at least my house!!

I'll make up for the 100th post soon.

Cedar Point- Sandusky, Ohio

We made it to Iowa (finally) and I thought I would do some posting tonight before getting to bed. I don't have too many good wedding photos but I'm sure you'll see them soon enough. So here are some photos of what we've been up to.

Cedar point was fantastic! The lines were short and we rode a ton of rides. At the end of the night Calvin, Nikki and I rode the Mverick about six times in a row right before closing time. It was so fantastic. I think it was one of the best Cedar Point trips I've been on...don't tell my family:)

The in-laws at Cedar Point!! The weather was a bit chilly but we had a fantastic time anyway.
Katie and Victor with Calvin, Julia and Snoopy
Classic Cedar Point Photo!!

It was so fun to go somewhere old with new people! This really is the best amusement park ever.

Hey, I got married yesterday

YEAH!! It was so fun I can hardly stand it.
Now I'll be on the road for about two weeks so I won't have too much time to post photos or video but I will as soon as I can.

Apparently I was tagged to write out my ABC's. The hardest part will be finding others to tag....

A- Attached or single: Attached and getting attached again on May 25th
B- Best Friend: It's a tie: Victor and my mom
C-Cake or Pie: Death...no wait, I mean cake!!
D-Day: Tuesday is for knitting and I miss my bitches.
E- Essential Item: Oxygen
F- Favorite Color: All of them...that may not count but it's my ABC's so I'm going to say whatever I want
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears but only the ones from Germany
H-Home town: Ohio
I- Indulgences: Reading Harry Potter
J- January or July?: July, but only when I'm in a state with humidity
K-Kids: Nothing but trouble...right here in River City
L-Life is incomplete without: Oxygen
M- Marriage Date: I only remember because I have my marriage certificate in front of me...Dec 27th 2007. Oh and there is that other wedding we're having next week...May 25th 2008
N- Number of Siblings: 1 real sister: three step sisters: one sister in law and one brother in law who is married and so that means I have another sister in law. Fun
O- Oranges or Apples: I hate comparing fruit
P- Phobias or Fears: Tornadoes... no wait, dark clouds
Q- Quote: It's all ok in the end. If it's not ok, it's not the end.
R- Reason To Smile: Oxygen
S- Season: Fall: it's the anticipation of death that awakens the life in us all
T- Tag Three: Sarah ( Grace in the Chaos), Kellen (kellenvision) and Abby (Crafty as a Serpent)
U- Unknown fact about me: I can ice skate backwards
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animals: As Nancy said: God didn't put me on the top of the food chain to eat vegetables.
W- Worst Habit: Crabbiness
Y-Your favorite food: Red Velvet Cake...I've been dreaming of it as of late.
Z: Zodiac Sign: Scorpio


Well, that's me in an ABC nutshell.

Not Long Now

Time is going by like snails on a chalkboard! Yes, of course, there is much to be done for this wedding but still it seems like forever away. It's detail time and now that I'm in Orrville I feel that things are coming along at an even pace.

But it has been raining for the past week and if it wasn't for the beautiful day we had yesterday I might not have any hope of good weather for the big day. However, I am glad I prepared for it to rain the whole day so as not to get my hopes up.

Remember when I asked if anyone heard the phrase "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb"? Well what about "April showers brings May flowers"? So...when to the showers stop? We've got the flowers at least:)

I met with the DJ yesterday and rather than wasting my precious gas in the guzzling truck, I decided to ride my mom's bike. It was a fantastic day and so fun to get out on two wheels. I miss riding my bike. That was my only form of transportation for a few years back in seminary. After my meeting I decided to ride over to my grandparents house but on the way I rode past Orr Park and remembered what it was like to swing again. When I was a kid we would go to Orr Park when visiting the family and it was such a wonderful place to be a child. They have so many things to play on with swings, teeter-totters, slides, and the very fun Orr Pool. It made me think of how I want to live in a small town when I grow up. Orr Park is the center of town and when the weather is nice, it's the place where people from the whole city gather to relax. You just don't really get the same feeling in the suburbs.
C'est la vie.

Updates...

Well, we're at the two week point for the big day and I think that things are coming along fine. I'm getting down to the details and making sure everything gets done will be my final task. But I have some fun photos from my trip to Toledo to share so that's what this post is all about. Enjoy!

Neil's Graduation in Bowling Green!!

Hanging out with Melissa in Toledo! We went to a Mudhens game...I would have made Klinger proud:) Toledo is really a nice place to be, no matter what John Denver says!

Dinner with the Zimman Family...proof that what goes around comes around.

Ok, so I only posted three photos!! The rest are on my camera and maybe I'll save them for next time! I'm living on other people's computers for a whole month and it's really weird.

I made it to OHIO!

Well, it was a long drive but I made it to Ohio. It was fun to be on the road for a few days but I'm ready to stay in one place for...oh wait, I'll actually be traveling around Ohio for the next month too. At least I'll be in a few places for days at a time rather than just an evening. Some highlights of the trip were:

• Custard at Culver's
• Dinner at Bob Evans (oh, I miss Bob!)
• The St. Louis Arch (but I didn't get to have a go)
• Getting the honeymoon suite on my first night in OK City
• Getting gas in OK City for $3.35
• The smell of FRESH CUT GRASS!!
• Grass in general
• The sound of a train going by
• Farms
• Trees
• Being in Terre Haute the same night as Hillary Clinton! Ok, that wasn't such a big deal
• Rain
• Singing across the State Lines!
• Seeing my friend Melissa
• Driving along the Maumee River
• Seeing RIVERS:)
• Humidity

I took some videos that I want to share with you but I don't have the energy to post all of them right now. I might be able to give you one as a foretaste of the feast to come. This is by far the longest and most extensive of the videos but it shows just how bored I was.

PS- I almost forgot how much I LOVE humidity. I am so weird. But really, I love breathing in water vapors and feeling like I just stepped out of the shower ALL DAY LONG!

Office parties

I've never really worked in an office but I live vicariously though the TV show on Thursday nights. However, if I ever actually worked in an actual office, I would hope that it wouldn't be as uncomfortable as the one on TV.

It's so fun to have Office parties with my friend Cyndi:) We started the tradition in the fall and then the writers strike hit and we just didn't have the motivation to pick something else to watch. Now it's back and we're having fun on Thursdays again. Of course I did force her to go to the baseball game with me on Monday...I'm such a good friend! HA!

So the girls from Stitch 'n' Bitch (or as Victor likes to call them: the bitches) threw a joint wedding shower for me and Paula last Saturday. It was pretty freakin' fantastic!! Man, I tell you something, I sure am going to miss those girls when I move away from here!
We had a darn good time and I even got to invite friends who are not knitters:) It was like two worlds colliding. Here are some candid shots that aren't so candid.

Me and Paula with our ribbon bouquets. The Bitches

These are my "other" random friends who probably thought the bitches were crazy! Well, actually we are.

Have you ever

Have you ever clicked on the "next blog" button at the top of the page? I did it today and it's interesting to see different blogs from all over the world. It makes you feel pretty small. I wonder how many blogs Blogger actually hosts? And of those blogs, who keeps up with writing entries on a regular basis? How long has the oldest blog been around?

So many questions, so little time.

I stole this one from Sarah

Everyone loves to move!

1. How many times have you moved? When was the last time?
About 25- this includes moving twice a year in college and grad school. It has almost been one year since the last time I moved which will almost be the longest I have ever lived for about 10 years.

2. What do you love and hate about moving?
Love: Getting rid of all the junk I have collected!

Hate: Settling in a new place, especially when it's a place where I don't know people.

3. Do you do it yourself or hire movers?
I've always done it myself but now that I'm "in the military" we get to hire movers! I feel so spoiled.

4. Advice for surviving and thriving during a move?
It's always an adventure! After all these moves, I still don't have any advice.

5. Are you in the middle of any inner moves, if not outer ones?
I'm sure my inners move every day.

Well, maybe my answers weren't as interesting as I thought they would be but I guess they'll do. And soon we get to do an international move! Haven't done that for real yet.

For Sale

Anyone want to buy or rent our house? Anyone...anyone...Bueller?

FAN-TAS-TIC

The Lost and Found concert on Sunday was so awesome I can hardly stand it! It was so cool to see a packed house in Albuquerque. I would say there were about 7 churches represented. It was so good to see the guys again and I remember how inspiring they have been in my life. How crazy is it that I have been a fan of Lost and Found since I was a sophomore in high school. And now we pass on the good times to even more people.

Sandia with Sandie!

Today I went to the top of Sandia Peak with my friend Sandie! It was so fun and she was the perfect person to share this adventure with. Neither of us had been to the top before nor had we ever been on a tram. We had lunch at the High Finance restaurant which moved us up a class bracket at the same time. Here are some of the photos from our trip.This would have totally freaked out my mom but I was doing just fine. It was the going back down that was the scary part!

I think Sandie was having a good time but she looks a little frightened in this photo.

Sandie played this one safe

I, however, did not listen to my mom when I was a kid!

And the tram shall lead us home!

Our mountain top experience was a success! Unfortunately we didn't get to have a snowball fight but maybe next time. Yeah, Albuquerque is so cool!

Does this say anything?

Here is a photo of the door I hung in the bathroom today. Do you think this gives you a clue as to how focused I am on the task at hand?

It's been a while

I haven't posted for some time now and it's funny because I'm not sure what to post about!
Here are some things I have been up to:

I recently had a conversation via email with a friend about heaven and hell.

Wedding planning is good.

I'm finally putting the bathroom back together.

Tomorrow we're having people over for dinner: I invited Cyndi and Victor invited Scott but we didn't really know the other invited the other so now it's two instead of one. Strange?

The Office is new tomorrow (therefore I invited Cyndi over for an Office party)

We're getting the house ready to sell/rent...know anyone that wants to buy/rent?

Now I'm getting back to WORK!

I couldn't stand the pink anymore

so I changed the blog color again.

Christos Aneste!

He did it again! I tell you, every year he rises from the dead, and this year it didn't fail. I wonder what would happen if Jesus just stayed dead one year? I highly doubt that would happen...ah, our ritualistic lifestyle. Sometimes it makes me ponder what life would be like with out extra seasons.

My brain is fried...literally

I spent the day painting the bathroom and I'll have to say it looks pretty good. Of course I still have a lot of work to do putting it all back together but the dirty work is more than half over. I would have taken photos of my progress but Vic took the camera to Denver this weekend and I didn't feel like using the old one. I'm just lazy like that. But not lazy enough to let the bathroom go to shambles. Now I'm just wondering what to do for dinner. I'm pretty much exhausted and cooking does not sound like a good option for me. Hummm....Flying Star? RIGHT! I still have my gift card to use up:)

I think maybe I'll tackle all the clutter in the office tonight...or maybe go to the Easter Vigil service at 7pm...

It's sort of weird to think that I don't have to go to church if I don't want to. But if I go then I'll get to have that sense of community that we all long for. On the other hand, I'm really on a roll. I think Jesus will understand. Maybe I'll listen to some Jars of Clay or watch Saved! while I'm working. Last year I remember going to Cassie and Jessica's apartment for...I think it was Good Friday....to watch Jesus Christ Superstar. It is their tradition rather than going to a service. It was fantastic and Victor was there so it was even more fun. Especially when he would say things like, "who is that guy?" or "what are they doing now?" or "why do they keep singing?" Oh, that's the community I really long for: neighbors.

Almost a record!

Today is March 19th and this whole month I have not left the state nor do I intend to for the rest of the month. I think this is a new record for me! I was thinking of heading somewhere for Easter but I feel that it's time to just stay put. Plus, Vic is out of town this weekend (starting today) and that means I can get a lot of stuff done:) Not that he gets in the way of that but at least now I won't feel guilty for knitting or sewing while he's home. And I have a lot to do!

Plus, I'm going to have Easter dinner with friends I don't get to hang out with much so that will be fantastic! Do you have any Easter traditions?

Spring Cleaning

I decided to change the colors of my blog to help bring in the season! I didn't want to go with the typical Spring pastels so I thought I'd get a little funkier.
Hope you like it.

Wedding Shopping

It's funny to think that I'm getting married because I'm not a big shopper. Today my mission was to get shoes for my feet and a strapless bra for the dress. I usually don't buy stuff unless I really need it and even then I try to be as thrifty as I can. However, today I put all that behind me and said to myself, "Self, get what you want!" So before I headed out I looked on the internet for everyone's favorite sustainable shoes: Simple. I found that they are available at Dillards and I just so happen to live next to a mall. And since our car desperately needs to get registered (dang Montana DMV!) I decided to walk to the mall. Of course it was a gorgeous day and I would have walked anyway. The funny thing is that malls aren't usually something people walk to and the parking lot can be a scary place!
So, I bought my shoes and I love them! Here are a few photos:

They are made out of recycled material and the bottoms are old tires. How cool is that? There was a small selection so it was nice to not be overwhelmed when trying to make a decision. I asked a few ladies around what their opinion was and they looked at me a little weird when I said I'm looking for wedding shoes.
I think I'll pass on any photos of the strapless bra. Maybe another time, if you're lucky! HA!

You need to watch this video

This is a video by my friend Griffin House. This song always gives me goose bumps.


Griffin House: I remember video

A few of the petroglyphs

I was telling my step dad Carl about our hike today and he said that he wanted to see some petroglyph photos! I don't know what any of them mean but they sure are neat. Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

It's a girl world!

Today I took the big kids and little kids hiking at the Petroglyph National Monument. It was totally fun and fantastic! The weather was great and we had a great time. Of course, it wasn't all girls...Steve came to help drive and help out. I had no idea where we were going and it was one of those times where I kept thinking to myself "I should have checked this out first!" But we all had a good time and no one got hurt.
It's great to hang out with these kids and give them a broader view of the world than just the four walls of our church. This photo is of us at the top of the "mountain" which, technically, was over a mile high (above sea level). Of course, when you're starting at 5,000ft, you don't have much to climb.
The most wonderful thing about a trip like this is seeing how many girls are having fun with their friends from church. I'm honored to be a part of nurturing the future adults of the church and to help them realize that it isn't a boy's world anymore...it's just the world.