Say Tiffany

Long Overdue...

2010-05-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

But you're gonna have to keep waiting. I had an incredible time in Greece including the time I was invited to a Greek wedding, the time I saw lots of cool old stuff, the time I woke up to an incredible sunrise over the sea, the time I got eight bug bites on my face and when they healed, the time I had an allergic reaction to face paint. I want to tell you all of those stories and so many more but for now all I am going to say about Greece is that God is good (as always). Camp went off without a hitch and I have no doubt that lives were changed.

However, for now I thought it would be good to give a small update on my life and maybe write about Greece when I am a little more awake. When I got back from my extended trip to Greece (extended because of a volcano :-)) I only had a week left of classes and I was fretfully behind. I made it through and graduated with my Associates Degree in Christian Ministry on May 7th. It was a stressful couple of weeks but it ended in a super fun celebration.

The night of my graduation I found out that Multnomah discontinued my major and my fall plans were out the window. Since that night I have been waiting for summer and answers. It is exciting not having any set plans for the fall and knowing that the world is open to me. I intend to continue my education, I just have to figure out where. Super fun!

In these weeks between school and summer I have been working odd jobs around camp and spending lots of time with my family and friends. It has been really relaxing and rejuvenating. I needed these weeks before the summer craziness begins. Life is so good and God is faithful. I can't wait to tell you more about Greece and what God has for me next.

Greece!

2010-04-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving for Greece tomorrow morning. I get to help Hume put on a camp for military kids. I'm very excited and would love to keep you updated on our trip while I'm gone but I probably won't be able to so instead you can follow our progress here. Please be praying for us and the kids while we are gone. God is great and this trip is going to be fantastic!

Random Facts About Me

2010-03-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

- I always write in cursive because I think it is more acceptable for cursive to be illegible than it is for print

-I ache to travel, truly, physically ache

-I write papers on the day they are due about 90% of the time

-I feel like a wish on 11:11 should take a whole minute to make so I babble about the details of the wish in my head until 11:12

-I didn't know what to wish for on my birthday candles this year because my mom isn't so sick anymore and I don't remember ever wishing for anything other than her healing

-I tell people my favorite novel is Pride and Prejudice but it isn't

-I loved the color green before I found out it looks good on me

-I finally got tired of listening to Michael Buble all the time

-One of my favorite things about my favorite kind of cereal is that it looks healthy

-I have ear infections more often than not

-I'm allergic to strawberries

-I don't mean to smile all the time, it's just what my face naturally does

-I prefer driving alone over driving with others

-I draw, paint, write, and play piano but I don't show anybody because I don't think I'm very good at any of it

-I haven't owned more than two pairs of pants at a time for several years now

-I would choose a pen over a pencil any day

-My hair is actually curly, I straighten it almost every day

Month-In-Review

2010-03-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to start doing this every month in order to recap what has been going on without feeling like every event needs its own post. I would do it weekly but I don't think my life is interesting or eventful enough for that nor do I think I would be disciplined enough to keep it up. Anyway... this month...

Has been busy. I went to Bakersfield to have a meeting with the Greece team. I rode down with Janelle and it was really fun to meet everyone and see the team God has brought together. I got accepted to Multnomah which means I am moving to Oregon in the fall. I was hired to work Hume SD this summer as a lead. I'm a little nervous because I have no idea what I am doing but I am mostly excited for the new experience. I attended the Unite conference at Hume. It was such a huge blessing to see some of my dear friends and hear some really good teaching and worship. I went to SLO with my family (minus Evan) and we went to Hearst Castle, the Melodrama (where we saw "Lumberjacks in Love"), and went out on a glass bottom boat in Morro Bay. My brother got engaged! I love Bailey and I am super excited for them! I wrote 2 papers, 3 sermon outlines, gave 2 speeches, and did lots of math. I worked a little bit when I could. I started attending a Bible study with a 5 other ladies. We are going through the Beth Moore study "Why Godly People Do Ungodly Things" and I am quite enjoying it. I filled a whole journal for the first time in my life. I can't think of anything else but I think that is quite enough for one month.

My (very limited and inexperianced) Thoughts on Parenting

2010-03-17T23:59:00.000-07:00

Yesturday, as I was walking through Wal Mart, there was a young family walking in front of me. A girl who looked about four was not being a good listener. After being reprimanded by her mom the little girl asked for a hug. Her mother said "No. I don't want to hug you. You don't obey." For a moment I thought nothing of this and then as I pondered what this mother had told her child I saw a problem that plagues our world.

This little girl will forever believe that her mothers love must be earned through her obedience. This, I think, is a great tragedy because this little girl is being taught at this young age that love must be earned. As a child of God I know that this is not the case. God will never withhold His love from me because I am disobedient. In Romans 5:8 Paul says, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." While we were still sinners! Sin, anything that deviates from God's standard of perfection. I am so glad to serve a God who truly loves me unconditionally.

It broke my heart to have to acknowledge that in this world children are being brought up to understand that they will only be loved when they are good. I long to be the kind of parent who can correct my children when they are wrong while still displaying God's unconditional love. I want to be the kind of mom who can reprimand my four year old in Wal Mart and then turn around and reassure her of my love with a hug.

Now, I am nowhere near parenthood but I pray that when I get there I can remember this lesson. My parents have been an almost unflinching example of this correction in love philosophy and I pray that I may be too. The best way to explain how God loves us is to show it. I hope to always show God's love and when I fail I know He will still love me.

2010-03-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

I read some blogs and the authors truly share their hearts. Other blogs are simply an overview of life. I can't decide what I want my blog to be. I feel like I would rather write the latter because it is easier but the truth is that the more honest a blogger is, the more I desire to read their thoughts. I want to be someone who others want to listen to. In order to be that person I have to say something worth listening to. The only thing in my life that is worth listening to is the truth of God's work in me. I am nothing and he is everything. I am a prideful and selfish person who takes so much for granted but the truth is that I am nothing without Christ in my life. I am a wretch who deserves to be eternally separated from God and yet he embraces me in the middle of my failings and makes me holy. These are just some random ideas I thought I would share on this drizzly night.

Life

2010-02-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

The last 12 months have been the making of a huge year of change. I feel like I have not settled into most of these changes and maybe I never will. Not all has been bad but, of course, not all has been good (in my opinion).

God is in control. He knows what's best. He loves me.

I am probably the most blessed person in the whole wide world.
I have the best God.
I have the best home.
I have the best parents.
I have the best siblings.
I have the best friends.
I am surrounded by a huge community of love.
I have health and everything I need (and so much more).

I'm taking six classes this semester but I have more free time than I have any other semester. Weird, but perfectly timed.

I have a large handful of things that I am looking forward to.
Unite conference.
Family trip to SLO, Sac, or Magic Mountain (we still have to decide).
Greece.
Graduation (AA).
Summer in SD?
Multnomah in the fall.

Life is so good and God is so good. He has not only provided for me at all times but He has gone above and beyond in every facet of my life. Last year was a year of change and God got me through. He is so faithful and I am so thankful.

Life is good.

Life Happenings

2009-11-07T10:35:00.001-08:00

Sometime...

I stop.

This is one of those times.

It feels good for a moment...

but then I remember the things that have kept me busy...

Yosemite

Grey's Weekend

Talon's Baby Shower

Pause Halloween Party

Evan's 25th Birthday

High School Made Conference

and I don't want to be stopped anymore.

Busy Weekends

2009-09-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

I have been busy every weekend since I started school and there is no indication that this busyness will slow down any time soon. It has been wonderful! I spent one weekend here in Fresno when I first moved and since then I have been up and down the mountain or, once, down to San Diego.

First, I had wonderful Country Fair weekend. It was wonderful because my mom was the boss of getting all of the ladies in camp to make baked goods. It was crazy the night before the fair as all of the women pulled through and brought tons and tons of sweets to our house. In the morning when we took all of the snacks to the boutique I thought the gift shop ladies were going to have a heart attack. I don't think they were expecting so much. I was so excited for my moms success! Then Emma and Cody showed up! They weren't really planing on coming so it was a big surprise and treat to see them and spend the day with them. Last but not least, a pine cone fell out of a tree and hit me!!! It hit the back of my head pulling some of my hair out and then hit my shoulder. I had a big bruise!

The following weekend I went to San Diego to see my darling Katie Wood! I took the train which is one of my all time favorite things to do! I met an old Japanese woman at the train station before I left. We talked for a long time before my train arrived. She told me all about her family and meeting her (red headed) American husband during WWII when he was stationed in Japan! After this I sat with an old man who ignored me and tried very hard to make sure our arms did not touch (very funny). On the last leg of my journey south I was in a section of the train that seated four people and can I just say that I don't think there are four more different people. The conversation we had was AMAZING! When I arrived in San Diego I had the pleasure of spending a much needed weekend with Katie doing what we do best, talking. While I was there we got to see Little Shop of Horrors which was great. The weekend ended to soon as always and I had a quiet ride back to Fresno.

This past weekend I went to Hume and finally worked (I have been slacking). I feel like I never have enough time when I am home. I always feel like someone gets neglected because I just don't have enough of me. I wonder if I could design a me robot so I could be in two places at once.... Anyway, I loved seeing several friends and having some great conversations while also making a little money (very little) and spending some time with my family. It was a long weekend and not at all restful but that is ok. Oh, and I signed up for the Michael Buble fan club which I know is lame but at his next concert I will have better seats than you. ;-)

This wonderful weekend that is coming up is going to be one of the most fantastic weekends of all times. Emma is coming and we are going to watch all of season 5 of Grey's Anatomy and eat lots and lots. We will be lazy the whole time except when we dress up on Saturday evening to take Katie out to dinner. I cannot wait!

I feel like my life revolves around my weekends right now but really most of my life is spent here... at school. This is the pink and green room I was talking about. Isn't it great?

Finding Joy in the Little Things (and the big things too)

2009-08-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

As I was anticipating heading back to school I was finding myself very discontented. I do not like living in Fresno and as much as I enjoy learning I don't really have much love for this school. I had been struggling, trying to remind myself that I am doing this in order to be more effective (hopefully). I have been trying to remember how important prayer in and trying to foster determination to be a light this year at school. I met with Bunnie just before I left home and she challenged me to be in prayer more.

I headed down the mountain with my heart breaking (I love my family and my home) but determined to make the most of this year and come out of it with a broader and deeper understanding of God and who I am in him. As I drove the air turned from the cool refreshing mountain air to the oppressing thick valley air. I was feeling more and more sad and losing focus when all of a sudden I came around a corner and a cool breeze made the warm air feel welcome. The sun was reaching its orange glowing fingers through the trees and touching my hair as it whipped around my face in the wind. At that moment a song by Augustana that has a beautiful piano introduction came on. It was the perfect driving music. In that moment I saw the little thing that God was doing to make this transition less difficult. It was a perfect drive.

I am determined that this year is going to be wonderful. I will apply myself and come out changed for the better. I will lose focus but in those moments I am praying that God will remind me of my drive and all of the little blessings he has given me. That is my story, the thing I wanted to say.

Something to say

2009-08-18T22:23:00.000-07:00

I have something to say tonight. Nothing exciting, just a story. But I don't have the energy to make it sound nice so I will just wait until tomorrow. Good night world.

Obsessions

2009-08-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

Emily and I were discussing things that we love and at times have even become obsessed with. These are some of my favorite movies, tv shows and books. I could watch and read all of these all the time no matter what.
I believe that I have already established that I really like Grey's Anatomy. It is a new favorite but it successfully kept me and Emma connected and sharing our likes and dislikes so that makes me like it even more.
I love Jane Austen more than any other author! I love each of her novels and I read them over and over again. I never get sick of these stories. They are full of romance, silliness, sacrifice and family.
Friends is probably the most feel good show in the world! I love the silly witiness of the characters and its short shows make it ideal for watching in between doing other things. I love it!

Gilmore Girls is my favorite tv show ever! I watch it over and over again from start to finish. When I finish the seventh season I just start watching the first. It never ends for me. I love every one of the characters and I identify (to and extent) with Rory and Lorelei's relationship because it is a lot like mine and my moms! Love love love this show!

Harry Potter are fantastic books! They are well written and easy reads. The stories are entriguing and my whole family enjoys them so they bring us all together. I am currently rereading this series and I am loving it once again.

Meet Me in St. Louis is my all time favorite movie. It has been since I can remember. My sister and brother still grumble about the fact that I used to insist on watching it everyday after school when I was in kindergarten. I still would watch it every day if I could get away with it. It is all about family (which I think I have established is important to me) and sticking together no matter what. This family looks out for each other even when they are upset with each other. I love it so very much.

So, that is all I can think of. If you haven't seen Meet Me in St. Louis then you should. That is all I am saying. ;-)

Buck Up Tiffany

2009-07-22T16:16:00.000-07:00

I have felt very whiney lately. I just feel like whining about everything. I am usually a very optimistic and joyful person, and I still am, but everytime I go to write an email or blog or something like that all I want to do is whine. I should be kicked. I have a new goal to try and be more happy, even in my writing. I am going to try and think of all of the wonderful things in my life and be grateful for what I have. I am enormously bless and I should not be complaining. Aha ha ha! I will win!

Weddings and other fun things

2009-07-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

This is a fun season of life where it feels like there is a wedding or a shower every other day. This past weekend we celebrated the marrage of Brandon and Jessica Setter. I grew up with both of them and it was a joy to have all of our old friends back together to enjoy their marriage! My brother was in the wedding which made it extra fun. This weekend I have the priveledge of attending Erin Schlegels bridal shower which is going to be the bomb diggity because her sisters are the best party planners in the world and I am super excited! I love this part of life and I will be sad when it ends, just as a usually am when I realize I am to the next season of life. Ah well, such is life I suppose. Anyway, here is my favorite picture from the beautiful wedding day!

Freaking Summer

2009-06-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Summer is always crazy. It is less crazy for me this summer because I am working in the office instead of being a boss in food service. Less responsibility means fewer hours and a little less stress. Also, I am not running all over camp all the time so I am far less physically exhausted. Highlights of my summer so far are my morning walks with Alex Tilley. We walk around the lake almost every morning and while I know that the exercise is good for me the thing about it that I really enjoy is the fun talks that Alex and I get to have. It is a pleasure getting to know Alex again now that we are older and I am not her boss. Another fun thing that has happened this summer is that the Lilley girls all came up to visit! They were here for Jessica Daniels bridal shower (which was fantastic) and it was amazing getting to see them and spend a little time with them! I look forward to getting to see all of them several more times throughout the summer. My mom and I went to Fresno last week and she paid for me to get acrylic nails (because I don't work in food service) and we saw UP. So freaking fun!!! I love my mom. And last but certainly not least, my dear sweet Katie Wood called me two days ago to inform me that she is ENGAGED!!! I am so excited for her and Justin and I am praying that their life together will continue to be a blessed one!!!! Well, that is all. That is my summer in a nutshell so far. I hope you are wonderful! Love Tiffany

2009-05-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

I am feeling overwhelmed and blessed. Content and concerned. My life is wonderful and not at all what I ever pictured. My God does that a lot I think. I am back at Hume for summer now. I am working in the office doing something entirely different from what I have been doing for years. I feel inept because I am not used to not knowing how to do my job. I have to remind myself that they do not expect me to have it all down perfectly in the first week and that I can take my time and ask lots of questions and nobody will mind. It is good.

I love being at home with all of my family here. We all keep separating, moving on, and then coming back home because being together is so much better than being apart. I love them. They are messy and quiet and silly and do a million things that drive me crazy but I would not trade them for anything. They are the best and a wonderful foundation in my life. It is good.

Almost all of my closest friends are married or on the threshold of marriage. I am really enjoying this part of my life with my friends. I love being excited with them as they step into this new part of their lives and having the opportunity to come along side them in prayer and love when their new lives are proving stressful and difficult. It is good.

I am feeling overwhelmed and blessed but in the end the blessed feeling far outweighs the overwhelmed feeling. No matter how stressful life get, God takes care of me. He has filled my life with the most wonderful things and this morning I am remembering to be truly thankful.

What a Weird Day

2009-05-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

That is all I can think to say about this day. It was a super crappy day with bookends of awesomeness. I had my last final this morning and it went absolutely perfectly (meaning that I got an A). Then I talked with both Katie and Emma on the phone and that was lovely. I finished packing up and my mom and sister came to get me for a movie before I headed up the hill. As we were walking through Wal Mart (where we stopped before the movie) I received a call from one of the girlies at school. She was sobbing. She had been accused by one of our teachers of plagiarizing a paper. I know for certain that she did not cheat so I dropped my mom and sister off at Taco Bell and I rushed back to school to try to talk with the teacher and set her straight (in a nice way). She had already left when I got there so I sent her an email and we will see what happens there. I am praying my heart out that everything turns out well!

After I did all of this, I went back to Taco Bell and my sister had received some very bad news. I am not going to share the news but suffice it to say, we were both crying. I because of the plagiarizing incident and my sister because of her bad news. We all decided that it would be best to just get up to Hume as fast as we could so the movie was out. We went to the grocery store (which was actually a pretty fun trip) and then we headed up the mountain. When we got here we unloaded the groceries and relaxed for a few minutes.

My brother is speaking for Outdoor Ed this week so I went over to the chapel to listen to him speak. I was very early and had some awesome and encouraging conversations with Evan and some old friends. Then there was some excellent worship and finally my brother took the stage. I may be a little biased but I really do think that he did a wonderful job. It was decision night which means he shared the Gospel message. Whenever I hear the Gospel I am always reminded of what Tim Holzel told us in Joshua (ever single week). He used to say that Christians need the Gospel preached into their lives every day because we forget. When he said this to us I thought it was a load of Bull S*** but now when I reflect back on it I realize that Tim was absolutely right. I need to hear about how much God loves me and be reminded that Christ died for me every single day! I really needed it tonight and I had the pleasure of hearing it from one of my very favorite people who I respect above almost anyone else.

So, it was a very long and bizzar day, but it is over now. God is good. He is in control, He knows what is best, and He loves me. How could I possibly ask for more.

Moving Out

2009-05-05T11:14:00.000-07:00

Thats right! I have my last final tomorrow and then I will be heading back to Hume for the summer. I kind of want to get out of her quickly tomorrow so I am packing up my car today. While in the process of packing I came upon my first really good "college story". I live on the second floor at the far end of the hall facing away from the parking lot. This means that I have the farthest trek to my car out of everyone in the school. This is only significant because it means that I leave my car all alone with the trunk open for significant periods of time as I walk to my room to grab another load. I had placed several boxes in my trunk and went up to my room to pack up a few more things (leaving my trunk open). While I was upstairs my roommate and I decided that we were thirst and should make a little trip to the gas station for some soda. As we were leaving (in her car) I remembered that I needed to close my trunk. I ran over quickly and pushed it closed from the back side of the lid, not bothering to even glance inside. As Mallory and I were pulling into the gas station I received a phone call from Jerred (another student) who said that he thought someone might be in my trunk. Jerred is a bit of a prankster so I thought he was just trying to get me to come out to my car so he could scare me. I informed him that there could not be anybody in my trunk because I had closed it. He said "Ahh, yes there could. I am in you trunk." I, of course, began laughing. Jerred had climbed into my trunk with the intent of scaring me when I brought out my next load. His plan had been thwarted, however, when I closed the trunk and left the school. We were only a few minutes away so we rushed back to let him out. He was entirely unharmed but I do not think that he will be climbing into any trunks again any time soon!

P.S. Here is my packed-upyness!

One more week

2009-05-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

It has been an entire month since I last blogged. So April... at first when I was trying to remember what happened in April I couldn't think of anything and then I realized that lots of things happened in April. I counseled for the Jr. High Made conference at Hume and found out that I like working with Jr. Highers. I drove to Simi Valley and spent a long weekend with Emma and Cody, moving them into their temporary home and watching season 4 of Grey's Anatomy. I worked at Hume two weekends one of which was also my sisters 23rd birthday so we partied it up! I planted some little flowers in tiny pots in my window and they are actually growing (I didn't expect them to). My brother went to Israel (I realize that this is not something that I did but it was still significant to me). I finished up all of my classes for this semester, all I have left is finals. I registered for a summer class and for fall classes. I watched The Philadelphia Story with my mom (it is one of my favorites!). I helped my sister pick out her new pet bunny who's name is Rai. I don't think that I really did anything else that is worth writing on here but I suppose that this is enough for now. All in all it was a good month but I am glad that it is over. I am ready to have a week or two of not being quite so busy! I will try to be a little more diligent in my blogging but I am not making any promises.

Different

2009-04-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

This semester I am taking Intro to Lit. I really like this class (because it is an English class!) and Mrs. Voss is the best teacher at this school so it is rockin! Over the past several weeks we have been discussing poetry and in class on Monday Mrs. Voss had us each write a poem. I have never written poetry before and I was not excited to start but I had to do it. I was having trouble thinking of a topic and as I sat considering different ideas my hair fell in front of my eyes (as it often does) and I suddenly had my topic. Here is my poem...

Different

These tresses of mine in varying shades of red

Are far removed from my families head.

Brown like the dirt and trees that surround them,

Their hair and eyes are nothing astounding.

Green, my eyes shine like emeralds,

While mom and dads show depth in mahogany.

Nowhere near those earth tones,

My features stand out all alone.

A blessing or a curse to be so diverse?

My place in my family I must rehearse.

Never identified as belonging to those I love,

But always noticed beyond and above.

A blessing, I think, to stand out in a crowd,

That I might sing God's praise far and loud.

Now, I have never felt at all that I did not fit into my family but it did seem like a good topic for a poem. It is interesting though that I am the only person in my family with my coloring. My brother has blue eyes but other than that everything is brown, then I show up on the scene (last because I am the youngest) and I have freckles and red hair and green eyes! I am one giant recessive gene! I rather like it! Thanks, family, for letting me stand out! I know you didn't do it on purpose but I still appreciate it. P.S. This poem is broken up into stanzas but for some reason blogspot is posting it without the spaces. Whatever.

Antsy

2009-03-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

It is springtime and I am feeling the need to travel. It has been way to long. I have been so blessed in my relatively short life to travel a great deal. Traveling has gotten into my blood and on days like today I long to go somewhere, anywhere.

Israel Spring '07

Mexico Fall '06Switzerland Spring '06France Spring '06Germany Spring '05

I don't care where I go. I just love the change. I love the lighting being so much brighter because the ground is the same color as the sun. I love when the clouds engulf the mountains surrounding me and I cannot see what lies beyond. I love the snow coming down in drifts and the roads being cobbled. I love seeing trees I have never seen before and animals I didn't even know existed. I love having all of the stories I have read come alive as I see the places that inspired the writer. I just love to travel. I hope I can again someday soon.

A Very Long Spring Break

2009-03-23T18:46:00.000-07:00

I have been on my spring break for the last week and a half and it has been long. It is a spring break I will never forget. It was so jam packed with big things that I am finding it difficult to digest it all. It started with Unite weekend at Hume. 25 students from my class came. It was incredible fun to see them all and such a blessing to be able to catch up with all of them and kind of renew all of those friendships that are so dear to my heart. It was exhausting to be running around on a continual emotional high for days but it was wonderful.

Once the Unite conference ended my family made our way over to San Louis Obispo. We where there for three days to celebrate my 21st birthday. We stayed in a hotel where there was TV (which has become a novelty in my family). We went miniature golfing and toured Hearst Castle (which will be my home someday). We ate out and ordered pizza in. I was a really fun and relaxing time for our whole family and such a blessing to all get to just be together and not running in and out to work. So fun!

We returned home on Wednesday and had a relaxing evening together. The following day Hume announced Jeff's resignation. There were lots of phone calls and many prayers. The following day the Lilley kids all made their way up to Hume and I spent the rest of the weekend dancing between their house and my own. It was all very emotionally taxing and it will continue to be for some time. Keep that family in your prayer! I was beginning to feel ill during this time and on Sunday it became a full blown horrible cold so I stayed home for one extra day still hanging with the Lilley's and trying to get better.I returned to school this morning and while I am glad to be back to a bit of normalcy I have no desire to be here. It was a week and a half of severe ups and downs but I would take those severe ups and downs with dear family and friends over this flat plain of school all by myself.

Grey's Anatomy

2009-03-11T19:55:00.000-07:00

A week and a half ago I went to Simi Valley to visit Emily and Cody. Emma and I did lots of shopping and walking and talking and such all weekend so on Saturday evening we decided that Sunday was going to be a lazy day. We need a new girly movie to watch so we made a Target run to find something fitting. We were looking through the TV shows when we came upon Grey's Anatomy. Neither of us had ever watched the show but the first season was only $10 and then we would have more than just the two hours of enjoyment that a normal movie could afford. We decided to give it a try. As we drove back to Emma's house we joked that we were going to get addicted to Grey's and end up waisting a lot of money buying all of the available seasons.

We began watching the first season immediately and were instantly intrigued. We finished the first season the next morning and realized that we really were addicted. I returned to school that evening and the following day Emma and I both went out and purchases the second season. Now, less than two weeks later, I have finished the third season. We know ourselves so well.

Here are some of the many reasons I like Grey's Anatomy... It is somewhat real to life in that these people are certainly not perfect. In fact most of them are pretty stinking screwed up. Some of them are selfish and conceited. They don't always get along and they don't always make the right choices. The actors don't always look perfect and it is not just when they are upset but when they are just working. Their hair and clothes and makeup are not always modelesque which is very real to life because really, nobody always looks perfect. Most of the time I have no idea who to route for which is always fun. It seems like some of the people who do the most horrible things are actually better people then the ones who only do moderately stupid stuff.

The most wonderful thing about Grey's Anatomy (in my opinion) in Addison Montgomery. Addison didn't come in until the last episode of the first season but she won her way into my heart very quickly. She is a very complex character who has no real idea of what she wants or needs. She apparently became so popular among fans that they created a new show all about her called Private Practice. I have not watched it yet but I definitely will eventually. Addison is played by Kate Walsh who is beautiful and a fantastic actress. I love her.

In short, I love Grey's Anatomy. It is morally kind of yucky at times but I still really do love it.

Loveliest of Trees

2009-02-25T15:15:00.000-08:00

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now

Is hung with bloom along the bough,

And stands about the woodland ride

Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,

Twenty will not come again,

And take from seventy springs a score,

It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom

Fifty springs are little room,

About the woodlands I will go

To see the cherry hung with snow.

-A.E. Houseman

This is my mom's favorite poem. When we were in school my mom used to make my siblings and I memorize poetry. My mom has a passion for english and she wanted to breed that same passion in us. I didn't mind memorizing the poetry but then she would organize a poetry reading with all of the other homeschool families and we would have to recite what we had been learning. I really didn't enjoy having to perform but I suppose in the end it was beneficial because now I really don't mind talking in front of crowds and I have a comparatively extensive knowledge of poetry. I am grateful that my mother made me think harder then I would have liked. At one point during this period of my life I memorized "Loveliest of Trees" and it is the poem I remember best and is brought to my mind most frequently. As I said before it is my mom's favorite poem and now every time I think of it I think of her. It is quite lovely. So, there is a little piece of my heart.

Englands Best Kept Secret

2009-02-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

So I don't know how it happened but today I stumbled across a secret. Ok it wasn't really a secret and I am probably the last person in the world to hear of him but I am ok with that. It is Leon Jackson. Leon Jackson is a young singer who recently was the winner on the show X Factor. Leon Jackson's music is very much in the style of Michael Buble (which I feel I have already established I like). Leon Jackson is very young and his voice sounds it at times but for the most part he can croon with the best of them. His album is not available on American iTunes so I had to order it from amazon which was probably one of the most annoying things in my life. I really do like the instant gratification of iTunes and I have gotten so used to it that waiting has become very difficult. Oh well, I think Leon is worth the wait. If you haven't heard him yet then you should check him out!

Celebrities I Adore

2009-02-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Emma Rose posted a blog about her 5 favorite female celebrities and then told me that I need to post one about my 5 favorite male celebrities because I don't have a husband so I can still do things like that. It took me over a week to figure out who my favorites are and even now I am not really confident with my list and I couldn't narrow it down to just 5 but, here it is...

I love Michael Buble the very best! If you want to know why then read my blog about him that I posted last month. ;)I really like Joaquin Pheonix. I know that he is getting a bad rap right now because of his bizzar appearance on Letterman but really he is such a good actor. I have never seen him play a part badly and he chooses them so well. He is attractive but not in the normal everyday way. His face is not at all symmetrical and he does this funny thing with his shoulders all the time. He is interesting to look at and read about and a pleasure to watch.Then we have James McAvoy. I think that he has fantastic versatility and no matter what the character calls for he always delivers. He is somewhat new to popularity but he has taken off in a big way. He has a gift for choosing good rolls and he is quite nice to look at.Christian Bale has been my dear friend from the very beginning of my movie watching carrier. From his days of dancing around the streets of New York in Newsies and gallivanting in the woods in Little Woman to his constant forays in Gotham City, Christian Bale has always found his way into my heart. His talent has grown with his age and that is truly impressive. He shows more dedication to the art of acting than most and so I admire him. And we have the same birthday which is always a plus.Paul Bettany had my attention from the first time I saw him act. The first movie I ever saw Paul Bettany in was A Knights Tale. The movie was charming but it was made truly great by the supporting character Geoffrey Chaucer who was played by the virtually unknown Bettany. From then on I started to pay attention to Bettany's carrier and he has yet to let me down. Paul Bettany even got me to like Kirsten Dunst when he played opposite her in Wimbledon. Before that movie I had always found Dunst intolerable but with his help I loved her.Hugh Laurie has been thrust into American cinematic fame because of his starring roll in the show House and while I do love his character in this show my love for Laurie really began many years earlier when I first saw him portraying the ever so lovable Bertie Wooster in P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster. Hugh Laurie is my old man crush. He is an excellent actor and in every interview I have ever seen with him he is charming and witty which I like. He is great.Last but certainly not least is Hume Lake's very own Darin McWatters! His stirring performance as the evil guy in the Ponderosa opener Stand forced me to take notice of Darin and his blossoming carrier. Darin has continued to wow with his portrayal of some other guy in that other opener. Darin is truly one of the great male celebrities of our time.

Ok so Darin isn't really one of my favorite celebrities but I felt that the world needed to see this picture so here it is.

Emily Came!

2009-02-11T11:53:00.001-08:00

So on Monday Emily came to Fresno. Her husband had a meeting in Groveland on Tuesday so they were staying the night here in town instead of making the drive up there all in one day. While she was here she came and picked me up and we went and got some coffee and dessert at Applebees. It was such a lovely time. I miss my dear Emma Rose so very much. It was wonderful to get to talk face to face and catch up a little bit on life with someone who knows me better than anyone else. We decided that we need to do this more often so we are going to spend all of our money on having coffee dates together every other week ;). Also I have decided to move to Simi Valley immediatly so, it has been nice Fresno but peace out!!! Hahaha!!!

Lovely Clouds

2009-02-09T18:36:00.000-08:00

It poured down rain all night last night. I left my window open so that I could listen to it. I slept so well, I always do when I can hear the rain. I love it so much. I often think about moving to Portland or Seattle just for the rain.... Then today it was partly cloudy all day and as the sun was getting close to setting the clouds began to change. I loved watching the sky so much. It made this day even more perfect then it already was. Here is a glimps of it, although this picture doesn't really do it justice.

Music

2009-02-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

The weekend that I went to Hume for my birthday my mom decided that she didn't feel like driving me down the mountain on Sunday so she made me ditch class on Monday. I did not object to this plan but I also didn't have anything to do all day on Monday at home so I decide to find music. I went through all of my mothers CDs and picked out all of the ones I wanted and then spent the entire day watching movies and uploading CDs. It was pretty relaxing and now I have a bunch of fun oldies on my ipod!

Suprise!

2009-02-01T19:07:00.000-08:00

Friday was my 21st birthday and it was fantastic! My birthday has always been a very large celebration in our family and among my friends. I have always had the biggest and best birthday celebrations and the festivities are always spread out over several days. I always feel so well loved during my birthday. This year as I was turning 21 my family wanted to do something really special so they asked me if I wanted to go to SLO to celebrate. SLO is one of my favorite places on earth and so I was all for it. The only time that this celebration would work for our whole family is over my spring break in March so the partying was to be postponed until then. My mom was going to pick me up in Fresno on Friday and bring me to Hume and we would have cake and that would be all for now. It was going to be quiet and small and I was choosing to be content with that. Then, Friday afternoon I recieve a phone call from my dear friend Katie Wood. Katie lives in San Diego. She asked me what my dorm # was and I thought that was quite a curious question. Then she informed me that there were some DVD's outside my door. I was very confused for about half a second and then I realized that she must be out there. I ran and opened the door and there she was, my darling friend who I had not seen for 7 or so months. It was a wonderful suprise. We drove up to Hume together and partied it up all weekend Hume style. I felt very loved and special (and I still get to go to SLO in March, I am so loved!)

p.s. my cake had bumble bees on it!

This is what 21 looks like.

2009-01-30T11:16:00.000-08:00

Today I am 21. It is still early in the day and I will blog later about what happens by way of celebration but for now I thought I should let everyone out there know that this is what 21 looks like.

Pie

2009-01-29T14:54:00.000-08:00

I am the student body treasurer and at this school that means that I have to plan all of the fund raising events. So today I did a pie in the face event. All of the students voted on who they wanted to get a pie in the face last week and then today the people with the most votes were bid on and the highest bidder got to pie them in the face. I enjoyed it and we made $100 which isn't bad at a school that only has 25 students. My favorite was that one of our professors was pied. Pretty fun. And no Gabe was not the only student there I just like the picture of Professor Molter getting pied in the face and this was the only picture that I was in.

Oh Michael...

2009-01-28T11:13:00.000-08:00

I know that he is not a new phenomenon and he isn't even new to my music selection but I just love him so much. Not a day goes by without me listening to at least one of his songs. I enjoy his reprodutions of old classics as well as his original songs. Every one of his songs appeals to my emotions in one way or another and no matter what is going on in my life I can turn to him to have the song to fit my mood. I have also been to a couple of his concerts and while he is not necessarily the most morally sound person he is still an excellent entertainer. I really really love him! My roommate had never heard any of his music before I came to school last semester and now she has all of his music memorized just because I love him so much. His music can be played in any company without offending anyone and usually everybody enjoys it. This is not true of most of the music I, or anyone else for that matter, listen to. He just has such feel good music. I just love him.

Pretending

2009-01-20T14:40:00.000-08:00

No no little flowers! Don't come out yet! It's not really springtime, it's just pretending! It will only end in you being cold and fading! Don't fall for this cruel trick!

...and we're back

2009-01-15T15:31:00.000-08:00

I am back at school. Classes started yesterday. I think it will be a pretty good semester. It has been sunny and warm in Fresno, but not hot, which is lovely. I am not taking a math class so everything should be wonderful. Here is a picture of me at school. Note the wintery looking sunlight on my face.
Oh Fresno, sigh.

Lots and lots!

2009-01-15T15:26:00.000-08:00

We had a ton of snow on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. The day after Christmas I went to Fresno at 4am with Bunnie Gerber. We met Liz Daniels down there an went shopping. I am not really a crazy shopper but it is always fun to spend time with friends. On your way back to Hume the undisterbed snow was so perfect and lovely that we just had to stop and take a few pictures. Here is one!

A couple of minutes...

2009-01-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

I had a couple of free minutes after Christmas. I was on break for five weeks and I had to fill the time. I had no money so for the most part I just watched lots of movies and slept and read. It was lovely but I felt like a slug. On one of those sluggish days I had a wonderful idea of going to Fresno to see some dear friends before they left. I talked my sister into coming with me and we headed down the montain. We had lunch at Claim Jumpers and then we had coffee. My darling Katie (who left me for Disneyland) met up with us as well as sweet Corinne. Here we are at Starbucks. It was a lovely afternoon.

37 and 4 rats

2009-01-01T12:52:00.000-08:00

This holiday season is swiftly coming to an end. Time to update my blog. The family is all home in a house that is not quite big enough for all five of us but we have still been having fun. On Christmas Eve we had a big Italian buffet. We invite everyone on the hill and make lots of food. This was our first time doing the party in this little house so we were a little nervous about fitting everybody in but it all worked out in the end. When I asked my dad to count how many people were here (because he is tall and can see over peoples heads) he told me there were 37 and 4 rats (rats being small children, you know like rugrats). It was very fun and very hot and very loud! The best part of this Christmas Eve tradition is that we do not clean anything up until the day after Christmas. We put the food away but other then that we do nothing. It was super fun time. I didn't get any pictures of the soiree but my siblings and I did take some silly picture before the party so here is one. I hope your Christmas was fantastic!!!

It's Here

2008-12-13T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today...

...it seems we may have a white Christmas after all.

Who Says You Have To Go East To Get Color?

2008-11-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

This is the view outside my window this morning.

Mystery Piano in Woods Perplexes Police

2008-11-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

Ummm. This artical pretty much made my night. http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/11/23/massachusetts.piano/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Deffinently

2008-11-13T10:28:00.001-08:00

A reality.

Sunday Drives

2008-11-12T08:43:00.000-08:00

I spent last weekend at Hume and drove back down to Fresno on Sunday afternoon. I decided to leave in the late afternoon so that I would still have a little bit of light for the drive since I new that it would be foggy. I was going to leave at four but a few different things happened and I ended up leaving about fifteen minutes early. Normally fifteen minutes wouldn't make much of a difference and definitely wouldn't be worth writing a blog about but this fifteen minutes changed everything. I think that God allowed my afternoon to be a little more rushed than I had anticipated in order to get me on the road earlier so that I could appreciate Him more fully. Because I left fifteen minutes early I was driving right as the sun was setting. I was driving down the mountain at the same rate as the suns light was descending. It had been snowing that morning when I woke up but now the clouds were beginning to break and making perfect mirrors for the sun to reflect its colorful light off of. I didn't get to see one sunset that night. I caught a different sunset at every level of the clouds as they broke and came together again to obscure the sun. It was the most magnificent thing I have ever seen in my life (which is saying something since I grew up at Hume where every day is gorgeous!).

This is not my sunset, just one I found online. My camera was dead but in the end I am glad that I didn't get a picture because the picture would never live up to the glory of the real thing.

Maybe

2008-11-12T08:36:00.001-08:00

Just a thought.

College Days

2008-11-07T12:41:00.000-08:00

College Days is happening at my school right now. I feel bad trying to convince these people that this is the school for them when I am not even convinced that it is the school for me. I don't intend to stay here and yet I am being asked to tell other people that they will love it here. Its a lie... YOU PROBABLY WON'T LIKE IT HERE! I cannot say that. Maybe they will like it here. I hope they do. Now the question is... where do I belong? It obviously isn't here at this college. Is it at another college somewhere else? This is frustrating...where should I go and what should I do?

Camera Case

2008-10-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

My sister came to Fresno yesterday with some friends. On their way into town they picked me up and let me tag along. It was lots of fun and a nice little break. Now to the point, I got a camera for my birthday this year. My birthday was in January and ever since I received the camera I have been looking for a case for it. I can be a little bit pick about little random things and this was one of them. I didn't want just any case. I wanted one that said "This camera belongs to Tiffany." loud and clear. Finally as Margaret and I were browsing in Wal Mart (of all places) I found this case. It was the only one there but I am a poor college student and I couldn't justify spending $10 on something that I didn't really need (my camera has been living very comfortably in a sock for the past nine months). My sister just wouldn't hear of my not getting the "perfect" case so she bought it for me. I have such a loving sister. And now I have a wonderful green camera case that just shouts "Tiffany!"

Round-Tuit

2008-10-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

I received this in my mail box here at school today. I'm really glad to know that there really is someone at this school who obviously is an advocate of my not doing my homework.

My God Made This

2008-10-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

What did your god do today?

Super Cool!

2008-09-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

Katie MacDonald this is for you...

I think that you are wonderful and I love you a lot. I look terrible in this picture and I still posted it because I love you just that much and you are just that important to me!

Trying to be Content

2008-09-28T22:40:00.000-07:00

Smile

Fall

2008-09-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day of Fall. I love Fall. It is my favorite season by far. However, this year I am a little bit sad about it. Usually on the first day of Fall I would wear a comfy sweater and light my favorite candle. I would dring hot tea and read my favorite book with some lovely relaxing music playing in the background. This year is different. I am not in a place that feels the seasons. I cannot wear a sweater or drink hot tea because I would die. I cannot light my candle because the air conditioner blows out the flame when I place the candle in the only safe spot in my room. I have Michael Buble playing in my room but it is different without the soft Autumn breeze and the light murmer of campers. I may read but I am having trouble finding a fitting book for this moment because I couldn't bring my entire collection with me (I had to leave three large boxes of books at home :'( ) It is all different and very sad. I know that I am in the right place. I like school. I love learning. I enjoy the fact that I have taken the next step in my life. But today I am slightly morose.

My Math Teacher is a Moron

2008-09-16T16:52:00.000-07:00

So I am here at school and as you may have read above, my math teacher is a moron. Ok so he is probably really smart but he keeps making mistakes when demonstrating simple math for the class. I am continually correcting him. I have begun helping several of the student to make sense of the teachers nonsense. Oh well.

Other then math school is not so bad. I am taking an Old Testament Survey class. I was told that this class was very difficult but the teacher got married this summer and I think that he has gone soft because it has not been very challenging. It is a lot of reading but it is all interesting so I don't mind. I am taking a class called Christian Life and Witness. It is all about evangelism. The teacher had been leading Kids Evangelism Explosion (EE) for years so that is what he is using in teaching us. It is fun and silly and very easy. A class I do not really like is Elements of Bible Study. All it is, is pointless busy work. We do tons and tons of word studies in the Strong's Concordance which is fine but we are not really studying what we are researching so there is no real reason for the work. Oh well, easy A.

My fifth and final class is Written Communication. I have always hated writing. I could do it just fine but I found absolutely no enjoyment in it. The teacher for this class is Mrs. Voss. She is German and she loves english. Her passion and encouragement have made this particular class very enjoyable. I am finding pleasure in writing for the first time ever. Its kind of nice.

Other then class I am also the Student Body Treasurer. I was all but forced into this position and I resent it. However, I have decided that I will make the best of it and try to figure out what God is trying to teach me through it. I am not really loving this school as much as I had hoped. I enjoy learning and the people here are very nice but I do not feel that this small of a school really suits me. To quote Jane Austen I "find the society a little confined and unvarying." I will at least stick out this semester and maybe even the year but I will most likely transfer to a bigger school. We will see.

Well, that is me right now.

College

2008-08-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

I moved to Fresno two days ago. I am here to attend California Christian College in order to get my AA in Christian Ministry. CCC is a VERY small college (about 25 students) and only 8 of us live on campus. I have a roommate. Her name is Mallory and she is a senior. So far we get along very well and I think that we will have a very good year together. I start classes tomorrow and I can't wait (mostly because there is nothing to do if you don't have class). I miss home already but not so much that I could cry. I am looking forward to my visit in a week and a half and many more visits after but I am content where I am and glad to be starting school finally. Here are some pictures of my new room.

Sorry

2008-08-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

I have been remiss in my posting this summer. It was a very busy summer. Here are some of the highlights... I was the boss lady of both Hume N Beans and it was wonderful. I was truely blessed with a fantastic staff and an even better boss. We did weekly movie nights and a very fun trip to Fresno. When I wasn't busy with work I was usually busy with Emma Lilley. She is getting married in 18 short days and there has been lots to do. There were two trips to Simi and a few fun weekends at Hume with Emma and both of her families. That is pretty much all for my summer. Nothing to exciting but still one of the best summers I remember!

Hume N Beans (Meadow Ranch)

2008-08-19T15:55:00.000-07:00

I promised I would so here it is. A blog about HnB Meadow Ranch. It is a little later then I intended. Get over it. I love these girlies so much and miss them desperately.

This Is Jaqui, the lead and one of my absolutely favorite people in the whole wide world!

This is Mia and she is a NINJA!

This is Amanda. She is a lovely flirt.

All in all Meadow Beans was a very lovely place to be. I ofter found my salvation from Pondy Beans by stealing away to the Meadow. These ladies were wonderful to work with. Their hearts were great and I miss them all a lot.

Hume N Beans (Ponderosa)

2008-07-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

I am sorry for being remiss in my posting but it is summer time. This summer I am running both Hume N Beans. It has been really fun! All of the girls who work for me are amazing and I have been increadibly blessed with good attitudes and willing hearts. In this blog I am just going to tell you about the Ponderosa Hume N Beans girls. We will save the Meadow girls for another day.

This is Kellie and she is crazy!

This is Jocey. She is the lead and she is the coolest ever!

This is Mandy. She LOVES brooms!

This is Sheryl. She is our resident mom and she is fantastic!

Welp, thats them. You can see by these pictures how serious and dedicated they are to the service they provide.

Day off

2008-05-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Today I was off and I had the perfect afternoon. I sat on out swing in the back yard and read my favorite book while drinking iced tea. It was lovely. The only bad thing was the incredible amount of pollen in the air(my eyes were burning) and when the shade became a little to scares for my complexion. Here is what it all looked like.

Hannah Joy

2008-05-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

This Morning I got to hang out with Hannah Gerber for a few hours. We went to the sand and built a "beautiful sand castle" (Hannah's words). Then we played on the swings for a bit. After that we ate some crackers and then Hannah tried her hand at taking pictures. It was a fun morning.

Long Boring Days

2008-05-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Every single day I sit by myself in the coffee shop for hours and hours doing absolutely nothing of any importance. It is quite monotinous. It makes me think of that line in "Mansfield Park" "And life is nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings."