The Life of Kamorama

low carb...low fat...low sodium...low sugar...and on and on and on

2011-08-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

One thing that I have always had trouble with is what set of guidelines to use for myself when deciding what to eat. There are so many diets out there and almost all of them direct you to cut out whole groups of foods. What I have come to discover is that while every body reacts differently to food, when it comes down to it, weight loss occurs when you burn more CALORIES than you eat. But, it's not as simple as just eating less, because most people run into a problem when they do this - they get hungry! The power foods are those that are low calorie, yet high in protein or fiber because they keep you full longer. My favorite go to foods that stay true to this concept are yogurt (Greek is the best because it has double the protein of regular yogurt!), apples, cheese (in small amounts), beans, oatmeal, and jerky (beef or turkey). Another great thing about these foods is that their portions can be easily controlled. I am all about eating a serving size or less. I feel like these foods keep me from the snacking that adds on pounds and they are all healthy choices!

Exercise

2011-07-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

These shoes look just like mine. I love that there are so many options out there to choose a pair that fits your style and personality!

This is a no-brainer, but I think people avoid this aspect of health because they can only see it being accomplished if they are one of those runners you see on the side of the road, or a guy lifting weights in the mirror at the gym, or a full-on swimmer, cap/goggles and all. Most of us aren't talented in one particular sport, at least I'm not! My commitment that I've made to myself is to do at least one form of physical activity per day, specifically for the reason of moving my body. Another thing I've learned is, if I wait to join an exercise class until I'm "comfortable" I will never get there! I'm not the most athletic, coordinated, nor do I look "pretty" while I'm exercising, but I'm learning that the gift I'm giving myself in improved health is worth any insecurity I feel.

I've enjoyed the variety that classes at my local gym provide me with. Some things that I've liked doing recently:

*walking outdoors, around a lake or a set track so I know how far I've gone
(Rancho Santa Margarita lake is 1.1 miles!)

*step aerobics with weights incorporated
(S.E.T class at 24 Hour Fitness - if you have a membership check it out!)

*kick boxing/dancing - I look like a fool and sometimes even stop moving completely to stare at the instructor with my mouth dropped open, in hopes of just maybe understanding one more move that she's doing
(Turbo Kick Box, 24 Hour Fitness)

*swimming laps or "running" across the pool
(so refreshing in this hot weather and the water gives you great resistance, burning more calories, yet easier on the joints!)

My main reason for writing posts about this is to keep myself accountable - I figure if I'm putting my thoughts out there, I need to maintain my attitude. So get out there and exercise with someone - meet someone at the gym for a class (trust me, it is SO much easier to try it the first time if you go with a friend), go for a walk, turn on an exercise video, do SOMETHING! Replace a bad habit with this great one. Ask me about how I'm doing if you like! :)

Starting Anew

2011-07-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

I don't expect anyone to read this as I haven't posted on here for 2 years. I kept coming to my blog and seeing my last post about Ginny, and not wanting to move on from it. But so much has happened, and she's with Jesus, so let's move along. I am going to refocus my future postings on health. Physical health, emotional health, spiritual health. The things that help me to be healthier or the things that I aspire to do to help in these areas. Should be fun!

Bittersweet

2009-11-14T10:51:00.001-08:00

Today was our first pastors' wives breakfast without Ginny. I miss her, a lot. I felt like I needed to set a place for her at the table, and save a seat for her on the couch. I made her cinnamon rolls in honor of her. They were good.

Another recipe was a new one - a breakfast torte. It's layered inside with ham, cheese, grilled potatoes and onions, and egg and parsley, all wrapped up in puff pastry. I think it's a keeper! You can see the outside and inside down below.

Breakfast cooking down, a few graduate papers to write, lesson plans to organize, loads of laundry to do, and hopefully a nap is on the horizon.

Long time no see.

2009-06-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

Future highlights of my summer:

1. Hawaii - a parent of one of my students owns a condo on the big island in Mauna Lani. She offered it to us to use for a week and we're really excited! This will probably be the nicest vacation we've ever had. Oh wait, besides our honeymoon 5 years ago this is the only other real vacation we've been on!

Things I'm looking forward to in Hawaii: going to the seahorse farm, staying in a nice condo, having reserved beach loungers on the beach, seeing the volcano erupting, and a lot of other things.

2. Not going to work - so being a teacher is paying off now. It is so nice to work so hard, especially at the end of the school year, and then have the summer off. I need to think of some projects I can work on so I don't get bored!

3. Washington DC - Adam has to go to a conference in Maryland in August and I decided I would go with him and we would spend a few extra days in Washington DC. I am looking forward to visiting the Holocaust Museum and a few other Smithsonian museums. We also want to go to the Arlington Cemetery because Adam wrote the music for a self-guided headphone tour there! I'm looking forward to using public transportation there - I know people who live there may be annoyed with it, but here in CA it's difficult to use so I think it will be fun to experience it.

4. Baby showers and births - many friends are having babies these next few months and I am excited to meet their little ones. All of them are girls except for one that I'm not sure about. (I think/hope it's a boy!) I threw a shower for a friend that turned out so awesome! I will post pictures soon.

Hopefully I will get back into this soon! I got a Flip video camera for my birthday so perhaps I can make some videos of things that lots of you have wanted to see pictures of.

Hasta for now!

Crack of Dawn

2009-03-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I treated the kids to a little ice cream party while we watched the recording of our annual Christmas musical.

I had dropped something underneath a table and had climbed underneath it to pick it up. I was wearing a clingy shirt that day, and thanks to the lower and lower rise of pants these days, I felt slightly drafty back there. I figured nobody was paying attention - they were all laughing at the video.

All of a sudden a loud voice booms across the room:

"Mrs. Green, I can see your butt!!"

Oh my goodness. Shock. Utter embarrassment.

My cute little autistic student comes closer to me and says in the same loud voice:

"Is it okay that I said I can see your butt?"

I said to her more quietly:

"That's fine, but next time maybe come over to me and whisper it."

One of my boys hears the conversation and says with a huge grin,

"We're all family!!!"

Yikes. Kami will make sure there are no wardrobe malfunctions ever again. :)

Come to this event!!!

2009-02-25T14:35:00.000-08:00

Watch Pathway's Video

2009-02-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

We just got our new promo video up on our website. Take a look - I think it's fabulous. If you know anyone who might be interested in a school for kids who learn differently/ mild-moderate special education students in the Orange County area, send them to my blog or give them this link:

http://pathwayschool.net/

No alcohol allowed

2009-01-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

The other day, one of the girls in my class was telling me she was scared because she had to get her blood drawn at the dr. that afternoon.

She comes back the next day, proudly sporting her bruise.

Girl: And guess what?
Me: What?
Girl: My doctor said I can't drink alcohol.
Me: Well, of course not until you're old enough.
Girl: No, he said not even when I'm 33.
Me: Why?
Girl: *serious face* He said it will kill my brain.
Me: Oh.

I love the way adults explain complicated things to children with special needs. It shows such creativity.

Whoopee Cushion Boy

2009-01-09T22:08:00.000-08:00

If you don't know who I am talking about, read my post a few back titled "December"...

Every morning for the first 15 minutes of class I teach social skills. The kids are grouped according to their levels. On this particular day, one of the teachers needed me to cover her class (the lowest level). So I had double kids in my classroom. I was asking the students from the other class what they were learning in social skills. Names have been changed, of course.

Anna: We have been talking about personal hygiene.
Me: Oh, that's great. Somebody tell me something they have learned.
George: Well, you should brush your hair every day.
Lisa: And wash your hands after you go to the bathroom.
Me: What else? Fred? (whoopee cushion boy)
Fred: (said with an incorrect pronunciation of "r")Well....*long pause*...you have to remember to brush your teeth...*devilish grin across face*...so your breath doesn't smell like HECK!
Entire Class: HAHAHA

Each day is awesome. I love my job.

Need a butt-kicking?

2008-12-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

Read this book.

"Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. You can find it at a Christian bookstore, at Borders, at Amazon...pretty much any of those book-selling places.

Amazing. I can only read one chapter at a time. Be prepared, this is not a "feel good" book. Read it if you want to be challenged in an enormous way.

Out of the mouth of babes...

2008-12-10T15:44:00.001-08:00

I think I got that saying right. However it goes, something happened today that made me think of that for sure.

So I'm teaching Bible class, and we're studying the disciples, one by one. Right now we're on James the brother of John, and how they are both referred to as Boanerges, meaning Sons of Thunder. Anyway, I asked the question, "Why did Jesus come into the world?" and the students had verses they were looking up to find the answers in Scripture.

The first girl (let's call her Susie) was looking up John 3:17.

Me: So why did Jesus come into the world? Susie, read your verse.
Susie: "I have no husband..."
Me: Wait a second Susie, are you sure you're on the right verse?
Susie: Oh, I was on John4:17. Whoops.
Sheila: Jesus had no husband? Jesus is gay?

So much for teaching on James today. The whole class erupted with laughter and I had to repair the damages caused by Sheila putting that idea into anyone's mind, regardless of the fact that she was joking.

My, my, my. Mrs. Mean Green had to come out. Who is that, you may ask? Take a look:

December

2008-12-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

I'm baaaaack!

I'm sorry I've been away for so long. Things have been busy. We have been getting our new house set up, taking care of two wild and crazy dogs, Christmas concerts, school play, teaching, seeing old friends, weddings, funerals...you get the picture.

School is going great. God has been preparing me for this school since I got my teaching credential in 2004. I waited so long for a job, and almost got one several times, but now I understand. This school is a perfect fit for me. Working with special ed kids is so rewarding and uplifting. I appreciate the challenge :) I have many stories to tell. Here's one for now.

We're at science camp in the mountains and the kids are playing pool and foosball. Another teacher and I are supervising them.

(Fred doesn't say his "r" correctly...read it like so)
Fred: talking about a whoopee cushion...
Me: Hey Fred (I changed his name), what's a whoopee cushion?
Fred: I'm not sure. I don't really know how to explain it
Other Teacher: What color is it?
Fred: well, kinda orangeish
Me: Well, what do you do with it?
Fred: you FART on it! haha

These kids make me laugh so hard. It's amazing to be able to teach them about the Lord and to grow alongside them.

Yoda is getting as cute as ever. Here is a video of her and I playing...

My First Day of School

2008-09-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday was my first day in 5th and 6th grade. Teaching it, that is. Last Sunday I got to meet all the kids at a picnic. Here's a conversation I had with one of them:

Boy: Hello Mrs. Green, I'd like to bake you a cake.
Me: Oh Joe (let's just call him that), that is so nice of you.
Boy: Um, but what is your favorite flavor?
Me: Strawberry.
Boy: Do you like whipped cream or vanilla frosting?
Me: Vanilla frosting.
Boy: Good choice.

Then he walks away. Yesterday around lunchtime, the secretary said she had something for me. She takes me to the teacher lounge and opens a bag. There is my cake! Joe really did bake me a cake, and it said "Welcome Mrs. Green" on it, with a green shamrock on it. Today we ended school early and all the kids (there are only 30 or so) got a piece of cake. Joe came to give me the first piece of cake, and it toppled off the plastic plate onto the ground. Joe reaches down with his very grubby hand, grabs the piece of cake and smooshes it onto my plate, then hands it back to me. "Here you go," he says. I then had to have a talk with him about when things drop on the ground, you shouldn't eat them, or more importantly, give them to someone else to eat.

Wasn't that sweet though? Joe is cute. He isn't even in my class and he made me a cake. We'll see how nice he is to me in math - I'll be his teacher for that.

All in all, after a lot of tears and anxiety, the first day is over. So many things are happening in my life right now - mostly all wonderful things, but it brings a lot of stress. I do find rest in knowing that God has me right where He wants me to be, though.

Happy 50th, Crayola!

2008-08-21T23:39:00.000-07:00

Crayons have been around for 50 years this month, says Real Simple magazine. I took a quiz on their website, to see how many of the crayon names in the 64-crayon box I could match correctly - I got 22 out of 64 wrong on my first try, just because of the silly Kid's Choice crayon colors - who remembers colors like celebrity purple? See how you do...I got them all eventually, but only 42 right on the first try. Gotta love those crayons!

http://www.crayola.com/promos/64boxBirthday/index.cfm

Escrow...sweet escrow

2008-07-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

So we're finally on a roll with our new place. Here's a picture of the front of it. Isn't it pretty? I am so super excited about it. We had our home inspection yesterday and there is nothing wrong except a dirty air filter! Praise God for that, because closing costs have cleaned us out, money-wise. We'll be moving in hopefully before Labor Day. Anyway, just wanted to share! I know some of you have been wanting to see.

An Outpouring of Blessings

2008-07-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

Wow. I am in awe of God's goodness. We made an offer on a townhouse like 3 weeks ago. By this point, we were thinking we didn't get it because we hadn't heard anything. However, because the property was bank owned, I guess there were some other things they had to work through, and they called us today and told us we got it!!!

A lot of really neat and wonderful things have been happening to us lately. The cool thing about the house is, our offer was not the highest offer, nor was our down payment as big as some of the others. But for some reason, the bank picked us. Thank you Lord! Escrow closes in 45 days. We're going over there again today to look around and refresh our memory :)

Time for a change...

2008-07-10T10:46:00.001-07:00

So, I've been tutoring for several years now, and while it makes GREAT money and is really fun and neat to see kids improve so dramatically, I'm antsy for a change.

I decided to look for a teaching job for this next year. I thought and prayed about it, and kids with special needs kept coming into my head. I was thinking about going back to school for a special ed credential, whether I got a teaching position or not. I was talking to my friend Tamara about it and feeling excited for the possible change and new learning. The next day, I got a phone call from a school called Pathway. It's a Christian private school that caters to students who learn differently. Most of the kids struggle with things like dyslexia, mild autism, or other learning disabilities. The school is for kids who fall through the cracks in other kinds of schools. I have such a heart for this and was amazed at the timing of the call, based on the conversations I had with other people prior.

I interviewed...then was called back for another interview with the staff, and was offered a position as a lead teacher for next year yesterday. God is faithful and always blesses us when it is clear that He will receive the glory. I am amazed at His timing and grace upon me.

I'm looking forward to the year ahead and all the growth and learning that will take place. No more "Miss Kami", which is what my tutoring kids call me (I don't know how it started!)...bring on Mrs. Green :) I'll take pictures of my classroom in August when I have it decorated!!

June in a nutshell

2008-06-28T11:18:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I lied. This happened in May. I went to visit the Cullings and on this particular afternoon, it suddenly started raining. Micah and Mikayla grabbed their boots and rain jackets super fast and ran outside! So cute.

I've been trying so hard to stop biting/picking my nails this past month. I'm not being successful so far. I just keep telling myself, "I've done this before, I can do it again." The fact is, I've only done it once in my whole life. So, the chances are I might not be able to kick it. But it sure would be nice!

Adam's birthday was on June 2nd. We went out on a party boat with the Coes at the Mission Viejo Lake. We had Chinese food (his favorite) for lunch, and then had cake at the Coe's afterward. Tam did a sweet thing for Adam. Adam's mom got Adam an Oreo cookie ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins every year for his birthday. Now that she's passed away, Tam decided to continue the tradition. It meant a lot to him! Here's his pretty cake:

Shane and Katie came over and happened to bring a 12-pack of my favoritest drink ever, Cactus Cooler. I never drink non-diet soda and was majorly tempted...so the 4 of us managed to drink the entire pack. Here we are with the aftermath. Cactus Cooler also gives me lots of energy and people say I "bounce off the walls" when I drink it.

Brandon and Eva got Adam an additional guitar for our Wii Guitar Hero game. It has a pink plate on it, so naturally we deemed it the girls' guitar. Here they are, eyes starting to cross because they are staring at the TV so intensely. Guitar Hero Aerosmith is coming out tomorrow! Can't wait!

Here are my doggies. They are so cute. We love them. They are wild and play rough with each other and drive us crazy sometimes though. Adam threatens to sell one of them. However, when we take them on long walks during hot weather, they get tired and settle down. Then they do cute things like this:

This month has been so busy that we are all exhausted!! :)

On to July! I hope it will be more relaxing.

Hold your breath!

2008-06-28T00:26:00.000-07:00

I have been experimenting all day with Picnik (most of you know what that is...got the website from Chrissie...it makes your pictures look cool), and I'll be releasing some fabulous photos in the morning. I just thought I'd let you know! Don't hold too high an expectation...I said EXPERIMENTING...no masterpieces on my computer yet. Stay tuned...er...stay logged in?

Movies and Relationships and Flighty Thoughts

2008-06-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing that when you care about people so much, you hurt when they do? Or you celebrate when they do? If you really think about it logically, it seems crazy that we do that...God gives us such an amazing love we can't help it.

Anyway, on a lighter note, I had never and NEVER thought I would see a movie by myself, but I did about a month ago, and I think I will go again tonight.

It kinda makes me feel like a loner but it's relaxing at the same time. I'm definitely an extrovert so doing this is kind of a challenge for myself.

We are looking for a place to buy right now and saw an amazing one today. Adam just called me and said, "Get your booty to church because you need to meet us to sign papers on this offer we're making." Pray that it goes through! It would be fabulous! Gotta fly!

2,557 days...and many more to come!

2008-06-21T15:49:00.000-07:00

Adam and I started dating 7 years ago, tomorrow. I'm so glad I remember it. I had gotten back from being a counselor at summer camp, and I went to find him at the church (he was a janitor there). He was getting off and he asked me if I wanted to go get a Slurpee (still one of my favorite things). I said yes, of course. We went, and then came back, and he said something that resulted in a statement like, "So maybe we should start dating." My brain thought, "It's about TIME!!!" :)

A picture from the first summer we dated (a picture we also used in our wedding invites - it was the RSVP info card.

There. I've blogged, once again. I'm trying to get better about it.

P.S. If you are figuring the math problem associated with the 2,557 days, I took 7 years, multiplied by 365 days per year, then added 2 days, because of leap years in 2004 and 2008. It's the teacher in me. A year is actually 365.25 days. That's why a leap year comes every four years. I'm sure most of you knew that, but if not, here's to knowledge!

What happens in my spare time...

2008-05-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I guess it isn't really spare time, but Adam is watching some suspenseful show on TV, so I started looking through all of the pictures I could find on my computer. It was pretty amusing. I thought I'd share some pictures from our early years.

This was one of our first dates in the summer of 2001. Adam came over with a beautiful flower arrangement and cooked me a delicious Asian-inspired dinner.

I know this was one of Adam's birthdays, I'm not quite sure which one. My guess is his 22nd birthday. I made him close his eyes while I was driving, stopped at Jamba Juice and got his favorite smoothie and pretzel, and took him to a private gazebo that I found, looking over the ocean. We sat and enjoyed our Jamba and God's beautiful creation. Do we look different than we do now? :)

August 28th, 2004! The day we tied the knot. That was one of the best days of my life. I can't believe it was almost 4 years ago already! We were coming out of the church into the reception courtyard as our emcee announced us.

I loved my flowers, so so so so much, so I thought I'd include one of just my bouquet, teehee. It's weird to think that almost all of you who might read this weren't even there, or didn't even know me.

Hmmm, this is the head table, but I think I forgot to rotate the picture. You can see the table if you tilt your head to the right.

These are my eight girls. It was so fun to plan their outfits for them. They all wore green strapless, tea length dresses (celadon, to be exact) and pink Roxy sandals. I'm not sure if the photographer took a picture of my shoes, but they were white flip flops with a little height and sparkly white beads on them. I still have them, and occasionally wear them :)

My centerpieces. The day before the wedding a bunch of friends and I made them all. We picked up the flowers from the florist (I bought all my flowers from the greenhouse, then hired a florist to design everything but the centerpieces), and made...let's see...about 55 of them. Then I set one table the way I wanted it, and everyone else copied mine :)

Flash forward several years...here we are, our little family. This is at my parents' house in Pismo Beach the last time we went there, around Easter time. This next one is actually in the exact spot we got engaged (February 14, 2004). We went back there over Spring Break. He proposed in Cambria at a place called Moonstone Beach...a complete surprise I might add :) Another best day of my life!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed the little album. I loved looking through all the pics again.

Frito...er...I mean Yoda

2008-04-12T21:26:00.000-07:00

So we changed our new puppy's name to Princess Yoda (we just call her Yoda), after 2 days of calling her Frito. We like Yoda better. She looks just like Yoda. A lot of you have asked for updated pictures, so here they are. Here's one more of Roxy and Yoda together...aren't they cute??

welcoming baby Frito in 2 short weeks...

2008-03-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

May I present the newest upcoming member of our family...

Frito Burrito Green!!

Now I'm sure you're wondering, "Why in the world would you name your dog Frito?" Here's why: Boston terriers' fur/skin smell like Fritos (as in crunchy corn chips). So we said that if we ever got another Boston terrier, we would name her Frito.

Then, I was trying to think of a middle name for Frito (Roxy's middle name is Cleopatra), and our friend John came up with, "Frito Burrito". I like it...it has a nice ring to it :)

We can't wait!! She's coming from Oklahoma on the airplane on March 17th!!!

Questions

2008-02-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

Thanks Robin and Alaina...this sounds fun!

On Marriage...

How long have you been together?
7 years in June, married - 3 years, 5 months...I think?

How old is he?
26

Who eats more?
Adam does...he gets the munchies a LOT.

Who said I love you first?
You know what? I don't remember...words don't always mean the most to me.

Who is taller?
Adam...he is short but not as short as me!

Who sings better?
We all know he does, but he can't pick out the alto part like I can!

Who is smarter?

street smart, smart mouth - me. Spiritual knowledge, book smart - him.

Who does the laundry?
I always wash and dry...but he usually helps me fold and/or hang up.

Who does the dishes?
He does...usually because he can't stand dirty dishes in the sink and I don't mind so much.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?

If you are looking at the bed from the foot, Adam sleeps on the right side. He has to be next to the window because it gets too cold.

Who pays the bills?
We both make the money but I write the checks.

Who mows the lawn?
We DO have a lawn...but it is so new that we haven't had to mow it yet! I know it will be Adam when the time comes though. I'll pick up the dog poo so he can mow the lawn :)

Who cooks dinner?
I do, unless we have leftovers. Adam uses the microwave well :) No, I know he could cook well if I let him - but I like to cook for him.

Who drives when you are together?
Mostly him, except when he is tired or doesn't feel like bringing his wallet.

Who is more stubborn?
I've got him wrapped around my pinky :) No, he just loves me...but I am definitely more stubborn.

Who kissed who first?
Adam kissed me first...when I was sweet 16...it was in January on a cold blustery night...hahaha.

Who asked who out?
Well, I guess I first asked him out. I asked him to go to my Winter Formal with me my junior year. He was in college so he couldn't ask me, really. Plus I had a huge crush on him.

Who proposed?
Adam...on Valentine's Day 2004...a complete surprise.

Who is more sensitive?
Adam gets offended or has his feelings hurt more often than me...but I get emotional and cry WAY more than him.

Who has more friends?
Me. Adam prefers more alone time...I can't stand being alone too long.

Who has more siblings?
We tie. We both have 1 brother.

Who wears the pants in the family?
Adam. I like to wear skirts :)

Hobbies

2007-12-31T16:41:00.000-08:00

I've taken up two new and interesting, unexpected hobbies this winter season.

1. Dance Dance Revolution - Adam got me this video game for our Nintendo Wii and I must say, it is really fun! I am getting good and it is really good exercise that you can do barefoot and underneath the ceiling fan! :) If you haven't heard of it, it's originally an arcade game where you watch the arrows on the screen and match them with your feet. Some kids out there are amazing with it and can do flips and turns and whatnot and still hit the arrows. My brother is one of those kids.

2. Geocaching - I find this an amazing sport and hobby. I didn't realize how much I liked being outside until I started doing this. I'll do my best to explain it, but if you want to jump ahead, here's an informative website: http://www.factsfacts.com/geocacher.htm

Here's a picture of a geocache found in a tree.

So, geocaching is like a treasure hunt or Easter egg hunt. There's no real "treasure " involved, but it gets you outside in nature and discovering new things. The way the game goes is, you log into a website (www.geocaching.com is the best) and make a screen name for yourself, and then you can search for these "caches" all over the world - particularly in the area you live in. Then, you plug in the coordinates to any cache you want to find into your GPS (the one expense I had for this hobby). Then you drive or walk to it and start looking. Often the caches are hidden in a tree trunk or under leaves, etc. It's really fun and you have to be sneaky because if there are people around you look pretty weird searching around for what seems like nothing! Anyway, when you find the cache you sign in your name and where you're from, and you can see who else found it recently. There are also lots of little trinkets in most caches and you can take something if you want, as long as you replace it with something else. You can also hide your own caches and register the latitute/longitude points with the website, and other people will start looking for it!

Anyway, I know I sound like such a geeky nerd but this seems so fun to me.

Silliness

2007-11-01T11:34:00.001-07:00

This is going to be a long post...I haven't put up pictures in a while.

This is what happens late at night when you have a childhood friend spend the night...doesn't my chin er..."face" look beautiful?

Roxy was so tired she fell asleep with her head up against the wall...so cute. I love my doggie...I'm on the hunt for another one right now. Roxy needs a backyard buddy.

Robin - this one's for you. We went to Portland for a wedding and it was on a little cruise boat on the Willamette River (for those of you who don't know, you pronounce that "WillAMette", not "Willa-mette" - we found that out the hard way...we were scorned by locals)...anyway, we saw this building from afar and I thought I'd take a picture :)

On the way to the airport to fly home from Portland, we saw this rainbow in the sky. I love that rainbows remind me of God's promises. Now that I think of it, I don't even know if the Bible mentions a rainbow in the account of Noah, but that's what I've always been taught in Sunday school :) Regardless, I'm so thankful for rainbows...they make me happy...and it's not something you get to see very often in sunny southern California.

That's it for now. I have another picture to post, but a story must follow it so you know what's going on :) Happy Thursday, everyone!

Christmas in October

2007-10-19T15:59:00.000-07:00

My favorite season has begun in our house. We went and bought Christmas stuff today.

We've been buying gifts since last month (we buy a few each month to keep it easy on the budget)...but this month we bought lights and such. I also found a Boston terrier Christmas ornament - and of course a stocking for Roxy in the shape of a paw print.

It's crazy that the stores have decorations for 3 major holidays at a time - Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Festivities are fun and all - but I love the joy that surrounds Christmas at our church. It's an anticipation of the day we celebrate Christ's birth.

Be on the lookout for the annual Christmas picture - it's a great one this year! Will post last year's when I find it.

A Newfound Love

2007-10-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

So I tried spaghetti squash for the first time last night and I loved it!!

I think it's fabulous because it can be a substitute for pasta, and it's way better for you than real pasta.

I've made a new holiday today. Today is National Spaghetti Squash Appreciation Day. Hooray!

You're gonna be popular...

2007-09-15T20:49:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen Wicked, you won't know what I'm talking about. Everyone should go and see it at least once! It's so fabulous! Creative, funny, sentimental.

Adam and I went to see Wicked on Thursday night as a late anniversary present to each other (3 years on 8/28! wow!). I loved loved LOVED it!!!

Galinda was my favorite. She reminded me of my therapist. I imagine that when my therapist was in her 20's, she was kinda like Galinda (with a "GA"). Just so bubbly, funny, ditzy...yet smart. I compare them to compliment her.

Here's some pics of the fabulous event:

I already want to see it again. But I will have to settle for listening to the soundtrack in my car and belting it out at the top of my lungs.

Life has been good lately. Not always easy, but I am learning some amazing things - about God, and thus, about myself. That was a random comment...sorry, I'm just typing whatever is on my mind :) Peace out, home chickens!

2007-09-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

Roxy says hi and sends sloppy kisses to you all.

Fall-Time Crunch

2007-09-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

I am really feeling stressed, as many others are. Summer is winding down - I am saying good-bye to some of my tutoring students (the ones I had through an agency) and hello to others who are starting next week with me privately.

I think I really like being self employed. I like setting my own schedule, my own fees, my own rules, deciding whether or not I want to tutor one kid or another, having my own room to work in...

I also got business cards. Here's what they look like:

I think they're pretty cool. I can't wait to give them out to potential customers. In fact, I won't need too many more customers because almost all my slots are already full. I have 8 students meeting with me one-on-one, 2 or 3 times a week.

I love what I'm doing because it gives me a chance to develop relationships with unbelievers and their families. I see these children so often, I have a chance to reflect Christ's love to them. My prayer is that I give up my own selfish desires to let my vessel be used completely for His glory.

Besides my tutoring, I am working at the church as Adam's assistant. Things have been crazy at this job because choir is starting this Wednesday at 7:15 - so if you're interested, come! I like being able to help Adam in this way - I would do it for free, but it's a blessing that an arrangement was set up for me to be paid for it!

God does know best. He takes care of us better than we can take care of ourselves.

Ron and Kelly's Wedding

2007-09-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Ron and Kelly got married - the last of the Young Married group! Here's some lovely pictures of the event:

Ron's face when he first saw his beautiful bride - he was crying a little!

Brandon and Eva, singin' the couple a little love song. They were holding hands...cute...but one of the reasons they were was so that Eva could squeeze Brandon's hand at the end, so they would stop singing at the same time! Sneaky sneaky.

Tim dishin' out the words o' the wedding. It was Tim's first wedding as the officiant. He did an excellent job.

The Kiss! Man, was it a whopper! At the reception they sure responded to the clinking of the glasses as well! So in love.

The new Mr. and Mrs. Ron Lee!!

Ron and Kelly are amazing swing dancers - they had instructors at the reception for all of us, while we were waiting for them to get there. It was such a good time! Makes me want to learn to swing :)

There is an explanation for this one. At Kelly's lingerie shower, her and Eva and some of the other girls were talking about how it is fabulous for women to wear hats to church and weddings...so Eva wore one to Kelly's wedding. She looked ravishing in it...but as you can see, I look more like a goof. Maybe if I didn't make a silly face, it would look better! We passed this hat all around our table so others could try it on - even Adam, but I will keep that picture off my blog!

Crysti and I

All of us at Kelly's wedding, from our Bible study: (left to right) Brandon, Eva, Crysti, Jerome (barely!), Kelly, Ron, John, Alaina, Adam, me, Katie, and Shane. I think Jeff and Robin had already left! But they were there too.

Well, that's my report via pictures of the Brown/Lee wedding! Hooray for marriage! It's so fun, rewarding, challenging, emotional, spiritual, and lots more.

Our Little Anniversary Getaway

2007-08-31T14:21:00.001-07:00

On August 28th Adam and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary. I can't believe it has been so long already - time flies when you're having fun, I suppose! Here's a catalogue of our events:

Adam smiling big at Islands...the waitress found out it was our anniversary, and it just happened to be Islands' anniversary too! She gave us our entire meal for free. What a pleasant surprise.

Adam and I decided to run away to Long Beach for a couple of days. We visited with the Cullings and their bunnies. Here's Mikayla with one of them...I forget the name of this one.

I will NEVER forget the name of this one though. Micah and Mikayla thought this bunny looked like a "potato puff ball" so they named it Gnocchi, pronounced "Nee yo kee". How's that for creativity?

I have wanted to go to this used bookstore called Acres of Books for a long time. The funny thing is, when we went looking for it in Long Beach, we couldn't find it. Then, from the distance, Adam saw the writing on the wall displayed behind me in the picture. So...the store wasn't as prominent as I expected...but still by far the hugest bookstore I have ever seen. One could spend days in there and not even put a dent in the reading material.

We went to a store in Shoreline Village called Hot Licks. It has all these spicy sauces and memorabilia. We asked the lady what the hottest thing in the store was. She said it was a little bottle of oil that has no flavor, and three things: 1. you have to sign a waiver to buy it 2. you have to be over 21 to buy it, and 3. it costs $40 for a bottle about the size of a typical vanilla extract bottle. All that to say, we weren't interested, but we did buy some sauces for Adam's dad and brother.

Mikayla dancing in the backyard...Micah and Adam having a man to man talk out on the bench. I later found out that they were discussing how old they thought Gnocchi was...Micah says he's 3 or 4...but younger than himself.

Us trying gelato for the first time. We finally decided on strawberry...we always run into a problem because I like the fruity flavors and Adam likes the chocolate/creamy flavors. I won this time I guess :)

I thought it'd be cool to stick my arm out the sunroof and snap a picture of myself. Just a little silliness comin' out. We were driving on a huge bridge over the harbor, looking at all the shipyard trucks and apparatus.

We went to a teacher supply store and got a little carried away with the puppets. We spent about 5 minutes there, playing puppet show. I also got some good stuff for tutoring this next year...love these kind of stores.

On our last day there we went to a local Farmer's Market and got us some yummy peaches, pluots, and nuts. We also went on a harbor cruise, where the above picture was taken. This was right between seeing the huge Queen Mary (did you know this ship is actually longer than the Titanic was?) and watching the sea lions sunbathe on various buoys.

So, do you feel like you were there with us now? I'm trying to get back into the blog world. The academic year is upon us - Adam is taking a class at Talbot, and I am about to enjoy another year of working with kids and helping them become more successful students. God has blessed us beyond our imagination!

Remembering...

2007-08-07T21:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of me with my mom (guess which one she is?), Adam's grandma, and Adam's mom. This was at my bridal shower in June of 2004. When I see pictures of Adam's mom, it sometimes feels like she's still alive. Then I remember that she's not. It makes me sad. She's not going to be with us for a lot of monumental things that will happen in our lives. I need to remember that heaven is better than anything that could happen here. Regardless, I am so glad I have this picture.

My brother Justin and I at Hume Lake in the summer of 2004. I was a camp counselor for the high school girls, and my bro was in high school. Where he got his tall-ness, I have no idea! He could have shared with me :) This was the last time my brother and I were really friends. I moved away to college, he finished high school, and now he is not the same. I need to pray for him more.

Hahaha...Adam is going to kill me if he finds out I put this on here. This is my hunk 'o hubby next to our very first Christmas tree. What he is doing with his finger, I don't know. Perhaps he was counting to three and I took the picture way too soon!?

More reminiscing to come later...enjoy.

2007-07-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

I miss my flower box. In our old apartment I had this out on the porch - it was my little gardening area. Gerber daisies make me smile - they always look so happy. If I had to be a flower, I would be a red gerber daisy. Loud, stylish, smiley, and beautiful.

5 Minutes More

2007-07-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

I have 5 more minutes until I am done working at church for the day.

Now that I know more people who blog...I figure I will start it up again. Fun pictures to come soon.

An update

2007-01-26T22:50:00.000-08:00

An exciting thing has happened. We are adding to our family! No, we aren't pregnant. We got a puppy on Tuesday. We named her Roxy and she is the cutest thing I have ever seen. She goes in the car with me everywhere, sleeps on my lap, and cries at night because she thinks we have left her. She really does act like a little baby....it's preparing us for parenthood!

Here's a picture of the baby. She's the cutest little Boston terrier in the whole wide world. I bought her a red collar and put sparkly jewels on it. But no sweaters. I will only dress up my dog on Christmas, with a red sweater and Santa hat.

She is snuggled up in my lap as I type. I love her. She keeps me company. The only bad thing is, Adam now has someone to blame when he has gas. He just says that it's the dog, and most of the time I believe him! ;)

2006-12-09T16:05:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok. One more thing.

I never shared the incredibly funny picture of Adam and I in our Halloween costumes.

Here we are. Yes, those are tots in our hands. No, we aren't incredibly short - the picture was just taken from up high, making our legs...messed up. ;) I know, we're silly.

2006-12-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks for keeping me on my toes, Sam! ;)

Christmas is such a busy season. It's hard to catch my breath sometimes. Does God want us to slow down? I suppose it depends on what we are doing, our motives for the things we do, and if it is keeping us from spending time with Him. It's interesting to even think about this in a ministry perspective. We're doing so many things at church. Here's my list:

1. choreographing the children's choir musical, performing tonight and tomorrow
2. memorizing music for our choir performances, next Fri. and Sat. (if you live in or near Orange County, come! It's at the EV Free Church of Laguna Hills and it's free, and it will be fabulous! Starts at 7pm)
3. Preparing for Christmas Eve ensemble
4. Christmas parties galore, including hosting my own festive dinner party for the members in our Bible study group

All these things are great, but why am I doing them? If it is to give myself merit, I don't dare do any of these things. I pray that God continues to humble me and give me a heart that wants His name glorified, always.

On a different note, I got a new job over a month ago, and should probably write about it. It's an awesome job. I'm taking care of an 88 year old lady named Eva that attends our church. She has been the biggest blessing and encouragement to me. She is so disciplined! I am learning a lot from her, just by living daily life with her. We do a Bible study together every morning, I get to style her hair, and cook for her, and shop for her...along with a lot of other things. Life couldn't get better outside of heaven :) I'm also keeping all of my tutoring students and doing that in the afternoons and evenings. I laugh at how foolish I am sometimes, worrying that God won't take care of me, when in reality He has the best in mind.

And now...my Christmas comic for the day:

2006-10-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

I've discovered the secret to feeling so much more alive and productive during the day. I know, I know...I've been told before, but I never gave it a chance. Exercising when you are exhausted seems so daunting and difficult. I've pushed myself to be consistent for 5 days in a row and I really am seeing results. Walking outside has given me a renewed appreciation for God's creativity and generosity toward us.

Really people, God could have given us life on an earth that is ugly and boring - but he didn't! He crafted beautiful scenery and amazing animals. Even color schemes...He is so good to us.

2006-10-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

I have neglected my blog - how sad. Even worse, that I come back to it to post the following...

Ran across this funny comic and thought it was worth sharing as the fun holiday is approaching:

"Next Halloween, I'm picking out the costumes!!"

So what are YOU going to be this year? I'm taking a poll among people that I won't run into on the eve of the 31st. What should Adam and I be?

1. Dorothy and the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz
2. Spartan cheerleaders from SNL
3. a samurai and a geisha

Hmm...may not get many votes, as there are not many readers, but that is ok!

Hooray for candycorns! The coolest candy ever.

My weekend

2006-09-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

I've tried multiple times to try and type a post out about my weekend - but I either don't have time to really get it done, or don't have the words to describe it.

I learned a lot of things while Adam was gone. Most were not very spiritual, but important as well.

1. I don't do well at home alone - ended up staying with a friend 2 out of 3 nights.
2. God wants me to trust that He'll take care of me. I worry way too much about everything.
3. Just because things don't go the way I plan doesn't mean that it's not in God's will - because I am sinful and don't always know exactly what God has in mind.

I learned more...but unfortunately do not want to post in a public blog for all to see. It was probably the hardest weekend I've ever had - aside from the weekend that Christ saved me. And while the weekend I became a Christian ended so joyfully and peacefully, this past weekend did not end that way. I want to study some parts of Scripture that demonstrate those who have joy amidst their trials and pain, because it's very difficult for me to do that. How does one have joy when things hurt so bad? I know there is a "Christian" answer to this, but to me it seems much easier said than done. Perhaps those who have joy amidst their trials are those who trust God so much more than I do. I pray He teaches me to trust Him more, because I know I cannot do it on my own strength.

Alone

2006-09-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Adam is gone for the weekend. Being by myself has allowed me to enter an interesting place of reflection. There aren't many times where I can sit at the table and not hear anything else but the low hum of the refrigerator and the clicking of the keys.

I have thought of the upcoming weekend as a boring, desolate, lonely one. But perhaps God sees it as an opportunity to meet with me. For me to have no distractions but Him. The thought is scary yet exciting at the same time.

Adam introduced an awesome song to our church a few weeks ago - we sang it this last Sunday and it's in my head now:

Jesus is Lord

Jesus is Lord, the cry that echoes through creation
Resplendent power, eternal Word our Rock
The Son of God - the King whose glory fills the heavens
Yet bids us come to taste this living Bread

Jesus is Lord, whose voice sustains the stars and planets
Yet in His wisdom, laid aside His crown
Jesus the Man who washed our feet; who bore our suffering
Became a curse to bring salvation's plan

Jesus is Lord, the tomb is gloriously empty
Not even death could crush this King of Love
The price is paid, the chains are loosed and we're forgiven
And we can run into the arms of God

Jesus is Lord, a shout of joy, a cry of anguish
As He returns and every knee bows low
When every eye and every heart will see His glory
The Judge of all will take His children home

Every verse of this song brings a new chill to my body as I think about all the things it talks about...although there is one line that I'm not sure I fully understand - so if anyone does read this, feel free to email or comment to help me out! "Yet bids us come to taste this living Bread", the last line of the first verse...I don't even know where to begin trying to understand - is it referring to Jesus' humanity?

If you want to hear a part of the song, I found a clip on this site:

http://www.gettymusic.com/lyrics.asp?id=35

Jobs

2006-09-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

It's so easy to get caught up in feeling like your job defines who you are. I guess I am learning this through not having the job I want and feeling like I'm worthless or not good enough. Then I am reminded of what I am worth to God. He died so I could live. I just can't believe it. He amazes me. I seem to forget how much I am loved by Him sometimes. Often times to be honest. I should live every day in thankfulness for being saved. I try to take things into my own hands, thinking for some reason that my life is my own. I'm so glad He has the power to use people and situations to turn my face back toward Him and to humble me and teach me to surrender.

back again

2006-09-05T21:54:00.000-07:00

So...I forgot that I started a blog. My life really isn't that exciting. But I have been inspired recently by my friend Sarah Ikegami's amazing pictures of her food in her own blog, so I will post a wonderful delish dessert I made for company tonight. It's a summer pudding with a layer of strawberries on the outside (obviously), next a thin layer of cake and then a layer of strawberry sorbet and then a layer of strawberry ice cream...so a slice outta the thing looks amazing. I'm impressed with my patience and my skills. *Phew* Now I'm ready to conquer the world.

Finally...

2006-06-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

I have started a blog. I don't think I will even tell anyone about it. Maybe I will. We'll see.