Musings and Ramblings

Goodbye?

2010-05-27T17:14:00.001-07:00

I'm the worst blogger in the world. I often times think that my life is too boring to write about. I tend to post mundane details about my life and then I reread them and think "this isn't even interesting to ME." Actually, I'm not sure anyone else even reads it.
Anyway, with a baby on the way, I'm not sure I'm going to keep up this blog. I have a lot of things to do to prepare for a baby and I know once she gets here, I'll be even more busy! I plan to journal my first few months as a mom in a book, rather than here on the internet. Anyway, I don't know whether or not I plan to return to my blog so I guess I'm leaving this as an open ended goodbye...

Mexican Riviera Cruise

2010-03-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Gordon and I got back a week and a half ago from a 7 night cruise to the Mexican Riviera. It was the best week ever. The two of us had so much fun! We had a balcony view from our room and it was so nice to leave the door open all night and feel the warm breeze and listen to the waves crash on the boat. It was so peaceful. On board, there was a ton of stuff to do. We saw shows, ate good food, laid out by the pool, gambled in the casino (and won!), listened to great live music, and danced. In Cabo, we spent the day snorkeling and touring the bay. We saw the famous arches and a sea lion colony. In Mazatlan, we took a water taxi to a place called Stone Island where we spend the afternoon at the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. We ate lunch in the sand and rented ATV's and rode them around the beach. It was so much fun. In Puerto Vallarta, we took a taxi downtown and shopped and walked along the beach and had a delicious lunch. It was such an amazing trip. I am going to put some pictures below, but I don't feel like writing a caption under all of them.... so here you go:

Baby Bump

2010-02-23T10:37:00.000-08:00

So my bump has been growing rapidly and baby Corinne now weights 10.5 ounces! Shes getting big and so am I! Here are some growing bump pictures from the last few weeks:

13 Weeks:

16 Weeks:

(almost) 20 Weeks:

I made it to the halfway point in my pregnancy and I know from here on out I will be growing rapidly! I'll post more pictures throughout the next 20 weeks!

S

John Piper on the Properity Gospel

2010-02-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

I can't get this video out of my mind lately. It is SO powerful, it drove me to tears, but it is well worth watching:

Vacation...

2010-02-10T23:47:00.000-08:00

Three weeks from Sunday, Gordon and I will be embarking on a 7 night cruise to the Mexican Riviera! I am getting so excited! I love vacation so much and since we couldn't afford much of a honeymoon, this will be our first "big" vacation since we have been married. It is also going to be a great time for us to get away alone together before the baby is born (I heard it called a "babymoon," but I don't know how I feel about this term). I know its going to be a nice time for the two of us to relax, not think about work (YAY!), and enjoy each other. I was looking for pictures of where we will be going, and I got even more excited! I thought I'd share:

Cabo San Lucas....

Puerto Vallarta....
Mazatlan....

AHHHHH..... I can practically see myself sitting on the beach with a *virgin* Pina Colada!

Then as soon as we get back, we are switching up the climate and heading up to my parents cabin at Hume Lake for an extra long weekend! I love being at Hume. It definitely is at the top of my list of favorite places to be. It just holds such a special place in my heart. It's where I grew up going with my family, where I decided to give my life to Christ, where I spent my fondest summer camp memories, and where I met the man I married. It's always so romantic for Gordon and I to return to where we met! Every time I go, I'm always flooded with great memories! Now, my favorite time of year at Hume is in the summer... and seriously, who could not want to go here in the summer??

But since I have a few months to go before I can enjoy my favorite summer view, I guess I'll have to settle for this instead:

Oh Vacation... You cannot come fast enough!!!

S

It's a GIRL!

2010-01-25T23:13:00.000-08:00

The other day, Gordon and I went in for a 15 week 3D ultrasound with the hopes that we would be able to find out the sex of the baby. When we got in there, the baby would NOT uncross it's legs, but after some poking and prodding, we got a good look and its a GIRL!!
I really didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl, but I am so excited now because this means lots of pink and dresses and girly stuff! I love it. And Gordon is excited too. His favorite part of the ultrasound was watching her wave at us on the screen. It was so precious. Here are some pictures from the visit!
We decided that we are going to name her Corinne Taylor Hendrickson and I cannot wait to meet her!

S

A Photo Recap of 2009

2009-12-21T13:50:00.001-08:00

I meant to have this finished before the New Year, but I didn't! Oops!

I can hardly believe that 2009 is already coming to a close! It has been a really eventful year for us and it has truly flown by! I know that 2010 is also going to be a great year, but before I move on, I wanted to take a look back and reflect on this year.

JANUARY
-In January we were still living in Santa Clarita and I did not have a job. Gordon was still in the police academy when we got a check from Disneyland for a lawsuit settlement and we decided to get away. We spent a romantic weekend in Ventura at a hotel overlooking the harbor. It was such a fun weekend and was really relaxing- just what we needed!

The view from our hotel room

We were excited to get away!

Champagne on the balcony overlooking the harbor

The best steakhouse! It was right by the beach and the food was SO GOOD!

Us outside the steakhouse

FEBRUARY:

February was a great month for us! We got to fly to Tahoe to celebrate the marriage of my brother and sister-in-law! It was a gorgeous wedding inside a resort while a blizzard was blowing outside. The setting was beautiful, Allie looked amazing, my brother was so happy, and it was great to see family and friends!
When we got back from the wedding, I was given the special opportunity to go to the police academy and pin Gordon's badge on. Badge-pinning happens one month before graduation and its a small ceremony and each officer gets to pick someone to pin their badge on them. It was a great day and I'm glad I had that opportunity!

Allie and all her bridesmaids!

Gordon and I

My brothers

First dance!

Our table

Gordon's class entering the badge pinning cermony

Pinning on the badge!

Gordon and my dad

With his class flag

MARCH:
In March, Gordon and I decided that its time to get a dog. I did a lot of research on the type of breed that we wanted and we settled on a miniature Dachshund. I found a breeder who lived a couple hours away, so one day Nicole and I decided to make a trip out of it to go out and pick the puppy I wanted and put a deposit down. I instantly fell in love with this little black dog. Nixon was only a few weeks old, but he was SO cute! But the biggest highlight in March was Gordon's graduation from the LAPD academy! He worked so hard for 6 months and I was so proud to watch him officially become and officer! After the ceremony at Elysian Park, we had a party at my parents house and lots of people came. It was such a great celebration!

Nixon was SO little! I fell in love right there!

Nicole fell in love with Nixon's brother!

Gordon's class walking out at the graduation.
Getting ready for inspection

Receiving his diploma

Us with my parents

Gordon's family
I was so proud!!

APRIL:

April was a rather uneventful month. We began settling in to Gordon's new work schedule as an officer. He was working overnights, so sleeping by myself was definitely an adjustment I had to make. Although it wasn't hard to get used to him working 3 days a week! In his time off we decided to spend a weekend at my parents cabin. We also took their dog, Gracie, with us. It was nice and relaxing and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! Later in the month we actually got to go pick up Nixon and bring him home! Now I can't even imagine our lives without him!

Walking around the lake

Gracie was having a ball!

Two of my favorites!

Gordon enjoyed reading in the chair

My favorite view

Nixon's first night home!
He was so little! Now he is a beast!

He still has the precious face!

MAY:
May was quite a busy month. We made a move from Santa Clarita to Anaheim. We found a new apartment that we really liked and originally we planned on staying here for a while, but later in the year we found out that we would have to find a bigger place ;-). May was also the month that we celebrated Eric's graduation from Biola. We were all so proud of him! Tammy also graduated from college and we got a chance to celebrate her graduation as well! We also had a BBQ for our friends to come hang out at our new apartment! What a fun month!

Eric at his graduation

Glenn and I were very excited!

Gordon and Fish at Eric's party!

All of the kids at his grad party

Gordon's whole fam

Eric and Tammy- The two grads!

Fish and Lizzy at our BBQ!

Lizzy and I

Again

Me and Tammy at her graduation party!

JUNE:
In June, Gordon and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary! We spent the day at the beach and he took me to The Melting Pot for dinner and it was amazing! It also kicked off our summer of Angels Games! We live about a block from the stadium, so we walked over there whenever we had some extra time to go to a game!

Laura and I at the Angel's game!

View from our seats

Glenn and I having fun!

Gordon and I :-)

Anniversary day at the beach

Getting ready for dinner

Melting Pot

Our Food

Flaming Turtle was the name of our dessert fondue!

Enjoying our anniversary!

July and August: These months were kind of a blur! I got a job and life got pretty busy, although we did take time to go to the San Diego Zoo with Eric and Laura one day! So Fun!

The boys with the gorilla statue

Laura and I wanted to pose too!

On the bus ride

My favorite exhibit... The Elephants

Pandas!!

SEPTEMBER: September is always one of my favorite months because we get to go to the country fair at Hume Lake with my family!

My mom's puppy Sadie at the lake

Gordon and my mom

The two of us

Jeff and Kelly by the fire pit

Gordon and I at the fire pit

OCTOBER: This was kind of a sad month for me. My best friend Nicole and her husband moved to Singapore for a year or two. It really was an amazing opportunity for them, but I miss her terribly. The night she left, Gordon wanted to make me feel better so we went to Knotts Scary Farm and recreated our first date! So Fun! We also celebrated my brother-in-law, Eric's birthday in October. It was a bittersweet month for me.

I miss her SOO much!

Gordon and I before going to Knotts!

At Knotts Scary Farm

My new boyfriend?
All of us at Eric's Birthday!
Bro/sis pic
Happy Birthday Eric!:-)

November: This was the month that rocked my world. Early November I found out that I was pregnant. It was a HUGE shock! After adjusting to the shock, we celebrated my 22nd Birthday at Lucky Strike bowling alley! It was a lot of fun. Thanksgiving came up fast, but both Gordon and I had to work that day, so it was pretty low key.

DECEMBER: This month flew by so fast! I don't even know where the time went. December was great because we got to see our baby on the ultrasound for the first time and it was so exciting! We also go to spend the holidays with family and it was so great to see my brother and sister-in-law, who were in town from Texas! We spent new years eve with friends from church and it was a great way to end the year! Unfortunately, I really didn't get any pictures from Christmas or New Years.... Oh well, maybe next year!

Overall, it was a great year. I'm sad to see it go, but I'm so excited for 2010! I'm ready for all the changes its going to bring and what God is going to do in our life! My resolution for this year is to make wise decisions and show people grace even when I don't feel like it.

This is going to be a great year!

S

Our first Ultrasound!

2009-12-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

A couple days ago we had our first doctor appointment and ultrasound. It was definitely a cool experience. Up until this point in my pregnancy, I haven't really felt the realization that I am actually carrying a child. I have mainly felt like I had the stomach flu. That changed yesterday.

We got to the doctor's office and filled out the paperwork. Then we saw the nurse and she asked me how I was feeling. I told her about how nauseous I have been feeling the past few weeks and she told me that there is a drug that I can take that helps alleviate that (THANK GOD!). Then we saw the Nurse Practitioner. She was so nice and made me feel really comfortable. She told me that since I'm only 9 weeks pregnant I won't be able to hear the heartbeat until our next visit, but that I could probably see it beating.

It was really neat when we saw the ultrasound. It actually had the shape of the baby (I kind of expected it to look like a blob). And you could see the heart beating really fast. I finally feel like this pregnancy is real and there really is a baby in there. I am so excited for our next visit when we will get to hear the heartbeat! Anyway, here are the pictures we got back!

On a side note, that medicine is working wonders on my nausea and I have been almost feeling like normal! :-)

S

Morning Sickness.

2009-11-27T10:45:00.000-08:00

Someone once told me that being pregnant is the most wonderful thing a woman can experience. I'm not sure if this woman was just lying to me, or if I have to wait this season out to find out. I have THE WORST morning sickness. It has really been interfering with my life. Seriously, every single morning, without fail, I throw up right after brushing my teeth. Going to work has been especially hard because I will be standing at the desk and be randomly overcome with nausea and have to run to the bathroom. Just two days ago, a man was using the BBQ outside and he came up to the desk with a plate of freshly grilled sausage. He started to ask me a question, but I had to excuse myself and throw up because I just couldn't stand the smell of sausage. My mom says that the morning sickness goes away in the second trimester, which means that I only have a month left (Yeah, ONLY a month!).
Anyway, I have heard A LOT of home remedies. Some of them work, some of them do not. Here has been my own personal experience with home remedies:

1. Eat Saltine crackers before you even get out of bed: This one has been a complete failure for me. The problem is that I eat them, then I get in the shower and brush my teeth and throw them up! I have a feeling this works better for women who are nauseous without vomiting.

2. Suck on a hard candy: This one works depending on the day and the flavor of the candy. Lifesavers definitely make it worse, but lemon drops seem to help.

3. Chew on crystallized ginger: This one is SO NASTY, but it actually helps. I hate the taste of ginger, but it really does help to settle my stomach. I even found this herbal ginger tea that really helped too.

4. Eat small meals throughout the day: This has probably been the biggest help to me. Even if I don't feel like eating, I just force myself to eat some bread or a banana and it seems to help the most.

5. Eat WHATEVER you crave: This one has also been a big help. For the most part I haven't felt like eating AT ALL and I have to force myself to eat, but the past couple days, I have really craved milk and cereal. Each time I eat what I'm craving, my nausea goes away. I craved french toast the other night and eating it was SO GOOD and it really curbed my nausea

6. Get some fresh air: This also helps me a lot. Just being outside or on a walk, helps sooth my stomach.

Anyway, those are the methods I have been trying. Today I'm going to try taking vitamin B6. I have heard that this vitamin really helps as well. Does anyone else know of anything else that helps ease morning (ALL DAY) sickness?

S

....Then Comes a Baby in a Baby Carriage

2009-11-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

Last week, VERY surprisingly, I found out that I am pregnant. I was SHOCKED. I took the test late at night when Gordon was asleep because I honestly didn't think it would come back positive. I just thought it would put my mind at ease and I could go to sleep. Boy was I wrong!
I'm not going to lie. At first, I just started sobbing. Gordon heard me crying and woke up and said, "Are you OK?," To which I replied "NO. I'm pregnant." Thank the Lord for such an amazing husband. The only thing he said to me was, "That's amazing." He really calmed me down. We stayed up for a while talking, and I finally fell asleep.

Just to be sure, I took three more tests and they all came back positive so we made an appointment at an OBGYN to get the blood work and to find out that I am 5 weeks along. We spent the last few days telling family and close friends. Our parents are SO excited. It will be the first grandchild on either side of the family, so I have a feeling he or she will be very spoiled!

Now, I am really excited for this new addition. I can't believe I was even sad about it. I mean, clearly, God has a plan for us and who am I to question this and whine about it? Yes, I wanted to wait longer. No, I'm not sure if I'm going to be a good parent, but God know exactly what he is doing and I know that I can rest in His plan. Plus, he has given me two amazing women in my life (my mom and mom-in-law) who have raised good kids and I know that I can go to them and gain wisdom from them.

So our life is about to change dramatically. I'm excited for this new phase in our lives.

S

I'M BAAAAACK!

2009-11-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

So I have been the lamest blogger EVER the past few months. I promised myself I would keep up with this and I have been failing miserably! Life has just been flying past me and I honestly don't know where all the time went. I feel that this is a good time for me to start blogging again because my life is changing dramatically everyday (But I will blog about THAT another day!). So here is most of what is going on:

1.) I work. A LOT. Or at least it feels like it. My schedule is pretty varied from day to day. Some days I work nights, some days I work in the day time. But I really enjoy my job. I like the people I work with, and the work that I do. Its been a lot of fun and I have made some really great friends there!

2.) Gordon has been working. A LOT. Last week, he worked 80 hours and this week, another 60. Its been crazy but we are really trying to make the most out of our time together.

3.) Our dog is FINALLY becoming well behaved. It took him long enough, but he doesn't have any accidents any more and he can sit, stay, come and shake! Its so cute!

4.) We are seriously knocking out our debt! One of the best things about having me working is our ability to get rid of our debt. We are done with our credit cards, and on to our car, which should be paid off by March! Its such a good feeling!

Oh, and our life is changing dramatically, but I will blog about that tomorrow or Monday when I have a little more time! I promise to keep up with this more often starting now!

S

The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side.

2009-08-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm back and blogging! I realized that finding time to post a blog is much easier when I don't have a job that consumes most of my time! I really do like my job, though. I love getting to talk to people and hearing how excited they are to be on vacation. The only downside is that I work the swing shift a majority of the time and it feels like I'm always at work. I started to long for the days when I didn't have a job and I got to spend all of Gordon's days off with him instead of working most of the days he is off.
I find it really funny that the other day I was whining to Gordon that I just want to go back to not working. I stopped myself, though, because I remembered back when I didn't have a job that I spend a lot of time whining about how bored I was. I guess I just realized that the grass is always greener on the other side!
I really do need to be thankful for the job that I have. Since I started working, Gordon and I have been able to put all of my paychecks towards our debts and we should have them paid off in about a year, which is awesome! I'm really excited for that!

Other than work, there isn't too much to update here. Nixon got the "Snip Snip" at the vet the other day and he is recovering nicely, even though he really hates his cone. We are going to Hume Lake next weekend for the country fair with my family. I can't wait.I will post pictures up when I get back!

S

Where has the time gone??

2009-07-23T09:41:00.001-07:00

I'm back! I haven't been in a very bloggy (I know that's not a word. Get over it) mood lately, and the time just seems to have flown by! I cannot believe we have been living in our apartment now for two months! Crazy!! I will do my best to update. (Sorry if the picture quality isn't the best... I took all these pictures with my iPhone!)

Gordon and I celebrated our one year anniversary last month! I can't believe we have been married a year! It has truly been the best year of my life and I am so blessed to have spent it with my best friend!! We started out by heading to the beach for the day!

Then Gordon took me to The Melting Pot for dinner!
I don't usually take pictures of food, but it was all so pretty!

The dessert was the best part!
Flaming dessert fondue!
It was the perfect anniversary!We got discount tickets on really good seats for the Angel's game!

They even take your order at your seat and bring you your food!!

It was so much fun!

Our seats were great!
:)
Another update, Our dog is still as cute as ever! We love him!

He loves to cuddle with Gordon!

See?

We have done a lot of fun stuff this summer (Those are just the only pictures on my computer right now!). I will post more pictures when I can. It's really been a fun summer and I have tried to really enjoy it. The only let down this summer was that I didn't get a job that I had really been hoping for. I don't know why, but God has other plans.
However, I did get A job!!! Wooo hooo! I'm going to be working in guest services at the Worldmark resort near Disneyland. It's a timeshare owned by Wyndham and its so nice! I'm really excited to start work next week!

So there you have it! I will update again soon, I hope!

S

one of these days...

2009-06-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

Oh Blog!

Remember when I kept up with you? One of these days I'll post something.....

S

Picture update!

2009-06-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

I uploaded some pictures from my camera! I thought I would give you a glimpse of what we have been up to since we moved!

El Torito with my husband and my brothers-in-law!

Glenn and I: the typical pose

Eric and I

We went to the Angels vs. White Sox game!
Laura and I having fun!

Eric and Laura: cute couple!

Me and the hubby

The typical pose again. This time we're sporting our Angel's hats!

Brothers!

Gordon, look at the camera!

Disneyland!!

My mom and dad's new puppy, Sadie! She is a super cute Goldendoodle and Nixon's best friend!

Well, there you have it! A little glimpse of what I've been up to!!

S

Updates

2009-05-31T16:35:00.001-07:00

Well, it has been quite a while since I have blogged! I have been surprisingly busy (considering I don't have a job!) and Gordon has had a lot of time off recently (YAY!), so blogging has not been my main priority.
We are all settled in to our apartment. I am getting close to being finished decorating! Once I'm done I will post pictures for everyone to enjoy! I really like our new place. Its smaller than our old place, but the space is used better and it is 10x's nicer! We are on the top floor with a pool view! And its nice to be the first people who have lived here. It still smells really new!
We have been enjoying the things to do around here. We went and got Disneyland annual passes which gives us something fun to do when we are bored. We have already gone 4 times in the last 2 weeks! We also were able to go to the Angel's game the other night with Glenn, Eric, and Laura. We had a great time!
Nixon is getting bigger (for him, at least). We had to go and buy him a new crate. This one should be good for a long time. He has plenty of room. He really likes our apartment and is doing great! Its also been nice to be able to take him to Gordon's parent's house when we are gone for a long time so that he has a backyard to play in.
We have started going to a church that we like. Its called Calvary Church of Santa Ana. We started going to their new marrieds class and have been enjoying it. We are still the outsiders in the group, but I'm not getting discouraged because I know that it takes time to become really connected in a church. I hope that in time we will be able to call it home.
I am still progressing in my background investigation for Anaheim PD Dispatch. I'm hoping to hear soon whether or not I got the job. The waiting is killer! I went in to do a job shadow the other night and I really enjoyed it and now want the job more than ever!!
The only downer is how much I have been missing my family and friends. I hate not being able to drive over to Nicole or my Mom or Megan's house whenever I want. However, this past weekend Nicole drove down here just so we could have lunch and then my sister-in-law came to hang out and spend the night and my parents came for the day so it was great to see them!

So there you have it. You are officially updated on my life for the most part (that is, if anyone actually reads this!). I will be posting pictures soon enough!

S

Sick to My Stomach

2009-05-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well there is only three days left until we move to Anaheim and with each passing day I get a little more sick to my stomach. Its not that I'm not excited because I am, its just that there is so much uncertainty involved with it. I mean, what if I don't get this job with the city of Anaheim? What if I don't make any friends? What am I going to do when I have a bad day and Gordon is working and I can't just go over to Nicole's house and sit on her couch and whine? I know I am probably being melodramatic, but I just keep stressing about the move.
We tried out a new church last Sunday when we were visiting his parents (Calvary Church of Santa Ana) and we went to their new marrieds class and then to their main service. I really enjoyed the class and the service. I just hope that through that class, Gordon and I can make some new friends.
Anyway, I really should be more positive. I'm super excited about living in a brand new apartment that no one has lived in before! Its gorgeous on the inside and the complex is so nice! There is even a park right near the building so I can walk Nixon. Also, I'm really glad to have that little dog. When Gordon is working I love to just take him on walks and cuddle with him on the couch. He brings me so much joy! It will be nice to be close to Gordon's brothers and some friends there. Another thing to be happy about is getting a Disneyland pass and being so close to the park and to the stadium!
I'm just nervous for everything, but I know that God is in control and has us there for a reason, I just can't shake this sick-to-my-stomach feeling.

S

Highs and Lows

2009-05-08T09:55:00.001-07:00

Well, it's Friday! Yay! To be honest, I'm REALLY glad this week is over. It has been not the greatest of weeks. Often, I tend to focus on the negative. While there were plenty of negatives this week, there were also some great things! So I'm going to post one high and one low this week.

I'll start with the lows, so I can end on a positive note:
-Some of my friends have been horribly unsupportive of our move to Anaheim (including telling me that they refuse to visit me once I'm gone.) I spent a lot of time crying over those hurtful words and ended up realizing that those people are NOT my friends.
-I have been majorly stressed about moving and started freaking out that I'm not going to have any friends once I'm in Orange County. I was just freaking out about it....

Now for some positives:
-Gordon only worked 2 days this week. I really enjoy having him home. We laugh.... A LOT!
-I got to go to happy hour with my cousin when on one of the nights I was freaking out. I ended up talking and laughing with her for 4 hours! It was just what I needed
-I have been able to hang out with Kelly, Nicole, and Megan this week and I realized what a blessing they are in my life! They all contributed to my being cheered up.

When I weigh things out, it was a pretty good week!

S

My Camera is Back!!

2009-05-07T23:36:00.001-07:00

Oh how I missed my camera! Its working again and I finally had the opportunity to upload pictures of my life as of recently!

Gordon and I went to Hume for the weekend with Gracie! How cute are they?

Gracie loved walking around the lake!

I love the view

Relaxing at the cabin

I love being married to my best friend

Nicole and I relaxing in the pool!

11 years later and nothing has changed....

I don't know what I'm going to do without her when I move!

Nixon trying to jump on me

He tries to chew on my hand...

... and sometimes he succeeds

Nixon's favorite toy!

He is so freaking cute!

Anyway, thats kind of what has been going on in my life! Hume, spending days at the pool, and training a new puppy! Not too terribly exciting, but everything is about to change next week when we move! On to new and exciting things!

S

Nixon

2009-04-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

We brought Nixon home on Thursday and gosh, he's cute. He loves to cuddle and be held close and he loves his squeaky toy. I have started working on potty training him and I think its going to be a challenge. I read online that Dachshunds are notoriously hard to train, but he hasn't had too many accidents. We are also crating him at night, which he hates and he cries when he's in it. I think it will just take time before he gets used to it. He is such a sweetie pie and my heart melts when he comes running to me or when he falls asleep in my lap.
I also love seeing him with Gordon. Seriously, my husband is so good with him. He takes him outside and plays with him and snuggles with him and its just precious! :) I think he is going to bring us so much joy in the coming years and I can't wait!

S

Boring.

2009-04-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't really blogged lately. I guess, more than anything, I have just felt like my life is so boring. I know I should enjoy it because everything is about to change for us, but I have been really discouraged. I feel like something cool is going on in everyone's life except mine. Don't get me wrong, I love Gordon's new schedule and being able to spend more time with him, but even he has this exciting new career and I'm still at home.
I also feel like some of my closest friends aren't that great. Maybe its just me being too sensitive, but I am the type of person that needs encouragement from my friends and I feel like many of them (NOT ALL) just don't really have anything nice to say. I could just be overly sensitive, but I am going through a time where I need encouragement more than ever.

So yeah, this blog is kind of depressing, but I know it will get better. We have some big changes in the next month and I am looking forward to the endless possibilities on the horizon!

S

Stupid sensitivity.

2009-04-11T11:45:00.001-07:00

I'm way too sensitive. I have got to stop letting people get to me.

S

Gordon's LAPD Graduation!

2009-03-30T10:58:00.001-07:00

Gordon finally graduated from the LAPD Police Academy on Friday! It has been a long and hard 6 months but all his work paid off! I was so proud to watch him graduate! We had lots of friends and family who came to support and I know he felt very loved!

His mom and dad were so proud!

Jamie and Nicole

Aaron and Dan

My mom and dad- proud in-laws!

Gordon's brothers!

Tammy and I

Laura and I

Eric and Laura- Cute couple!

Color Guard marching in to start the ceremony

Class 10-08 marching in. Gordon is in the 2nd row!

Gun inspection

Gordon getting inspected by the chief!

The class all lined up

Walking to their seats. We had a great view!

Gordon in line to get his diploma!

He graduated!

Saying their class chant

Gordon and I with my parents

Gordon with his parents

The Hendricksons

BFF

Gordon and I with Fish and Lizzy

Valencia Friends!

YAY! SO happy!

Brothers

I was so proud!

The decorations at my parents house for his party!

The table at my parents house almost set up!

This is where my camera died and thats why I don't have any pictures of his party, but we had a great time! He starts out on patrol today, so keep him in your prayers!

S

CRAZY WEEK!

2009-03-22T20:47:00.000-07:00

This week is going to be crazy and I am going to significantly cut my internet time in an attempt to make myself more productive! I have work tomorrow and Tuesday (Full day subbing). Tuesday night I'm leaving for Anaheim to have an oral interview on Wednesday morning for the police dispatch position I'm applying for. Then I'm meeting up with someone to sell some craigslist crap, then its back home to the SCV. Thursday is all about G's party. I have to clean my house, bake cupcakes, finish buying decorations, paper goods, etc. Put together appetizers, go to my mom's house, set up everything and be in bed super early because on Friday I have to be up by 3:00 a.m. to get ready and to head to Elysian Park to save seats for Gordon's graduation that morning. After that, we have his party, then that night we are going to his class party. Saturday morning, we are driving to Marina Del Ray to have breakfast with Nate and Allie (who are in town for the weekend) and then we are heading back to Anaheim to see family and friends. CRAZY (but I love crazy!)

S

Meet Nixon!

2009-03-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Gordon and I have been looking for a good apartment dog and we found this lady in Bakersfield selling Miniature Dachshunds. They are two weeks old and will be ready in 6 weeks to pick up. Nicole and I went there today to pick one out and put a deposit down. I absolutely fell in love with him!

We were bonding :)

He makes me so happy!

Nicole wanted to take his spotted brother home :)

Little precious!

Isn't he cute?

We were really excited!

I can't wait to pick him up!!

I Know Who I Am.

2009-03-10T10:31:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been struck by how insecure and unsure people around me are. If you pay attention, I'm sure you will see it too. It presents itself as negativity and put downs. I have encountered it a lot lately. People around me have put down just about everything I want to do and everyone I spend my time with.
Normally, these put downs would hurt my feelings, but they really don't anymore. I have been learning to spot them as people who are insecure in themselves and put other people down as a way to bring themselves some sort of small comfort. I feel sad for these people. I feel sad for them because I wish they would just embrace who God made them to be because they truly have a lot going for them!
Another reason the negativity doesn't get to me is because over this past year, I have really come to know who I am. Not only that, but I have really come to love who I am! God made me completely unique and I am definitely not perfect, but I am confident and I don't need to put others down to make myself feel better.

Here's a bit about what I have learned to accept about myself this year:

*I am not skinny and I never will be. This is OK with me because I am also not fat! I am a beautiful curvy woman with a husband who is absolutely crazy about the way that I look and tells me every single day. With a guy like that, how could I not be confident??!!

*I am absolutely NOT cool! I like really dorky things and I'm totally OK with it. I used to try and pretend to like things that I thought would make me appear cooler, but I'm done with that! So what if I watch stupid teeny-bopper shows on TV and love cheesy girly movies and cheesy girly books more than the classics? Who cares if I would rather go to Black Angus at 5:00pm on a Saturday night (to avoid the crowds) than go out to a club or bar? I don't care that I go to bed around 11, even if I don't have something to do the next day! I am not cool and I'm OK with it!

*I used to be really sensitive to people who told me they didn't like my tattoos, but now I love my tattoos, even if some other people think they are stupid and ugly! I really do. I LOVE THEM! They are both so meaningful to me. So, go ahead! Put them down! I don't care. I have my husbands initials on my wrist and a floral design going up my side with a reference to my favorite Bible verse, Isaiah 40:8 which says, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the LORD stands forever." Amen. That verse is powerful and I love having it on me! Not to mention my husband is also crazy about my tattoos!

*I don't really have one specific best friend that I do everything with. I know a lot of people that do and it always bothered me that I didn't, but recently I have been SO blessed by the friends that God has put in my life! I was thinking about it and I have A LOT of good friends that I know I could call for anything! Maybe there isn't one specific one that rises above the rest, but there are some great girls in my life and I am happy.

I could keep going on, but I'm going to stop! Those are some things I have learned to accept about myself in the last year. God is teaching me to be confident in the way He made me and its such a good feeling to finally be enjoying those little quirks about me that I used to hate! I just pray that the people around me who are still so insecure will realize that they should embrace who they are and stop putting me and others down as a way to make themselves feel better. Trust me, it doesn't work!

S

Gordon's Badge Pinning Ceremony!

2009-02-27T13:16:00.001-08:00

Sorry I haven't been updating my blog much, I just haven't felt too much like writing! Today was Gordon's badge pinning ceremony at Elysian Park. This isn't their graduation. That is 4 weeks from today. They are sworn officer during the last month of the academy! It was such a nice ceremony and I got to pin his badge on!

Gordon's instructors in the academy

The recruits lined up!

Getting his badge!

Pinning the badge on :)

He looks SO handsome in his uniform!

The two of us with his class flag

Gordon and the captain

Gordon with his flag!

Recruits getting sworn in!

I am SO proud of him! I will post pictures of his graduation in a couple of weeks!!

S

I <3 our Mac, Photobooth, and Being Married to my Best Friend!

2009-02-18T21:06:00.001-08:00

Yes, its true. I love all of those things. Here is why:

We make even boring nights at home fun! :)

S

25 Facts About Me!

2009-02-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

I posted this on my Facebook page and I figured I would give the world another opportunity to read it! Basically, someone would write a note with 25 facts about them and then when they tag you in it, you write 25 facts about yourself. So I did! :)

For your entertainment, here are 25 facts about me!

1. I am married to my best friend in the entire world. If only everyone could be so lucky

2. I love the game show "Jeopardy" and Gordon and I record it so we never miss a day. Then we play a game about who can get the most answers right.

3. I hate one-sided friendship and have encountered it too many times in my life.

4. I LOVE my parents. I really really do. I think that I was blessed with the worlds most awesome parents!

5. I have a tattoo of Gordon's initials on my wrist and I am getting another one on my side later this year.

6. My favorite bible verse is Isaiah 40:8 "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever." It encourages me all the time and puts things in perspective.

7. I can't wait to be a stay-at-home mom one day, but I don't want kids any time soon.

8. I am very insecure and I am always afraid that people don't like me.

9. I have always envied people who have had the same best friend for many many years (like my mom and Val). One day, I hope to have a friendship like that.

10. I don't work right now, and I kind of like it.

11. I am absolutely terrible at arts and crafts, but I love it!

12. I love to tackle gordon to the floor and tickle him- even though he hates it.

13. I am horribly sarcastic all the time and sometimes, people don't get it.

14. I recently reconciled with a friend, and my heart is so happy!

15. I am so proud of the fact that my husband is a cop. I love to brag about it! (plus he looks so cute in his uniform!)

16. I thank God everyday for my marriage and the fact that we had two sets of parents to show us what a lifelong commitment means and what a healthy marriage looks like. Its absolutely invaluable to me.

17. I hate folding laundry. Sometimes, I let it sit on the couch for days.

18. I don't eat left overs. they gross me out. I even make gordon clean out any and all containers that have had leftovers in them at one point in time.

19. I am messy.... but I am NOT dirty.

20. I love change. I am always looking for change in my life. Sometimes its good, sometimes its not.

21. I LOVE to drink a beer and smoke hookah with Gordon in our living room... its probably my favorite "free date" that we have because when we were first dating, we would always go out for hookah and we had some of our best conversations there.

22. I am a dog lover to the core. I hate not having a dog right now, but I love dogs too much to coop one up in our tiny apartment.

23. I am NOT touchy-feely, but I love to snuggle with my hubby.

24. I love fast food, (Mcdonalds IS delicious!) but I choose not to eat it!

25. I have learned more in the past 8 months, than ever before in my life and I know now, more than ever that God's timing is perfect and i can see his hand in my life!

Nate and Allie's Tahoe Wedding: 2/6/2009

2009-02-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

I had such an amazing time in Tahoe last weekend. It was great to see my brother and Allie as well as extended family and friends that we don't get to see much! It was blizzard conditions in Tahoe, but the resort was nice and the wedding was GORGEOUS! Allie looked amazing and both she and Nate were so happy and I am very happy for them and for having a new sister in law! So here are some pictures!

All 13 bridesmaids!!

He is my favorite.

My sister and I!

Trying to fit the whole bridal party into a picture!

Groomsmen

Saying the vows

My parents

Me and my brothers

This is my cousin, Ava, and I am pretty sure she is the cutest baby ever.

Our table: Jeff, Kelly, Jamie, Billy, Baily, Ava, Gordon and I

The Cake! It was delicious! Allie's aunt Mer made it and it was SO GOOD!

My brother and I

Pete, Dad, Uncle Bill, and Nathan

My mom and her best friends: My Auntie Val and Diana

The Gray and Steele kids with their spouses! It was so good to see them and it is so rare that we all get to see each other!

Me and Ava

Mother/Son dance

The resort we stayed at was The Ridge in Tahoe. It was so nice!!

Gordon and I in the snow before we left!

It was blizzard conditions, but so gorgeous!

Congrats Nate and Allie! I love you both!

Things I Do Not Understand....

2009-02-08T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, I haven't written one of these blogs in a long time, but I figured it was time because I have been baffled by something. However, unlike my other "Things I Do Not Understand" blogs, this one is a little more serious.

I do not understand why people feel the need to be mean and think its totally okay. Then when their friends begin to pull away, they freak out and don't get it. I don't understand why anyone would think that just because something is true (in their mind at least), that it needs to be said. Clearly, that is not the case. Can't you just keep your mouth shut? I have been wrestling with this for a long time. Why the heck would anyone think its okay to say things that are blatantly mean for no reason? Are you so insecure that putting people down makes you feel better? Maybe if you were nicer to people, you would have more friends... maybe if you had more friends, you wouldn't be so insecure?

My mom once told me that you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar. How true that is.

This is something I don't understand. BE NICE! :)

S

Tomorrow...

2009-02-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

I am hopping on a plane and flying to The Ridge Resort at Lake Tahoe for Nate and Allie's wedding! My plane leaves at 7:00AM so I will be up bright and early! I'm really excited! I will post pictures when I get back!

S

This weekend/Superbowl Sunday.

2009-01-31T16:36:00.000-08:00

I am seriously enjoying my weekend. I just want to throw that out there. Last night, we went out with Doug and Tracie for dinner. It was so much fun! Tracie and I have been friends since we were toddlers and it has been such a blessing to reconnect with her and get to know her new husband, Doug. We went to a place called the Gogi House and it is such a cool restaurant! They bring you your marinated meat and its raw and you cook it on a BBQ at your table! It was SO GOOD! Then they came over to our apartment for beer and hookah. I can't wait to get together with them again!

Today, we have been relaxing. We took Gracie to the dog park and had lunch with my mom and dad and I am really excited to hang out at Nicole and Dan's new apartment tonight! They just moved in down the street from us and their apartment is so cute!

Now, let me move to the most depressing part of the weekend: THE SUPERBOWL.

I HATE the superbowl. HATE HATE HATE!!!!! I don't care about whose playing. I'm not sitting through 15 minutes of torture just so I can watch the commercials when they are all available online. And this year is going to be the worst because Bruce Springsteen is performing in the half time show (the only part of the bowl I even remotely liked). I can't stand "The Boss." Maybe that makes me lame or uncool or whatever, but he isn't that good. His songs are boring. So, good luck to both teams. I won't be watching!

Uneventful.

2009-01-30T16:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't been blogging the past few weeks, and I just wanted to let everyone (all 5 people that read my blog!) know that I am still alive. The truth is, my life has been rather uneventful over the past week or so... I have had jury duty all this week and I really don't feel like writing about THAT experience!

I will be back and blogging next weekend after I get home from Nate and Allie's Tahoe wedding! :)

S

Blessings.

2009-01-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

I have felt so blessed by the people in my life this past week. I just wanted to put that out there. I have been able to spend time with so many different people that all mean a lot to me! Last Monday, I hung out with Kelly to watch our show and talk! I always enjoy spending time with her! On Thursday, we got to have dinner with Bob and Annalisa. I don't get to see them much, but we laughed a lot and had a great time. On Friday, Nicole and Dan went with us to go beer tasting at Bevmo and then they came over for dinner. We laughed and talked for hours and I was reminded of how grateful I am to have them back in my life! On Saturday, Fish and Lizzy drove up from Anaheim and Lizzy, Kelly, Nicole, and I went to the movies to see "Bride Wars." It was pretty funny, but we all just had such a good time! I love all those girls! Then we went to dinner with Fish and Lizzy and hung out at our place with them and Lizzy and I talked for a really long time.

It has been a while since I have felt this blessed by my friends. Its not anything that they did in particular to bless me, but I completely enjoyed the company of all of them. It made me understand that verse in Proverbs that says, "... a sweet friendship refreshes the soul."

I can honestly say that my soul has been refreshed this past week!

7 Months!!

2009-01-14T14:02:00.000-08:00

Gordon and I have been married 7 months today, and they have been the best of my life. We don't celebrate each passing month, but I always try to take minute to reflect on it. Being married is so amazing and it has really made me realize that I was an incomplete person before. Gordon is my other half and my best friend and the most hilarious person I have ever met!

S

Thanks, Disneyland.

2009-01-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

A while back, Gordon received a form saying that someone was suing Disneyland for not giving their employees proper breaks. In order to get a cut of the settlement, he had to fill out a form with his name and address and stuff. We were unsure if anything would ever come of it, but he decided that he might as well fill it out anyway. Well, months passed by and we didn't receive anything, but the other day Gordon got a check in the mail for several hundred dollars! YAY! Thank you, Disneyland!

We decided that since we didn't end up going to Vegas, we would go away to the beach for a night. So on Friday I picked up some good champagne and bourbon (Knob Creek for Gordon. I personally do not like bourbon). We got a room right on the beach with a view of the Channel Islands Harbor. The balcony of our room was SO close to the water that we could literally toss a rock into the water! We at dinner at the Aloha Steakhouse in Ventura. It was delicious! It was so nice to get away for the night. We were supposed to go Whale Watching on Saturday morning, but because of the wind, our trip was canceled. It was a bummer, but we will definitely go another time! I think that being able to go on vacations alone together is my favorite part of being married! The novelty has not worn off! It was relaxing weekend!

The nighttime view from our room

happy to be there!

The hotel room was super classy

Throwing rocks into the harbor!

Champagne on the patio

The delicious Aloha Steakhouse!

The beach is in the background somewhere

How cute is he?

Nice view!

This is us being sad because whale watching was canceled.

Daytime view from our room

Right before we left!

We will definitely go back!

S

2009

2009-01-08T22:28:00.001-08:00

I am not a believer in New Year's resolutions. As Ben Gibbard would say, "They're self-assigned penance for problems with easy solutions."
I do however, have a vision for what I would like God to do in my life over the next year. 2008 was a big year for me and I believe 2009 will be even bigger. Here are some things I desire for 2009:

-That God would give me a more tender heart towards people. This has always been my biggest struggle. I have a low tolerance for the annoying things people do. I do not show much grace to others and I would love to be a kinder person. I want to try and be more understanding of people. God has been working on me in this area for the past year, and I have grown tremendously, but I would love to grow even more.

-That Gordon and I would grow together as a couple. I want us to have a solid marriage that is Christ-centered and a good foundation for our future children.

-That we would get a handle on our finances. I think that we are actually pretty good about managing our money, but we are taking a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University course through our church and I think it is going to help us in huge ways.

-That I would find the right career. I would like to have a career before I have children. I feel like I have been having a hard time finding a job that I can make a career. I want God to direct me to the right company.

-That Gordon and I would know where to go this year. We are seriously considering moving to Orange County, but I just want to make sure that this is the right place for us.

-That I would find a good girl friend. This is one of my biggest desires. I have a lot of okay friends. There are very few people in my life that I would consider to be my good friends. Most of the friendships I have are on the somewhat shallow level. I would love to have a deeper friendship. I am just praying that God would bring that person into my life or show me someone I already know in a new light.

So those are my desires for 2009. I hope that at the end of this year that God will havegrown me into a more mature and Christ-like woman and wife.

S

A Picture recap of 2008!

2009-01-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Wow! This is my first post of 2009! Happy New Year (A little late)! I think that 2009 is going to be a really good year. I am going to post more about it in a while, but for now I would like to recap my 2008 year....

January wasn't too eventful. I spent time working and planning the wedding. In February, Gordon bought us tickets to go see Explosions in the Sky (one of my favorite bands) for Valentines day!

In March, the bridal showers began! March, April, and May were all characterized by lots of bridal showers! I had so much fun at all of my showers! I had three of them. They were thrown by Kelly, Jamie and Missy, and Lizzy and Gabi. I will always look back on them with really fond memories!

Oh, and there were SO many presents!!!!

Some of the girls at my lingere shower in May

May was a really great month! I got my Bachelor's Degree from Biola University! I majored in Communication and minored in Bible. I graduated a year early, so I was pretty proud of myself and my accomplishment!

To celebrate graduation, my parents took our family out to dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. It was delicious!!

Several days after graduation, my amazing friends threw me the best bachelorette party! It was so much fun!!!

June was probably the best month of 2008 because I committed myself to spending my life with my best friend! My wedding day truly was the best day of my entire life!
My dad was so cute. He was trying not to cry :)
I loved this picture. Look at Gordon's face. It makes me happy.

The ceremony
The Kiss

We did it!!
Our first dance as husband and wife

They tried to get everyone in the picture... which is hard when you have 225 people there.

Cutting the cake
Our cute getaway car!

This would normally be the spot where I talk about our honeymoon, but I forgot to bring my camera and didn't take any pictures.... but we had a great time!

When July rolled around, we spent the 4th BBQ-ing, playing games, and watching fireworks with friends!

Also in July, Gordon and I got Tattoos. I got his initials on my wrist....

And he got my name on his arm.
We also went hiking at Mt. Baldy
In August, we went up to Hume Lake with my family and rode around in the golf cart!

Hume was a great trip because for the first time in 31 years, my dad's team won the volleyball tournament!

I spent the summer evenings with my sister-in-law and we were addicted to SYTYCD (So You Think You Can Dance)! We even had a party for the finale!!

In September, we returned to the cabin for a weekend with our couple friends! It was a really fun trip!
Gracie came along, too!

Also in September was my cousin, Meg's Bachelorette party! We went to Tokyo Delve's in Hollywood!

Her wedding was a couple weeks later on the beach in Santa Barbara. She looked GORGEOUS!

In October, We made our annual trip to Knott's Scary Farm (where we had our first date!) and it was a blast!
All of our friends came with!

November kicked off with a trip to see Wicked with my mom! It was our birthday present to each other (Our birthdays are a few days apart, so we bought each other's tickets!)

Then we kicked off my 21st birthday with a Pub Crawl with all of my friends! It was a blast! Even Allie came up from San Diego!
We ended the night at TGI Fridays!
It was so great to have all my friends with me for my birthday!
December was our first Christmas as a married couple and a great way to end the year!

This year has been a great one! I can't wait to see what 2009 has in store for me and Gordon! There are some changes ahead in our life and I am excited to see where God takes us! I learned a whole lot about godliness, marriage, friendship, and love and I pray that I learn even more this year!

This should be a good weekend.

2008-12-31T10:51:00.000-08:00

So, we had to cancel our trip to Vegas. We just didn't plan things out like we should have. I was really bummed at first, but I am fine now. Then we planned on going to the Cabin with my fam, but realized that we would have to take Gordon's truck since we have chains for it. That was fine until we figured out that his tire is going flat and probably wouldn't make the 4 hour drive and we really don't have the extra cash to replace it. So now we are going to Anaheim to spend the weekend down there with family. I am really excited. I love our friends there and I have missed hanging out with them. As soon as G gets home from work, we are off to the O.C.!

Happy New Year everyone!

Welcome to the family, Allie!!

2008-12-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

Well, this past weekend, my brother and his beautiful Fiance, Allie, got married in a private family ceremony (Their big wedding is in February in Tahoe!). It was beautiful and I am so happy to have Allie as my new sister! God has blessed me with wonderful Sisters-in-law! :) Welcome to the family, Allie!

Allie at her Bridal shower!

My beautiful sisters!

Christmas Recap!

2008-12-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted to post some pictures from Christmas! :)

The Hendricksons:

Lizzy and I on Christmas day

Our 12903393th attempt at getting our men to take a normal picture! It finally worked:

The goofy boys:

Gordon and his BFF

Christmas Morning stockings!

Gordon's enormous stocking!

My beautiful sisters!

The Men!

Steele Fam on Christmas Eve:

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

Next year's Christmas card?

I just wanted to write to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!

I am so excited for mine and Gordon's first Christmas! :) We started a tradition where we stuff each other's stockings with gag gifts! I cannot wait to see what he got me tomorrow!

I hope that everyone has a blessed and safe Christmas and I pray that we can all take time to reflect on the incarnation of Christ, which is the true meaning of Christmas! God Bless!

S

Life in this crazy Christmas season

2008-12-21T19:01:00.000-08:00

Life is crazy as of late. I feel like I should update about my life on my blog! I have been doing a lot of Christmas shopping lately and I am finally done... and we are broke! (Ok, we aren't really broke, but it sure feels like it!). But I am so glad to be done because I couldn't bear to hit up the stores this week. Every time I drive by the mall or Target, they are so crowded.
I have been rehearsing for a while to sing at the church Christmas services this week. I am part of a small ensemble of singers and I have a solo in one of our songs. If you want to come out and see us, the services are on December 23rd at 7:00pm and December 24th at 4:00pm at Heart of the Canyons Church. Our ensemble led worship this morning and I got to practice my solo, so I'm not feeling nearly as nervous about the Christmas services as I was.
This week is going to be so eventful, but so fun! Tuesday and Wednesday are the Christmas services. Christmas eve morning, my mom and I are making and delivering a ton of cinnamon rolls! After the Christmas Eve service, we are heading off to my Grandparent's house for the BIG family thing! About 35 of us get together for dinner and a gift exchange! So fun! After that, we are going to my parents to have presents with them and my brothers. After THAT, we are heading to my brother and sister-in-law's for our annual Christmas eve beer!
Christmas day, we are celebrating our first Christmas together by having breakfast and opening presents. Then we are heading down to Orange County to spend the day with the Hendricksons!

On the 26th, we have a big family event! :) Then, on the 27th, we have Allie's bridal shower and bachelorette party! The 29th is Alex and Jeremiah's wedding and the 31st we are off to celebrate new year's eve! Whew! Its going to be a long and fun holiday!

Gordon's parents came up here today and went to church with us and we took some christmas pictures by our christmas tree!

Us with Gordon's parents:

siblings:

Me and Gordon by our tree:

Our first Christmas tree:

Anyway, I hope everyone has a very blessed Christmas and I pray that we never forget why we celebrate this very special holiday!

Sales People at Christmastime, Part Two....

2008-12-19T23:00:00.000-08:00

As promised, here is another tale of my run-ins with the odd sales people working the holiday season.

My mom and I were out shopping for an outfit for me to wear at the Christmas service at church that I am singing at next week, and we decided to hit up Express. We were browsing through some cute sweaters and this tiny, upbeat girl comes up and introduces herself. She asks my name and if she can help me with anything. I tell her no and that I am just looking. Seems normal, right?

Wrong. You would assume that when a customer tells you that she does not need any help, that you would leave that person to shop. But, no. This girl started handing me stuff left and right and telling me how cute it would look on me and to try it on. The only problem was that as she was handing me stuff, I kept saying, "eh. I don't like that" and instead of putting it back, she would say "WHAT??? Why not???!!! ITS SO CUTE! I'm going to put it in the dressing room for you anyway."

So at this point my mom and I are slightly annoyed, but I figure she can just put it in the dressing room and I just won't try it on and no one will ever know. The girl proceeds to follow us around and keeps handing me clothes that I would never wear. She kept trying to get me to try on a strapless, red mini-dress. I repeatedly told her that I was singing at church and it was practically freezing outside, making that dress completely inappropriate, but she didn't seem to get it.

I finally get to the dressing room and I would really just like to try on my clothes (the ones I picked out) and show them to my mom, but every time I would come out of the dressing room, she would be standing there saying, "OH MY GOSH!!! THAT IS SO CUTE!!! YOU HAVE TO BUY IT!" I replied by saying, "I don't like it. Its not my style." To which she would say, "REALLY? I WOULD TOTALLY WEAR IT. YOU NEED TO GET IT!!"

Ok. Now my mom and I are REALLY annoyed. My mom decides to go look for more stuff while I keep trying on. While my mom is gone, the girl says "Oh my gosh... I think your mom, like, totally hates me. She seems really annoyed with me. I don't know what I did wrong!!!"

I chose not to reply to this because I can't figure out why the sales girl is SO concerned with whether or not my mom likes her. Finally, we got out of there with a cute sweater, but it was no easy task.

sales people at christmas time, Part one.

2008-12-18T22:06:00.001-08:00

I don't know if anyone else has noticed this before, but people who work in retail at Christmastime are NUTS. Maybe its the long lines (and they are LONG), maybe its their desperate need for money in this economy, or maybe its just those crazy seasonal employees. I have had several run-ins with these crazy salespeople and would like to begin a series about these adventures:

The first run-in was at Macy's. I was out shopping for a gift for my brother-in-law's girlfriend (I found her a really cute gift, btw). I finally found it and get in line behind 6 other people. Gordon and I stand in line for 10 minutes (no exaggerations) and the line does not move at all. At this point, I am kind of annoyed (along with the line which now wraps around to the end of the department). I tell Gordon to hold our place while I go scope out what is going on (seriously, NO transaction should take this long). As it turns out, the woman at the front of the line has a bunch of clothing items and she is apparently unsure of how it would look because SHE WAS MAKING THE ONLY TRY ON EACH ONE OF HER CLOTHING ITEMS!
As I walked up, I see the cashier modeling a leather jacket while the woman at the front of the line asks the cashier, "hmm... I don't know. My daughter is a little bit bigger than you. Do you think it will be too tight on her?"
"No... I still have some room to move. She should be fine. This is SOOOOO cute. I would totally wear it" said the cashier, who is apparently completely oblivious to the fact that there are now a million people in line (okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration).
I went back to our spot in line, which remains unchanged, to report this ridiculousness to Gordon. As I am telling him, I realize that people around me in line are getting irritated too. I think enough people began to chatter and complain and finally they got the point and moved on.
I seriously just could not believe that this cashier was trying on clothes for the woman! I didn't think salespeople did that normally, much less when it is christmas shopping season and there is a long line.

And thus begins my adventures in dealing with salespeople at christmastime. I don't feel much like writing more, although there are way more stories, so keep reading! And feel free to comment and share similar stories!

Yesterday's tazer...

2008-12-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

So, Gordon came home from work yesterday and he was fine. He wasn't even in a bad mood. Apparently, being tazered isn't that bad. He said it hurts like hell for the 5 seconds they do it and then you are dazed for a minute and then you are fine.

I know I promised I would write more about it, but apparently it was anti-climactic. Sorry to let you down.

My Poor Husband....

2008-12-17T13:26:00.000-08:00

.... Is getting tazered today. OUCH! I will write more about it when he gets home!

To My Long Lost Friend.

2008-12-15T22:55:00.000-08:00

I usually try to keep my blogs light and just update about my life and throw in some humor (well, in my opinion at least), but recently something has been weighing heavy in my heart.

Earlier in the year, I had a falling out with one of my oldest and dearest friends. I'm not going to write what it was about, but more how I have been feeling about it recently. I have tried to contact her, but she doesn't really want to speak with me anymore. She knows who she is (I'm pretty sure almost everyone does since I haven't had falling outs with many other people in my life). I don't know if she reads my blog, but if I could talk to her right now, I would say this:

Hey,

I miss you. I was going through old pictures from high school and thinking back on all the crazy/weird/fun/hilarious things we used to do and all the adventures we went on, and I just want you to know that I look back on our friendship with nothing but fond memories. Even when I speak about you to other friends, I am always talking about the fun stuff we used to do.

I also want you to know that I would be your friend again in a heartbeat if the opportunity presented itself. I know you are probably thinking that saying that sounds totally desperate, and I don't mean it that way. I just mean that I harbor no hard feelings towards you and would be willing to reconcile.

I am sorry for the way that everything happened. I take full responsibility for the hurtful, selfish, and insensitive things that I said to you. If I could do it over again, I would have done it differently. I pray nothing but blessings on your life. You are so beautiful and have such an awesome personality. I know that your passion for life and your hard work will pay off and I know you will achieve great things.

I want you to know that if you are ever in need of a friend, you could call me anytime and I would be there for you in a heartbeat. I haven't forgotten you, and I never will.

Love,

Sarah

Things I do not Understand: Dec. 13, 2008

2008-12-13T11:50:00.000-08:00

Today's Topic:

CLOSE TALKERS.

Come on, you all know who I am talking about. Close talkers are those people who do not respect personal space. I am under the personal belief that there should be AT LEAST a foot or two between you and the person you are having a conversation with. There is no need to creep up an inch in front of someones face to talk to her. I'm not sure if people are close talkers because they are insecure that no one can hear them or because they are strangely unaware of the personal space bubble. I am not going to name any names, but I recently encountered one of these. I swear, she must have either thought I was deaf or really wanted me to compliment her on her "Minty" (Aka. Nasty) breath.

So please, the next time you want to talk to someone (aka. ME) please respect the one to two foot rule... unless you want me to offer you a breath mint and make fun of you when I get home.

Home from the hospital!

2008-12-12T22:14:00.001-08:00

Well, they finally released me from the hospital today! The surgeon said I should heal up nicely. Gordon has been absolutely wonderful. They let him take 2 days off work to take care of me. He has been doing everything for me and not once has even complained at all. I do not know what I would have done without him. It is at times like these when I realized what an incredible man that I married. He has been such a servant and I am overwhelmed and humbled by his love and kindness to me. :)

I'm hoping I will start feeling better soon... for now, I am still in pain and my stomach is swollen and I look like I'm pregnant. I hope that goes away soon!

S

Appendicitis

2008-12-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I was not feeling well. I thought I had the flu, but my side hurt so bad that I could barely move. My mom reccommended that I go to the doctor to have it looked at.... so the next thing I know, they are telling me that i have appendicitis and they have to do emergency surgery. I was just so glad they caught it in time and were able to remove it laproscopically so i wont have much scarring.
So anyway, that was my random, unexpected surgery day yesterday. I am currently still at Henry Mayo hospital and should be going home tomorrow. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shown me so much support! Thank you for calling, texting, visiting, bringing gifts, and most of all, praying. I have felt overwhelmed with love and support by my family and friends! love you all!
I would write more but the keyboard on the computer is touch screen and hard to use!

S

Things I Do Not Understand: Dec. 7, 2008

2008-12-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

This week I want to talk about something that I am sure we all have experienced. I was driving to San Diego yesterday to visit a friend (had a blast, btw). I was on the freeway and there was a MAJOR accident and pretty much all lanes were moving at zero miles per hour.

So I am sitting there, listening to the radio (103.5.... I LOVE their constant Christmas music!) when all of the sudden, some jerk yanks his car out of the current lane (non-moving) and totally cuts me off so he can get in to my lane (ALSO non-moving). Then, about 2 minutes later, he gets back into his old lane (still not moving). After that, he moves over to some other lane (Did I mention that NONE of these lanes are moving??).

Honestly, I do NOT understand. I mean, if traffic is moving and you are weaving through the lanes, you may be an idiot, but at least (it appears) you will get where you are going faster. When ALL LANES of traffic are not moving, what is the point of switching 10 times? You aren't moving! I do NOT understand.

S

Extra pay check

2008-12-04T10:01:00.001-08:00

December is one of those weird months where there are 3 paydays instead of two. This may not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but it means we have a lot of extra money. We did our budget and after we pay our bills, buy Christmas stuff, etc, we still have $1800 left over.

So then we had to figure out what we would like to do with that money. We decided to do what any responsible adults would do....

WE'RE GOING TO VEGAS!

Gordon has a 4 day weekend around New Year's Day. So we are going to spend it in Las Vegas. I have never been before and I am so excited!

Crazy Love

2008-12-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

I heard our wedding song this morning and it made me really happy, especially since Gordon was the one who picked our song. :)

Crazy Love
by Van Morrison

I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles
And the heavens open every time she smiles
And when I come to her thats where I belong
Yet Im running to her like a rivers song

Chorus:
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love

Shes got a fine sense of humor when Im feeling low down
And when I come to her when the sun goes down
Take away my trouble, take away my grief
Take away my heartache, in the night like a thief

Chorus:
Yes I need her in the daytime
Yes I need her in the night
Yes I want to throw my arms around her
Kiss her hug her kiss her hug her tight

And when Im returning from so far away
She gives me some sweet lovin brighten up my day
Yes it makes me righteous, yes it makes me feel whole
Yes it makes me mellow down in to my soul

Last one!

2008-11-30T19:43:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Still Funny!

2008-11-30T19:34:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

More Elfs!

2008-11-30T19:31:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Elf Yourself!

2008-11-30T19:22:00.001-08:00

If you want a good laugh, go to www.elfyourself.com! It is hilarious! You can upload pictures of you and your friends. I thought you could upload as many as you want, but apparently, you are only allowed to upload 5.... so I didn't get to put ALL of my friends on here, but this is the result:

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Still Thankful!

2008-11-29T18:44:00.000-08:00

Well, Thanksgiving weekend has been busy! But don't think I am done writing about all those that I am thankful for. I'm not currently on my computer, so I don't have pictures to put up of these people:

-Dan and Jamie/Aaron and Missy: These are some of the wonderful couples in our Bible study and the people we spend most of our time with up in Valencia! I am glad that they are in our lives and I know that any one of them would be there for Gordon and I in a heart beat if we needed them. They are our other married friends and we have learned a lot about marriage through them! :) Love you guys!

-Kimmy: My little sister/twin/love! She is truly amazing and has stuck by my side through the years! I love this girl! She makes me laugh so hard and has been such a blessing in my life! She is always there to listen to me talk (and I talk A LOT!) and she really cares about me!

There are so many more, but I think it would take me years to talk about all of them! But I love every amazing person in my life!

I will be back on and blogging this week! :) I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for!

S

Almost there...

2008-11-25T20:45:00.000-08:00

I got a letter from LA County stating that I have passed both parts of the dispatcher tests and I am placed on the eligible for hire list! Woo Hoo! This means that I could be hired any time. The only bad news is that I could be hired any time from now until a few months from now. It seems like a long time to wait, but at least I know I'm on my way to a new career! YAY!

My Cousin, Megan

2008-11-25T13:02:00.000-08:00

Continuing with my blogs about being thankful, I have to write about my cousin Megan. She is one of those friends/family that I can go without seeing for a while and then when we get back together, we can just pick right up where we left off. I was having a horrible day yesterday and she called me and told me to come over. She totally listened to me and let me vent and I felt so much better. She is such a great listener and so understanding. I have been blessed by her friendship and I know she would do anything for me and I would do anything for her. I am so thankful for having her in my life!

S

Mom and Dad

2008-11-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

I'm back to writing about the people in my life that I am thankful for, and I feel the need to include my mom and dad. I know, you are wondering why I didn't write about them sooner. Well, I really wanted to think about what I wanted to say! I don't feel obligated to include them just because they are my parents, but rather because they have been some of the most amazing parents ever. I don't even think I could list off all of the reasons I am thankful for them, but I will do my best:

They will have been married for 32 years in April and they are just as in love as they ever were. I am thankful for this because they taught me how to have a strong, solid marriage. They teach marriage and parenting classes at our church and I feel like I have so much to learn from them.

My dad taught me to have respect for myself. He taught me that I was a girl who could have standards and that I was worth something. He taught me not to settle. My dad always made me feel so special. I know that it is because of him that I am the strong woman I am today and have married the amazing guy that I did.

My mom is my source of constant wisdom. I talk to her all the time and she always has some sort of great advice for me. As I have grown up, she has become my best friend. I pretty much tell her everything. She helps me be a better wife and friend and I know that one day when I have kids, she will help me be a better mother. And, as a bonus, she is SO hilarious! Everywhere we go, we just laugh the whole time!

God couldn't have given me better parents.

S

Things I Do Not Understand: November 23, 2008

2008-11-23T12:52:00.000-08:00

I am taking a break of writing about who I am thankful for in order to continue my series on the things in this world I think are stupid. Today's topic is: People who leave political bumper stickers on their car after the election is OVER.

Now, lets be fair here. I understand that it was just a couple weeks ago that we (unfortunately) elected Barak Obama and (thankfully) passed Proposition 8. So when I see cars with these bumper stickers on, I am somewhat understanding. Maybe the person driving around has just been too busy to stop and take 2 seconds to take down their "McCain/Palin '08" sticker. But at a certain point, it needs to come down.

It's not so much the Obama/McCain stickers that bother me, it's the John Kerry/George Bush stickers that are left over from 2004. REALLY??? Its been 4 freaking years. Take that stupid sticker down! George Bush won, Kerry lost. THE END.

I found this picture online, and this may be the only person in the world with an excuse for not taking down their John Kerry stickers:

That guy probably couldn't take all those stickers off even if he wanted to.

So please, take down your political bumper sticker. I know I did.

S

Eric and Glenn

2008-11-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

Its Day 4 of writing about those I'm most thankful for. There is no way I could NOT write about these two goofy guys that I inherited as brothers. :)

Glenn is so funny! I know that if I ever need a good laugh, I can go hang out with Glenn. He is always making jokes and cracking everyone up. He is super smart, too. He's always up for a good theological discussion. If you ever want some interesting reading, visit his blog. He is a great brother and a great friend!(And ladies, if you are looking for a smart, funny, guy who is on his way to becoming a great pastor and author... call Glenn up!)

Eric and I always have a good time. He tells the corniest jokes, but you can't help laughing! I know I can talk to Eric about almost anything and he is such a great listener. I know he would be there for me in a heartbeat if I needed it. Honestly, I am so grateful for his friendship!

These two guys are the best brother-in-law's I could ask for. They have been amazing brothers and friends to my husband and that means the world to me. I truly consider them family and what great family they are!

S

Sleep Talking.

2008-11-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

I have to share this funny story about my precious husband. He usually goes to bed at 8pm because he gets up so early in the morning. I usually go to bed around 11pm. So the other night I got into bed and Gordon and I proceeded to have the following conversation:

G: "Sarah, make sure I am awake at 3AM."
S: "what?"
G: "In case the wind blows the power outlets down, I need you to make sure I am up at 3"
S: "What?"
G: (In a louder tone) "I HAVE TO ROLE PLAY TOMORROW"
S: "Ok... What do you have to role play?"
G: "Its a 415 Man" (I later found out that is one of his police codes)
S: "Uh... I think you are talking in your sleep"
G: "No I'm awake"
S: "I don't think you are"
G: (Yelling) "I AM AWAKE AND I KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING!!"

I started cracking up!! it was so funny. Of course I told him about it the next day and he had no clue what I was talking about. I guess all the police stuff is getting into his head! Anyway, I was amused. I live with a sleep talker.

S

Jeff and Kelly; Nate and Allie

2008-11-21T13:09:00.000-08:00

Its day three of writing about who I am thankful. Today I am writing about my brothers and the women who love them.

My brothers really are the greatest. They are such great guys who are so funny and a blast to be around! Even though they are a lot older than me, I have grown to become friends with both of them. Its fun to be able to hang out and genuinely enjoy spending time with your siblings.

Kelly and Allie are amazing too. Jeff and Kelly married when I was only 15, so she has been around for a long time. We have grown to be great friends and I truly consider her to be my sister. We have a blast hanging out and we always laugh together!
Nate and Allie are engaged to be married in February and I cannot wait. She is so great and I know she is going to be such a great addition to our family! I have gotten to know her more recently and she is so much fun to be around!

Yes, I am so thankful for my wonderful brothers and the ladies in their lives (and my life too!)

S

Fish and Lizzy

2008-11-20T09:12:00.000-08:00

Well, its day two of writing about people I am thankful for. Today I am writing about Fish and Lizzy. Fish has been Gordon's best friend since high school and Lizzy is his awesome girlfriend. They are one of our favorite couples to hang out with.

I met Fish back in 2005 at Hume Lake and we became friends quickly. Once Gordon and I started dating, he was so supportive. He has been such a great friend to both me and Gordon over the last few years. He is funny and reliable and a very genuine guy. He has always been there for Gordon and that is so important to me.

Lizzy and I became friends very quickly a little over a year ago. I couldn't have been happier when she and fish started dating. I know that she is always there for me and I can talk to her whenever I have a problem. She shares my love for Diet Coke, Del Taco and Target and has a great sense of humor! I am so glad that we are such great friends.

I am so thankful that God brought the both of them into my life!

S

Gordon

2008-11-19T22:34:00.001-08:00

I think when I think of all the blessings that are in my life, the people that God has placed around me are probably the biggest blessings of all. Seriously, I have some amazing family and friends (and family that are friends too and friends that I consider family... ok that sounded confusing!).In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to write a daily series of blogs about the people I am thankful for.

1.) GORDON (or should I say "Recruit Officer Hendrickson"??)

So I don't know why, but one day in June of 2005, God smiled upon me and I was introduced to this handsome, hilarious, godly, witty, charming guy. More than 3 years later, I am still as charmed by him as I was the day that I met him. My heart still skips a beat when he walks through the door. He cracks me up, cheers me up, lifts me up, and holds me up. I would go anywhere with him. No joke. He is such a man of God with a heart for the Lord and for me. He seems like a tough guy on the outside, but he has a heart of Gold. I know in the years to come, we will only grow stronger. I LOVE him.

Our engagement picture!

This was us back in 2005!

A great weekend!

2008-11-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

Well,
I had such an amazing birthday weekend! We kicked it off on Thursday with dinner and a margarita with my mom and dad and grandparents. Then on Friday we had the big pub crawl! It was SO much fun! Even Alison drove up from San Diego. What a great friend! Then on Saturday we drove to Anaheim, but all the freeways were closed so we took a bunch of back roads and it took FOREVER. Then on Sunday we had lunch with Gordon's family and then went christmas shopping for all of our decorations! WOW. That was a lot! It was so fun and I just want to say thank you to all the amazing people who made my birthday so special!

Here are some pictures:

Me and Ali before we left

Cute Husband and Lizzy

Great friends and brothers

Don't know what ali was doing to my head

My husband is HOT

Anyway, I couldn't have asked for a better birthday. it was wonderful!

21!

2008-11-14T08:39:00.001-08:00

I turned 21 yesterday and Gordon took me to bevmo to buy my first 6-pack of beer! I bought Boont Amber Ale.
I haven't had any of it yet but I probably will soon!

S

Happy Birthday...

2008-11-13T08:02:00.001-08:00

...TO ME!

Dispatcher!

2008-11-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

I passed my first dispatcher exam and I have an interview a week from tomorrow! I'm on my way to an awesome career! :)

Oh, and tomorrow is my bday! I am so excited!

21!!!

Things I Do Not Understand: November 8, 2008

2008-11-08T09:28:00.000-08:00

CROCS:

I have to be honest here, these shoes are ugly. But, in fairness, I have worn some ugly shoes in my day (anyone remember the Ugg boot craze??). At least Ugg Boots were comfortable. There is is NO WAY these can possibly be comfortable. Argue with me all you want, but brightly colored plastic with holes in it can NOT be comfy enough to make up for its ugliness.

This has been this weeks edition of "Things I Do Not Understand."

Thank you.

S

One Week To Go....

2008-11-06T22:25:00.000-08:00

...Until my 21st birthday. I'm really excited. Thursday night is a dinner (and a margarita!) with my family for my and my mom's birthdays (mom's is Nov. 18th). Friday is the big party. We are doing a pub crawl! We are making our way through the restaurants within walking distance of our apartment to have drinks! I'm really excited. My Sis-in-law came up with the "pub crawl" idea and I think its great!

just wanted to share my excitement!

Good Friends, Good Hookah

2008-11-05T22:49:00.000-08:00

I have been in a really bloggy mood lately (I know bloggy isn't a word). So in keeping with this, here are some pictures from Saturday night. Glenn (Gordo's Brother) and Fish and Lizzy (our dear friends) came to visit us. We enjoyed a night of hanging out, cooking chinese food, playing games, and smoking some hookah.

Gordon and I... He likes me, I swear! :)

Obviously, I enjoy hookah!

Lizzy loves hookah too!

OK. I put this picure up for two reasons:
1.) So you can see our beautiful hookah
2.) So you can catch a glimpse of the flowers that Gordon bought me for no reason! (Look at them in the background!!)

We are friends, and Gordon looks crazy in the background

These are the only kind of pictures that Glenn and I take.

I love all of them! :)

S

Google Analytics

2008-11-05T20:48:00.001-08:00

I have recently discovered google analytics. It is this really cool program that lets you track how many people are visiting your site. It has a lot of different features to it, but my favorite is the one that tells you where the people reading your blog are located. I used some screen shots from my blog to demonstrate. It goes like this:

First, it breaks it down by which states are viewing your blog:

Then, it gives you a map of the cities in that particular state that visit:

Then, it tells you how many visits from each city visit your blog:

Its really interesting to see which cities visit my blog. Most of the cities that frequent my blog are pretty expected. Although I am kind of puzzled by some of the people that visit. I mean, I don't know anyone that lives in Cypress and someone there seems to visit my blog A LOT (15 times in the last couple weeks).... hmm.... interesting....

Just thought I would share my thought on Google Analytics

S

Kelly's Marathon!

2008-11-04T14:20:00.001-08:00

So on Sunday, my amazing sister in law finished her first marathon! She did such a great job!

Kelly and my brother after the marathon!

Crossing the finish line!

Honestly, Kelly is the most amazing sister in law I could ever ask for. I never had a sister and I am so lucky that she is my first sister! She is such a great friend. Often times, I feel like a lot of my friends don't really give a crap, but I always know that Kelly loves me and really cares about me. She has always been there for me and I was so happy to be able to be there for her and cheer her on in her huge accomplishment! WAY TO GO KELLY! You're the best! :)

S

Knotts Scary Farm!

2008-11-04T14:12:00.000-08:00

I just now got around to uploading pictures from my camera... here are some cute ones from Knotts Scary Farm!

Gordon takes this picture every year:

They also take this disgusting picture every year...

The whole group!

He is so precious!

VOTING

2008-11-04T12:51:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not going to sit here and tell you to go out and vote because its your right and responsibility as an American. I am going to tell you to NOT vote.

Please, DO NOT VOTE... unless you have educated yourself on both sides of the issues. I know that MTV is out there telling everyone to go out and "Rock the Vote," but do we really want people to vote just because they CAN? Personally, if someone has never done his/her homework on what they are voting for, I don't want them to vote.

So please, vote if you can honestly say you know why you are voting for a certain candidate. Otherwise, please stay away from the polls.

S

Things I Do Not Understand: November 1, 2008

2008-11-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

There are many things in the world that baffle me. Often I find myself turning to someone and saying, "I don't not understand X." So in light of this, I have decided to create a weekly segment titled "Things I do not understand." This week, I do not understand:

-People who comment on You Tube videos. I mean, really, nobody knows who you are and lets face it... nobody cares what you have to say.

That has been this week's edition of "Things I do not understand." Check back next week for something else I do not understand.

Before the Throne

2008-10-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ok, So I was listening to this song today called "Before the Throne" and its amazing. What I really love is the last line:

"Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free,
For God the just is satisfied,
To look on Him and pardon me."

I was just reminded of God's amazing grace when I listened to that song. So good.

Doctor.... Part 2

2008-10-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

I'm going to the doctor tomorrow to hear the results from the numerous tests they have been running on me! :) Hopefully they can tell me whats wrong! Prayers, please!

S

Stay at home wife.

2008-10-22T13:24:00.001-07:00

I have been home the past few days and I have actually kind of enjoyed being a "stay at home wife." I have done laundry, ran errands, cleaned the house, packed Gordon's lunches, and searched for jobs. I asked Gordon if I could take this up as my new career, but he said "no."

S

Unemployment.

2008-10-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Well, KBI had to cut budgets and do some lay offs yesterday and I got laid off.

So, I don't have a job anymore.

Surprisingly, I wasn't too sad. I didn't enjoy my job and often wondered why I was there in the first place. Many times, I thought that I was overpaid for what I did. It makes sense and I was looking for a way out.

Its at times like this that I see God's hand of providence in my life. This week, Gordon started working at the police academy. He is now making more money than the two of us made combined before. So I know we are going to be fine financially. I couldn't have imagined if this had happened while he was working at Home Depot. So I'm not worried about money, which is nice. I think that is partly why I'm not too sad about it. So anyway, I'm not sad or embarrassed or worried. I just want to put it out there so that people don't ask me about my job. I don't have one. And its OK because God is good and this is just another time to grow my faith.

S

I Miss My Baby, Roadwork is Lame, and Not All Frozen Lunches are Good.

2008-10-17T12:50:00.001-07:00

.... These are the three things I have learned as of the past three days.

First off, let me say that I have never in my life driven a large car. My first car was a Pontiac Grand Am, my second was a 1990 Toyota Corolla, my third was a 1999 Toyota Rav4, and my current car is a 2005 Toyota Corolla (I know, I have had a lot of cars). I LOVE my Corolla. It is my baby. My husband, on the other hand, drives a monster of a vehicle. He drives a bright blue Dodge Ram. Seriously, its big. Well, my car gets 25 miles to the gallon and his gets a measly 10.
Since we are a budget-concious couple, we have decided to trade cars because he has to drive to the academy everyday.
So now I am stuck driving the beast. I feel all turned around. While Gordon is zipping down the 5 freeway with my precious little car, I'm struggling to change lanes on The Old Road (it is the name of a road). Lane changing is not the least of my problems. I cannot park this thing to save the life of me. I literally have to drive to the farthest edge of a parking lot, look for 2-4 empty spots in a row and leave about and extra 10 minutes to get straight in a spot. Yesterday, I drove to lunch and there was only one spot open in the lot and it was between to other large cars.... I turned back around and went back to work. I was NOT about to squeeze in there. Also, the radio does not work well. I cannot sit in my car on my lunch break and listen to Dr. Laura... This is also a dissappointment. I know we are helping out budget, but I want my car back. :(

As I'm driving to work on monday in the monster, I realized that there is construction going on on The Old Road. I was forced to get on the 5 freeway (I don't even take the freeway) going the OPPOSITE way of my work. So I got off at the first exit, which took me back over by our apartment, and had to go back on another road. IT WAS AWFUL. I now have to do this everyday indefinitely until they finish the road work. Lame.

One final thought... I am a big fan of eating Smart Ones for lunch. Its healthy, not too expensive, and it tastes good. I assumed since I have liked all of the ones I have eaten before, that I would like the roasted chicken and mashed potatoes. It seems hard to mess up. But it tastes like crap. I do not reccommend it.

...Just some things I have been thinking about the past few days.

To end things positively, Gordon and I do not have any plans for tonight and tomorrow. I am so excited to just relax with nothing to do! Those days are the best :)

S

The Doctor... and My Bad Habits.

2008-10-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to the doctor yesterday.... and well, the results were somewhat dissappointing. She checked my thyroid, which was swollen (go figure), and listened to me talk about the symptoms I was having. She said she thought I had hypothyroid, but she also thinks I have interstitial cystitis. She took some blood but she has to run some more test and I will be back at the doctor 2 more times in the next 2 weeks. I have to have a thyroid ultrasound and then go over the results with her. Fortunately, hypothyroid is very treatable. However, there isn't really much of a cure for IC, which is a huge bummer. So that is the update on the doctor's visit.... I have to go again.

In other news, I have quit biting my nails. Now, I know what you are probably thinking: "Big deal. Its not that hard."
I beg to differ. I have bit my nails since as far back as I can remember. I have tried to quit several times before, but it was to no avail. This time it is different. I am on day 7 and I have not bit them. This is a huge accomplishment for me. I have had to keep a nail file and and nail clippers at my desk at all times, but it seems to be working. My nails are looking healthier already! :)

Sick

2008-10-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Most of you who know me probably know that I have been sick for several months now. I just haven't felt well at all. Well, yesterday and today have been the worst. I have been throwing up a lot and have had a pounding headache. I have been home from work and I hate it. I don't like being home from work because I am constantly worried that people think I am faking it. I probably wouldn't worry about this except that I work with a bunch of gossipy women who LOVE to talk about everyone else in the office. I hate not being there because I would rather not be the subject of their gossip. In any case, I am going to see a doctor tomorrow... FINALLY. I sure hope they can figure out what is wrong with me. I am so tired of being sick.

Also, today is Gordon's first day in the police academy. I am so anxious for him. I just want him to come home and tell me all about it so I can stop worrying.

Today is a sick, not good kind of day.

LAPD Family Orientation

2008-10-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Gordon and I attended the family orientation for the Los Angeles Police Department. It was a long day, but it was also really informative.

The day started bright and early at 7AM at the ARTC (Ahmenson Recruit Training Center) in Westchester (which is near LAX). There were about 50 recruits there with their families. in the beginning, the instructors came out and introduced themselves and told everyone what classes they would each be instructing. I was really glad to hear from the people who will be teaching Gordon throughout the academy.
After that, they took the family members to a seperate room while the recruits signed papers. They held a Q&A time with the instructors and then with two recruits who were about to graduate the academy. Then they took us to the mat room where we got a demonstration of the self defense classes the recruits would be taking (And that baton looks like it would hurt like no other). Then we went to watch a current academy class do a physical fitness session (it looked like torture... some of them were even puking). After that, they took the families into a simulator room. Its basically a really expensive video game that the recruits use to do tactics training. They put you in a scenario and you have to decide which weapon to use (if any) and you have to shoot (or taze, or beat with a baton) the suspect and then it will measure how accurate you were with your shots or if you responded appropriately. It was really cool and they let us try it! How awesome is THAT?
After this, we went back and met up with the recruits again for lunch, paper work, etc. Then they got all their stuff that they needed and got fitted for uniforms. We wrote a check for 1/2 of our savings, and we were on our way home!
It was a really good day and I was so glad to learn more about what Gordon is going to be going through over the next six months. It is going to be brutal, but I know he can do it and I am so proud of him for making it this far! :)

On another happy note, we are going to Anahiem this weekend to visit our friends and I cannot wait! We are going to Knott's Halloween Haunt tonight and celebrating Eric's birthday. It should be fun!

S

What Not To Wear

2008-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

I am an avid fan of the TLC show, "What Not To Wear." If you haven't seen the show, the premise is this: friends and family will nominate a person who dresses poorly and stylists Stacy and Clinton will surprise them with a $5,000 shopping spree. The catch is this: The nominee must first face the 360 degree mirror and see how she actually looks in the clothes she is currently wearing. Usually during this protion, the woman will give all sorts of excuses for her wardrobe. Stacy and clinton will then go through the clothes with her and throw them all away and give her new rules to shop by. In the end, the woman (or man) always ends up looking a million times better because Stacy and Clinton have shown her what looks best on her! I LOVE this show.

I was so excited to learn that the theme of our women's retreat this past weekend was "What Not to Wear." The difference was that we talked about it in a spiritual sense, although we did get to watch clips from the show! I have to say my favorite speaker of the weekend was my mother (a little biased I know). Her topic was the 360 degree mirror. She wanted us to take a good long look at ourselves and the excuses we give for the sins that we are currently wearing.

She talked about all of the excuses:

"It's Comfortable"- She spoke on the sins that we carry around with us simply because they are just comfortable. She specifically spoke of the sin of ungodliness, which she defined as "going through your day without thought to the things of God." This really challenged me. I would love to say that God is resounding in my thoughts all day and that I speak of the things of the Lord, but I don't. It was a very convicting time for me.

"It hides problems"- She spoke of the sins that we use to cover up the hurts of our past. She challenged the women that use their anger to cover up hurts.

"It's Sexy"- She spoke about the women who use sin to get attention. She talked about selfishness and constantly turning the conversation back to yourself. It definitely made me think twice about what I contribute to a conversation.

There were so many more things I learned on retreat but that is what stuck with me the most and I thought I would share it. I am a compelete dork and I totally forgot to take pictures! Bummer! But it truly was a great weekend!

S

Megan and Matt's Wedding

2008-10-03T11:10:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pictures from my Cousin, Meg's wedding!

This is Eva, She is my 2nd cousin and she was the cutest flower girl!
The set up
Bailey (the ring bearer) carried Eva (the flower girl) down the aisle
Megan and her dad and stepdad
all the girls
Bridesmaids

It was a beautiful ceremony right on the beach in Santa Barbara. It was so pretty and the weather was perfect! :)

Hume Lake Pictures

2008-10-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

To lighten the mood of my political blog, here are some pictures from our trip to Hume Lake!

Gordon is so cute!
Missy was goofing around while we played frisbee golf
Jamie and I
All of the women
Missy and I
My hottie husband and I

all of us at the campfire
He loves to wrestle with gracie
We saw deer!
We had fun playing frisbee golf
... it was really muddy... I had to roll my pants up!

On Politics

2008-10-03T07:49:00.001-07:00

Yes, its true. I am going to get a little political. I try and avoid this topic as it sparks much debate, but I need to. And I promise, this will be one of my only political blogs.

First of all, I need to talk about teenagers that rave about Obama all the time: As much as you wish you could go out there and mark "Obama, Biden" on your ballot, YOU CAN'T.... So please shut up. Seriously, this has been my annoyance since the beginning of this election. High schoolers think that it is trendy to hate president Bush and that its cool to like Obama because he is going to bring about some sort of "change" (whatever THAT means). So they post bulletins on Myspace, which I have to read, saying "F*** Mccain, go Obama."
I just want to say: YOUR OPINION DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU ARE 15!
Sorry I needed to rant.

On another note, I watched the debate last night and it was very interesting. I really thought that Sarah Palin held her own. She really came across well. She had concrete examples (something she was missing in her Katie Couric interview) and she maintained that small town charm.
One thing I did notice was that when she started to talk about her small town back home, Biden felt the need to counter by talking about his small town back home. I found his stories a little harder to believe, mainly because he is not the middle class, no matter how much he would love you to believe he is.

I'm not sure if Sarah Palin is ready to lead or not. I really like her as a person, but I just don't know. That being said, I will still vote for McCain because I don't think Obama is ready to lead either (not to mention, he supports a woman's right to murder an unborn child, but thats another issue). Since Sarah Palin is not running for president and Obama is, Palin's inexperience does not bother me as much as Obama's. Being president is not the time for on the job training. McCain has experience.

I could go on and on about why McCain is the lesser of two evils in this election and why we should not vote for Obama, but I won't. My rant is finished.

S

Benefits!

2008-10-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

Its October 1st, which means that I finally have benefits from my work! KBI makes us wait a little longer than most other companies, as I have worked here since May. I have been without benefits for quite some time now and its nice to know that I can be in an accident and not have to pay a ton of money for it! :) Also, for those of you who know me, you probably know I haven't been feeling well recently. I finally got a doctor's appointment for October 15th. Its good to be insured.

S

So Thankful.

2008-09-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I really have come to understand that I am undeniably annoying. I mean, really. I am nosy, loud, opinionated, sarcastic, mean, and rude at times. I truly believe that if I met me, I would not like me at all. In fact, I am baffled that I have friends at all!

Its one of those painful realizations that I know God is showing me on purpose. If I am to become a woman worthy of the calling of Jesus Christ, my life ought to reflect that. Not only that, but I am doing a study on the proverbs 31 woman and we were talking about how, "you can read the character of a man on the countenance of his wife." WOW. So my countenance not only speaks volumes of me, but also of my husband. I want him to be so proud that he has a wife of noble character.

Basically, I'm on a mission. I am going to change the things in me that I know are not pleasing to God. I know that I can't do it on my own, but I have to fully rely on the Lord.

That being said, I am SO grateful for the amazing friends that I do have. I am so blessed to be surrounded by people who love me in spite of my flaws.
Gordon, Fish, Lizzy, Jamie, Missy, Eric, Glenn, Kelly, Jeff, Kimmy, and Meg are just a few of the amazing people God has placed in my life that are such a blessing to me.

Thats all for now!

S

I do not understand...

2008-09-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

...Why people don't just say what they mean. I mean, if you don't want to do something, you can just say it. You don't have to sugar coat the truth. I can take it, just so you know. ;-)

Dog-Sitting.

2008-09-25T08:18:00.001-07:00

Gordon and I are dog-sitting. My parents left for Boston yesterday, so we get to stay at their house with Gracie. Gracie is a golden-doodle (1/2 golden retriever, 1/2 poodle). I know she doesn't look like it, but she is. And we love her. She really does have a cute personality.

Now, if you know anything about this dog, then you know that she is certifiably crazy. No joke. She does the wierdest stuff. Also, if you know anything about my parents, you know that they spoil her like crazy and thus feeding her weird habits.

First of all, she can't handle a lack of attention. Gordon came home last night and as soon as he came over to give me a hug, she started squealing (yes squealing... she doesn't bark much). Then she stuck her head in between us and dropped her squeaky toy on our feet. She did this anytime we were talking to each other and ignoring her.

Second, when she is outside, she will stand by the door, crying and squealing. She does this not because she wants to come inside, but because she would like to be outside with the door open. She wants the option to come inside.

Third, (and this is possibly her strangest habit) she does weird things in the night. For the most part, she sleeps in my parents closet. But in the middle of the night, she will start to squeal. I assume she has to go to the bathroom, so I get up and put her outside. She eats some of her kibble and then goes out into the backyard. I go back to sleep. Then there is this scratching noise on the side of the wall by my parents room. Apparently, Gracie had an itch and rubbing herself up against the stucco on the outside wall feels really good to her. Then she begins to bark. I let her back in. I asked my mom about this and apparently she does it every night. WEIRD.

So this next week should be an adventure in dog-sitting. I am leaving for Santa Barbara tonight to be in my cousin's wedding tomorrow so Gordon is on his own to deal with the dog and her strange nocturnal behaviors.

Needless to say, it is going to be an interesting week!

Hello, Blogspot!

2008-09-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally broke down and did it. I got a new blog. I was previously using Xanga to blog, but apparently that is NOT the cool thing to do anymore. Basically, I don't know anyone using Xanga, but I do know people who use blogspot. So here I am.

I'm not very good at STARTING a blog. Once I get on a roll, you won't get me to stop talking, but I always have trouble finding a good place to start! I suppose I could bring you up to speed on my life as of now:

-I graduated from Biola University in May of this year with a degree in Communication. The funny thing about a communications degree is that you can do everything and nothing with it at the same time. I had a difficult time finding a job.

-I ended up working as a marketing manager at KBI. It's a ridiculously boring job. Trust me, I won't talk about it.

-In June of this year, I got married to my best friend in the entire world. His name is Gordon. Words can not express the blessing that he has been in my life. The two of us spend the majority of our time just laughing together. We pretty much make fun of everything.

-We currently live in Valencia, CA where I grew up, but we are thinking of moving back to Anaheim (where he grew up) next year.

- Just last Friday, my husband got a call that notified him that he has been accepted into the Los Angeles Police Department. He starts the academy on Oct. 14! I'm pretty stoked to be an LAPD wife!

-I am also currently in the process of applying to be a Los Angeles Police Dispatcher. We will see how it goes!

So thats a little bit about me. I will update this blog as different things tickle my fancy. For now, I have to get back to work.... er... something like that!

-S