I'm Promised

Christmas was fantastic. I love Christmas, but I have such bad withdrawls starting today and lasting through January. From now until like July there is nothing to look forward to. No GREAT holidays. oh well, we will survive on valentines, st p's and easter i guess.

But CHRISTMAS...
Saturday we flew into portland and while thomas took a nap (we left the house at 5am) I wrapped all the presents and chatted with the rents. Then we went to lunch with nate and kristi and baby boy andrew. Cutest child EVER. Saturday night was magical at the Grotto. We looked at lights and listened to carolers. It was fantastic.

Sunday was an amazing morning at Imago Dei followed by breakfast with the extended fam. Then naps galore. Sunday night we had dinner and presents with nate and kristi and andrew. Then we went home and I fell asleep on thomas' chest while he watched a roy orbison video with my parents.

Monday we slept in, ate a lot of crap, went to the grocery store brawls, had pizza, and went to midnight mass at the grotto. THENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN...Thomas took me by the hand and let me to a quiet corner on the Grotto grounds with christmas lights sparkling and carols playing and handed me a ring box :) He said he couldn't propose before i left for africa cause "no wife of his was going to africa without him" but he wanted to give me a place holder ring and a promise that he'd ask me to marry him when i came home from Africa. SO i open thebox and inside is a white gold 18k celtic ring (with the symbol for love printed around it). Absolutely perfect and beautiful. He was sorta freakin out cause it is too small, but a correct size is a mere fed ex envelope away :) I can't wait to get the right one. He even got all teary eyed. So, NO, i'm not engaged...i'm promised.

Finally we got to Christmas day which was lovely. We opened presents ate food and it snowed. Can it get any better?

Giddy

"Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed—doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.

But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace." -- JFK

;;contented sigh;;

Proud

I still say i'm a member of Imago Dei even though I live 1000 miles from my church. Sometimes I'm reminded why I'm so steadfast in my devotion to a church I can't even attend.

Today I was checking out our website (conveniently located on my links) and felt a swell of pride for the work my brohams and sisters are doing there. For instance.......our new ministry -- Scarlet Cord which will work with Portland's prostitutes, providing hot beverages and food, conversation, and prayers to women working the streets. There's our commitment to redefining Christmas with "Advent Conspiracy" a church movement to put meaning back into christmas and take out the materialism. Check it out, it's an awesome thing. My church collected more than $150,000 on Advent Sunday (this last sunday) to give to global and local charities.

And the church itself is so amazing. You can go and be anyone, wear anything, do anything and feel loved and accepted. It's really mindblowing. I've never walked into a church and felt like truth, love, and Christ were so present as I do at Imago. It's life-changing and radical.

That chuch has SO much going on and is reaching into so many parts of Portland (and the world) to bring redemptive life. They are devoted to the arts, calling it "participating in the creative life of the Creator", they speak to Portland's homeless, and they, well, they are just amazing. Check out our website to see all the areas they are a working in. AND, join me and my awesome boyfriend at the 9am for service next Sunday. I guarentee you will see the hands and feet of Christ in that place.

Christmas threw up on my blog

I really love christmas movies. Love Actually is my favorite love story. Miracle on 34th street (THE OLD ONE) is my favorite old one, and Elf is the new classic. Not to mention A Charlie Brown Christmas which is a fine fine film.

I'm so excited for christmas! Even in this long long week i have in front of me (12 hour work days) I'm still excited!!!!!!!!!!! I get to go home with my love to christmas with my family. It's going to be so great! And i got the best christmas present ever for Thomas. AND, we are coming back on christmas day which sucks cause we miss the christmas dinner but is rad cause we'll spend christmas night with Thomas' family who are frickin great.

Speaking of rad, i went to disneyland over the weekend. Christmastime at disneyland is so fun. AND not only that, we saw my old friends from high school. My life is radtacular.

All I want for Christmas is you!

Life's Best Moments

Here's my list of life's best moments in the order they came in my head...which is no order at all....
1. Snuggling
2. Grilled Cheese and tomato soup on cold cold winter nights
3. Sleeping next to the person you love
4. Eating ice cream sundeas
5. Traveling...anywhere
6. Helping people
7. Snowboarding
8. Kissing
9. Hot tea
10. Deliciously deep conversations about the meaning of life and God
11. Eating Pizza when you KNOW you really shouldn't
12. Sharing your favorite thing with your favorite person (Mine is literature with Thomas)
13. Buying amazing, meaningful gifts for people
Okay i have more, but i gotta work will add later...

Tool

So i saw my first tool concert last night. It was pretty unbelievable. Pretty much like nothing i've ever seen, real musical and visual work of art. Pretty fascinating. The majority of the people there, i would say, are 18-30 males. Sure there are girls and a 40 something couple set behind us, but if i had to choose a target demographic that would be it. Anyway, Tool music is pretty intense and uses a lot of anger...but it's not negative energy anger...it's sorta this cathartic primal rage. Thomas astuely pointed out that although Tool enters dark parts of the human soul, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. i'd have to agree, maybe that's why it's not a negative emotion that emits from the music and art. Anyway, i loved it. It was pretty flippin amazing. Perhaps it doesn't resonate in me like it does with Thomas (for a variety of reasons), but i can appreciate and love the music even if i don't FEEL it the same as most Tool die hards.

and now i have a kick ass tool shirt :)

Harry and David

I really like chocolate covered blueberries and cherries.

Adventure Calls

Have I mentioned I'm moving to Afrcia July 6th?

December is Glorious

December really is great, i mean there are holidays galore and happiness runs rampant around splashing color and ribbons and lights and smiles all over the gloomy world.

Even today, a nasty day of work and ill-feelings that are in my chest, is brightened by the fact that it's december and there is silly happy christmas music and thomas and i are getting our tree this weekend. I mean really, how upset can you be when you are about to haul a non-native california tree (native to oregon mind you) into your house and put colored balls and ornaments on it while listening to the chipmunks sing about getting a hula hoop...that's just happiness right there. Three cheers for December!

I wish i could just pause life and sit in this place for another decade or so. I wish i was in groundhog day, except it isn't groundhog day...it's well all of december. I just wanna live it over and over and over and over and over. Not only cause this month rocks, but because i'm obviously having coping issues with leaving in July, but let's let denial deal with that! HURAH!