A new year, a fresh start!

I'm not really huge on resolutions, but this year as I was sitting in Colorado on new year's eve snuggling with my nephews and niece and watching Curious George, I couldn't help but think of everything I long for in the year to come. I love the thought of a fresh start, of dusting off hopes and dreams and re-prioritizing, of committing to make every day count. Whatever 2009 was (and wasn't) God offers fresh hope and new joy for 2010!!

Here's what I'm anticipating!

Learning to walk with God more intimately, hearing from Him every day, listening, and responding. Getting healthy and active again even in the busyness. Embracing every opportunity to LIVE. Being spontaneous. Saying YES! Resting, laughing, and growing. Finding joy in the simple things. Going deeper in relationships. Pursuing my creative dreams. Pouring out my heart and soul and investing in my job and the amazing people I work with. Letting God transform my finances and letting Him in on every aspect of my spending. Opening up to love in every form. Worshipping.

Yep, that's it in a nutshell...no more analyzing, stressing, trying to figure things out! Cuba taught me a lot about what it means to really live...here's to a year of living in that rest and joy and laughter!

Perfect happiness

I just got back from what will go down in history as the most amazing week EVER...a week in which I discovered that perfect happiness = the beach, hot sun, crashing waves, a few fruity cocktails, lots of laughter with new friends from all over the world, no responsibilities, no stress, and no worries.

Yes, Debbie and I took a last-minute trip to Cuba.....a decision that was made one night as we unwound after yet another stressful day at work.....considered our rising blood pressure and ever-increasing levels of exhaustion.....looked at eachother, and said, "Let's take a vacation!" A few minutes later we settled on Cuba, and a few hours later, armed with permission from our bosses to take some time off, we booked our flights!!!

I've never been remotely drawn to the idea of a tropical vacation before. My travels have always included lugging around heavy backpacks, poring over maps, visiting record numbers of historical sights, and falling into bed exhausted (albeit happy) every night. For some reason, the idea of lounging on a beach has never been overly enticing. I like HISTORY. I like CULTURE. I like ADVENTURE! I'm all about Europe and Africa...right?

Nevertheless on November 19th I found myself on a plane bound for Cuba, my suitcase jammed full of bikinis and shorts and cute little skirts and lots and lots of sunscreen. I had very few expectations beyond a little rejuvenation from the most stressful, busy, and overwhelming fall on record...full of work, studying, deadlines, pressure, and so much to do that most days I had no idea how I was going to survive. (UGH...just thinking about it still makes me tired!)

But OH........when that first wave of humidity hit me stepping off the plane in Varadero......when my bare feet first touched the soft white sand.......when I found myself floating on a gentle wave looking up at a perfectly clear blue sky......everything changed!!! And thus began a week of total, perfect rest! A week of insane amounts of attention from men all over the world. A week of deep bonds being formed with a most random group of strangers...Alex and Yanna from Russia, Sam from Columbia, Larry and Dustin from Toronto, Merv and Vincent and Rodrique and David from Montreal.....just a few of the people who became our good friends and constant companions as we swam and tanned and played beach volleyball and laughed and ate and walked and slept and laughed some more. A week of God speaking to me about beauty and being pursued and having something of great value to share with the world. A week of tearing down the walls and letting my guard down and soaking up the stories and joys and heartache of the people we met. A week of falling in love with the passion and freedom and utter friendliness of the Spanish culture. Yes, it's safe to say...I have never known such perfect happiness, perfect peace, and uncontainable joy!

And so the trip that came out of nowhere has changed me! Two weeks later, I'm still at peace. I'm still "glowing" (or so they tell me at work!) I still refuse to take on stress. My accounting final is on Monday and I can hardly bring myself to even study. Instead, I laugh a lot, I smile a lot, I crack jokes at the most inopportune moments, I speak WAY too often without thinking, and every night Debbie and I pour ourselves a glass of delicious red wine and "make toast"...our simple way of keeping Cuba alive in our hearts, of taking time to stop and reflect and savour and connect, of remembering the ridiculous amount of things we have to be thankful for. I've never been more aware of the simple joys that each day brings...a late-night walk in the freshly falling snow, Christmas carols by candlelight, uproarious laughter, good movies, great music, warmth, and REST.

14 days till Christmas...I'm excited to spend it in Colorado, and even more excited to see how long this new ME lasts!!! :-)

"I've got my toes in the water....a** in the sand...not a worry in the world, a cold drink in my hand...life is good today!!!!"

Snapshots of Summer

I was a little shocked to drive down the street today and see the leaves changing colours already!! Where has this summer gone?! It's been a good one but BUSY....full of little adventures and road trips and all the festivals Edmonton has to offer. The Calgary Stampede, gospel jamboree in Red Deer, a week up north with all six nieces and nephews (which makes me cringe even now!! ha!), Capital Ex, the Fringe, Shakespeare in the Park, Taste of Edmonton, picnics at the Leg, long walks, barbeques, blitz builds, movie nights, floating down the Pembina river, and lots and lots of great bonding with my amazing new roommate......yep, I haven't been bored!

a highly anticipated visit from Karen and my beloved kiddos!!

road trip up north with Debbie, Aaron, Hannah, and Madison...
prelude to the vacation that wasn't a vacation!!! :-)

picking saskatoons...mmm mmmmm!!

oh how I love this boy!!!

Noah and I making saskatoon pie together

picnic by the river...

the cousins had tons of fun together,

but remind me never to have six kids!!!

we were EXHAUSTED by the end of the week! :-)

putting the finishing touches on Brandon and Mandy's basement...

shouldda been a carpenter!

Shakespeare in the Park with Jenn and Debbie

a lazy Sunday afternoon stroll...

...which quickly turned into a photo shoot! :-)

ready to tackle the mighty waters of the Pembina River!

the perfect way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon!

Road Trip

So apparently all it takes to make my heart come alive in a BIG way is a weekend getaway to the mountains!! Moriah and I just got back from a quick trip to a retreat centre near Banff and had SUCH an amazing time! There's nothing like a road trip with a kindred spirit...getting away from the traffic and noise and constant busyness of the city...heading into the wilderness and learning to breathe again! :-) I need to start making this a regular part of my life! Seriously, we had barely pulled into the parking lot of the lodge we were staying at when I felt my creativity coming back in full force, my lungs expanding, and my heart exploding with all the possibilities!! (Yes, it was THAT dramatic!) ;-)

Friday night on the road...

yakking our ears off...what else? :-)

the forecast was cold and rainy...

but Saturday turned out to be the most glorious day ever,

nothing but hot sun and blue skies!

How can you tell we're in heaven,

finally getting out of the city??

Ah, a little sun-bathing by the river...

Beautiful views!!

Where I spent Saturday afternoon!
The most phenomenal few hours ever...
napping, journaling, praying, and the kind of
worship that words can't even begin to capture...
just my heart in communion with my Savior's.
Total, perfect peace!



A little hiking to get the heart rate up!

Our 6 am hike on Sunday morning...

got caught in a rain storm and then

locked ourselves out of the building.

It's all part of the adventure!

Very little sleep all weekend = yet another trip to Starbucks

on the way home! It's official; I'm addicted to coffee.

Our spontaneous and enthusiastic (three-hour-long) karaoke

party erupted shortly thereafter. :-)

And that's it!! Back home now, refreshed...renewed...with a killer tan...ready to tackle another crazy week!

Stepping back in time!

So the fantastic organization that I work for put on a roaring 20's fundraiser the other night...SO MUCH FUN! I think I was born in the wrong decade...we had a blast dressing up, eating delicious food, wine tasting, gambling with fake money, listening to live jazz bands, and mingling with local media celebrities. Barbara (our receptionist) and I had tons of fun designing our outfits...yep, we tend to get a bit crazy when we're together. :-) Here's a few shots from the night!

Things I love!

So I've been keeping a bit of a gratitude journal lately, just because I think it's healthy to focus on THAT for a change instead of all the things I can't control but try so hard to! :-) And it's amazing how, once you start learning to open your eyes and really see and recognize these things, there's SO MUCH blessing all around! Here's a bit of what I'm loving from the past few months!

The glorious return of spring...and summer...

and a chance to dig in the dirt, plant my first garden,

and watch the flowers spring to life!!

A job that I'm absolutely passionate about

with a team of co-workers I adore

and the chance to be part of something that's bringing hope

to families all over the world!

Old friends who come to visit

and no effort is required to rekindle the bond...

just lots of laughter, catching up, renewal...

oh, and painting the spare room!! :-)

Old friends who ALSO cook gourmet meals

that are waiting for you upon your return from work!!

The laughter and adoration of one of the sweetest, most

delightful little girls you'll ever meet...

Carefree summer days, and the return of
picnics in the park after church on Sunday,

barbeques, patios, long walks, sun-tanning....

can you say GLORIOUS???

Discovering a new (or perhaps OLD!) addiction and

shamelessly giving into it at every opportunity!

Sleepovers with my favorite little people

complete with movies, more junk food than should

be legal, games, crafts, stories, milkshakes for breakfast...

does it get any better than this?

Sleepovers with some of my favorite BIG people...

girl talk, manicures, pedicures, facials

and the comfort of just being ourselves!

Boys with amazing voices who teach you

that music, good music, transcends any language barrier

and shoots straight to the heart!

Creativity and inspiration for my latest writing project
(shhh...it's a secret!) and the freedom to take risks!

The fabulous ladies of Thursday

who love nights of cupcake decorating as much as I do

and faithfully gather every week to share life!



Watching my brother's heart come alive

as he takes one step closer to his dreams!

(with an amazing woman at his side!)

Rediscovering the freedom to worship

and dream

and live carefree in my Father's love.

Finding a kindred spirit who will soon become a roommate!

what are YOU thankful for???!!

Sick

Well, there's nothing like an entire week of sickness to put things into perspective!! Last Monday I came down with some sort of cold/flu/migraine mix, which knocked me out for six glorious days......the first three of which I was in so much pain I couldn't sleep or eat (until I discovered sleeping pills!!), and the next three of which I could sleep but still couldn't eat and was too weak to do anything but continue to lie in bed moaning and groaning! Needless to say, it's a great weight-loss plan, but not so great on the morale. :-) Thankfully today I've already kept down three small meals, and tomorrow I'm (gasp) actually planning on going to work!!

What I learned during my week of bed rest:

1) Asking for help is about the hardest thing in the world for me, but something I must learn how to do!!! (even if I'm so weak and frail that as soon as I call my poor, unsuspecting friends, all I can do is burst into tears! it's OKAY!)

2) On the same note, bursting into tears while calling in sick greatly increases the credibility. :-) (Why didn't I think of this years ago?? HA!!!)

3) I "wasted" a whole week of my life lying in bed, shut away from the rest of the world....but that's all I want to waste!! No more settling, waiting, hesitating, wrestling endlessly with questions that I already know the answer to...bring on SPRINGTIME, adventure, JOY, a fresh start, change, growth, laughter, and spontaneity!! I want to start LIVING again! (okay, so that might seem a bit dramatic, but I've had a lot of time to think!)

4) I have a pretty smoking awesome family that holds nothing back in their expressions of love for me!!!! Flowers, cards, chicken noodle soup, twenty phone calls a day to check up on me, listening to me blubber....if that isn't love, I don't know what is! :-)

and last but not least....

5) I never want to get sick again. :-)