I have the best sister ever

How do people make it through life without a sister? ~Sara Corpening

Bless you, my darling, and remember you are always in the heart - oh tucked so close there is no chance of escape - of your sister. ~Katherine Mansfield

If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child. ~Linda Sunshine

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. ~Amy Li

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. ~Marion C. Garretty

Sunny days and dance parties

Rachael and I love dance parties! Really who doesn't love dance parties? ( for those of you shaking your head can you honestly say you've never had the slight inclination to get up and dance at one moment or another? Rachael and I simply act on it). Its one of the many reasons I love living with my sister - the freedom to be absolutely silly among other good things. It also gives me the freedom to be grumpy and hibernate as I have done this week in an attempt to study. By God's good grace, lots of your prayers and Rachael's patience, the week has ended so much better than it began. My homework is complete and turned in and I have the weekend to study and prepare for the next round of class.

Sunshine on the park blocks makes it impossible to not fall a little more in love with this city. People have asked me how I put up with the rain in Oregon. After the last few days I can easily say its worth it to be here in the summer. Its been a perfect 70 degrees with a breeze, clear skies and no humidity. The roses are out in force and between that and the greenery it is its own slice of heaven here. I think the rain makes people all the more appreciative of the sunshine and in fact I've come to love the rain a bit in and of itself, as it has become a constant friend in the last few months.



My time in NC was refreshing and also tiring. I was up early and out late and it was absolutely worth it. What an amazing reminder of the love and support. I am blessed beyond measure. Being back at church of the apostles was a reminder of what home and church community is like and it made me grateful, thankful and more determined to invest more deeply in our church here.

Besides surviving biochem, Gig is here for a visit! Hoooray. Should see her sometime next week. Rach has started a new job that she loves and is back to cooking all sorts of goodies. We have fallen into a routine that I enjoy much more than the discombobulated late schedule we had at the beginning of our move. We both get up early - she heads to work, I head to the gym. I come back and study and get work done before heading to class. While she is at work I hit up the library until the evening and then we have dinner together, catch up on the day and in the case of tonight an amazing and a eclectic ( in terms of musical choice) dance party.

Really what more can a girl ask for?

Biochemistry is eating my brain

So I have lots of semi-finished post from my amazing visit to NC. I had such a good time seeing friends and family! I can't believe the trip is already over. Arriving home I have jumped straight back into school, which I was excited about until I encountered the evil monster that is biochemistry. Say a prayer there is so much I don't understand and a lot of basics that I have forgotten in being out of school for the last few years. On a positive note todays class and homework have gone much better than the beginning of the week and if I can simply survive I will be thrilled with a C for the first time in my life. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and encouragement. God's grace has brought me this far and will bring me the rest of the way. I need to remember that. More late, probably after I have survived the biochem beast.

p.s. GIG WILL BE HERE NEXT week! Hooray. Who would have though when I moved to Oregon I would get to see her 3 times in less than 6 months!

Oh Montana, my one true love.. you can never look beyond the Big Sky

So Rae and I finished Mansfield park. It was as fantastic as ever. I love Austen’s Heroes and the way the moment of clarity they have when they suddenly realize they have been in love with our heroine all the time and must immediately ( or shortly confess it). After finishing up mansfield we packed up our gear and headed back to our seats. Robert had taken residence in our seat and we felt bad about kicking him out but it was bed time. He didn’t mind though and went back to sitting with his father. We got settled into our seats and set up the computer to watch another version of Persuasion while we fell asleep. However, we didn’t quite get that far we ended up talking to Robert and his dad instead until the guy behind us got angry because he was trying to sleep. Oops. Robert was super sweet. He gave Rachael and I these small penguin keychains call CuCu’s that have a laser that projects the date and time. How fun is that. Rae then promptly fell asleep and I watched the movie myself before heading to sleep. Despite having lots of leg room I had trouble getting comfortable on the train. We should have probably spread out but instead we both tried to curl up on the same seat. Lol. I woke up early the next morning as the sun was just beginning its rise over the mountains. There was an ethereal mist hovering over the landscape as we chugged along towards whitefish Montana.  Not to long after that the conductor began walking up and down the aisle announcing “ Whitefish Montana, Next stop, Whitefish Montana”. We shook ourselves fully awake and began to gather up our gaggle of luggage. Robert offered to help us get our stuff off the train. Of course when the train did stop to unload Rae was in the bathroom. As we carted our luggage off the train, Robert kept saying “ so much luggage, so much luggage” in his chinese accent. I felt a bit bad since I was only traveling for a long weekend and coming from two states away when he was coming from across the pacific ocean and staying for two weeks and CLEARLY had less luggage than us. Someday I will be a better packer ( though Rae and I did share one bag of clothes, one bag for books and one for food). 

It was nice and chilly, though clear in whitefish. The train had actually arrived several minutes early so grandma and grandpa were just around the corner ( wonderfully prompt as ever). Its always so good to see the. They scooped us up and we headed towards Kalispell to do some grocery shopping and eat breakfast. Cisclo’s a small down home restaurant was AMAZING for breakfast. They do a special for anyone who gets there before 8:30 am and today’s special was the spicy skillet which was essentially an omelet with spicy sausage and hash browns all mixed together served with yummy toast. You had better believe I killed that thing. This would prove to be a fat kid vacation in terms of food. Rae and I had an unlimited amount of oreos, ice cream, cake and pie not to mention good normal food in large quantities. Food at grandmas house is always so good. 

At any rate our first day was a relaxing one, we ate, Rae slept on an off, I read a book, we visited with grandma and grandpa, ran up the hill to see Uncle Larry and Aunt sue. Had an amazing lemon birthday cake with raspberries and ice cream and watched Dances with Wolves. So evidently for years I have confused the movie white fang with the movie dances with wolves. I did not love dances with wolves. The ending was sad and it was a FOREVER long movie. We also heard some good grandma stories and Aunt Sue told us how she and Uncle Larry got married. 

So evidently Aunt Suzie got married when she was 16 and her husband cheated on her. Despite the fact that she already had a son, Allen, the catholic church granted her an annulment but told her she could never get married or they would excommunicate her. Years later she meet uncle Larry in her 20’s. He’s driving trucks and she is a waitress. Aunt Sue’s family loves Uncle Larry and wants to know why she won’t marry him, since he kept asking her. She said she didn’t want to because she had already been through that, and I am guessing because the church told her she couldn’t get remarried. However her family was teasing her about it one night so bad that she told them she would go get married after they finished their game of cards if they would leaver her alone. He sister bet her 10 dollars she wouldn’t do it. Right after the card game Uncle Larry and Aunt Sue headed to Indiana to some town where you could get a quick license they were there in back in a matter of hours and have been together for 52 years. Consequently her sister owed her 10$. What is sad is that when she remarried she was officially excommunicated from the catholic church. But at the same time Frank Sinatra managed to receive an annulment from his current wife so he could marry someone else ( the same thing Aunt Sue did) and because of his wealth her was not excommunicated. Per Grandma Jeanine Aunt Sue has had a bit of a grudge against the church ever since, though I can see why. She still considers herself catholic though and sends what would be her tithes to a lot of different catholic missionary and relief efforts. 

People’s stories are so interesting. For instance, my grandmother doesn’t have a birth certificate because when she was born the doctor though she was dead and went to work on her mother, because she was bleeding heavily. Because he thought she was dead he simply tossed her on the bed and left her. Her aunt and grandmother however didn’t give up on her and they took her back to the kitchen, put her in some warm water, then dunked her in cold to shock her system. Then they wrapped her up warmly and put her in the over to stay warm. Because of this grandma considers herself half baked :) and she was never issued a birth certificate. 

When my Aunt Noni was born her family was living in their barn because their house was in the process of being built. She can truly claim to be born in a barn and get away with just about everything.  Rae also found one of grandpa’s old letters to grandma.  It wasn’t overly mushy but you can still see how he cared and I could imagine my young grandfather sending it to my young grandmother. My grandfather worked in Ohio and my grandmother was in nursing school in Tennessee and so their courtship was long distance. He would call occasionally - and talk while she cried because she missed him- send letters and occasionally visit. Grandma said on one particular visit they went to the drive in movie. Something Grandma had never been allowed to do because her mother said “ good girls do not go to drive in movies” though she would never tell her why. When they got there my grandfather fell asleep because he had driven 13 hours to see her and my grandmother spent most of the movie trying to look around and understand what was so bad about the drive in. She also told us about how they went to her black stripe dinner for nursing and ended up sitting in the drive way talking for hours and hours and not getting into the house until 5 am. She says nothing happened ( and I believe her,) other than he put his arm around her. Her sister, Jomeida was suspicious though, but upon taking off her corset and having all the powder fall to the floor, her suspicions were eased.. lol. Its funny to think of my grandmother doing that, though having seen pictures of them young I can see it in my head, just because I have moments like that myself. Especially when you are first getting to know someone you like and you cannot seem to get enough of their time or talk to them enough and you forfeit ridiculous amounts of sleep to innocently do just that. 

We had a lot of laughter, food and good company the rest of the weekend. We played games, watched movies, went to church, toured a historical house, watched the kayak race and made some awesome Jane Austen inspired stationary. We’ll elaborate later. For the moment we are once again on the train headed home. Rachael has fallen asleep next to me. I can’t blame her. I fell asleep earlier while we were doing a suduko puzzle ( which we aced together Whooopaaa). When we get home in the morning, mom, christian and richelle will be there for the day and then dad and jacks may stop by in the evening. I have a feeling I may not get very much census work done. Perhaps some on tuesday. We shall see. No more Safeway work for me until June 20th. I cannot believe in 2 days I will be NC bound. 

Even if we weren’t sisters I would go out of my way to be friends with her

      Whew this is way better than a plane. I’m not packed in like a sardine, I’m allowed to get up and move, and I’m not worried about being bombed.. We’re currently sitting in the lounge on the train to Whitefish, Montana ( hooray). There is a cute little Amish couple sitting at the table booth right behind us, and they make me happy. He has the very bowl like haircut, beard and glasses, and she has the cute little bonnet and fully covering dress, his undershirt is the same color as her dress. The Amish are the only exception to the no matching rule, and only because they are adorable.I don’t know if it is illegal to take pictures of the Amish, but I just did, so you all can enjoy their cuteness as well. 

      Today is Autumn’s Birthday, she is the big twenty-five. Our day didn’t go as planned, but has been wonderful all around regardless. We ignored our alarms, and slept in until almost ten AM. Once up we leisurely got ready, and made plans to possibly go to an afternoon showing of Robin Hood after a morning yoga session. YOU WOULD NEVER BELIEVE, BUT AUTUMN ASKED ME TO DO YOGA. The first half hour was full of grumpiness, lets just say not on my end, lots of I hate downward dog, and upward dog, and chaturangas (otherwise known as chimichangas.. helen), but once we got into the balancing stage, tree pose and down to the floor she was nice and zenned out you could say and normal pleasant autumn. We had some good laughs at her attempts to do several poses, and the lameness of her Yoga, but I still love her. After yoga we realized it was already almost 1pm. Yes, this is how slow we are. SO we made a yummy  birthday brunch of black bean burgers on english muffins, with what I think was escarole I bought from the farmers market, and some sautéed asparagus. (p.s Autumn just told me the Amish don’t like their photo taken because it is considered a graven image and preserving what can’t be preserved.. woops) 

       After breaky Autumn went to Safeway to buy some soil to replant our edamame plants. They are looking pretty weak, and I really want them to grow! Whilst out and about she met a homeless man named Steve to whom she offered to buy a ham sandwich. Unfortunately, Steve wanted a rheuben, but safeway did not carry them, so he then asked for an egg salad sandwich, which they also did not carry, and finally he asked for a grilled cheese. Autumn came back home to make him a grilled cheese only to realize we did not have bread, so we made it on an english muffin. We then had to have the conversation about having grace and just loving on the homeless population here. Sometimes it can be really hard, because it seems like they are so ungrateful, but then again we are so ungrateful about so many things who are we to judge. It really makes people like Matthew, and Moglie so great to get lunch or dinner or whatever for, because they are so polite and grateful it just makes us want to really get them exactly what they would like from wherever verses someone who is asking me for a specific odwalla juice or vegan food from whole foods, and doesn’t want anything otherwise. ( I don’t have money to buy myself odwalla.. and I’m working 2 jobs, what in the world. )

     SO anyways, after the sandwich debacle we “rushed” to clean up our apartment, pack our bags, both shower, make hummus and also slide in an impromptu dance party ( actually our second of the morning, seeing as it was Audi’s b-day.) All of this was attempted in un hour. yes, one hour. We needed to be at the max stop by 3:45 to ride to the train station to pick up our tickets 30 minutes early and leave at 4:45.

    3:45 we are still packing our bags, autumn is drying her hair and for once, I am ready to go. It was madness. 

4:00 We are running down the hall and out the door, when I see the mail man arriving with our mail. I make autumn wait, whilst she is freaking out, so we can see if their are any birthday cards for her. To her delight there was a b-day card from both Ashley williams and our grandmother. 

4:05 Running down columbia with a backpack, my camera bag, and large cooler. Autumn is trailing behind me with a huge duffel and my purse. It is hard to run so we decide to speed walk instead. I am brushing past people saying, “excuse us, professional speed walkers training.” We are now noodley from laughter. As we come upon 6th ave we see the MAX line going by. I dart out in front of traffic, thanks for stopping portland drivers, and across the street to the MAX stop. Autumn is still across the block, as per usual. I get to the doors just as they are closing and shove my arm in. I have to stand in the doorway to keep the doors from closing again and autumn finally arrives, along with a few other stragglers. When we plopped down to catch our breath, Autumn told me she had yelled, “get the tickets!” as i caught the max. Isn’t she adorable, she wanted me to leave her and get our tickets and just race as fast as she could to union station. She would have never made it. Thank God we caught the MAX. Met a nice man on the train named C.W. He said he took the train to Pasco often and that it was a comfy and beautiful ride. I definitely agree with him. The sun has just started to set and the sky that  once was bright and creamy with yellows and orange has now turned to a periwinkle blue with shades of cotton candy pink. I think clouds are one of my favorite parts of nature, how thick and full they can look or whispy and light. 

Back to the beginning of the trip: 

4:15 We arrived at union station only to find out our veterans advantage discount from my Dad isn’t valid unless we have the card with us, even though we have already purchased our tickets online. After an additional $ 50.00 to pay we have our tickets and our waiting to board. We are in the second train car and pick the very front seat of a Row, yay for computer outlets. We set up all our bags and reach into Your cooler for some water and come out with some orange gunk on our hand. Uhh-- what is this?? No, not really... crap.. it’s our hummus. it must have gotten smooshed in the run to the max line, because the lid has been shoved down into the container and it has exploded onto all our other goods. .. lovely. Normally not a big deal, but Audi went a little heavy on the garlic this batch and you can smell it from a mile away.. and it is saturating my skin. After several trips to the bathroom to rinse our cooler contents and get plenty of paper towels, the crisis is taken care of and we can meet the people nearby.  Our seat neighbors are from China. We start talking to one of them and find out they are on their way to Harvard to speak at a conference on linguistics, and also education reform. He is very talkative and really nice, asking lots of questions. He is 24 and his English name is Robert, but his real name is Zou Shun Peng and he is traveling with his father, who is also speaking at the conference. His father’s english name is Jean Couch. He told us the first english name he picked was Robot. lol. His professors told him that americans would think he was unfriendly if that was his name and told him to change it to Robert. he gave us his card with his email and phone number in case we are ever visiting Beijing. It’s so strange to be so unaware of how everything works in the rest of the world. he is so up to date on everything about the states but I had no idea some of the stuff going on in China. He is an only child, because of laws restricting family size due to over population. That is so sad to me, to not even have a choice in having multiple children. I couldn’t live in China. Sadly, because of customs at the airport we do not get to try amazing chinese dried beef. He brought some with him, but it was confiscated at the airport. He seemed really sad about it, as were we. He did give us a Yen which is pronounced Yuwen. They are adjusting to a huge time zone difference and are in much need of a nap so while we are up here blogging to all you lovely friends and family they are catching some ZZzz’s and should be joining us us a bit for some cards. Robert asked if we played earlier and was surprised to hear us say we played capitalism.. lol. socialism he called it. After he had fallen asleep I packed up the cards we had gotten out only to see they were made in China. I tapped Autumn, and we both had a laugh. Visitors from Chins need to check what they are buying, pointless to buy something in America that was really from China, which 80 % at least of our things are. It was really nice and made me appreciate even more what a beautiful place we live in seeing him so excited about the scenery. I definitely take all the green around me for grant it a large majority of the time, so it’s nice to just sit on the train and soak it all in. So far by train is my travel method of choice.  It’s lovely to have no where to be with my bestie in the whole world and beautiful scenery rolling and changing alongside us. The clouds went from fresh whipped Chantilly to shadows in the dull blue night sky. Out the right side of the train we can see a storm in the distance that must be pretty torrential, because we can see the rain dumping out of the charcoal grey blobs and lightning bursting between. The only other lights are an occasional cabin or home and the few mills or power plants we chug by. “ Look at those pretty lights!” autumn exclaimed. “ Thats a power plant my dear” I responded. “Oh” she said “ Yes, but they’re pretty lights.. it’s kind of like it’s a barge!” (For Courtney Seigler, being excited about a barge, only to find out it was a trash barge.) On that note I will leave you all for the night. I’m swaying back and forth with the train and Autumn and I have just snagged a corner booth in the lounge to finish watching Jane Austin’s Mansfield Park. We also have a version of Persuasion we haven’t seen yet and Amelie. Oh how I love the train. Happy Birthday to Autumn, the best sister I could have dreamed up. 

p.s. i just received a response text from Grandma jeanine. Yes you read correctly, the infamous grandma jeanine is now texting. We text her to let her know we were on the train and on our way. She responded: “ Good, sleep on your money. see you both soon. love you.” I thought I had read it incorrectly, but no, I love my grandmother.

bipolar weather

The weather yesterday was insane! It was sunny in the morning. Hailed several times in the afternoon. There were periodic and random rain showers and then it got cold at night. All of this happened quickly and without warning. One minute sun, the next hail. Weird. Today has been a much more normal cloudy:)

Four days until we take the train and head North to Montana. I absolutely cannot wait to see gma and gpa and aunt sue and uncle larry. I want to hear more about their lives an what they have been up to. I fully expect to garden and cook and maybe aunt sue will help us make some of her famous peanut butter cups.

Then two days after we get back I am headed to Raleigh. Seriously no words to contain the excitement!

And my birthday is next week and you gotta love free birthday stuff. I am going to see a free movie, take a free yoga class, a friend is taking me to lunch and then Rach and I are hopping the train. Its going to be a great couple of weeks!

On a prayer note. Got my financial aid statement for medical school. I knew it would be expensive but WOW. Pray I can find some work, grants or scholarships for the upcoming years.

More later:) LUURRRVE YOu!

sunshine...

The roses are starting to peak out here in Portland and we've had three beautiful sunny days in a row and it suits my mood perfectly. On the 11th I got an email from OHSU and I am ACCEPTED! Medical school here I come! I am so excited. What an answered prayer from the Lord. This year I have been up and down about whether medical school was the right idea. I have prayed about it and worked toward it and been unsure. I asked God this time to either throw open the door or close it firmly because I didn't think I could take another year long round of applications, tests and fees. And in his goodness he did. When I found out I literally cried and hopped down the street as I called my family and probably looked like a crazy person. It so apparent that it is by God's grace that I got in. Applications and Interviews are not my strong point and while I knew they went better this year than the last I still had big doubts about getting in. Knowing what I am actually going to be doing for the next few years instead of only 6 months out is such a blessing. Rachael and I are going to stay in our apartment and I will get to see my mom on weekend , meet my dad for lunch, watch Jackson play basketball and hang out with Christian. It still seems unreal, like something out of a dream. What will the next year hold? I know it is really far out but how awesome would it be if I was able to finish med school here and then do my residency in North Carolina. It would pretty much be perfect. My plate is full. What more could I possibly ask for? The Lord has come through for me time and time again. You would think I would have learned this by now have more patience and less anxiety.

I have to take two required classes, biochemistry and genetics, before I can start medical school in the fall. I am all registered and ready to go at Portland State University, which is literally outside my front door. I cannot wait to be in class again. Summer school starts June 21st and goes through the beginning of august then OHSU begins right after that. In order to make the best use of vacation now, Rach and I are headed to Montana for five days at the end of may to see my grandparents and great aunt and uncle. Hopefully it will involve lots of old stories and gardening:) Two days later I am off for North Carolina. I am going to spend ten days or so in Raleigh visiting friends and old favorite places. I am also hoping to go to the beach for a day or two to see megan. Then on the 14th or 15th of the month Gig and I are taking a road trip to see katie at her new apartment in Nashville and while there I want to spend a day in franklin to see TIm, Tracie, Matt and Amanda.

I cannot wait to see everyone! It has been such a blessing to have visitors here, makes everyone not seem so far away. I am excited to be the visitor this time and house hop and see everyone!

The unfortunate thing is that I will miss almost all of Richelle's vacation because she will be in Oregon while I am in North Carolina. Hopefully I will get to catch her for at least a few days in between.

In other news Rachael and I have been working on our garden. Our Tomato plant is now huge! and we are growing basil, thyme, lavendar and going to grow dill. We have some started edemame plants and our kale and lettuce are growing great. We have also planted lots of flowers and are hoping to still plant cucumbers, peppers and who knows what else. Our fire escape and coffee table are overgrown with greenery.

This saturday my mother, grandmother, two second cousins ( one of which is a is a precious cute little baby and the other an adorable little girl), two of my cousin, rachael and I are participating in Steps for life. Its a walk to raise money and support the pregnancy resources centers in Portland. I am excited to do something that combines supporting a worthwhile cause and spending time with family. Afterwords we are going to do some shopping and grab some Indian food, Yummy. Other than that I need to be hitting the grind stone hard as far as work goes for the next two weeks so that I can have enough money to pay my rent and tuition money when I get back from my three week vacation.

and on a funny note here are two incidents that definitely made me chuckle.

First I was leaving a meeting with my Census Team leader and I walked straight into a glass door. Yep like something out of a movie. And all the people in the lobby saw me. Lol

Then I was working at the check stand in the grocery store and an older man walked by me and stopped. He looked at me quizically and said " you have lovely EYEBROWS" huh. He then followed this compliment up with " The have a very elegant tweezed look" what every girl wants to hear right.

Love to each of you. I hope you are out somewhere enjoying the sunshine.

lazy days...

I am sitting by the window in one of the million coffee shops in Portland. I have been reading and Rach has been working. The sun keeps flitting back and forth behind the clouds. It is a morning I feel somewhat content with myself. I am someone who loves to read, to explore. I enjoy the sunshine and trees. I have no problem being inside all day or staying outside in the sun. I have days of restlessness and can be completely awkward and nerdy. I love to learn and miss school. I want to know my family and friends more deeply and yet have days I would just as soon be by myself.

Being here seems strange on days like this. Though its beautiful it doesn't yet feel like home but rather as if I am living another version of a life I was already used to. I miss being deeply involved in a church family, spending time with my high school girls, being able to go down the road to see a friend from college. Yet I love being able to see my mom for the weekend and have lunch with my dad when he is working outside the city. It feels somedays as if I am pulled in two directions, held by a strange tension or balance between the two.

The interview at OHSU went well I think. At least it went much better than last time though I wouldn't say great. I will hear from them and from PSU sometime in the next 3-4 weeks. I find myself looking longingly up at the medical school sitting proudly on top of the hill. It seems still like a dream to think about being part of the community there. Interviewing there confirmed yet again how much I believe I would love the study there and the people. We shall see.

I am currently working at safeway ( a grocery store) around the corner from my house. I am starting to get the hang out of it and its easy work. Not work I love but not work I hate either. It just is. I miss the doctors office but I am content for the moment to wait out schools and stay with this job and its flexible hours.

Matt is coming to visit next week and then after him Richelle. We have had visitors almost every month and it has been wonderful. What a gift your presence has been!

Love to each of you!

OHSU

I am interviewing at OHSU today. Its gorgeous outside, no Portland rain and I am hopeful. Thank you for your prayers.

Rejections and Questions...

If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
- Emily Dickinson -


I received a rejection email from Creighton today. Super disappointing. As time has gone on, it was a school I was really looking forward to having a chance at attending. They place a big emphasis on a relationship with God as part of your medical education and have a heart for service. I love the above poem by Emily Dickinson. For me it encompasses seeking to live a life of significance while understand that often the smallest things we do in the service of others are significant. I have been wondering lately if my quest to become a doctor is in search of significance or actual calling. I have always wanted to be in a caring oriented profession and the concept of enabling people to live healthy full lives to me mirrored what Jesus did in physically healing so that they could be healed emotionally, mentally or spiritually etc and go on whatever journey lay ahead for them. At any rate there are lots of factors into why I have sought medical school - but I wonder more and more often am I doing it for me? For the honor and prestige? For the significance? Is it really the place God is calling me? A wise man once told me that being a doctor was a set of skills he used in the service of God, but his calling was to be a husband to his wife, a father to his children and a man of God within the church.

One of the reasons I felt the freedom to move back to Oregon was I began to realize that God's ultimate will for my life was to love him, to be in relationship with him and to love other people. The rest are details he will work out in me and through me along the way. That's easier said than done. I still long for a niche or a place to call my own. And who knows. Perhaps God will open doors in another direction or at another medical school.

Today holds elements of disappointment, but there are still elements of Joy. Its beautifully sunny outside. My sister and best friend is sitting next to me. I had dinner with my family yesterday and almost finished an entire books and three of my best friends in the entire world are coming to visit tomorrow.

The words of lamentation have continually reverberated with my lately - in relation to Lent, to disappointing situations and to events in my life where God has turned the ugly and hurtful to beauty and healing ( as he did in Esther) -

You give...
BEAUTY for ASHES
STRENGTH for FEAR
GLADNESS for MOURNING
PEACE for DESPAIR.

May your days hold both rain and sunshine so you can see the beauty in each...

Love to all of you

Sunny Saturdays

Portland comes alive on a sunny afternoon. Today the city felt really vibrant. Everyone was out and about walking their dogs, visiting and eating. Rach and I went and had yummy breakfast with Erica at a little diner that has been in Portland since the 1940's. After we said good bye to Erica at the airport we hit the library briefly then Rach left for Yoga and I met lena to go the Saturday market.

For those of you who have never been to the Portland Saturday Market it is a sight worth seeing. Tons of people teemed in and out of multiple booths of anything and everything you can sell. Every other person has a dog with them and there is so much yummy food the air is saturated with tantilizing smells. All of this is set along Portland's gorgeous waterfront park where there are numerous bands and musicians playing and children are romping around in the fountains. Lena and I tried really yummy Perogies, a Polish kind of potato dumpling filled with cheese. It was fantastic. We sat on a bench and visited while we ate and watching the people wander through the park. I really wanted to throw myself down on the grass with a good book and a blanket as many others were already doing. We also discovered several independent jewelry makers whose wares were just gorgeous. When I have money I will be coming back for sure.

Later we realized we hadn't put enough money in the parking meter and we raced back to check it, thankfully no ticket. What we did discover was an amazing marimba player ( looks like a wooden xylephone?) who plays in front of our house in the park frequently. I can't wait to open the window of our new apartment nice and wide and listen as the melody floats up. The artist website is www.michaelcharleysmith.com. Check him out, he was very talented.

Currently sitting in Powell's, one of my very favorite haunts of all time. I could be in here forever. Attempted to work somewhat on applications. Lena is diligently working on her application for Uganda across from me.

Off to meet Rachael for dinner.

Two days ( well three technically but I don't count the day of) until I see my clark street girls. Seriously cannot express the excitement.

Love to each of you.

Jobs, Friends and Praise

I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
(Psalm 34:1)



Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host, praise father son and holy ghost.

I love the doxology!

This week has been one of great praise.

Erica has been here and her presence is fantastic.

Rachael got a JOB!!! Hoooray. She will be doing cooking/food prep at a nice restraunt in the Pearl district.

I have a job interview today, completed a job test this week, submitted an application through a friend that had possibility and have a job lunch/interview next week. I am hopeful and grateful!

We had a really yummy dinner out with Lenna. She is kinda fantastic!

And next week my Clark street girls are here!


I am currently le lurrving my life.

Thank you Jesus.

Singing in the Rain...

“The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed- It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.” - William Shakespeare

It's become a happy pattern here of rain one day then two days of sunshine. Today and yesterday were sunshine days so perhaps tomorrow will rain. I recently watched "Singing in the rain" an old musical about when talkies were first introduced into motion pictures. It was fantastic and of course the key song is the joy of singing in the rain - that Love triumphs over the weather among other things.

I feel as if I have had several small epiphanies lately. Being in church the last couple of weeks has produced a sense of awe at the realization that at any moment on a Sunday somewhere in the world there are people Praising God. I know we should do so everyday in life but in the sense of literal singing songs of praise on a Sunday if you know what I mean. Thinking about the time difference, from the moment I woke up until I go to sleep someone is singing to God. It is a comforting though to know the body of Christ continues on in worship even when I am not singing myself and that we are all interconnected in the holy spirit. A continual wave of praise if you will that overlaps across the world's time zones and people.

It has also been a week of realizations for how little control I have over many things. I cannot change the attitudes or actions of my family or often even myself and I cannot earn significance or my salvation. It is all in the hands of Christ and while that is releasing in one sense it is also disquieting in another for I am used to doing, I am used to being useful. To depend fully on Christ for all needs is a bit uncomfortable and it makes me question what it means to really allow him to be enough, to be in relationship with the God of the universe. I have trouble loving and being in relationship with others around me.

Erica is here and it has been fun having her around. It has also made me realize how quickly I like and establish routines. Though I don't have a job I have gotten into the habit of breakfast with Rachael, some kinda yoga class, several hours spent at the library and or walking around town dropping of resumes and applying for jobs and then dinner with Rach and watching a movie before we fall asleep. May sound boring to some but I am enjoying the time with Rach, sleeping in, exploring Portland and seeing my family on the weekend. This week however my free yoga pass ran up and Erica is here making the week not routine. Don't misunderstand, I am super stoked she is here - I just have to remind myself in the morning that today is open for whatever fun thing we want to spontaneously do, to know we probably won't leave on time because we are all slow, and I won't get work done. When I remind myself of this first thing it is a good day - Erica is super wonderful and fun. We have gone hiking near Hood river, explored the Hawthorne district, had an impromptu fashion show, tried new restaurants and went to a movie. I just feel disrupted and stressed if I don't remind myself that the day is going to be that way. I am a weirdo.

At any rate, the area near Hood River was beautiful. Its a really quaint town and our hike was gorgeous, despite the rain. We had intended to make it all the way to Mt. Hood but due to the rain clouds we couldn't see much of the mountain and it was still a bit snowy there. We also went to the living room theater near Powell's book. Loved the small, hominess of it and the food/coffee was good. However the movie we watched was super strange, it was called the Imaginarum of Dr. Parnassus. I didn't love or hate it, but wouldn't watch it again. Rachael liked it and Erica hated it. Lol.

We also discovered a fun coffee shop in the hawthorn district, while there we had to write some fantastic letters on Hogwarts stationary and send it to a few people who shall not be named. You will soon know who you are.

Also we have gotten to peak at our new and improved apartment. It looks awesome. However it is going to be another week and half before its finished. Say a prayer if you read this that it would be finished a few days early. My clark street girls are coming to visit ( HOOORAY) and it will be super crowded if all 5 of us are in the small studio we are in right now. Worse case scenario it will be like our OC nights in the dorms, either way I am so glad they are coming. I am really enjoying Portland but missing the community back in Raleigh.

Lots of love my Chummly wummlies.

And I love Erica Bethel Metzger

Jobs and Trolley rides

What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.”
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. quotes

The old cliche of feeling utterly alone while being in a crowded room occurred for the first time since we have moved. Oh I have definitely missed people and places and longed for community but not the utter sense of loneliness. We had been in Portland for a week and having a pretty good time. We set up our temporary apartment, mom had come to visit, we had explored the city - which is amazing for people watching - and began the never ending search for jobs. Sunday was fast approaching and we were so excited about church. It has been two months since we were part of our church community, and yes it is very different from simply attending churches, which we had done along the way to get to Oregon and with our parents. We took the bus across town to Imago Dei and then the unexpected happened. Not a soul greeted us when we arrived and we arrive way early. We wandered around for a bit and then sat near the front. As people filed in they left a good five foot or longer gap on each side of us. No one said hello and there was no time of greeting during the service. Afterword no one said a word in the crowd of people as we left. It was a bit shell shocking for both of us coming from churches that place a big emphasis on recognizing new people and making them feel welcome. I was sought out at both Church of the Apostles and Vintage the first few times we were there, and both churches have greeters as well. Now I know that part of the blame lies on us. We could have easily said hello to people also but it was a shock none the same. Sitting there, even with Rach next to me, I realized just how far away our church community was and how frightening attending church alone must be for those who are new or who are not believers. What was also saddening was the realization that I was sitting with family and felt like a stranger. We were all part of the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit connecting each of us with lifelines of invisible threads. Rach and I both had to have a good cry when we got home - it was disheartening to experience this loneliness in the place we expected it least - church. It gave Rach and I new resolve to seek out those who are new and to welcome anyone to church and home - to be people of hospitable attitudes and hearts wherever we are.

Yet there is a silver lining always, and God hears our cries. As we had left church and were down the street walking to the bus station we asked a girl for directions. She was so nice, her name is Lena, and she offered us a ride home. We got to visiting and she invited us later in the week to her community group. She had such a welcoming and friendly spirit that it blessed the rest of the day. We did go to community group and the people and discussion were fantastic. Thank you Lord for Lena.

We are enjoying Portland and taking the trolley and walking everywhere. The first few days we probably walked over ten miles just exploring the neighborhoods near to us. There are so many good places to eat and coffee shops on every corner. The city and its people have such character and flavor.

Still hopeful for new friendships, jobs and excited that in a week and a half Erica will be here, followed shortly by other friends.

Love to each of you reading. We miss you.

!

"The nice thing about Portland is that it rises into hills, and they're the most livable hills you ever saw. Thousands of people live up there in fine houses, among trees, looking hundreds of feet down onto the city."
-- Home Country Ernie Pyle

Monday we are moving to Portland. Things haven't quite worked out as we expected but all in all still a blessing. We found an amazing apartment on Park avenue ( Sounds all NYC or Monopoly fabulous). However the previous residents had lived there for thirty years and the owner wants to renovate the entire apartment before we move in. It is going to be even more fabulous then it already is when they are finished, but it means we can't move in for another two or three weeks. Our building manager is super nice and he agreed to let us move into an empty smaller study for two weeks while we wait for our apartment to be finished. So for the time being we are only taking ourselves, our clothes a desk and a chair to our temporary apartment.

Being home has been really good. Time with family and lots of movies. I feel as if I am in some strange vacation limbo since I do not have a job yet and my days have consisted of school applications, eating, going to the gym and games.

I am excited to be settled in Portland, put my nose to the grindstone to find a job and explore my new home. Rachael has been accepted in the yoga program she was excited about and received a scholarship for it (fantastic!!!)

I am missing friends, and the regularity of a job and church family. We shall see where this goes...

I remain Hopeful!

Our first days in Oregon..

"Can miles truly separate us from friends? If we want to be with someone we love, aren't we already there?"
~ Richard Bach


We spent the next day or so just relaxing, hanging out with family and going to the gym. Jackson had a basketball game in Lebanon that we watched ( and he did awesome, his team won) and I got to go and visit Krissy and see her precious baby boy Grayson. LOVED HIM, he's adorable. We have also watched a lot of tv and movies - which seems the be the trend when we are home and want to do nothing.

After being here for a day or so we headed up to Portland to view our potential apartment and to search other neighborhoods and apartments in case our original choice didn't work out. As we tried to get out the door we realize there are no Wachovias in portland ( though I believe there used to be) and the woman at our home bank had informed us we would be able to use the Wells Fargo banks by the time we got her. Not true evidently it will be July before that happens. Grrrrrrr

So somehow we need to pay our first and last month's rent somewhere and then close out our accounts by phone and have them send us a check, hopefully that won't take forever.

At any rate we arrived in Portland and the apartment manager let us see the potential apartment and it is BEAUTIFUL. Its a double studio apartment with a big bay window, walk in closet and claw foot tub in the bathroom. The current residence have been there for thrity years. When they move out the building manager is replacing the carpet with wood floors and updating the stove. And then we are IN. We cannot wait. My grandmother gave us some kitchen appliances and my mom has been gracious about sharing her furniture with us so we have something to sit on.

After looking at the apartment Rach went to check out the yoga studio she may be doing her teaching certification at and I headed to the Library to do some research for my MSW essay and jobs etc. The neighborhood was north of where our apartment might be and super cute. Each of the different neighborhoods in Portland has its own flavor and I cannot wait to taste each one! We also explored the Hawthorne district on the east side of portland. There were several back up apartments there were interested in just in case. They also had some awesome antique and eclectic shops we want to come back to. That evening we headed back down town to Kells Irish pub to meet a friend Rachael met in Italy and possibly apply for a job at the pub. When we had finished our drink at the pub we drove through chinatown and the pearl distric and then headed home.

Were one step closer to being in Portland. Gorgeous apartment here we come!

ohhh Suzi....

People sit around and wait for that "dare-to-be-great" situation, never realizing that its up to us to go out there and look for it.

The Garmin took us on the super back country roads to get us to our Aunt and Uncles house in Elmira Oregon. Due to the recent storm there were tree limbs everywhere so it took some tricky navigation at points and slow driving to get around them. It was midnight when we arrive so everyone was asleep except for my sweet uncle john who was up playing a game and waiting for us. It was good visiting with him for a bit since he would be busy at work the next day and gone before we got up. After visiting we watched an episode of the nanny, I know we have a problem, and then crashed.

We were awakened bright and early by our cousin Quinn, who had actually woken up when we arrived the night before hugged us and went back to bed. They were eager to tell us about school and life which I love. They are some of the sweetest most outgoing kids I know. My Aunt Amy was up as well and while we all visited and grabbed breakfast ( and I did an " I spy" book with Quinn who I am pretty sure at the age of 5 beat me) and then the kids were off to school for the day.

Rachael and I got Aunt Amy to ourselves for awhile which is always fun since she is Fabulous. She caught us up on what was happening with the kids in school, with my uncle's business and with her own job hunt. Oregon has one of the highest rates of unemployment in the nation and my uncle owns a construction business and it has been a rough few years. Thankfully my uncle and aunt are super resourceful and have been finding small things here and there to get what they need. Amy even had a second interview that day for a parenting/child non profit advocacy group. It sounded like the ideal job for her - she would be going into people's homes after they have a baby to help with feeding the baby, nutrition and any parenting questions. Sounds like fun right. She is going to let us know when they get back to her but we will be praying she gets the job.

Aunt Amy fed us and then started to get ready for her interview and we headed on our way to Albany. Its only about a 45 minute drive north and the sky after the rain and storms was beautiful. We were out in the very very green country with lots of sheep and farm animals and to be honest it reminds us a bit of the pictures from rural Ireland.

And then we were back at my parents house. It doesn't' seem that we've been gone that long since we were home for thanksgiving and normally it is about 6 months between our visits. It was equally strange to pull up in our own car and with all our stuff. This is actually moving and not just for week long visit. The enormity of it hasn't sunk in quite yet. Especially since we aren't in our own apartment yet.

Christian was there to greet us and hang out for a bit when we got home and then I promptly fell asleep on the couch until dinner time. We hadn't got much sleep the night before and I was exhausted. Rach stayed awake to play video games and visit with Christian and Jackson. I woke up in time for dinner and to see me madre!

I love my family. Oregon we've arrived are you ready for us?

The long trek up California...

"For the man sound in body and serene of mind there is no such thing as bad weather; every sky has its beauty, and storms which whip the blood do but make it pulse more vigorously."
George Gissing

Leaving Carmel Valley fairly early ( especially for us) we stopped a town over to get our oil changed. We had gone well over the 3000 mile mark since starting the trip. The guys at a local jiffy lube were super helpful and super fast. They were about our age and joked with us and in less then TEN MINUTES our car was ready to go. I have never had my oil changed that quickly, the also gave us a discount and told us that if you get your oil changed at Jiffy lube you can stop any time between oil changes and they will check and top off your oil for free. SWEET. It pays to smile and be nice to people. It was rainy and nasty all along 101 as we headed towards San Fran and the weather didn't clear until we intersected with Hwy 5 and headed inland and then north. Evidently three different storms were headed towards San Fran and we decided that our adventure would not be as fun in the pouring rain, and we were invited back to Carmel when the weather is more cooperative.

We stopped several hours in around Redding California to hunt for food. I had already decided that we weren't getting Taco Bell again. Rach wanted Chinese but we couldn't find any for a decent price. We had just finished talking to my grandma Jeanine, whose birthday it was - HAPPY BIRTHDAY GMA - and they had stopped at Sizzler. yummmm - normally we had a no buffet rule but since we hadn't gotten to do all our fun stuff in San Fran we decided to splurge. This sizzler was a lot nicer than the sizzlers I remembered and they had fresh Guacamole!!! Again yum - We write a lot about food lol. Reminds me of the Jim Gaffigan comedy. If you haven't seen him go look him up. Hot Pockets!

The remainder of the trip was pretty standard until we reached the mountains. It was snowing and dark and the trucks blew past us and showered us in snow and ice until we couldn't see out of the window. Rach was driving and all she could do was keeping driving straight and follow the taillights of the cars in front of us. Making it off the mountain was a huge relief. I was exhausted and fell asleep and pretty much woke up when we reached Elmira and aunt Amy's house. Thank goodness for family and Rachael driving.

Oregon we have finally arrived.

Big Sur and Carmel Valley

“Big Sur is the California that men dreamed of years ago, this is the Pacific that Balboa looked at from the Peak of Darien, this is the face of the earth as the Creator intended it to look”

Henry Miller

Originally we were going to stay and enjoy Orange County for another day, but since we had been extremely lazy and we wanted to arrive in Oregon by a certain date to see my brothers basketball game, we decided to leave a day early. We woke up fairly early that morning, at least for us, got everything packed up, took some fantastic pictures and jumped in the car.

It started out as a warm pretty day and we had planned to stop at the Santa Monica Pier and then go to the beach in Santa Barbara. However once we got outside of LA the sky clouded over, everything became grey and the heavens opened up.( LA by the way seemed amazing. It is yet another place I would love to see when we have more time. Bobbe Colley had told us stories about old Hollywood and I want to be the typical tourist and see things like the chinese theatre) It was the first time it had rained since we started our road trip. We skipped the Santa Monica Pier and kept on trekking to make it to Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara is a cute little town nestled along the coast. It was still rainy and grey so the beach was out, instead we wandered down the waterfront under the umbrella eating PB&J . The Pier was nearby so we walked to the end of it. To our left was a giant Pelican that let us come right up next to it.
Getting pretty wet we headed back to the car and up the coast. We tried to stop at Hearst Castle just to see it in the distance but it was toucked up into the trees and we couldn't see it. We kept on and reached the edges of Big Sur as the sun was setting. It was beautiful, but slow driving as we winded right along the cliffs next to the ocean. It was breathtaking until it got dark and then it was just scary. We had to go very slow because it was steep and winding and we couldn't see very far in front of us.

We reached carmed valley late. Phyliss is a distant relative of ours and a good friend of our Aunt Noni and grandma Jeanine. She has a cute little red cottage tucked into the hills. She in her sweet way had prepared a yummy dinner of stew for us ( perfect for a rainy dreary days) We visited with her about her 30 years of adventure in the navy and all her travels. She has been to Europe, all over the United States and seen every National Park in the country.

The next morning after breakfast and watching the weather we realized three storms were slated to hit San Francisco and the coast area. Sadness. We wanted to go to fishermans wharf, take the ferry to Tiberon, spend the night in a hostel and then bike across the golden gate bridge the next day and see the sites. That was out thanks to the weather. We didn't want to spend the nex two or three days soaking wet so we decided to push hard and make it to Elmira, Oregon near Eugene to our Aunt Amy's house.

Oregon Here we come, the next to last part of our trip.

California Knows How to Party....

"Holy Ackward" - Seth ( Adam Brody on the OC)

Being in Orange County California has brought back some serious memories of our college obsession with the O.C ( the tv show). When I lived in the Faircloth dorm, second floor, we would all gather in our room and watch way too many episodes in a row. We are currently staying in a house that would rival that of Adam Brody's and loving the pool and warm californian weather.

( I mean really...how cute can you get....)

Orange County looks like I thought it would look, sunny, gorgeous, wealthy with all of the stucco houses built into the hills. A sweet family Rachael used to nanny for is letting us stay in there home for the weekend. I keep imagining Adam Brody, who by the way would love Jesus and play guitar, and I with our two lovely, curly haired children running around in the sand...Ohhhh if only.

The drive from Phoenix was warm and deserty. Southern California didn't look like what we had pictured, we didn't start seeing palm trees until we had been in California for a few hours. We tried to go to Joshua Tree National Park but it was cloudy and when we reached the park it was to late in the day to hike where we wanted to hike. So we bypassed the park and headed toward Los Angeles instead. Rachael and I had a yummy dinner, relaxed and rented "Adam." It was such a good movie but had some heart wrenching parts. We watched way too many episodes of the nanny, if thats possible, then passed out for the night.

Today we have been pretty lazy. I watched two movies, researched the route and places we wanted to see on the remained of our trip. Rachael slept in and we ate lunch late. The Mecks had left these awesome big, white resort bathrobes and each of us stayed in those and our pj's most of the day ( we also had an impromptu dance party around the house - I am sure the neighbors thought we were crazy) We had planned to go to Laguna beach but by the time we got moving it was late afternoon so we went for a long walk around the neighborhood and let me tell you it is gorgeous. It feels to good to be warm and not have to bundle into a jacket. After walking I came back to read and use the excersize bike while Rachael died her hair a shade darker. Then I hit up the amazing jacuzzi tub while she started dinner. Tonight we dediced we would actually cook and sit down at the table rather than grazing. We had mushroom rice, chicken and green beans with a bit of champagne to drink ( I love champagne at any time).

We are heading to bed now, planning on getting up very early to clean up and pack and hit hwy 1 for the long drive northward to Carmel along the coast. I am super excited about this drive - I love the beach and something in me feels as if it will remind me of scenes from old movies such as " to catch a theif". On the way we will stop at the Santa Monica Pier and weekend market, possibly Hearst castle, view the Chanel Islands in the distance and drive along the cliff route of Big Sur. Praise the Lord we were able to get in touch with a sweet, distance cousin named Phyliss who lives in Carmel so we will have somewhere to stay. We promised jackson we would be home by the 22nd to be at his basketball game so our schedule is a bit more constricted. After Carmel we will go through Monterey ( to see the butterflies) and into San Francisco. I think while we are there we will take the Ferry, see fishermans wharf, rent bikes for the day and cross the golden gate bridge to saulsalita and ride the trolly. After that we are going to drive through Napa valley for a wine tour and then onto Redwood National Park. Good night all. We are exhausted. Our last night in Pheonix the neighbors dogs kept everyone up all night barking. I felt fine yesterday but today it has caught up with me. I was ready for bed at 8pm. Rach is already asleep.

Ciao Me amores

Phoenix

"Arizona is gorgeous. The sunshine in Arizona is gorgeous red."

Cecilia Bartoli

We ventured away from the Grand Canyon in high spirits having met interesting new friends and enjoying an amazing view. From Northern Arizona we headed a few hours South - the view and weather in Arizona is amazing! We were greated with open arms, paws and wings by the Colley family. They have an amazing array of pets and are just fantastic company. Bobbe made us a yummy dinner, and with David gave us a tour or their beautiful and eclictic house. We didn't stay up to late, it had been a long day and we were looking forward to exploring phoenix in the next few days.

The next morning David was already off to work by the time Rachael and I got out of bed. David is a pastry chef and teaches at a local high school and college. Bobbe spent time with Rachael and I in the morning and then we all headed over to a nearby resort they belong to. It was a sunny 70 degrees. We used the gym, swam in the pool and sat in the hot tub and steam room. So relaxing.

The next day we took a long walk around the area to the post office. While there Rachael spilled water all over the floor while singing along with the post office radio. Love it!

We did the spa thing again the next day. This time I laid by the pool and soaked up the sun and it was glorious! I could defintely live in Arizona in the winter. When we got back we decided to head over to the Arizona Biltmore. We had been invited by two sweet ladies we met in the grand canyon to come and have a drink with them. However, we couldn't get in tough with them so we just decided to go and see the hotel by ourselves. It is listed as one of the 1000 things to see before you die. Frank Llyod Wright advised the project and the architecture and layout was really beautiful and super luxurious Rachael picked a comquat right off the tree and ate it, and then of course I had to try it and it was yummy!

Heading back to the house Steve, Sarah, Adrian and Audrey had arrived! Hoooray! They are precious. It was really good to see them for the evening. Audrey is still uber tiny and Adrain getting taller and smarter all the time. Bobbe made margharitas that were to die for! and we all got to visit. We presented Steve with his super hot hot sauce from the chili pepper institute and everyone tried it that night at dinner on our tamales. They Manganos left the next morning for the zoo and to visit friends and we headed to California.

We loved Arizona and the Colleys. They are amazing and our time was fantastic. We will definitely be returning to Arizona sometime soon!

Grand Canyon

Quickly leaving the Colonial Motel and its sketchy area we headed toward the Grand Canyon. When we arrived the air was bitter cold and there was snow on the ground. We told the park ranger at the entrance that we were going to be camping. She looked at us and smiled then suggested we put boiling water in our nalgene to keep us warm in our sleeping bags. She probably thought we were a bit crazy but her idea was a great one. We drove along the rim of the grand canyons stopping at the different view point to take amazing pictures. Its such an astounding sight that it doesn’t seem real.



We ended up being at the exact point they recommend to see the sun sets, Desert View;everything on looked as if it was on fire in bright oranges and reds - Wonderful.

Despite the beauty around us I couldn’t feel my face and told Rachael we needed to get a hotel room. Driving along the rim we entered Canyon village and stopped at the first lodge - bright angel- that was supposed to be the cheapest. I left Rachael at the front and went to find a parking spot as I turned into the parking lot I saw the reds and blues start flashing behind me. Great. We had made it more than half way across the country without any problem only to be pulled over in the grand canyon. Thankfully, the police officer was really nice. Evidently I had not fully stopped at the stop sign ( despite the fact the police officer had waved me on) At any rate he only gave us a warning and I was once again able to breathe.



Bright Angel recommended we go down to the lodge down the road, which we did and surprize! the hotel is actually owned by the same company that I worked for when I was a freshman in college. I kept expecting it to look the same even though it didn’t but it was fun to be in a hotel when I used to work in one super similar. YSP 04 friends only you would understand the surealness of being in a xanterra hotel without any bear soap.

Rach made us dinner in our hotel room using our camping stove! It was awesome. yummy soup and bread. We read for awile and watched this awful creep movie called Wind Chill - I didn't want to watch it but Rach kept flipping back, then when we missed the ending she flipped back to watch it twice. YUCK.

We were planning on getting up early so we could hike all the way down to the colorado river and back in the same day. Ignoring the fact that there are warning signs everywhere saying its not safe to hike in and out of the canyon in one day of course.  Par usual though we got up later, ate breakfast, wandered around the rim of the canyon a bit and stopped in at an art gallery built into the side of the canyon. By the time we had done all of this we started hiking down at noon. The path was steep, slim and covered in ice, snow and mule poop ( I am not exaggerating the snow was now a green color);



At least the sun was shining and it wasn't too cold. We hiked down about two miles and realized there is no way we could make it down and up in time and we were getting a bit tired.  On the way we saw several " rim runners" professional runners wearing shorts and tshirts and jogging down the canyon and all the way back up - Insane. What is even more crazy were these two guys in front of us wearing normal clothes and tennis shoes and attempting to jog down the canyon - WHY???

We breathed our way heavily back to the top, laughed at ourselves a bit and went to get a cup of coffee. The lounge selling coffee also happened to be a bar so we were carded for our coffee, first time that has ever happened to me. Also at the bar was a sweet elderly man named George who gave us some tips about hiking into the canyon and back the next time we were there, since he had done 18 times already. He was from San Franscisco and gave us some good tips on fun things to do when we visited.


Coffee warm in my hand Rachael and I left the bar and headed to the big fire place in the entry way to eat our lunch. We began visiting with a girl our age named Bianca who is from South Africa. She had just been to San Fran and also gave us some superb ideas and invited us to see her in South Africa. She is a journalism major getting read to graduate and super nice. Two older ladies were also near the fireplace, one from Florida and one from New York - they were friends on vacation together. They invited us to get a drink with them when we were in Phoenix ( they were headed that way next as well) and then to come and see them in New York sometime. Its amazing the people you meet Traveling! Love it!



At this point we were ready to hit the road for phoenix. We were staying the the mangano's parents and decided if we left now we could reach there before it was too late.

Warm weather here we come!