stressedbackwardisDESSERTS

Bouncers & Curve Balls

2009-09-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine had this quote a few months back, "When life throws you a curve ball...hit it out of the park!" For my Kiwi friends, Sam makes sure to tell me that "bouncers" are the equivalent but much more dangerous and therefore a better analogy. :) The way he describes what a bouncer is I will stick with a curve ball...these have been trying enough in my life as of late.

It has been a long while since I had the time or the energy to sit down and write. The lessons I have learned over this last 5-6 months have been massive, but they came in such unexpected ways. An old mentor of mine said to me in college once, "these hard and trying moments in your life are gifts, they might not come in the package you want them too, but they are still a gift to you."

Really, some of the gifts in this last few months I wished came with a gift receipt, but nonetheless I think she was right. Part of my lack of writing, too, has come from this crazy inability to not be able to keep up with the circumstances that were out of my control and the lessons I was learning. When I would feel ready to process some of my learning it seemed like a new curve ball was coming.

I remember, ironically sitting in the parking lot of a Taco Bell in Redding, thinking there are always missing pieces to some one's life story that we are unaware of. I was unaware at the time what God was doing in me, but I think that Taco Bell moment was significant. Also, in my time at Mosaic in LA I had a boss that mentored me and challenged me consistently, and the thing I walked away from after working for Eric was "always believe the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt." Eric is very wise and constantly pushed me to live a life that exuded belief in people and challenged my heart to really give people the benefit of the doubt. Now I have to say this was not an easy or pretty process. He was relentless in his belief that this is how we should treat people. Eric always did that with me and I can remember the feeling of getting off the phone with him or walking out of his office and being aware of my shortcomings and places of growth but somehow at the same time I didn't feel defeated, just the opposite in fact. I felt like I could conqueror the world...and of course deal with the area of character that was pointed out.

I share all that because so many times in this last season of life I have drawn on that wisdom. Not necessarily just finding the good in others in the place I worked in Florida, but just a gentle reminder of that feeling that I so needed in this last few months that God sees us and God believes the best in us and God gives us the "benefit of the doubt." I said to Sam last night, I wonder what God has been doing in me as of late. And as I lay awake at 5:30am (the east to west coast time change has me a little off kilter) I was just quiet allowing God to just be in my heart and thoughts with me. It wasn't easy, I must admit. I was reminded of my good friend Jill who with words and also silently by the way she lived her life taught me that there will be times it will feel like you just can't stop the thoughts and fears that roll through you head...just be still a little longer.

I did lay there a bit longer and allowed the pain and fears of this last week to just be. I tried to not run away from it, but looked for the gift. There was no loud voice speaking to me, or clear thought that seemed to make the circumstances of our life go away, but then gently I felt peace.

It's been a season full of curve balls & bouncers that we just haven't been able to share with all of you, but everyone knows what a curve ball (or bouncer) feels like in their life. For me, I have HATED these, but eventually you have to learn to navigate your way through them. And while this last 2 weeks where we have had to make some huge life decisions that we never expected to have to make, especially in our first year of marriage, this has become the main and gentle lesson that I believe God just might be trying to help me understand at new levels. We have left Florida because of job situations, and now we are heading to NZ to live in October. We have had many other curve balls, unfortunately in this week, but the thing I love is that there really is a gift for us in this. Sam and I have become more of a team in this last season of curve balls and bouncers. We can't control the curve balls, but we are learning to trust that God is for us and we can control our reaction to the curve balls. If we really believe God is for us then it makes a curve ball season that seems to be like a batting cage gone bad, actually becomes a little easier to respond in love and peace.

Life has taken us a few places over this year, thank you for following our journey. It isn't always pretty but I do love sharing the different learnings. One doesn't always need to share the circumstances to be able to communicate the deep lessons that have been learned. I will keep you as posted as I have the energy to do so. We are visiting family and friends this month, then will head on to NZ on October 26th. There are so many unknowns and fears and I am sure even curve balls and bouncers waiting for us there but my prayer and hope is that I will not only continue to experience trust and peace, but also that I would continue to see that there are always unseen things in others lives that we just don't have the privilege of seeing, so in light of that, much like how God has treated us and responded to us, we will respond with grace and love.

Until next time....here is a picture from my Birthday last night. Sam got me this dress for my bday :)

Check this out

2009-08-16T06:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.samuelackland.com

My husband is an amazing photographer. I LOVE seeing his work and each time I am more and more impressed with his ability to capture a story. We just took some engagement pictures on the beach and I was awed by how he caught Shea & Mitch's story with each picture!

Enjoy looking at the webstie! And a HUGE HUGE HUGE thank you goes to our friend Chad at Structured IS. If you EVER need anything done computer-wise (you can see how technical I am by that very official "computer-wise" word) got to Chad! He is one of my dearest friends from Mosaic, and also one of the most talented computer bloke I have ever seen! www.structruedis.com)

Happy Birthday Mum

2009-08-13T15:58:00.001-07:00

We love you and wanted to celebrate you on your Birthday!!!

We wanted to send you the perfect gift....but couldn't think of anything

Then we had a GREAT idea!

What's better then pictures of your miracle child and his new wife?!?!?!

Happy Birthday!! You will get your CD soon!! We love you!!!

A Day In The Life of Dana

2009-08-05T18:07:00.001-07:00

Okay now really, I know that sometimes my life is sitcomesk but today was ridiculous. I worked all day in a center (9am to 7pm) super long day for sure. But I woke up fairly alert and thought I would finally head down stairs for some quiet morning moments. Those quiet mornings have been few and far between lately. I decided to open my blinds and let the sunshine pour in....mainly because in CRAZY Florida the sunshine is ONLY in the mornings and the rain is EVERY afternoon and night. As I opened my blinds I was surprised to see a little friend on the window...

It actually scared me a bit, but then I smiled HUGE because one of my most favorite memories of my wedding was Lakey and his two best friends..."his fwogs." So I did what any good best friend would do for one of her best friends kids, took a picture and posted it on facebook, pretending like the frog had not only found my house looking for Lakey, but also pretended that the frog was talking. The best part of my day was getting a phone call that I quickly took to say I couldn't talk because I was at work, and then was pleasantly surprised to hear this sweet little 3 year old voice. Lakey had called to ask how the "fwogs knew where to go to find him." I love little things that make you smile in your day.

My day progressed and was SO busy. I have no idea how 2pm rolled. Well, my amazing photographer of a husband has been editing some pictures he took of Shea (my boss) and her fiance. The day he took their pictures he also took this shot....

Shea and Mitch have a dog, Lila, they LOVE. They wanted her in their pictures and of course me and Sam said yes...fully knowing that I would be watching this dog at many moments, I still said yes. I LOVE my husband and his career! I was joking with him and said you should get a picture with me and Lila because Sea Jay (who relentlessly teases me about my lack of love for animals) will LOVE this shot. Well, he did. And he sent it to me at work today. I just laughed out loud when I got it.

A little relief in the craziness and the HORRIFIC migraine I had today. I needed to put something cold on my neck to help ease the pain. I didn't have anything, but I was drinking a cold Diet Coke. Perfect. Or so I thought. I figured that I would put the can on my neck for a few seconds, like the crazy NZ lady taught me, and it would relieve some of the pain. I did that. It felt so good though I left it there and was trying to move it around on my neck...then I felt a little cold, then a little wet. CRAP! I had spilled the Diet Coke down my back...sitting at the front desk of a center and the main head quarters of my company and I was wearing a white shirt. Seriously?! What the heck was I thinking? But it did make me laugh a little and I wondered how I could really be a professional that is working for a very business savvy company....I guess we all need a few laughs and air head moments in our days. If you don't have them, live vicariously through me it is quite fun.

The day was FINALLY over and my neck and migraine were SO bad. I drove home focusing, trying not to throw up I was in so much pain. Three things happened that made me smile though. One: my LOVING husband made me dinner so I walked into a YUMMY dinner, my lunch ready to go for tomorrow and a HUGE hug. Does it get any better than this? Two: I went around a round about that I go around every day, but today it made me smile more than usual. Every time I drive on a round about I hear Mich's voices in her wonderful Kiwi accent saying, "dana indicate! I hate it when people do not indicate!" It makes me smile every time but today I think I was missing Mich more than usual and it made me smile huge in the midst of the migraine pain. Three: I checked my email after seeing Sam's AWESOME pictures he had finished of Mitch and Shea's, and I saw this email that ended my day perfect:
(I had sent Kerri's little boy, Jacob, an old picture of us on vacation making a fun dirt dessert with Oreo's and pudding and gummy worms)

"I love that! I remember... we really are making dirt and worms. I like the picture. I love you Auntie Dana.
Good bye."

Even in the midst of the worst migraine I have had in awhile I had so many things that made me smile. Life is like that...good and bad. Loss and gain. Hurts and joys. Happiness and sadness. I am continuing to learn over and over that life is a journey of coexistence. Today was a VERY fun reminder!

For Mom....Mum

2009-07-30T09:13:00.001-07:00

Sam made us retake it...

Wedding Jogger

2009-07-26T07:33:00.001-07:00

Here's a fun memory from the wedding that i didn't have when I was posting wedding pictures.

This lady really jogged right behind the wedding, not once, but TWICE. She jogged past...turned around and jogged back. All I remember is looking over and seeing my mom and Sea Jay cracking up....loudly. When I looked towards what they were laughing at this is what I saw. I only could shake my head and laugh and think to myself...only at my wedding. It added to the drama, chaos and adventurous FUN of the day!

>

The Wedding Planner

2009-07-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

My new job...Official Wedding Coordinator.

Yep you read that right. I am taking on a new adventure. My friend/boss just got engaged. After planning the little wedding I planned in Florida I thought I might have some good ideas for her, but then she surprised me and asked me if I would officially help her plan her wedding. I was flattered and I have to say it, a little bit excited.

I have helped friends do weddings for years and love helping people discover what they really want. When you mix those things together you get....Jennifer Lopez in the Wedding Planner. Hehehehe...well, maybe not quite, but I did laugh at the idea of being paid to help someone plan a wedding.

We had our first meeting and it made me smile and leave with heaps of energy. It wasn't necessarily fun to research what was out there in service and prices, but it was fun to present it to her and cast a vision for how I will help her make their special day unique to them and a memory. I loved digging deeper and asking her questions and helping her discover what she really wanted, what didn't matter that much to her, what is tradition and not what she really wants and then begin to help her see a vision for creating a day that expresses her and her fiance. It was such a fun moment, mixing so many of my passions together. I can't say I ever thought I would be doing this, but at the same time I wasn't that surprised as I was sitting with her at this small deli in the middle of Florida.

Sam is going to help me...he is already the Wedding Planner Police. I was telling him one of their ideas, but hadn't got the idea out yet and he says to me, "Dana, they can do WHATEVER they want. It's their wedding." I laughed because I was just trying to tell him their unique idea, but my husband who is always challenging me to be open minded kept me in line...and I think will continue to help me keep my vision....helping them create their Big Day, not anyone else's Big Day.

I will definitely keep you posted on this job. The Weight Loss Job is going well still. I can't believe some of the stuff that we are beginning to serve our clients with this month. The company I work for has been in business for over 24 years, yet the latest things they are finding and now making available for our clients are things that are actually helping me. I sat in a seminar on Friday fighting back tears as I listened to one of our Doctors we work with, who is a Hormone Specialist, describe my life in the last 5 years. I didn't feel crazy for the first time about some of the stuff that I have struggled in the past. In fact, I had some doctors want to put me on some crazy medicine because I was a "tad" bit emotional (well...okay I was super emotional). I always said no because in my gut things just didn't add up they were saying. Well sitting in this seminar I was floored at hearing why these doctors had most likely prescribed things for me. They were right about some of the things I was struggling with but were giving me very dangerous and ineffective answers. I called Sam in the middle, during a break, and just cried as I shared with him all this guy was saying. And of course, in true Dana fashion I had to go say Thank You to the doctor. And in even truer Dana fashion I began crying as I told him thank you and shared 2 minutes of my story. He was like a gentle grandpa that seemed like he had heard my story time and time again. Sam laughed when I told him and asked if the doctor said...you definitely need my help once I started crying. I love my husband that always makes me laugh when I take myself too seriously!

We don't know why we are in Florida some days, but on Friday I wondered if I was here not only for me find some resolution and healing on some things, but I had to wonder who else will benefit from the things in life I am learning. Life just never seems to be about us solely....time will tell.

For now I will enjoy these two endeavours Sam and I have and enjoy the beaches of Florida...when it's not POURING every afternoon!!! :(

Sunday Roast

2009-07-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

It has been a LONG time since my last blog...some of that is due to our time schedule and some is due to a lack of internet! I am so sorry!!

We have been trying to settle into new life. We have quite a year. This time last year we had just started hanging out...this year we are still hanging out but now we are married. Sometimes we just look at each other and can't believe the events of last year. My hours at work have been a bit nuts lately. I have worked until 7 most nights and then come home exhausted and ready for bed. I would love to say I am ready for bed because I am getting up so early for a good morning beach jog...but NOPE! I haven't put my running shoes on since LA...and I even bought a great pair on vacation in Redding. The rhythm of our life is no rhythm. When I can be okay with that I enjoy this season of life more than ever, when I don't...I have a few melt downs.

I realized this week that this time in Florida has been a gift that we have been given. There have been some hard moments here that I would never ask for or wish on another person, but it is this gift that I have come to cherish. We haven't really had a chance to make friends here and we are still trying to adjust to the culture...the culture shock for both of us has been a bit high. But in the midst of all that we have each other. And if I was surrounded by friends I wonder if I would have enjoyed some of the slower moments that we have had on the weekends. I can feel so guilty if we are just sitting watching a DVD or doing nothing....I am learning to be okay with being slow and recovering after a long crazy year.

One of the new things I have done is a Sunday Roast. We used to have those when I was a kid, but in New Zealand it is an iconic part of their culture. Sam was missing New Zealand...and so was I. I emailed a couple friends and asked them exactly how to do a roast. Sweet Georgia emailed me back on behalf of my dear friend Sally that was helping me make my Kiwi husband smile. I went and bought a lamb...not sure I have ever done that before. Grabbed some white wine, added some spices threw in some potatoes (Sam doesn't like kumra/sweet potatoes) and heavens knows I couldn't get pumpkin here :) But I still did a good kiwi "meat and 3 veg" for dinner. It made Sam smile that I even tried, I think.

Here it is! Lamb, corn, potatoes and salad. I did have a friend tell me cucumbers weren't a part of a roast...but I am sure at Ali's I had salad with cucumbers at least once :)

I hope he likes it...

There wasn't much talking, so I took that as he really liked it....I did ask him, "do you like it cuz I am your wife and I love you?" He said it tasted like it was supposed to..

I think he liked it....nothing at all left!

We started a new tradition....Sunday night roasts or yummy comfort food dinners :)
I will blog more, when we have some more good pictures or exciting adventures....we try to do stuff here but those dang afternoon thundershowers just kick us out of so much. I was missing baseball games, so Sam was going to take me to their little team here...but it poured all night! I was so bummed...but instead we watched Once Were Warriors...which my friends in NZ said would be a bit rough for me...Sam had to fast forward a lot and I cried a lot...let's just say it was rough. We then had to watch something to make me laugh so we watched hours of Arrested Development. SO FUNNY! Kind of sad that we are at the end of the last season. I have to say good bye to the Bleuth family soon, and they make us feel like our bad luck isn't so bad with all their crazy bad luck, and....thanks to Scott & Amy ate TONS of yummy as popcorn :) Perfect Saturday!

Mr. & Mrs. Ackland

2009-06-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

I thought you might like to finally see some pictures....Sam is AMAZING!!! He edited all the pictures and the pictures he isn't in, he took!

It really was the most MEMORABLE day of my life....between crazy cake guy messing up the order, thunderstorms so bad Sea Jay had to pull over on the way to the wedding, having to create a plan B in the restaurant, inappropriate jogger at the wedding, and other miscellaneous drama it was for sure a day no one that was there will forget.

I will have to say that my most favorite moment was a quiet few minutes before the wedding that Sea Jay and Stacie set up for me and Sam to have all by ourselves. It was the most incredible to feeling to walk onto this quiet little deck with the wind blowing and the sea raging and see my husband. I took in every moment and made the memory stick in my head forever.

Then we looked at each other and smiled and entered back into the chaos and drama that was our wedding. We had to end up creating a Plan B to get married in the restaurant but Raya assured me that I could still get married on the beach because she had prayed for it to stop raining....well Raya was right (with the help of my little Jacob in CA who was also praying that it would be sunny for me) we were able to get married on the beach. After about 2 hours of hard crazy rain it just stopped. Stacie ran outside and put some flowers on the beach, Sea Jay herded everyone down stairs and we spent the next moments in utter bliss enjoying the most fun thing we had ever done. The wedding was PERFECT. There was so few people there that we had all spent the last 3 days being together experiencing EVERYTHING together, so there was so much intimacy and feeling known throughout our wedding. Banning married us and did an incredible job at making everyone laugh and making the wedding feel like and expression of us. My most favorite part of the wedding was seeing my husband at the end of the aisle...there was no greater feeling.

Then the fun began! Pictures were SO fun to do on the beach. The kids were having a blast, Lakey had his frog that had become his best friend, I fell in love all over again with Sam when I watched him take the camera and take our wedding pictures. It was moments filled with laughter, as Sam was always making us laugh and memories that are for a lifetime.

We headed up to the restaurant and enjoyed such a fun night. My Dad said something special to everyone, Sam's mom said something so wonderful just for us and we just laughed and enjoyed being together. The kids took frosting cupcake and wrote all over our car and added quite a bit of toilet paper...I think that came from the restaurant.....

It was a dream fulfilled...

Ray Ray loves her Sam...I kind of think she thought she was marrying him that day :)

.
My husband had just done something inappropriately appropriate to make us laugh...it worked. Tricks of the trade

He loves her too...can you tell?

This was Lakey's bwest fweind all weekend. We, of course, let him come to the wedding....

Sam's Best Men...they kind of liked me too I think

Here you go Aunt Denise...can you see the ring now?

We went with cupcakes...which was a big stretch for Jacksonville...but we LOVED it! Sea Jay and Stacie and our mom's did a great job decorating the cake table!

Our Parents Who LOVE us SO MUCH!!! We both LOVE LOVE LOVE our in laws!!!

4 Days...

2009-06-04T06:22:00.001-07:00

I got my official name take for work the other day...it says Dana Ackland....

It made me smile HUGE! I can't believe how incredible it felt to see that and then have someone say Dana Ackland out loud. Crazy that after almost 33 years I will go to the beach, but this beach trip I will leave a COMPLETELY different person. Sam makes me a better person. In 4 days I will marry my best friend.

I have to say though that through the crazy story that we seem to have written there have been some surprising moments along the way. It has been so fun to share our story, the ups and the downs. One of the ups this week has been realizing how great old friends are. My best friends decided to be creative with making me feel special. Sam and I have loved the choices we have made and love our little life we are building in Jacksonville and I LOVE that I don't have to say good bye to him for a year....Yay for America letting people stay once they are married no matter what that visa says :) But the choices we made meant we are far away from our family and friends. It has made me not only adjust my dreams which at times was hard but more than that I received this incredible gift...when you let go of what you thought you wanted you often times end up getting more than you ever dreamed....

A couple of my friends organized people to send me gifts in the mail all week...so in the midst of week that seemed semi normal...go to work, come home, clean the house, do wedding things, and get ready for the weekend, I ended up feeling like I had girlfriends around all week. I never in a million years dreamed my wedding shower would be through the mail, but how cool is that? I bet there aren't very many brides that can say every day after work she got at least one piece of lingerie in the mail...and after all is said and done I will say it one more time....I will marry my best friend on the beach in 4 days....I knew I ALWAYS loved the beach but now it will be the place we will never forget.

To make a long story short....here is our little story in three pictures...

Back in NZ when I was pretending I had no interest in Sam at all...I am pretty sure this day I told him I was going to America, going to break his heart, and there would NEVER be anything between us, other than a sweet little fling in NZ....we see how that turned out...

The night we got engaged at our favorite beach...that ended up being the beach we live right next to...Who knew? Florida, Engaged, Married....I am so glad my man moved us to Florida...it was the best decision we ever made!

Last week at the beach....about one week left until we are married in this picture and I couldn't be more happy...Our story is different and at times our story has been nothing either of us ever expected, but it is the story that is who we are and we couldn't be happier!!

Thanks for supporting us and loving us and encouraging us...I am not sure how much I will be able to blog, but I PROMISE there will be pictures up from that day...

The next time you see me I will be Mrs. Dana Ackland....the happiest women in the world.

A Day At The Beach

2009-05-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

After dinner tonight we decided to go for a walk on the beach. Life has been crazy hours, crazy learning, crazy fun, but some days just plain crazy. Tonight I got off a little earlier than normal and we were able to have a yummy dinner before 8pm. Which in my life has been a feat the last few weeks. Then we decided to head to the beach for a little walk on the beach.

Life has seem to find a rhythm to it I think. There are still moments I am not sure what end is up in our lives, but I have really enjoyed all that was in this season of life. As we were walking just chatting on the beach I just stopped...I couldn't believe that we live by this beautiful beach that we could just walk down after dinner and enjoy. There is just something about the waves and the sound and the calmness of the ocean. Life is always just a little better at the beach. There are times when the beach helps you sort life out and others where the beach helps you plan your life. I think every significant moment for me and Sam has been at the beach...there is just something magical about it for us.

In 12 days, on a beach in our quiet little beach town I will become Mrs. Ackland...who would have ever thought? I can promise you this, at this time last year I was under no circumstance even thinking my life would look anywhere close to what it does...really? Florida. In love with my best friend. About to get married on the beach. Not in a million years did I guess this.

But....I am so glad that this has been my life...at times it has seemed like a movie, but really at the end of the day I want to live a life that is full of adventure and excitement and love. Isn't that why we go to the movies in the first place? To see other people do that? I can't believe this is the life I get to lead. As much as I have seen my faith seem so scarce when so many things weren't coming together, I am so glad that God's faith in humanity and God's faithfulness never once wavered. To live your dreams....a job where I can love people, use my talents and enjoy it so much I forget I am going to work....a best friend that has turned into the love of my life, and in 12 days will become my husband....life just doesn't get much better than this...

Laundry

2009-05-18T02:48:00.000-07:00

So many things make me smile these days...

But laundry is the one that made me smile the most yesterday. It's been over 5 years since I had a washer and a dryer in my house, to pull warm clothes out and sit on the floor folding clothes as Sam and I watched Friends on DVD yesterday just made me smile.

There are so many other things that make me smile these days as well....

Spending the day at the beach, watching Friends with Sam, hearing from friends on the phone, feeling energized by my new job, reading an email from a friend that just makes me remember how lucky I am to have the friends I do, Wednesdays, playing with Jensen kids, thinking of getting married barefoot on the beach in 21 days...

I will become Mrs. Ackland in 21 days in a small sweet beach wedding and next summer we will have a wedding that will include all our friends and family at a beach in CA. I thought it was time to announce the next piece to our fun and out of a book life we seem to be leading these days. We will be married on June 8th, before Sam's visa is up and instead of rushing to plan a wedding where so many important people couldn't attend, we decided to get married in Florida then plan the "wedding album" wedding with all Sam's family, my brother and sister in law, our friends from New Zealand and all our friends from California. I want to get married on the pacific coast beaches...I'm a west coast girl at heart. So we will do the wedding in Cali. If you didn't know we got married out here, you wouldn't know at the wedding next summer. It will be the one me and Sam dreamed of, it won't just be a party or reception I PROMISE :) I need to catch my breath a bit after the last few months and life seems to be coming to a bit of normalcy for me...the laundry yesterday makes me feel like life is heading in a more peaceful place. Once I catch my breath we will set the official date for next summer...

But for now...barefoot on the beach with the love of my life in 3 weeks is the what is evoking the biggest smile ever!

New Seasons

2009-05-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

New job, planning a wedding, new city, new place, searching for all new things...hair dressers, where the post office is, grocery stores, and the like....what a whirl wind.

Today I was sitting in a New Hire Training for my job and couldn't believe all the new in my life. While I have had a few melt downs, for the most part, I haven't totally lost it. I am not sure if I have grown or if the vitamins and herbs I am on, testing stuff for my new job, have really worked to keep stress low and energy high. Either way the new in my life is SO exciting, so refreshing, and even so scary sometimes...but the new is the promise of each new season. When a season ends a new one begins, I think it is the same with life, when one season of life ends a new one begins. Sometimes the newness is overwhelming, but there is something refreshing about it.

I LOVE all the new in this season. It makes me smile, makes me laugh, makes me shake my head in wonder and often times make me crazy. But I love it. We live by the beach and each night after work and on the weekend I feel like I go on vacation. I think that after my crazy 20's and even a crazier start to my 30's I am ready for a little quiet, a little slow, a little remembering what makes life so wonderful. I will never be a slow person, but I think this season has something special in store for me, a little slowing down for this moment is good for my soul. Life has been so crazy and insane that slow is what I am craving...sitting at home just being quiet sounds so refreshing. And really? Can you complain when you live at the beach?

I promise that I will put up condo pictures soon...it still is not really put together, but maybe this week and maybe not. If it doesn't get down in the speed I want it the world will NOT cease to spin. I know, who knew? There doesn't seem to be enough hours in my day, but finding my priorities and living those out is so much more important to who I am and how I will serve humanity. My other favorite part of a season is that it has an ending, and while my seasons of CRAZY busy seems to not really ending, I know that it will and a new pace of life is coming...

Though, the reality is sometimes life's seasons are like Florida summers...hot, beautiful, fun in the sun...then BAM! A huge lightening storm, massive winds, or even a hurricane. You just can't predict life, but you can roll with it and accept where you are and what you can actually offer. Here's hopin' for no hurricanes in our world any time soon :)

SNEAK PEAK AT SCHOOOL

2009-05-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

HEy dana georgia here i am at school tring to talk to you and i am about to get caught and pretty dodgey but it's a secret between me and you . oh and mum i come and try to get on my blog while i am supost to be doing my work but it is so boring . i will try adn call you tonight.
tap tap
Georgia
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Georgia
Tapp tapp tapp love you heAPS
PS STILL SAVING TO COME AND SEE YOU
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxooooooooooooooo
PS:PS: sAY HI TO sAM xxoo

Job Searching is OFFICIALLY OVER!!!!!

2009-04-29T16:41:00.000-07:00

After two and half weeks that seemed like 2 and 1/2 years the job search is over! The day started out a bit rough.

HORRIFIC night of sleep.
Moving company coming with ALL our stuff, with no where except storage to put it.
Rushing to an interview.
Feeling like we are in the Twilight Zone because....
The event planning company interview was a CRAZY pyramid scheme. Which sent me to a run down JC Penny's in an even more run down strip mall. (20 miles outside of Jacksonville)
Asked what we were actually doing at the event planning interview that was supposed to be observing an actual event....the answer "we sell things outside of places like JC Penny's."
My answer....."not exactly what was told to me. Thank you. Bye."
Drove home in disbelief.
Sam and me laugh because at this point, there is nothing left to do.
Go for a quick beach trip to clear our head.
Sam got a call from our friend Kimi that Sam can have a room next door to them for a steal, fully furnished!
Went to interview #2.
AMAZING INTERVIEW!!!
Got the job at a company called, Metabolic Research Center, focusing on holistically helping people get healthy.
They saw my resume last week. Interviewed me on the phone. Brought me in today. Hired me on the spot.
Great Pay. 8-5. Never in the same office all day long. Using all my strengths.
Tomorrow we can sign on one of two amazing apartments we saw in our apartment searches now that I have a job.

Bottom line: wins

Sam and I both needed wins today, and we just stared at each other in disbelief that we made it this far. We celebrated with a little Chipotle....nothing says HOORAY like Guacamole :)

The next chapter of Jacksonville will start in the next week.

You can't rush a Sunrise

2009-04-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

One of my most favorite moments at the Mount in New Zealand was my morning jog down the beach and watching the sunrise when I was done. There was just something so peaceful about running next to the ocean, listening to music or sometimes just the crash of the waves, and timing my run each morning so that on my jog back home I could watch the sun slowly rise. At the end of my jog I would sit on the beach and watch those last few seconds when the sun pops out from the horizon and blast the sky with gorgeous light.

I was writing my mom an email today and I was telling her about our job searching, apartment searching, living with people after 9 months of doing that and just the long emotional week we have had. A lot has happened in the last week and half in our lives. SO GOOD, the best week of my life for sure, but in the midst of all the excitement comes two little words I had...waiting and change.

As I used to stumble out of my warm electric blanket bed at Ali and Uncle Neville's in NZ, and put on warm clothes to survive the cool jog down the beach I would often wonder, "what the heck am I doing?" The house was usually dark, the sky was dark, littered with stars, and the chill was biting in the air I wanted to die. But each day I would get and jog down to the beach and the minute my eyes saw the surf and my feet hit the sand there was just a calming peace. It was as if I was up before the rest of the world. I mean, there was the occasional dog walkers that scared me to death...because it was so dark on the beach you couldn't see people (or dogs) until they were right in front of you. So many times I would be lost in the peaceful moment or rehashing something in my head that I would know someone was there until it was right up on me...and in a lot of the dogs cases they did get right up on me. You can imagine how well that went over with me.

I don't know though, there was something about those quiet, still mornings. I can remember one morning hesitantly saying, "good morning God." It was as if he was the only one that was up in the world with me.

I timed my run so as I turned around down at the Mount I would began to catch the morning light peeking out above the horizon. It was a memory I knew I was making and one that I knew I would never be able to replace. I ran along, not caring how tired my legs were or how winded I was because I was mesmerized that the Sun, once again was rising. It didn't need my help, nor did it depend on my day or my mood, it just consistently rose and set each day without me. There was a peace knowing how small you are in this universe. As I ran next to a massive, uncontrollable ocean, watched the beauty of a breathtaking sunrise, in a country I wasn't even sure of the location of less than a year ago, does something to remind you of God. Whether you believe in Him or not those things colliding made him more real than he has ever been to me.

This morning as I watched Sam drive away, I walked back into the house in tears. Now the tears started because my bath and body car freshener which I love broke this morning. But I don't think it was really the cause of my tears...I think it was just the object that reminded me that it is still the dark part of morning...kind of like the dogs that used to come up on my so fast in the dark at the Mount on my runs.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are supposed to be here, and this morning I think I remembered that it is just the dark of morning. We can't see yet the sunrise which will enable us to see the waves, and the sand, and the mount and the life that is before us. It is just still a little morning dark as we wait for jobs, sort out immigration, find places to live, and learn to be us in the midst of all this change. The sun is rising. It always does. It is just a late Sunrise. But this I know, once it rises it will all be worth it. And as much as I would like too...you cannot rush a sunrise. The slowness and quickness of it once it peeks out above the horizon is where its beauty is held. Patience...waiting...change....it is always hard for me, but always worth it.

Each morning as I sat and watched the sunrise I marveled at what I was seeing....so glad I got out of that warm electric blanket, endured the run and took the time to watch a sunrise.

It will be no different here, of this I am sure.

A little visual reminder of why we get up and run each day....we love each other...

A date at Daytona Beach

The smile says it all...

My fiance was saying last night....

2009-04-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

Yep.
He asked.
I said YES!!
A thousand times YES!!!!

It was a PERFECT Dana Day yesterday!!!

We spent the day working for our friend Brad, putting 100's of flyers on door handles in neighborhoods. We were so tired and so hot, but it was in the sun, excercise, work, and being together! I sent out some more resumes and emails, then we went to the beach in the late afternoon to just relax for an hour or two.

We had SO much fun, laughing about our life, being excited about our future, wondering what the next few months will hold...we just love the beach and love being their together. We talked in the sun, played a bit in the water and just were together as we walk through this crazy adventure.

We headed over to our friends Kimi and Brad's for dinner, but I started crying about something...as you do when you are SO overly tired and emotionally drained. Sam ended up taking me to a different beach that he wanted to show me, so I could calm down a bit and feel a little more composed. We got to this beach and then we listened to a song by Dave Dobbyn, a NZ icon. The song is called Hopetoun Bridge. It is the song he used to listen to every night he would leave Ali and Uncle Neville's house in NZ where I was staying. It says, "Go get that girl and never let her go." Dave was his coach over and over while I freaked out too scared to hope that Sam was for real. He was. He is. He got me. And...He is never letting go.

After listening and looking Sam in the eye, silently assuring him that he got me and I now trust that he is never letting go.....we walked to the beach. Wheat Thins and Diet Coke in hand, because we never ate dinner, but had those in the car. Along with our Fiji towel...we were ready for a sweet night on the beach. It was a beautiful night! We still had our togs on (or in america, swimsuits :) and just needed a hoodie...it was just so great out. We walked for awhile just talking and enjoying the beach at night and each other. We found a spot and watched the waves and stars. He looked at me and said...."I have something in my pocket I want to show you."

And I did what any girl that loves her man so much would do...I burst into tears.

He got down on his knee and had me look him in the eye and said, "Will you marry me? I choose you."

I said, "A thousands times YES!"

He placed this GORGEOUS HUGE ring on my finger (he did have to ask which finger it went on :) It fit PERFECT. Which made the night even more special and perfect than it already was. See, it was his Nana's ring. (His dad's mum) His mom told me that Sam was super special to her and Sam can vividly remember her and feels so connected to her. The ring actually feels like it was made for my finger. We just looked at each other in disbelief. I asked him, "Do you think the night your Nana had her special moment that she ever in her wildest dreams thought we would be having our moment with her ring?" It is the coolest feeling to have a ring that has shared love and one that has so much history, yet is the start of a new future.

I LOVE being in my swimsuit, and LOVE the night after a long day in the sun. It is quite possibly my favorite feeling ever. To get proposed to still in my swimsuit, with a sun dress on, Sam's hoodie (that I used to always wear in NZ...purposely not taking a hoodie so I would have to wear his each night....) and sitting on our towel from Fiji...was the PERFECT DANA way to get engaged.

We are creating our future and writing our story...we couldn't have planned a better one....

(Talking to my mom!)

The middle of the story

2009-04-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

What a week...I forget sometimes how tiring it is to not only move, but look for jobs. I LOVE newness and the excitement of seeing new places and experiencing new things, hence the life I have seemed to lead. Yet at the same time I HATE change. How do you figure that one out? I have such an intense need for it but cry my way through it.

I think at the end of the day I love a good story. The best parts of a story are often the beginning that draws you in and makes you wonder what will happen next. And the ending that ties up your moments of escape with a happy ending or leaves you thinking and so glad you experienced people and places in your mind. The middle though...sometimes it is uneventful. Needed. Informative. Even funny at times. But never quite as good as the beginning and end. I always must remind myself in moves that the middle starts soon after the beginning just gets good. This middle, or we can also call it REALITY, came quite fast this time. To look for jobs can be a long degrading process, especially since I have been on a job search since September it feels like. It isn't bad or even genuinely degrading, just wares on you. You walk in a place or send an email selling yourself only to hear...nope not now. It takes a ton of mind work to keep going for me some days. But the reason I am here makes me smile. We knew and know Jacksonville for some reason was the place to head, so I keep plugging along, reminding myself Rome wasn't built in a day (well Sam reminds me that...I sometimes think it could have been if they just worked a little harder :) think I have issues?)

I have learned so much this week and am excited to see what this adventure holds. I have pictured myself so many times being asked years down the road, "how did you and Sam get together? What was your dating experience life?" And I just smile, my mind and heart full of memories that almost seem unreal. It is easy to remember at that point that this is the "middle." A job will come, an apartment will come, life will be so busy I will wonder where time has gone, but these are memories I am trying to enjoy and take in. Sometimes it is easy, other times it is hard. That is just life. And I am learning to just let me be me and take each day.

Jacksonville is filled with SO much and so much I love discovering. There are differences for sure for this California girl, and moments I have to remind myself that I am in a brand new culture, but I think this is going to be a good place to call home for awhile. And it's by the beach...really can anything be that hard when you live by the beach? Plus, LA has made me so tough, that driving here is a breeze...their "traffic" is like driving around in LA on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Gotta love that!

Until next the installment of the midlle...

Tornado Warnings...Thunderstorms...Welcome to Florida!

2009-04-14T12:47:00.000-07:00

OUR LAST DAY OF DRIVING!!!!

5 Days of driving, too many gas stations to count, 9 states, one near accident, and memories of a lifetime....
WE MADE IT!

We pulled into Jacksonville yesterday at 3pm, just in time to SURPRISE the twins! Sam's favorite little friends had NO idea we were coming today, they thought we would be in Florida in a week or two. We tricked them good! They got off the bus and saw a rugby ball get kicked out of their garage and they said, "they knew it was him!" It was so fun seeing them and getting to surprise them.

We also pulled into Tornado warnings and a massive thunderstorm last night! Sam and I looked at each other and just laughed...why would there not be Tornado warnings our first day in Florida!

We hung out with the Jensen family for awhile, then headed off to Mama's (Sam's grandma's) for our first look at our new home for awhile. She is SO gracious and had everything all ready for us...I took some pictures of my room so you can see where I spent my first night in Jacksonville

The room actually made me think of my Aunt Velma and Aunt Alamay so I did okay my first night in a new place.

I also, in tornado weather, went and looked at apartments and hunted for jobs today while Sam worked. It was quite ridiculous for me to be doing that but...I needed to, for my own sanity if nothing else. After living in LA apartments are so cheap, I feel like they are giving them to me! I found some great ones by the beach and by a fun shopping area. I have a job interview tomorrow and even gave my resume to one of the apt. places that was hiring...we will see.

We are glad to be in Jacksonville and excited to see what this new adventure holds...already the stories make me smile!!!

The Trip Of A Lifetime...(Part 5)

2009-04-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

4 States....YIKES! Who does that on Easter...we do :)

We set off from Baton Rouge today and headed for historic New Orleans (can you tell I have been reading lots of travel books?) It was so surreal to be in the French Quarter on Easter. I can GUARANTEE you that I would have never guessed I would be doing that this Easter.

It was also really important to us to see the consequences of Hurricane Katrina, almost 4 years ago now. It was humbling to see so much devastation still present in the city. You didn't see it in the main strip as much, but you saw SO many homes still water logged and condemned and just completely unlivable. It was sad to put yourself there 4 years ago...we drove across the bridges/overpasses that so many were trying desperately to get away from the massive flooding. It was so startling to realize they were running to safety, or what they hoped was safety, but as they turned to look they weren't able to see their town, shops, or homes any longer. I am so glad that I saw it and feel a sense of ownership as an American for the tragedy.

There was not only serious moments, by any means while we were in New Orleans. We had a fun Creole lunch, after strolling the French Quarter. It was a crazy place...I even found a candy shop called "Evans Creole Candy Factory" That made me smile!

And in true crazy New Orleans style there was a RANDOM Easter parade...Complete with drunk old people throwing Mardi Gras Beads

Notice the woman in the yellow...she was screaming at them to throw them to her...along with the other of 100's on the side of the street doing that same. I just laughed all the way down the street...Sam didn't find it as funny :)

Famous Bourbon St.

After New Orleans, we said good bye to Louisiana and heading East, passing through...

Then..

And finally...our destination...

We were SO happy to see the Florida state sign, kind of surreal. The combination of seeing Florida and realizing how much I love doing life with Sam...even this crazy life we have led, this was my face...

We are pretty excited to start this new chapter in life...we didn't quite make it to Jacksonville today...we were so wasted from the driving and the time zone changes and a couple of bad night of sleep. So we stopped in Tallahassee for the night..had Easter dinner at Crackerbarrel (Stac and Aim remember that place?!) and start tomorrow with only 3 hours left to drive! We need a good night of sleep to face real life tomorrow...

Real Life HERE WE COME!

The Trip Of A Lifetime...(Part 4)

2009-04-11T18:30:00.000-07:00

(and we're off for the day!)

Texas was long, I admit that, but we did one of the coolest things here today...went to the NASA Space Center!

(Trying a real Space Helmet!)

(Sam landing a Space Shuttle)

I am embarrassed to say that Sam knew more about Space Program in America than I did. I constantly was asking him questions through the whole day! Really though? Did you know we don't go to the moon any more and just go to the Space Station? Did you know that we are going back to the moon in 2020 and to Mars in 2030? In new spaceships? And that the Space Station has 3 people on it, One America, One Japanese (their first ever) and One Russian? I didn't.

It was like Disneyland for guys I think, but I was super impressed the whole time! We saw the first space shuttles, where they do all the simulations and trainings, saw the new space ship that will carry people to the moon and Mars! It was such a cool experience. I even cried when I heard a recording of one of the flight directors (the guy in Houston directing the Space Shuttles--Gene Hackman's character in Apollo 13) say, "Welcome home, we are glad you here." I'm not gonna lie, I was SO proud to be an American!

(In the observation deck of the training center)

(One of the first rockets in space)

(Me trying to take a cute picture in front of the HUGE engines...Sam being silly)

The whole time I was there I thought that my nephew Tyler and my little buddy Jacob would have LOVED It! I had to get them cool post cards from there for sure!!! The other reason I loved it...their motto...

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION

That could be my life quote!!! I LOVED that line in Apollo 13...which I wanted to watch SO BAD when we left there. And get this? It was on TV when we finally stopped for the night!!! I am so not even joking!! I was so excited, I might have squealed :) I was SO excited to see all that I just saw on TV!!!

We also made it through a new state line! I never thought I would be so happy to see Louisiana!!!

We are off to New Orleans tomorrow and I am really looking forward to that! Then on to Jacksonville! Our friend Kimi double checked for us tonight...only 7 & 1/2 hours from New Orleans to Jacksonville! I can't believe how close we are!!!

Until tomorrow!

The Trip Of A Lifetime...(Part 3)

2009-04-10T19:47:00.001-07:00

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!!! Those are the only words I have...

The 2 Time Zone change killed us this morning...we were dying to get going this morning...didn't leave til 9:30...

We will definitely be taking 3 days to get across Texas!! I think Texas kicked our butts! We were so bored at some points we went a little stir crazy for sure!!

There was one memorable moment...I had to go to the bathroom SOOOO bad. There was nothing for miles. So I opted to stop at this little hole in the wall gas station/country store. I walked in and giggled to myself at what I saw, but it wasn't that bad. Everyone seemed to know everyone, though, which made me smile. Then it happened...that moment when you see the bathroom and know that you can go...then you have to go REALLY BAD. But...there was a lovely man cleaning it and the other women's bathroom was taken, with no sign of being untaken any time soon. So as I stood there doing a little dance, so annoyed, 20 or more Sheriffs poor in the door (which we had see them each in their own Sheriff SUV on our drive) along with....Inmates, clad in the proverbial black and white attire. I just shook my had and laughed and thought, "where am I?" In the middle of NOWHERE, aka South Texas!

Oh and do you know this? There are MORE Texas state flags than American flags on the drive...there is. I counted.

And when we finally made it to San Antonio (the first sign of real civilization) we were so excited. I was explaining our national anthem to Sam and then missed the turn off for the 10! This is how annoyed we were...

We FINALLY made it through the vast nothingness that is south Texas on the 10 and saw signs for Houston!! We were so happy!!!

Until tomorrow!!

The Trip Of A Lifetime...(Part 2)

2009-04-09T19:54:00.001-07:00

We finally made it to Texas! Wow is New Mexico boring! Arizona wasn't that much more exciting I have to say. We laughed a lot today...I guess there isn't much else to do on a 10 hour drive, with 2 time zone changes and 2 state lines, stopping for a few fun pictures..

(Day 2! We're Off!)

(Sam and his best friend Andy have a weird fascination with Dragon's...or really they like to make fun of people that like them...so we couldn't resist this picture!)

(Notice the VAST NOTHINGNES behind us at this rest stop in Arizona...finally a picture not with a beach behind us)

(We finally made it out of Arizona! Not gonna lie...we didn't see much enchantment)

After a few gas stops, bathroom stops and stops to buy Jacob post cards with the state's map we were driving through, we finally saw it...

(Notice in the far left the Texas Monument with the GIANT star welcoming us to Texas....Everything is BIGGER in Texas)

(Here is the Welcome to Texas Official Sign)

The best part was when we were nearing where we wanted to stop about 2 and 1/2 hours into Texas...the moon looked SO big and like it was right off the freeway. It looked like an ENORMOUS sugar cookie. I tried to take a picture, of course, but it didn't work. It was SO beautiful and reminded me how big our world is and incredible God is...I think that he really did make it look like a cookie...I betcha God LOVES sweets...just my opinion of course :)

Tomorrow we are trying to head to Louisiana, but Texas is a BIG state. We will see how we do. I am really excited to see the Gulf of Mexico and see New Orleans. We are both wanting to see the devastation that wreaked havoc on that city not very long ago, and I would love to see the French Quarter. I loved watching when Food Network people went there :)

I wish there was more exciting stuff that we did today...but really, driving in three states in one day...pretty cool :)

The Trip Of A Lifetime...(Part 1)

2009-04-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

Well I might be a bit optimistic with that title...but it might be a trip of a lifetime...I am thinking after today's drive alone I might not want to do this again :) Lots of desserts and lots and lots of cactus.....We clearly made it to...(11 and 1/2 hours later!!!!)

After good byes to friends in Redding, and good byes to Aunt Velma, Nana, and Grandma, repacking my stuff to be moved out to Florida, repacking my car to organize our suitcases once we got there...we were ready to set off. This was the good bye at 7:30AM from my parents house.

It was SUPER emotional! I have left my parents house more times than I could ever count...but this time seemed so different. I have never gone on one of my adventures with someone I loved before and the good bye this time just seemed to be a bit sad as I said good bye to my mom and dad. I hated to leave before Easter, I hated to leave my parents there with both me and Mike gone, and I hated that they were a bit teary...but I know that this is the right thing. Still I cried until I was on the other side of Turlock. Then the fun reality of what I was doing hit me!

Someone in the car with me might have been a bit grouchy...I won't say who but it wasn't me :) We found the middle of nowhere...well the very end of my life in CA as I know it. It was at a rest stop right before we crossed the Arizona border.

The day was LONG for sure, but we really wanted to make it to Phoenix (we did it Aunt Delores!!) In fact, in our tiredness and frustration we passed Phoenix because we couldn't find a strip of hotels and landed on the other side of Tempe. But we found a great place for really cheap...and there wasn't just a complimentary breakfast...but a complimentary dinner!!!

Even though today was long (and I remembered my last drive across the country (there and back!) with Stacie, Amy and I and we all HATED Nebraska...we felt like we were in that state for weeks, but I have a feeling that my whole drive is going to look much like that...) it was such a good feeling to be setting out for a new adventure with Sam. And I even got a call on a job our friend Kimi, in Florida had forwarded me from Craigs List. I have an interview on Tuesday! That was pretty encouraging to get that and realize that there are jobs out there to be had.

I am off to bed now...ready to do it all again tomorrow! Texas here we come!!

40 Hours + 9 States + LOTS of Diet Coke in 4 Days = My Next Adventure....I'm Moving to Jacksonville, Florida!!!

2009-04-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

Life never seems to go the way I plan, but man is it ALWAYS full of adventure! The lack of blogs has been, quite frankly, PATHETIC! But without a schedule, I don't always do so good. But a schedule is coming soon! Sam and I are moving to Jacksonville, FL this week. We are SO excited about this next adventure, and I am not going to lie...one of the most exciting things to me is having an apartment again and having a washer and dryer!

This last month has been FULL of life decisions, saying good byes, sorting SO many details I thought my mind was going to explode, and trying to find jobs. Sam has a job in Florida and I am well on my way to finding one. I can have an apartment (YAY!!!)and Sam can live for free with family.

I have to say Florida was NEVER EVER in my life plan (but we know how my life plans have been going lately) While in Florida, which was PURELY a visit, so many things fell together that we looked at each other one night and had to laugh at the turn of events. I also laughed one night in Florida, as I was watching the news and they were saying the top 3 worst states to find a job....yep, California was one of them. I shook my head and thought, what the heck are we doing trying to make it in CA?! Little did I know less than a week later we would really be contemplating moving out of California!

We are filled with such mixed emotions, sad to leave and excited to start this new adventure. Plus we are pretty excited to get to live by the beach again!!! YAY for warm weather! Saying good byes this last week was torture, but I reminded myself how many times I say good bye, only to come back and visist with new stories and experiences to share.

I will keep you updated on life as we go and I am sure that there will be many BLOG WORTHY moments in the next month...how can all that driving and moving to a new city not be!

Skateboarding Life Lessons

2009-03-19T14:34:00.000-07:00

So I watched the Jensen twins at a Skate Park all afternoon. They were AMAZING. I had seen a video of them but when I actually went and saw what they did I was thoroughly IMPRESSED! It was SO steep and they were SO crazy fast! Here are two pictures Sam took yesterday.

(Jason)

(Jackson)

I had an epiphany as I sat there watching these boys. I am HORRIBLE at skateboarding, but I realized even on the bike I am not that great. And I figured out why as I sat there watching them. I need control! Board sports take a little trust. You do control the skateboard and bike but at one point you have to let go and trust it to do what it is supposed to do. Hence why I don't like to skateboard and stick to running. It takes a lot of trust as you ride down the side of a pool. I think I can work on my trust issues but I don't think I will ever be a great skateboarder or professional bike rider. It was interesting to see your issues before your eyes at a random skate park in the middle of Florida.

I think I will stick to doing this at a skate park....smiling and loving my boyfriend....

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

2009-03-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a picture just captures LOVE...

"I Left My Wallet In El Segundo"

2009-03-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

So sometimes I wonder if my life is a movie or a book, but two days ago I seriously wondered if my life was a music video.

I wake up Tuesday morning excited to leave for Florida and hang out with Sam's family there...but as I get ready I get a good morning text from Sam...but something just didn't feel right when he asked "do you know where my wallet is?" I let him know where I thought it was and then drove to pick him up. Well...no such luck in where I thought the wallet might be.

It was a pretty tense morning, no time to get to the airport, the LAX experience also doesn't lend itself to peaceful enjoyment and then just sitting, thinking about the fact that we have lost his wallet and are flying across the country. I had to laugh as we sat at our gate. Really?! I have two choices at this point....break down crying or realize that later this will just add to the story of who we are. I started to get teary then pictured myself years later telling the story and laughed a little.

Sam made a joke as we walked on to the plane so I knew that the mood would lighten soon :) I shook my head as I walked on to the plane as well thinking "life just doesn't go as planned." I am learning over and over the trick to enjoying life to the fullest is living in the moment realizing there is something in it.

We arrived in Florida and have had a great time so far. We are getting to spend lot of time with his family and I have learned so much! I have even learned a few trivia facts while here in Jacksonville which they lovingly refer to as "Jagsonville" (their football team is the Jaguars). I forgot what a southern accent sounded like and forgot what living in this part of the country was all about...sports, family, drinking and fun. A world that has been SO fun to visit. Aunt his Auntie and Uncle and Mama has taken REALLY good care of us. They even stocked the fridge with Diet Coke for me :)

This weekend we are heading to the Lake with his Auntie and Uncle...the weather is BEAUTIFUL! 85 degrees and sunny...what more could you ask for? The only bummer is I left my swimsuit at home :( SO gutted! I have to go buy another one! And we don't have a car most days, so today I have to go to Target, go swimsuit shopping (which really? What girl looks forward to that) while his Auntie and him wait for me....we will see how this turns out :)

Here are some pictures from the first few days!

The tricked out garage that his Auntie and Uncle hang out in all the time...)

(Notice the Pepsi cooler in the far left....just like in a store/gas station...)

(I know....our pictures look all the same, but we LOVE the beach!)

(Sam and his Mama....she is SO wonderful!)

New Zealand's Best Sturgeon Fisherman

2009-03-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

While I went to spend the day with Kerri and the boys, Sam took off at 4AM with my dad to go Sturgeon fishing. Really, 4AM? Sam hates mornings, so I wondered how this would go...but as you can see he LOVED his time!

This is the second fish he caught!

The first fish he caught was 73 inches and over 100 pounds! It was too big to keep, they had to throw it back! He said the 100 pounder was like wrestling a gator to get it in the boat...that made me smile to picture, Uncle Neville would be proud. If this was an initiation by my dad (which it wasn't....my dad loves hanging out with Sam) I think he PASSED with FLYING COLORS. What more could my dad want for his girl than a guy that can catch a HUGE sturgeon. Those are the important things to my dad :)

(For a little perspective...the boat is 80 inches wide so the fish almost fills the boat!)

(Sam wrestling the "gator")

I got a call in the afternoon from my man, and if you can hear a smile I heard one! I think that when I saw my dad and Sam that night they had smiled for hours at their great catches!

So while they were doing guy things I went to Lincoln to visit one of my best friends, Kerri! It was such a good day, we talked, and talked, and talked, and talked some more....and it was Micah's Playgroup Birthday party, so I jumped into that and then just hung out with boys. Jacob was VERY excited to show me his wore his RPM New Zealand shirt I had sent him last year when I lived in NZ. He was most excited to show me the flag on the sleeve!

There is just nothing like and old friend that knows you well and seen you in SO many seasons of life. The last week I have got to see all those old friends and it just does something to you to know you don't have to explain yourself, and you can relax and be fully you. I didn't get to see Stacie yet, but I did get to have a couple heart to hearts with her on the phone and even that was so refreshing. Funny how for me in an unpredictable, not stable season that seeing stable friends is all I need. I guess at the end of the day no circumstance can really give you stability or security or take it away. I like to think that....but I think in my heart deep down I know that circumstances never can fully make you feel settled or stable if you really aren't in your heart. While I was in Redding I realized that my adventurous life, that seems to not be heading towards a routine as fast as like, might not be over any time soon. So I decided, instead of waiting for the things I think will give me routine and help me feel settled, I would just embrace where I was at. I am living a life I never dreamed of living, and yeah, I don't have a place to call my own and haven't had a bed for quite some time...(though, thank you Danielle and Elli for giving me your beds!), I am getting to live this life that most people would never get to live. And beyond that I am living a kind of life I hoped I lived. I want perfection but really, do I? If I had my life perfect like I think I do there would be NO GREAT STORIES like I seem to have each week...

Life is what it is and I can choose to enjoy what is in front of me and take everything I can out of each moment or miss it and wondered at 60 why I never fully lived my life because I was wanting something else the whole time.

How High Was The Sign?

2009-03-04T21:30:00.001-08:00

Just in case you know me well and know how much I exaggerate and add drama to every story I tell, I thought I would show you just how high that silly sign is.

Now to give you a little perspective:

I am SO impressed with my man!! Really do you see how high that sign is? And he touched the middle of it!

Now a little preview of what the next blog will be about:

My dad is taking Sam sturgeon fishing and while he was making sure Sam had the right clothes and stayed dry I just HAD to snap a picture...look at my redneck boyfriend!

One Step Forward Two Steps Back Still Means Your Moving...right?

2009-02-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had one of those weeks? Those moments in life lend itself for two things...immense laughter or tears. I have done both this last week. I have laughed at how much I have cried wondering what it will be like when my eyes aren't red and puffy. Long month seems to be an understatement.

There have been so many moments this month where I shake my head in disbelief at our luck. Whether it be sitting in traffic at the exact wrong time you need to be sitting in traffic because you are SO late for something (but really is there ever a good time to sit in traffic?) Or being so awed by how rude the customer service seems to be every time Sam tried to buy something. At one point my friend Danielle and I had to look away as we watched the shoe lady fit Sam for shoes while she berated each slight imperfection he had. The irony...I went in the next day and got fitted and have the same issues with my feet yet the lady was so sweet to me and I left feeling affirmed. Or my personal favorite was going to Outback with Holly and Kimberly...kind of too make fun of Australia because I bought Sam a shirt that said "Not Australian." The waitress was so shockingly rude all we could do was stare in disbelief. Holly, ever finding the positive in situations, decided that the lady was being "in character" and realized that Sam was from New Zealand so she had to be rude to them because of their countries rivalry.

We had a few bumps in the road in Redding and in the midst of vacation felt like we didn't really leave the stress, yet those situations made us laugh. Or my personal favorite laughing moment...which did end up being a huge stress reliever yet kind of bad. Sam and I were on a sweet walk at the McConnel Foundation just enjoying the nice weather and having fun together. He was having a great time bowling rocks likes cricket balls and making me smile. There was a huge flock of geese flying above us, and Sam thought it would be a fun idea to throw the rock into the flock. Seconds later it was like a scene from a movie. Sam watching the rock, me walking next to my guy, the birds dodging the rock, the one bird not dodging the rock, BAM, the bird falling to the ground, THUD, the bird walking around stunned, sam erupting in laughter saying, "I can't wait to tell your dad." The whole time me being so nervous that I was going to get kicked out of Redding!

All in a weeks fun...right? We finally had a great day, no tears, no stress, no fights and even NO rain. We spent the day at the lake, talking, laughing, sam bowling rocks like cricket balls, and me full of smiles.

We went and got Sam those shoes he got fitted for after shopping around for three days, then went to dinner with friends. We were heading to Sports Authority to get me some new running shoes, and I naively said, "we made it through a day with no drama, fights, tears...only a few more hours and we did it!" Then....

My boyfriend decided it would be a great idea to show me he could jump up and touch a sign in Sports Authority. I have to stay that I was VERY IMPRESSED that he did it. I didn't think he could do it, not because he isn't incredibly athletic but because it was SO high. And when he said he could I innocently said, "no you can't." If that wasn't the BIGGEST dare for a bloke I don't know what was. Well he did it....even hit the middle of the sign not just the bottom. As I stared open mouthed so proud of my guy, I looked down to tell him how impressed I was but instead saw him writhing in pain with that horrifying athlete in excruciating pain face. All I could do was stare thinking you have got to be kidding?

Why was I shocked? Not sure...it seemed to be how our week had gone in Redding. Sam landed on his knee and rehurt it (he was supposed to get surgery in New Zealand before he came but he didn't....came her instead).

So I did what any supportive girlfriend would do in that moment...burst into tears. I grew up around injuries and sports injuries so I knew the face and even knew what to do but it seemed to be that proverbial straw that broke the camels back. Sam was in pain but did look at me and say, "It's funny....c'mon it is." Sam put his knee back in place and said, "You might want to get me home. I am in shock so I have 5 or so minutes for it to wear off." So we hobble out of Sport Authority and came home and I just shook my head all the way home. So much for those running shoes and our plans to run the next few weeks...

All in all it has been a long week and last night we just looked at each other and laughed at how life sometimes is. I said to him, "feels like we take one step forward and two steps back." But at the end of the day I have kept the most important things in life in perspective--The fact that my boyfriend jumped and hit the sign in Sport Authority. I mean really what else could a girl want? A healthy knee is overrated!

We might be taking steps backward but at least we are moving and having fun in the midst of super stressful circumstances....So for now that is the update on the road...I will continue to keep you posted and add some fun pictures soon.

Season 7 Episode 4

2009-02-23T10:30:00.001-08:00

As we drove up North to visit my family and friends yesterday I saw one of my most favorite sites...Almond Blossoms. The white flowers on the end of each branch signify a new season. I can remember as a young girl knowing that the end of the school year began with the blossoms coming out. Only a few more months until the Magnificent Summer...swimming, no homework, TV shows, playing outside until it was dark to then come in an play for a few more hours...Ahh the blossoms ushered in a new season and created such joy and excitement.

The timing of the blossoms was fitting for the state of my life. Sam was sleeping as I drove down the 99 and I reflected on the many beginning and endings life has seemed to have. I have used the term "seasons" for my life for years now. It helps me have hope that life will change if its bad or if I am bored. It reminds me there are new things ahead, and it helps me when life is dark or stagnet to know that just like winter there will be an end and spring will come. Pretty much, it's a coping mechanism...a mind game, if you will, that I play with myself when life isn't going "how I planned." :)

The more I thought about it yesterday though the more I decided my life isn't really like the Seasons, it seems to be more like a TV show with different seasons and different episodes. My friend Kerri and I have joked for years about our life happenings, giving them an Episode Name...much like the way Friends used to name their episodes. Again, I think for us it has become a coping mechanism/mind game to make us laugh at very "unlaughable" moments in our lives. And you know what? It worked. In a moment when life seemed to be falling apart, I would get an email or a text or nowadays a facebook message with one of Kerri's "episode titles," and I would laugh out loud, remembering that life really isn't that serious.

So this particular day I thought, really my life is more like TV show episodes, not predictable seasons. I just never seem to know what is going to happen in my life. If you would have told me some of these things would have happened I would have laughed at you. But then...then are actually really happening in my life. I had to stop and reflect for a second about the TV show seasons concept. It seems to work a bit better for me. My life changes a bit more like weekly episodes with new themes every year or so. And there is always some emotional extreme in my life and there are always new characters popping in and out.

Like now for instance, I just finished a temporary job in L.A. (the fun Red Carpet Pictures are below...) while having my AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL boyfriend, who moved around the world for me. If you would have told me last February that this would be my life I would have laughed you out of my face. Funny how in a moment (or a single trip to Fiji) one's life can totally change. You can't write stuff this good (as my friend Kerri often tells me when I share the latest drama in my life) I still don't have an apartment and now I don't have a job. And I started today, me and Sam affectionately are calling our next month..."perpetual vacation." We headed to my parents for a night, then will be off to Redding, but like all good sitcoms we couldn't just go to my parents and drive up to Redding. We both get sick, fight all the way over the grapevine and then end at my parents with Sam so sick we can't go to Redding. The best well laid plans just don't ever seem to work these days. The whole time too, my life and lack of order for my life is rolling through my head. After this "perpetual vacation" what will I do for a job, where will I live, where will Sam live, what is next, what do I want to do with my life? Did we ask these questions after college....how am I hear again?

But ironically, I LOVE my life. I was driving home in crazy traffic Saturday and had been sitting for over an hour already when I just SMILED HUGE thinking of getting to go home and see Sam, get Mexican food right down the road and call one of our friends in New Zealand. All I could think was "when did this become my life?" So simple and not glamorous but so sweet and what I hoped for. We walked on the beach at sunset this week, frustrated at some things in life and unsure where to go next but all I could think was "perspective dana, perspective." It is just another episode and a great story to tell. How many people really get to not have a place to live and a job and then live this adventure? The best part of a Season a lot of times is the first episode after a summer break and the season finale that you wait for all week once you see the commercial reminding you the finale is coming. The middle is interesting and often makes you laugh and/or cry, but the best and most intense things happen at the end.

While we have had our fair share of intense in this season, this season is not over, we are just on to a new episode. Scenes from last week...to catch you up because of my lack of blogging :)

(On the way into the Awards Show I worked on the last two months...)

(All Dressed Up On The Red Carpet...Who knew?)

(More Pictures...Sam had to look snazzy because he was walking Elizabeth Perkins down the Red Carpet moments later...he was her date all night long. Who would have thought? A guy from Te Puna walking a celebrity down the Red Carpet..."

(The end of a VERY LONG night....)

(The day after the Award Show I woke up early, skipped a shower, went and got Sam and took him to the Rugby 7's that happened to be in San Diego. This was right before we walked in....we like taking pictures in the Car Parks)

(In Petco Stadium waiting for New Zealand to play)

(Sam was pretty stoked to have Beer and Chips and even more stoked that they had New Zealand Beer--Steinlager)

(Look at that smile! This was right before he was hassled by a security gaurd, got pretty angry, then found out that in America they close the alcohol sales at 4PM. Him, along with every other non-American in the stadium was appalled that at a Rugby tournament that their would ever be a stop of alcohol sales. It was even worse when the Steinlanger just sat tempting and taunting him at the concession stands after 4....only in our TV Show do you start out to give your guy a great day after a long few weeks and end on an emotional roller coaster of chaos. He looked at me at the game and said...I used to be so even keeled before you....Ooopsise...welcome to my emotional roller coaster of a life. Kind of crazy, but never lacking for excitement and laughter...)

Scenes from next week...
Redding.
Tons of Friends.
Kids I have missed like Crazy.
Linclon--more friends and more kids to play with.
LA for a bit.
Florida to meet all Sam's family that lives in the states.
Then....
Reality Check.

Stay Tuned...it seems simple enough and straight forward, but you know with me it NEVER seems to go as planned!

The blogs will continue now and the episodes will be up for your viewing on a more regular basis :) For now enjoy the "hour long episode" to catch you up!

New Room...New Rules

2009-02-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

For those of you that follow my blog you might remember Raya's room rules....the most memorable one being, "NO OPEN MOUTH KISSING."

Well each morning Audrey (one of my current roommates who is 4) reminds me of a great "life rule"

She says each and EVERY morning, "what do girls do every day?"

CHANGE THEIR UNDERWEAR!!!

Just in case I forget this little important fact I have a walking 4 year old reminder....

For those of you who know me well, be kind in the comment section :)

The Thrill of Risk

2009-01-31T21:54:00.001-08:00

I drove to work in what Jacksoville considered "traffic." But can you really call it traffic if you are moving the whole time at speeds of 70 mph with other people passing you like crazy? I think not.

Man, how prepared I was because of my time in LA to make my morning commute. Now I do have to travel a bit with this new job, but the scenery is gorgeous (crossed over 3 beautiful bridges this morning) and the drive is continuous the whole time. There were so many times I sat in LA traffic wanting to shoot myself or someone else...think I had a bit of road rage? But this morning I actually was thankful for all the training LA gave me in my patience level in the car. Who would have thought...patience and car in the same sentence.

I am slowly feeling settled in here in Jacksonville. I am still doing all those annoying moving in things....electricity, internet, cable, etc. But for the most part I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I thought as I drove home tonight, how living where we live at the beach (I promise I will put up pictures soon!) is like going on vacation every night after work and every weekend. I feel like we escape to this little vacation home, relax (well currently we unpack and then I have to drive Sam back to his place, but for the illustration it works) enjoy the feel of the ocean and then get up the next morning and face life all over again.

It has been such a crazy ride this last year an a half and I NEVER EVER would have guessed Florida, much less a beautiful place at the beach, but man is it fun after not having a room of my own to move into a super spacious place. There have been some treachourous moments this last few weeks, and I am an idealist and always want life to be perfect. The more and more I learn about life, though, the more and more I realize just how to enjoy the moment in front of you.

A lot can happen in 12 months, and this year shows that like none other for me. Life is risky and I don't do it well, or without mistakes that is for sure, but I am glad I took this risk. I think I realized this week I would rather make tons of mistakes and experience the thrill of learning to trust people and God than never have that experience. It is hard, I'm not gonna lie. And there were many times I wondered if I would make it, but the thrill of trusting and holding on to hope in God and humanity is like nothing I have ever experienced. Sam reminded me this last few weeks that faith isn't just hope and trust in God but hope and belief in the human spirit and the value of humanity. That has sat with me for the last few days and as I started a new job, in a place where profit is important but they choose to value humanity just as highly or higher it is an interesting thought. What will this new place and these new people teach me about faith and trust. I think I have a lot to learn. So in the learning curve of a new job, I have a feeling, is a hidden many many other learning curves...

The High Pass Difference

2009-01-31T21:54:00.000-08:00

Funny how sometimes such a slight thing can make such a HUGE difference. Sam has been working on this new technique for his photos this past week and as he was showing me the results of a few slight moves on his computer I was amazed at what a difference it made. He took a picture that I thought was already very good and transformed it and it seemed the people jumped out of the picture. I didn't quite understand all the different things he did to get the outcome but it was slight and minute yet his eye was able to see the difference it would make. He sees things that the normal eye just doesn't seem to catch.

Contrary to popular belief Sam is not the reason that my blogs have been lack of late :) I was teased this week by quite a few people about why my blogging has seem to come to a sudden halt. It might seem with pictures like this that Sam is the reason behind this...

Visiting some of Sam's friends in San Clemente

(I put this picture in purely for the fact that these boys teased me relentlessly about blogging...now they are on my blog!)

(One fun weekend at the beach...of course!)

Unfortunately the reason I was able to be teased by some of my favorite people like Rayetta and Aunt Delores and my Grandma was a bittersweet occasion. My grandad passed away this week and Sam and I traveled home late Wednesday night for the funeral on Thursday. It really was a mix of emotion. While saying good bye is never easy there is something about seeing family and friends you haven't seen in years. There is a sweetness in the reminiscing and catching up. Sam was IMMERSED in my family and close friends for sure! I think I heard 5 people say to him..."keep talking I LOVE your accent." My reserved boyfriend that isn't a fan of huge groups and meeting tons of new people at once probably met over 80 people in a matter of 2 hours. And my most favorite part was those that said, "I know you from the blog." hehehehe It just made my heart dance with delight.

Spending time with my family and especially my brother who flew home from Holland was such a wonderful experience. Unfortunately my sister in law and nephew couldn't come and were SO missed by us all. I forgot how much fun my brother is since we don't get him at many holidays. He is in the Air Force and it had been three years since I had last seen him. I was so glad that Sam would get to meet him and laughed at how well they got along. My dad and brother are pretty quiet and they had quite a good time going outside and smoking cigars and drinking a beer. It was such a great time with my family and the day after the funeral my mom had all the immediate family over for a fish fry and even had some antelope thrown in there! My dad and brother did the cooking and we got to enjoy a fun night of yummy food, laughing and telling stories--some of which I wish we would have left out, and just being together with my Nana.

The best part of the trip was the surprise that it was that I got to stay home. Amy, my friend who I am working for at the job that is keeping me from blog world these days. I LOVE it still but man I just haven't had time to sit down and write what is going on, in two weeks is the Show and I will be back in blog world once again. I saw how one small gesture made a bigger impact than I could have imagined. We were SO busy at work and the project I have worked on since I started all was due the day of the funeral. I was planning to come home right after the funeral on Thursday. Instead I got a call after the funeral and Amy told me to just stay with my family and she would get my work done. My family was absolutely fine with me having to leave but the pure joy I saw in their faces was breathtaking when I told them that Amy had worked it so I can stay. She didn't have to do that and we had SO much to do, but one small gesture and a minute phone call gave my family quite a few special memories that we wouldn't have had.

Funny that earlier in the week when Sam was showing me the High Pass technique that I would experience the High Pass technique in my life...a sacrificial gesture and a simple phone call was the High Pass Difference in my life and my families.

(my whole family in one place!)

Me and my bro...I am SO proud of him. He is a major in the Air Force!)

(Sam even had to get in the family pictures...here is my spunky 94 year old Auntie Velma)

(Here is my sweet sweet Grandma and us)

(Me and Mike had to get a pic with my wonderful grandma and our lovely auntie!)

(We LOVE our grandma!)

One of the many reasons I am LOVING LA....

2009-01-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

80's in January...gotta LOVE that! Especially when I had friends send me a facebook message telling me it was below zero where they were this week.

Work is still fun...busy and a new world that I have no clue what I am doing some days, but a fun challenge. There is so much to learn and so many fun people I work with. I am excited to be a part of what I am doing and am not even minding traffic that much...guess life is just pretty happy these days.

I still am in transition and realized this week that I left for NZ one year ago this week. What a YEAR! If anyone ever would have told me what I would be doing this January I would NOT have believe them. I love a plan, I get excited about calendars and schedules and love to think ahead. But funny how when I didn't plan out my life and tried to enjoy the moment what great things I have got to experience. I still don't think I will ever "live in the moment" by nature. I love to think ahead and plan but I have learned some pretty good lessons in REALLY fun ways about living in the moment and enjoying what and who is in front of you.

Fun in the Industry

2009-01-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

I have NEVER worked in an office job and said the things I said today...

"I feel SO energized!"
"That was SO MUCH Fun!" (said after leaving work at midnight last night and said once again after coming in at 7AM the next morning because of a HUGE fiasco with the Awards Show I am helping with for the Art Directors Guild)
"I feel like I was created to do this"
"What they stock the fridge!?!"
"YES FOR SURE!" (Said after my friend told me there was a guy here to wash our cars, and would I like mine washed?"
"It was so fun calculating number and diffusing angry men." (said once the Fiasco that was full blown was completely resolved)
"I had a GREAT first week!!" (with no more than 5 hours of sleep a night...less than 4 last night. I do have to say that wasn't all the Guild...some of the 5 hours are due to having my incredibly cute boyfriend to hang out with each night....:)

What a great first week in the Industry and at the Art Directors Guild. Amy (my friend who I work for) always told me that a lot of my strengths in work and people settings would lend themselves to really enjoy Production. And today when I told her how much fun I had she reminded me that this was "Production Like Energy" and she knew I would love it.

Plus I can rember loving playing "office" when I was little, yet I always seemed to die in office settings. Maybe, just maybe I was in an office just not doing the right jobs. Funny how sometimes you can be so close as to what you are gifted at and doing something that gives you life, yet a small adjustment can make the HUGEST difference. I haven't been drained leaving work and have even left with energy and a feeling of satisfaction. What we did when we were kids is often times so much more accurate than any personality or career test...you just have to be willing to test the theory, take jobs that you don't think are you, and experiment. But once you taste feeling like you were "created to do something" you will stop at nothing to get that feeling back.

Who knew the Entertainment Industry would be a place I would fine some energizing work and fullfilment. I mean, I know my life could be a TV show how crazy it is sometimes. And ironically a guy last night at our Awards Show meeting said, you could be your own TV show because I was introduced as "Dana the new Rachel (the girl who did this job last year. I smiled to myself and thought...if you only knew...

Life in LA

2009-01-07T13:59:00.001-08:00

LA has away of evoking much emotion for me, and this time is no different. I thought I would give you the highlights as I enter blog world again from BLISSFUL World. Though I have to say, the two worlds are about to collide here now that Sam is here with me. :)

Highlights of the last 2 Weeks:
10. One Word....SAM!
9. Disneyland--laughing SO hard on "It's A Small World" at the pathetic display and representation of New Zealand...and laughing hard as Sam noticed the HUGE display of Australia next. Hehehehehe
8. Laughing for hours while doing nothing in LA with Sam.
7. Seeing friend at Mosaic and feeling so HAPPY to be back.
6. Driving up the Hwy 1 Coast Drive...for HOURS!! But loving every minute of it with Sam.
5. Hanging out in Redding with all our friends! (I bet Sam's highlight was sleeping Lakey's Race Car bed...I think he felt like he was living the dream!)
4. Meeting my parents and Aunt Denise and Jim!
3. Starting my job at the Art Directors Guild, and working on the Academy Awards Show. (only one air head moment so far: I changed Amy's (Amy Reynolds is my boss) email to Korean with one little click. Who does that? And I had no idea how to get it back. So I did what any former IT assistant would do...kept clicking buttons until it worked again. Later I found out I had just clicked the "deleted folder" Oops...hehehehe)
2. Staying in Zane and Audrey's room in a fun bed Amy and Scott set up for me. (What a year...living in New Zealand, living in a 6 year old's room and living with an 8 year old and 4 year old! What a FUN year of memories!!!)
1. And I have to say the highlight of the last two weeks is SAM!! Hands down, no contest!

Pure Bliss

2009-01-02T23:32:00.000-08:00

What I have been up to for the last week...

Winter FUN

2008-12-20T20:02:00.000-08:00

Yay for snow! Yes, I really did just say that! It was fun to have a little bit of snow and cold. I am over it now, but it was fun to put on cute winter clothes and wake up to snow on the ground.

And Lakey had to get in on the Winter fun...by hugging is "dwog willy gwirl" (translation: his dog lilly girl)

Maybe we really will have a White Christmas!!!!

Secret Millionaire

2008-12-20T03:44:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the show Secret Millionaire on Fox yet? I watched it for the first time a couple weekends ago and feel like I had a life changing experience. I was so frustrated the last few months with my lack of dreams and vision for my life. I had been whining to Sam the week before with lots of tears involved that I just didn't know what I wanted to do next. Then I watched this show....

Honestly, I felt like I was watching one of the most brilliant things I had ever seen. After the first show I called Sam and cried for 30 minutes about why this was the most amazing show ever and how I HAD TO respond. He simply smiled and asked me what this whole business about having no vision and dreams for my life was? I guess I do have vision and sometimes it takes other people's stories to inspire us and call out what is within us. That is what exicites me about life. Our stories have the ability to change the direction of the lives around us. This is one of my most favorite things about Sam...his passion to tell someone's story through a picture--Someone who might never have their story told. People's stories always have something to teach us. We just have to be listening. Our stories and what we do with them and the stories of those around us are such a cool and precious gift that God gives humanity.

The premise of the show is pretty simple. Take extremely wealthy people into places they might never see and give them a chance to change lives. The irony? Their lives are the most changed. Typically the show takes them to places in their city where heartache and poverty are rampant. They are dropped in a situation where they live and work among people all week, posing as people living on the current welfare wage for that week. They tell people that they are being filmed for a documentary on homeless or living on minimum wage. It is phenomenal to see their whole life change in less than a week. They agree to give at least $100,000 of their own money away to people they choose. I won't give away the show but them giving the money away is pretty powerful as they reveal that they really are multi-millionaires and through tears most of the time they also reveal it would be their honor and privilege to give them this check.

The creators of this show are BRILLIANT. I was pretty skeptical of this show at first but have been thoroughly impressed with what they have done. And now on their website they have a section called "Have you been inspired? How are you giving back?" Genius, sheer genius! I have been a part of so many trips and local aid experiences but for some reason this show made so much sense to me. You are changing lives in the most effective way and then inspiring others at the same time. You watch people that needed a miracle receive one, and at the same time you watch someone that had no idea what looking at prices at a grocery store was like get to be a miracle for someone else. Both sides are humbled. I can't help but know that the God who cares for and loves humanity is at the heart of this. Regardless of the creators of this shows spiritual preference, God's heart is to love people and transform people. It is incredible to see a network take a characteristic of God and share it with us in such a creative way.

Each week I find myself crying at lives being changed....I can't help it. I am a sucker for a heart being transformed and realizing that world is such a big place. The most consistent thing you hear on this show is shock at how generous people that are in such less fortunate situations than the millionaires are. The irony once again? The generosity of someone making minimum wage is what changes the heart of people that have the money and influence to change the lives of those that are the most generous. Generosity has very little to do with money, it of course is one aspect of it but only one small aspect and it definitely goes beyond that. What a good reminder at Christmas when it is so fun and easy to get caught up in money and gifts.

Go watch the show...even if you don't end up in tears like me every week I think you will love to watch the human spirit at work.

Things I will miss at home...

2008-12-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

My crazy roommate...who has decided to deal with the emotions of me leaving by being logically bratty. When she starts loving me too much or is cuddling with me and realizes she will miss me she pipes up with "I am actually so glad that you are going. I need more room in my room for my toys." Or my most recent favorite was when she got mad at me because I called her out on annoying Elli and then told her she couldn't talk mean to me either...she stomps up to Sea Jay and Banning's room and says, "I want Dana out of my room." I actually think she might have said "her" not Dana...hehehe She makes me SMILE HUGE. I am going to miss her so much! This picture was at her performance on Saturday night. I wanted a cute picture of us together to put in her room and for me...nope she wasn't feelin' it at all and I have about 10 pictures with her not being just calm and normal. Which really in the end is her so why did I think that I would want a different picture :)

I will miss my little dates with Lakey. On Sunday morning we went to Bagels and he was in extra cute rare form. Thought he was pretty cool that he got a candy cane bagel, but proceeded to say Thank you for my cotton candy bagel. He also got a little bit of "hassle time" because he kept saying mean things. But I had to not laugh when he told the bagel girl she was "weird" but I didn't understand him so I didn't say anything, but looked at me with big eyes and said "I wuz just not nice dana." He then kept telling me he was a race car driver like Sam and then he was dying to take my picture with the camera...which just made me smile. My other favorite Lakey moment was when he was eating M&M's he found on the counter yesterday morning (yep I said morning) and I said Lakey no candy in the morning (which really who did make that rule anyway?) You cannot have any more sugar this morning. Which he looked at me and said, "It is not sugar is is food. There is no sugar in candy." Then he said okay dana... Next thing I hear the fridge beep that it is open. He comes running towards me and says, "I need ice cream. It is not sugar or candy it is food." Really? Is he that cute?

I will miss things like "Gingerbread Houses Craziness" that starts out as a night that Sea Jay designs to be so fun and a memory...

I will miss Elli's fun spirit and creative heart and mind...she is still in her performance make up...she was the BEST dancer hands down!! And the prettiest, too...

And I will for sure miss when the fun turns to melt down tears...

(can you see the huge tears streaming down her face?)

Now you can, huh?
She was mad Lakey kept eating all the candy and her house couldn't go according to plan...oh I so got it...we like plans

He really likes candy...he said to me that night..."dana I wuv candy"

Really really likes candy...can you tell?

But really how sweet is this moment? Though Lakey couldn't pull himself away from the candy to comfort Raya any more than letting her cry on his shoulder but so cute!!! What a good boyfriend and husband he will make in this house full of emotional females!

Why I Love The Number 27

2008-12-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

I grew up on Sesame Street. I actually thought they were my friends that came to see me every day in the little box in the living room. (and I really wonder why I think the Friends characters are really my friends??? Disturbing, I know, but true nonetheless) I remember Sesame Street being one of the first moments I realized that the world did not revolve around me. Some days I still have to work on that, but this was the first of many lessons in that arena. I was quietly (well, truth be known I didn't do much quiet when I was a kid so it probably wasn't that quiet) watching Sesame Street one morning. My mom told me we had to go down to see my dad at school where he worked. I LOVED doing that, it was TONS of people to go greet and mingle. Mind you I wasn't in kindergarten yet so I was only 3 or 4, I just LOVED people.

We went down, I saw tons of people, we came home. I smiled big as I walked in the house to see my "friends." I turned on channel 6 and was horrified. It was Reading Rainbow or some dumb show about animals. Now I have nothing against reading or rainbows...and well, I do have a slight aversion to animals, but that is not why I was horrified--my friends were gone. I looked at my mom and said where are they? And she tried to explain the concept of TV show times to me. Yep, didn't care and didn't get it. I remember just thinking sadly, "they didn't wait for me..." Hhmm issues as a small kid?? :)

Moving on to why I am reminiscing about Sesame Street. Do you remember the old school Number commercials they always had? I found one on YouTube and had to add it just to bring a smile to some of your faces like it did mine when I saw it.

C'mon you know you loved the "1-2-3-4-5...6-7-8-9 10, 11, Tweleeevve" I mean really who didn't love to sing out 12 the way they did on Sesame Street. Then they always had the show "brought to you by the Number ? and the Letter ?" And then that number and letter was all through out the show...I mean really, didn't you love the number 12 and the Lady Bug Picnic song that went with that? Well in my life right now I would for sure end my show with..."and brought to you by the number 27" (which they kind of never did...it was always a number under 12, but it is my dream so I took artistic license with it. The 27th has rapidly became my favorite number the last couple of weeks because on the 27th Sam comes to the States!!! Yay for no more long distance for at least 6 months!!! And on the 27th I will officially make my move back down LA and become a So. Cal. girl once again.

Living in Redding the last 3 months has been SOOO good and I am desperately going to miss my friends, my 6 year old roommate, the bagel shop, being 2 mins from most of my friends, 5 mins from Target, getting off at 5 and being home by 5:05, the kids, and the memories that were here and the ones that were newly made. But I am ready to do the next thing. I surprisingly am really ready to get back to LA. I NEVER thought I would hear those words come out of my mouth. But I miss some of the life I lived down there. I miss being a part of a community like Mosaic and I LOVE Redding, but right now in this time of my life I LOVE visiting and having this be the place I turn off and don't think, the place where I am known as Auntie Dana, the place where my biggest decision is what time should we go get bagels.

I have LOVED the boss I work for up here and am so thankful for the opportunity and the rest it has been, while it has been crazy some of the stuff we are doing I feel like I got a chance to rest, not be so intense, decompress from experience the last year and feel refreshed for my next adventure. I start my new job on Jan 5th....So LA here I come...not going to lie the best part of LA to me is going to be holding hands with Sam....

2008-12-05T18:03:00.000-08:00

Okay so my new favorite artist is Jason Mraz. I am not that into music but my friend Sea Jay called me one day and said I HAD TO LISTEN to this one song--Lucky. I did and loved it! It made me smile and I bought on iTunes right away. I was listening to him on Pandora today while I was changing the world one IT problem at a time :) And I heard one of his songs that was perfect for me today...it is off my favorite album of his.

The song I heard today "Details In The Fabric" kind of felt like my theme song today. His songs just make me smile. Today this one just seemed to be a good reminder of what I needed. I kind of take myself a tad too serious sometimes and feel things so deeply and am far too introspective. So some days it takes a witty upbeat artist to give me perspective. We all need a little Jason Mraz in our life...just my opinion but I bet you will like him, too. You should check out his album for sure!

"Details In The Fabric"

Calm down
Deep breaths
And get yourself dressed instead
Of running around
And pulling all your threads and
Breaking yourself up

If it's a broken part, replace it
But, if it's a broken arm then brace it
If it's a broken heart then face it

And hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your own name
And go your own way

And everything will be fine
Everything will be fine
mmmhmm

Hang on
Help is on the way
Stay strong
I'm doing everything

Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way

And everything, everything will be fine
Everything

Are the details in the fabric
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling?

Are the things that make you blow
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If you're shocked it's just the fault
Of faulty manufacturing.

Yeah everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Everything

Hold your own
And know your name
And go your own way

Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name)
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling? (Go your own way)

Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name)
Are the things that make you panic (Go your own way)
Is it Mother Nature's sewing machine?

Are the things that make you blow (Hold your own, know your name)
Hell no reason go on and scream
If you’re shocked it's just the fault (Go your own way)
Of faulty manufacturing

Everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Hearts will hold

Inspiration

2008-12-01T09:51:00.000-08:00

I am pretty easily inspired on one hand but on another hand it takes a lot to truly inspire me. And today my friend Amy was telling me a story about her little boy Zane. I hung up the phone so inspired to believe that people can change and circumstances can change. As I drove down the road I smiled thinking, man it only took a 5 minute story to reinspire me today to dream big and not be discouraged.

The last few months have been filled with fun, friends, lots of processing, emotion, new things, and old things which have all made for some INCREDIBLE memories of this season of my life. At the same time I have wondered what is next. What are my dreams? What things has God created me to do in this world? Whether you have a relationship with God or not I genuinely and passionately believe you were made with specific dreams and abilities that are unique to you. And our world needs what you have. I was watching President Elect Obama this morning introduce his choice for his leadership team. As I sat there trying to take in what each person's job actually was I thought, man I don't even know what that they're saying as they explain the role with little bullet points to the right. And even when each person accepted the nomination and said why they were thankful and why they would be good, still nothin'...on some of their rolls at least. Lest I make my mother and boyfriend cringe, I do understand the big picture of each person's job, but it is the working out of what they actually do and all the knowledge and intuition they must naturally posses that kills me. I shook my head as I watched some of the rolls and thought, I could never do that but more than that I would NEVER want to do that. Now there were some rolls that sounded fun and I pictured myself doing it--like the United Nations Ambassador...Seriously?!!! I would love that. You are constantly building relationships and convincing people they need to do what you want them to do, while not making anyone too mad and getting people to like you....really?!! Could there be a more rewarding job on an international/change the world potentional level? Now I recoginize it is MUCH more than that designate Susan Rice will do. And she appears to be brilliant and well schooled and seasoned, but if I was picking which place I would want on the cabinet it would definitely be that one.

I digress, though...kind of, between watching President Elect Obama's Cabinet be announced and my conversation about Zane I got to thinking of how we really are all wired different. C'mon seriously? Did any of you who saw the Cabinet coverage pick which job you would do and why with such passion? I am just wired to think of what each person is created to do and do it to myself all the time. Whether I am watching Friends and picking which character I would be or watching our nation's President Elect pick his cabinet I just have to see which role is most me.

So what inspires me? People. I love people's stories. I love that everyone is created uniquely. I love that everyone has potential whether they choose to fulfill it our not. It is like having a bank account that is FULL of money that is yours to spend (wouldn't that be nice, huh?) But really, that is how I see people....human potential is a free commodity and endless in possibilities. Erwin McManus in a podcast called Focus, said a few weeks ago, "What would you fail at over and over again because it was your dream and you believe in it that much." I actually started crying as I heard that because I thought..."I have no dreams, I have no vision for my life, what am I doing with my life, I have nothing I will fail at over and over again." I was crying to Sam that night about how I have no dream for my life and I have never been in this spot before. And in typical amazing patient Sam way he reminded me I did have vision and there are things that I dream about. I nodded yes to him, but inside I think I still wondered. But the reality is for me that the thing I would fail at over and over again is people. I would rather believe in someone and call out their unique greatness and have them absolutely fail 100 times over, then to have never believed in them because they seemed like they might not succeed. I am a hopeless optimist when it comes to people. I looked up the definition of inspire today (which as close as I get to research--looking up a single definition) and was surprised at the actual definition:

"Fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something, especially to do something creative."

I felt like I found my life statement all of a sudden...who knew in an Apple widget it was hiding? The irony is that the more you are with people the more they actually inspire you and the more you want to see other people inspired. It is this beautiful human potential Catch 22. Every person is creative....I believe we were made by a Creator, so while we are all not artsy, we are creative....how can we not be? It's in our DNA. Sometimes the creativity comes out on Global levels in jobs that make no sense to me, sometimes it comes out in your home with the way you organize your family and decorate your home, sometimes it is artsy, like my talented boyfriend with his photography. Each person holds this creativity that makes me so curious to see it come out and affect the world...

Funny I got up early and walked with my sweet sweet friend Abby and we talked about life and family and holidays and as she was trying to still wake up she asked do you really love mornings this much? And I said yeah I do, I love accomplishing so much by only 9AM. Who would have thought that I would be so reminded of what I love and what inspires me....a little brisk/cold morning walk, politics, an old friend, and a widget the combination today for inspiration.

Thanksgiving FUN

2008-11-29T19:49:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is always fun when you can hang out with friends....

(me and Cindy)

(Stacie, Amy and Me)

Celebrate a CUTE Two Year Old's BDAY

(Claira's 2nd Bday...she is pushing Madeleine around in her new stroller she loved!)

(Madeleine with the dolly my mom gave her since it was Claira's bday and she didn't want her to be left out)

Have fun in the kitchen

Play Games

See a FUNNY Movie that makes you laugh from start to finish

GO SEE "Four Christmases" IT IS LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY!!!

Old Friends, New Friends, Family, YUMMY Food and Memories being made!

And laughing A LOT!!!

How good are...

2008-11-29T09:49:00.000-08:00

LEFT OVER THANKSGIVING TURKEY SANDWICHES?

Really?! I love the thanksgiving meal and all the yummy things that come out, but man is the day after thanksgiving food so yummy! Have you ever seen that Friends episode where Ross LOVES Monica's yummy turkey the day after thanksgiving on a perfect sandwich he makes? He loses his job over it...that is how I would be for sure! And yes I did just make a reference to Friends in my blog like they were real people. And in a few seasons of life they did feel like real people...they were my friends who I escaped life with and laughed for 30 minutes. Some call it crazy, some call it healthy coping mechanisms...I am going to go with healthy coping mechanisms.

Little Things To Be Thankful For...

2008-11-26T08:12:00.000-08:00

So my intention all week has been to post a "What I am Thankful for" Blog...seeing it is Thanksgiving tomorrow. It has not happened all week! I have tons to be thankful for like my wonderful boyfriend, Sam, my cutest 6 year old roommate Raya, my family that ALWAYS supports me in ever 'free-spirit' move I make, Sea Jay...living with my best friend's family--"mooching" off them as Banning so lovingly refers to it as :) Lakey--enough said. Elli's grown upness that I can't get over. Aims and her girls...they make my smile more times than she even knows. Danielle...what can I even say--she has laughed like crazy with me, let me be crazy, let me watch her CUTE AZ kids--just been my "hang out do nothing" buddy that I have missed the last few years. Working at a place that reminds me to trust and believe in bigger things that are currently in my life. My roommate from college who just seems to check in at the right moments. Ker, who brings a smile to my face because we talk on our voicemail like the other person is really on the other end :) Niki...5:45 comes early every day but so FUN to have her to work out with...catching up with old friends in Redding. Missing my friend in LA terribly, but loving video chat to see Zane and Audrey be CRAZY! Amy's early morning, perfectly timed phone calls and her 'big sister' way just always having the right thing to say. My friends in NZ...really where do I even start when I think back on this year and begin to be thankful....my sis...Mich what would I have done without you, Ali and Unc Nev--really could they have lived without this American girl? :) I know I couldn't lived without them. The Lines...enough said in my book :) My Mosaic friends that ALWAYS made me smile and a family that just took such good care of me.

See I have tons to be thankful for! I just haven't had time to sit down and write out ALL the things I wanted to say. But one of the best things about my week was a "little thing." Trying to save money and all is not always easy, but my mom has taught me so well...do not spend what you don't have, give a portion to god and to your savings then spend, always give cheerfully, ALWAYS do for others...all those things are a part of who I am. This week though I cleaned house unexpectedly so it was goint to my bills, but I really wanted to get my eyebrows done. I asked around and the prices were SO much more than LA and I just couldn't justify it when I was needing to pay bills...There is a difference between a need and a want (my mom, too). So my friend Trisha said one of her students in the school where she works, has her beauty license and used to work in NY and does it on the side while she is going to school. And she is ONLYL $10!!!! So I called her, a little nervous...it is my face and all. She was AMAZING!!! I had such a good time chatting with her and she did such a good job and did all the extras you pay for at a salon but was reasonable. If you live in Redding seriously call me or email me and I will give you her number. She is SO fantastic!

Okay so there are so many things to be thankful for...one of which is my job I have to get to...Yikes I am might be a little late today....I love Holiday Weeks!

Airhead Moment of the Week

2008-11-24T18:44:00.000-08:00

So a few years back my roommate from college said to me one Thanksgiving after telling her a couple of air head moments I had just had, "you know Dana I don't think it is that you have air head moments. I think you have have always been like that, and you are now just more okay with who you are." Which then just made me laugh harder at myself....

Well, today I had a classic Dana Air Head Moment. I was at my Bagel Shop that I love!! Manhattan Bagel. I have gone to Manhattan for over 8 years now. I started going when I moved back to Redding in 2000. I met with students I worked with for over 3 years. I met with friends there every Friday for over a year. I was there easily 3 to 4 times a week. When I left Redding to move to L.A. the owner gave me a free dozen bagels and said one of the sweetest compliments I have ever received. Since I moved back to Redding two months ago I have been there EVERY day...truthfully it is the routine, the knowing that I can get the same thing every day and see smiling faces that "know" me. Well, at least they know what bagel I like and how I like it. But seriously I have been there A LOT...maybe missed two days since I have moved back...maybe??

Today I was waiting for my bagel as my favorite bagel girl, Jennifer made my bagel. I was staring at the menu on the wall just thinking about which ones sounded good, which ones I might pick if I was getting a salad or a sandwich. And I really thought that the "Bronx" one sounded yummy, as well as the Central Park Salad. I though it was weird that there was an Empire State Sandwich, too. "Weird," I thought, "they all have New York names...."

Yep...then it hit me! Oh my gosh I really just thought that thought and for 8 years have not realized that they have NY names and it is because it is called Manhattan bagel (which, for my Kiwi friends, is also home of the BAGEL). So I giggled all the way out and called my friend Amy, who immediately started laughing. I laughed all the way to work and then made Sam call me so I could tell him the story. I sometimes amaze myself that I actually think things like that. I am not making it up, those types of things are really in my head.

Hopefully my air head moment made you at least smile today...

Gifts in a Unexpected Package

2008-11-17T19:20:00.000-08:00

I was reminded today that sometimes gifts are in the most oddest of places. Like finding a $20 bill in a sketchy parking lot in LA or finding a gift card in the back of a drawer and finding it when you are looking for a bill that you realized you forgot to pay. (come on you know you have all had weird moments like that....they make you smile and feel like you just won the lottery)

Today I went to clean house (one of my side jobs I have currently). On my way there I was already complaining that I wish I was finished and I hadn't even started. I turned on my iPod and listened to this story of a man that had walked through a pretty intense cancer. In the midst of his cancer he learned some things he never thought or imagined he would or could know about himself and God and goodness. He shared how each day there seemed to be a gift in it, but that didn't mean he liked his cancer process. He challenged the listener to have an honest conversation with God, whether you believed in Him or not, and ask God to show you the little gifts He gives. He didn't assume the listener had a relationship with God or assume that they would do what he said simply because he had cancer. It was much more subtle and humble than that.

He, in fact, just told his story which in a weird way left you wanting something else....as if he put salt on your tongue and made you thirsty for more. As I listened to it tears streamed down my face. It had to be a funny sight, me in my work out clothes after a morning jog, cleaning in this obscure house in Redding, with my iPod on and tears streaming down my face as I sprayed windex on window after window. And in that quiet moment I realized something: this was my gift. I dreaded cleaning house, but when you are in need of money you are faithful with what is put in front of you. But in that moment it was not just a means to pay bills, it was a instance that I just wonder if God constructed. Not only does the family pay me WAY MORE than they should, but it created a couple hours of quiet for me to sort through some pretty big stuff going on in my life. And I left the place I dreaded, with a sense of renewed strength and security in who I was, a calmness, a love that wasn't there before and experiencing the goodness of the God of the universe.

Processing life and relationships while in transition is tough...but my wonderful boyfriend reminded me this week in a moment when my character was lacking a bit, that friendship and relationships take work. There are different seasons in a friendship and sometimes we have to give more than we take and some times we have to see beyond the moment and see our friend underneath the current situation they are in. He is an amazingly gracious man that teaches me so much about, not only seeing people's uniqueness, but realizing that there is always more to a story and because of that we need to give people the benefit of the doubt. I am pretty lucky to have a man like him...again sometimes the best gifts come in unexpected packages....a house cleaning job and even a trip to Fiji that might have changed my life forever.

Room Rules

2008-11-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

So this is how my roommate woke me up this morning:

Raya (aka Roommate): Dana here our the room rules....
Me: What? (with my eyes still shut)
Raya: Mommy and Daddy got me this note pad that LOCKS! So I wrote down our room rules. Wanna hear them?
Me: Sure...(still with my eyes shut)
Raya: No being mean, no crushing other people's cell phones on purpose, no cats in our room, no wetting the bed on purpose--on accident is on accident so that is okay, and no open mouth kissing...
Me: What?! (now with eyes open)
Raya: yeah, dana no open mouth kissing.
Me: Okay...good thing my boyfriend is in another hemisphere....
Raya: yeah, anyway here are the rest of the rules....
Me: smiling and said in my head...."I love my life, i bet no one else was woken up in this cute way"

Raya showing me her cute new locking notebook

Rediscove(RED) Love of Winter

2008-11-07T06:22:00.000-08:00

I know, I know....if you follow my blog at all you know that love and winter NEVER go in the same sentence. And this week I wore a wool shirt three days...I was not very happy about this. While thankful for my New Zealand Moreno wool I was sporting this week, I was bemoaning the fact in my head all day that I hate winter. I am so sad that it is coming, I was having flashbacks of how cold I was for the last few months in New Zealand (well, minus those 10 glorious warm days in Fiji...AH Fiji a few good things came out of that trip that make me smile, not just the memories of the warm sunshine). Pretty much I was whining and complaining to my self with a very unhopeful attitude.

I know, really, I live in a warm bed, in a beautiful house with my friends, I have moreno wool, I have lots of Jackets--thank you Sally Lines!--and I have heat indoors (YAY FOR AMERICAN CENTRAL HEATING!!!) Nevertheless, I was whining up a storm. Then it happened. I was sitting in the Bagel shop waiting for a friend that was running a few minutes late. It was as if time stopped for a second and heavenly music started playing when I saw it. I smiled, I got excited and my eyes lit up. The Red Cup.

I know, I know....I hear what you might be thinking, "it's a cup. it's Starbucks, I mean it's no Slow Fish, c'mon. It's a marketing scheme. you don't even like coffee." Yes, yes those are all true. But it's the red cup. I don't know what happens to me when I see the pretty little cup with white snow flakes on it. It makes me excited for Christmas, and Christmas music, and Christmas lights, and it reminds me of all the good talks I have at the time of year when people are holding those red cups. It makes me feel nostalgic and we all know when we are nostalgic we are remembering only the good parts and moments of the past, so it is such a nice feeling. I like good, I like nice...I need more of that in my life. Starbucks are marketing genius'. Second only, of course to Apple (seriously why do I feel like I NEED the latest Apple product that is out...I am not even techy, I mean I am an IT assistant, but come on! It is the shiny new, cool factor that those marketers at Apple have going for them...but I digress)

Anyway, the Red Cup just got 100 times better this year....I know, did you even think it was possible? Starbucks just upped their game and I have to say, "Nice play Starbucks, Nice Play." They joined with Bono (honestly, enough said I can end the blog now, but I will continue for sake of clousre) and his Product Red.

"Each time you buy a (RED) product or service, at no extra cost to you, the company who makes the product will give up to 50 percent of its profit to buy and distribute antiretroviral medicine to our brothers and sisters dying in Africa."

I love Bono's Product Red Campaign....brilliance I tell you, shere brilliance. To make Americans aware of the many crisis' in Africa and giving them a way to do something good with their spending (well...the economic crisis probably doesn't help, but again the genius of Starbucks and Bono to join forces in this time. People are addicted, pure and simple to Starbucks. And people like me melt at the Red Cup and at Product Red...Brilliance....Genius...I wish I thought of that idea....)

So needless to say, I rediscove(RED) why I don't totally hate winter. I am still not happy about the fact that I was in a wool shirt for 3 days and this is the beginning of my winter, but I am not going to lie...the RED cup helps and I have a feeling this little wanna be activist will buy more Red cups this year than she ever has. The irony: I DO LOVE the red cups, but really.....I don't like coffee so I more like the experience that comes with the Red cup and the nostalgia surrounding it...I know I am a hopeless romantic at the end of the day for sure....

Go buy the RED cup and don't feel guilty this year....50% of your yummy drink goes to help people in Africa...pretty sweet deal if you ask me...

I love getting the sticker

2008-11-04T09:04:00.000-08:00

So...my favorite part of voting is getting the sticker when you are done. I love it! I love the feeling of accomplishment. It is like that little sticker says "Well Done You Did Your Part." Funny that I love verbal affirmation so much I make it up...do stickers really talk to you :) I know I have issues.... But it makes me smile and makes me feel proud to wear it all day. I have been to many countries where the people's vote isn't even taken, and it is not a right for them to vote. I love that I live in a country that it is a right, and for me what that does is remind me to vote on election day but to remember and take action for people around the world that aren't fighting for their life to cast a vote. I walked up, gave them my name, the sweet lady behind the table smiled, the next sweet lady gave me my ballot, I drew ONE line (very big deal here...one line one vote), and I handed in my ballot and got the ever coveted sticker. No guns, no people yelling at me, no unrest. It reminds me how lucky we are, but that it isn't for me to just keep to myself. I now am responsible on a world level to interact and learn what others around the world are going through. I just love the whole voting process....

Just to make you laugh a little....This is how crazy I am. I was sad that the only sticker I found on line was NOT the sticker I was wearing :( But at least you can see a sticker....

HAPPY VOTING

Dress Up

2008-11-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we play dress up for Halloween....

Judah--Danielle and Derrick's boy being a Black Widow Spider

Zoe--Danielle and Derrick's little girl--as the cutest crayon in the box...

Sometimes we come home from work and see little ones playing dress up just because the can....

(Raya in my boots, Sea Jay's scarf, and in her PJ's....gotta love how coming home from work is always a surprise!)

Then she posed...

A Girl That Loves A Plan & A Challenge

2008-10-31T20:35:00.000-07:00

Amy: What are you doing after work?
Me: I am going to dinner with someone, but I told them 6. I want to try and see if I can race home from work, get a run in and be ready to go to dinner by 6.
Amy: Laughs...
Me: I know I have issues....

Yeah, I guess I need a challenge and need to be conquering things in life right now. Yesterday at work I asked my boss if he had more work for me. He looked at me a bit perplexed because I had a couple huge projects on my desk I was working on. I guess I just work better with lots of things on my plate and lots to accomplish. I need to know if I am waiting on other people to answer I have something I can be doing. I love multi tasking and don't really like being bored...can you tell?

I need to make up little challenges in my life to conquer if there is nothing big going on in my life. Which is ironic, since in this season of life right now there is A LOT going on. I have no idea what is next in my life and for a planner that is a bit of predicament. I was talking to my other friend Amy this week and said, "If it happens (something I was a little nervous about) I will be sad, but I will be okay. I will eat tons of ice cream for sure, but I will be okay." She just started laughing. And my non planner friend said with a smile in her voice, "I love that you have a plan for something that hasn't happened and you actually don't think is going to happen. You're such a planner."

This season of my life is unpredictable and full of unknowns. I am actually living more in the moment and enjoying it more than I ever have in my life. But every once in awhile the girl that loves a plan and a challenge sneaks out, wishing she had a pad of paper full of plans, lists and adventures.

Muay Thai--OUCH!

2008-10-29T19:04:00.000-07:00

Are you wondering what that is a picture of? A picture of my shins after one Muay Thai class at Axis Gym here in Redding. Do you see my lower right shin??? OUCH & YIKES is all I have to say. My friend Carlos and Sara started Axis and run the gym. It is VERY cool and I just had an incredible work out. But...my legs are killing me!! I wish that my pictures did justice to what it really looks like, but I am not quite the photographer my boyfriend is....
Here are a few more pictures:

It was definitely worth the pain because I had so much fun and feel great....I just wish my shins were not throbbing :) If you live in Redding you should MOST DEFINITELY try this gym out.

SNL's Still Got It

2008-10-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday Night Live, every once in awhile makes me laugh out loud still.

Regardless of what you think about November 4th....this is pretty funny and made me laugh out loud! I love that I live in a country where this is legal...

Pretty impressive work SNL

New Job--Same Love

2008-10-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

I realized once again I LOVE NEW and get scared of it. I need change and cry through it. I thrive in a challenge and hate it, wanting to quit. I absolutely love being in a new environment with tons of people to meet and wonder how long until you will be passed the beginning part of new friendships wishing you were already a few months into it with people. I love a new desk/cubicle because you get to decorate them and hate thinking of working at a desk...

I think that for me that sums up my life. I love and hate things all in one breath. I am constantly full of emotion and often times they are opposing emotions. That is life though. I wish that life was always just positive and fun. I am, at the core of my being an idealist. The reality is that life isn't always positive and fun. My mom is an amazing realist. She is able to see a situation and catch the logic and reality in seconds. I am not wired like that at all, but I need people like that in my life to help me. The world isn't perfect and life isn't always the way we hope it is in our idealistic mind....when I say "our" I mean mine :)

This week I started a new job and always seem to reflect a bit in those situations. I love NEW like I said and LOVE change, though it makes me cry and overwhelms me, but I still need it in my life. It makes me reflect because I watch just how excited I get to be in a new environment while at the same time I am full of what seem to be new ideas, new reflections, new loves in my life...but really is just a new job--same loves.

I went to work three days this week and was so reminded of the things I love in life and the reality that I need to work but I LOVE to work for someone that sees people as the worlds highest commodity and priority. I am working as a personal assistant for an IT director (aka smart computer guy) that does an unbelievable amount of jobs--half of which I don't even understand. But one of the things that helped me realize that this was going to be a good fit was what he said in our first meeting. "The computer needs to disappear so people can encounter people and God." You see, he works at a fairly large church and is currently working on a massive project to allow people to experience a live moment and encounter what is happening in a very tangible way. His heart is for people all over the world to experience God and be able to encounter God and allow them to have their own moments with God regardless of if they ever step foot in a church.

I can't say I quite get the process...well who am I kidding I don't get it at all. But this I know, I love working for people that view humanity as the most important thing in our world. He is brilliant at computers and, well quite frankly I don't even know what else to call it...that is how IT I am :) But to watch all the small components to see a live video pop on my computer is phenomenal and a little mind blowing just how much background and unseen stuff has to take place.

This form of media is important because our world is seeing life and humanity and world issues over a computer now. I don't get how it all works and I don't ever fully think I will, but I want to be in the center of world experiences. And I want to be able to connect with different parts of humanity and what they are struggling through. My boyfriend sent me this link to this documentary trailer...this is why I love technology and that there are brilliant people in this world that understand computers and the movie industry and have a heart for the world. Why? Because people like you and me can see things like this and remember how big our world is and see how we can be a part of changing the world...

http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/praythedevilbacktohell/

Go to the link...you won't be disappointed. This is the kind of stuff I want to be about in my life. As I work and live in Redding I feel like in a small way I am a part of things like this. I work for a place that loves people. I work for people that want humanity to know that there is a God that truly loves them. I work in an environment, that wants to alleviate human suffering. As I sit at my cute desk, in my newly decorated cubicle I can't help but to get excited about my new job, and about how much I love being part of the big picture of our world. One day I will be out writing for places that need a voice and people that need to be seen and remembered, but for now I will work on my skills and enjoy serving people that are making it possible to see things like live videos where people can encounter God and be challenged on their world view and their response to the suffering in our world...no matter where they are in the world. Funny who would have thought when I was 10 in my MATS class at school learning how to use these cool new things--brand new Apple computers with the funny green screens, that these would be the things that bring awareness to what our friends are going through in Africa, Asia, South America...

Here is my little spot that I get to change the world in one email at a time....

Here is what I get to look at as I type those emails all day long...

Delayed Gratification

2008-10-22T12:06:00.000-07:00

Lakey makes me laugh all the time...so I thought I would give you some life lessons from Lakey. But first let me tell you my favorite Lakey story of the moment....

I was waiting for Sam to call me one night while me and Lakey were hanging out together. I said to him where is my boyfriend Lakey? And he looked over at me and in his cute little Lakey voice he said, "I wight heewre dana." I laughed out loud and said, "Are you my boyfriend Lakey?" He looked at me with perplexed confusion, and says, "Wes I am!" Man he makes me smile....

Lake actually taught me something last night as he got ready for bed. Sea Jay is breaking the Binkie this week...torture for poor Lakey. The rule is only in bed. This kills Lake sometimes, but Sea always tell Lakey....you can have it at night when you go to bed. So he waits all day for his binkie. But he works really hard at waiting and knows he gets the reward in the end. He began begging me for his binkie last night and I had to tell him he could have it if he wanted to go to bed. He cried, but decided to hold out and wait for bed. It made me laugh that he knew that pitching a fit wasn't going to get him his binkie....he just had to make it until bed time and he can have his longed for binkie. He was finally ready for bed, so he jumped in my arms as I took him to his room, holding his binkies like they were gold. On the way up the stairs I was apparently taking too long and he said to me, 'Dana you bewter huwwry." I look over at his sweet face and he has the binkie by his mouth but not IN his mouth, and he gave me the cheekiest little grin and like all males...laughed really hard at himself because he saw me laugh at him. I had to laugh at myself as I realized he was being so patient, but had finally had his limit.

I finally got him to his bed and he got his binkies and was SO happy. As I kissed him goodnight and saw him in pure bliss with his little binkies, I thought to myself...how often do I get to enjoy delayed gratification? Not much these days. I forgot how good it is to save for something, or wait for something. I HATE waiting. I am actually pretty bad at....but to watch Lakey's face of pure delight after waiting all day for something, reminded me that there is something to patiently waiting.

Maybe Lakey can remind me of some pretty important lessons in this season as I wait for some pretty important things....funny how much you can learn from a 3 year old.

Celebration Weekend!

2008-10-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

My school's alumni weekend is always called Celebration Weekend and this year we started off the weekend by celebrating our friend Stacie and Forest's adoption paperwork finally being completed! We met for dinner and had balloons (an It's a Boy and It's a Girl balloon because we don't know what they will have..) A parenting magazine, flowers and a card to tell them how excited we are for them! 3-7 months we will have a new little one from Ethiopia!!!!

We had SO much fun this weekend! But seriously when did we get so old? At one point it was 10:30 and we were all exhausted and then at another point we were talking about our gray hair! What the heck?! Then as we walked through our School reliving the memories we became "those alumni" We were talking about how pretty the campus was, and how great the trees looked and how nice the buildings were and how "none of this was there when we were there." REALLY?! Was that us? YEP it was! And you know what it was awesome to be "those alumni."

(Hangin' out at Chipotle on Friday night)

(alumni lunch)

Then the best part of the entire weekend happened....FIREWORKS!!!! I was SOOOO gutted in NZ on the 4th of July because I LOVE the 4th in Redding and LOVE (I MEAN LOVE) the fireworks in Redding. Well, to my joy and everyone's irritation in Redding, the firework show was cancelled because of the fires....hehehe I was secretly so happy to not miss it! This weekend the town of Redding decided to give me the best "welcome back to the States" gift ever! They did the 4th Firework show on the 18th of Oct....who knew?!

The part I love is definitely the fireworks, but just as much I love everyone piling in the car, the anticipation as we drive down to watch, the chaos and energy on the field where we all hang out and have a picnic, the kids going crazy with glo sticks, the talks you have with friends while you wait and the silly pictures you take of the memories you are making! It was such a fun night! We laughed a lot, caught up with old friends, watched a GREAT firework show, then came back and made S'mores (for my NZ friends....it is a yummy graham crackers--sweet crackers like biscuits almost--with a melted marshmallow and a piece of chocolate in between the crackers...it is OUT OF THIS WORLD! It is called a S'more because you always want Some More....hence S'more...so clever aren't we as Americans!)

Me and My college roommate!

Me and Amy

Me and Derrick...haven't we grown up so much! Did we really grad 10 years ago?!

Sea and Danielle making Hot Chocolate...notice how clever Danielle is...she had a head lamp so she could see and use her hands...man my friends are smart!

Me and Sea

Me and my roommate Raya :)

Me and Sea and Danielle

S'mores!

Genius Bar

2008-10-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

Okay this is SO FUN!!!! If you haven't downloaded the latest version iTunes...do it now! I always hit "remind me later" because I just can't be bothered updating the latest version of things. For some reason last night I downloaded the new version of iTunes and to my surprise I actually noticed something new. Do you ever download new versions of stuff and wonder what the heck they changed?

Well Apple outdid themselves once again in my book. The album covers are so cool the way they are displayed now and the genius bar...seriously? SO COOL!

You pick a song that you like from you music...hit the "genius" icon and WAHLAH--a new playlist of songs that are similar to the one you picked from your music library. So fun! I was getting bored with my music but didn't want to buy a new CD...SORTED!

Apple is brilliant at making you...one: feel like you NEED something...and two: feel like you are a genius because you know how to do something that seems rather hard but you do it and feel so techno. Hence, why I LOVE Apple!

Check out the Genius Bar you won't be disappointed!!

Livin' The Dream

2008-10-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

This week I have had so many of those moments where it just feels like I am livin' the dream. It is funny how sometimes the dream is huge and crazy and other times it includes moments at bagels with your friends and their kids, talking to a wonderful guy who is not just adoring and encouraging but is the friend I always wanted, your friends dropping their kids off so you can hang out with them, driving around Redding talking to your friend's 3 year old about what Super Hero he currently is pretending to be, getting texts from my favorite guy in NZ just to let me know he is thinking of me, coffee with girls that I have loved sharing life with, and just getting to stop by a friends house that lives 2 minutes away....

Sweet simple moments where life just seems the way you thought it was going to be. Who knew? The path to get here wasn't quite what I thought it was going to be. This weekend we celebrate our 10 year reunion...from college...YIKES! It is funny to think what we all thought these 10 years were going to look like. I can't say it has looked ANYTHING like I thought it was going to look like, but I can tell you this--at this point, it is exactly what I hoped life would feel like and look like...

Livin' the dream depends on what your dream was I guess....but sometimes it isn't about exactly what you are doing it is that feeling inside when a smile erupts out of nowhere when you are driving down the road listening to Faith Hill, a little munchinkin in the back that looks at you and smiles, and your heading towards bagels to see your friend....could life be any better? Well, minus having my bloke in the same hemisphere...but other than that life is good, even though I am still looking for a job, not sure what I am doing with my life, and still have all my stuff in storage...but friends, playing with the kids, Target, texts from a great guy, and bagels seem to make it possible to say....I'm Livin' The Dream

Everyone Needs a Friend Like This...

2008-10-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

I was racing out the door to go to my friend Danielle's before I headed to The Stirring last night. As I walked out the front door I was bombarded with a cute blonde and a sweet little girl. Raya and Ethan were SO excited to show me what they had been working on all afternoon.

It just made me smile as I drove away (after taking pictures for them) because they just have the sweetest friendship. When Eth walked in today to play with her Raya was SO surprised and you just saw the delight in her eyes that her good friend was there. She just feels known by Ethan and he makes her laugh and makes her fun time more fun and her exciting times more exciting and her exploring times more adventurous. The flowers they made up were cool, but the wonder in which they did it together is what makes me hope that everyone has a friend like that in their world.

I love people and there is nothing more than having good friends in your life. I have been running with my friend Niki in the mornings and a couple time she has apologized for having to slow down and walk (she gets really bad shin splints). I always am perplexed why she is apologizing because for me I would rather run slow or walk with a friend than run fast by myself. I was explaining that concept to Sam today and I realized that it isn't just a running/workout concept for me, but a life concept for me. I don't care as much what I do in life as who I do it with. The quality of life for me is most often determined by who is running with me through life....that is why everyone needs an Ethan in their life.

Don't Forget I'm Trained In This Stuff

2008-10-09T13:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes being trained in personality assessments and things of that nature make it seem like you are a creepy mind reader. Whenever it appears that I am a little creepy that I know stuff about people, I always say "Don't forget I'm trained in this stuff..." I am not a creepy mind reader...I just am trained in a few things that help me read people...today I was on my friend Bethany's blog and I found this great site that will only add to my training...well, maybe not but it did make me LAUGH OUT LOUD! It was definitely worth the 5 minutes of my life it took...

I am about to show you the results so if you don't want to know them...go take the test first. I know you will get a good laugh out of it...

Here is what this Pig Personality test had to say about me....(I'm thinking it is pretty eerily close to being accurate....)

Toward the middle, you are a realist. (not too true about me....pretty idealistic, but hey it is a pig personality test)

Facing left, you believe in tradition, are friendly, and remember dates (birthdays, etc.) (that is pretty true)

With few details, you are emotional and naive, they care little for details and are a risk-taker. (YISS)

With 4 legs showing, they are secure, stubborn, and stick to their ideals. (so maybe I am a little stubborn...some call it it stubborn some call it tenacity...let's go with tenacity)

The size of the ears indicates how good a listener you are.
The bigger the better. You drew small ears, you are an OK listener (gutted...I will work on that)

The length of the tail indicates the quality of your sex life.
And again more is better! You drew large sized tail (works for me....unfortunately not gonna test that one out for awhile...but good to know...)

Temporary Life of Disney Characters

2008-10-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

Temporary is a word I love and hate in the English language. It has been on my mind lately because I have been going to Temp. Agencies to try and pick up some extra work. It is kind of fun to think I can be a different person every day. But it has made me think about how I have this love/hate relationship with TEMPORARY. On one hand, temporary is AWESOME when you are playing pretend...you get to "temporarily" be anything you want to be...like Lightening McQueen as Lakey so perfectly shows us...

The beauty of temporary is it is just that--temporary...so Lakey was in his costume for 2 minutes and he was done. It was more like he loved the process of becoming someone different, but once he conquered it (or me by getting me to put his whole outfit on!) he was done. I laughed last night when I realized I am kind of like that too. I like to work hard to get the things I want but once I get them the thrill is lost. Hence, why temporary is sometimes a good word. It reminds me that not all things are permanent. It helps especially when you are in a hard situation---all you have to think is "this is only temporarty...this time next month or next year it will be over."

But what I hate about it is that there is a real part of me that needs consistency and closure, not to live in the temporary life. It's ironic, but as much as I crave adventure and crave the need to change, I hate that that means that life for me always seems to be temporary...there is something exciting and terrifying about temporary for me. While sorting my life in this season I am so reminded how much like Lakey I really am. I like the challenge of playing a "new character"--which if you know me you know that my "temporary life as a Disney character" would include me being Belle...my secret dream is to be Belle at Disneyland and hug all the little girls that come to meet her.

But I digress, the reality is life is full of temporary and permanent. The thing that never changes everywhere we go is who we are. I have been VERY fortunate to be apart of jobs that helped (and when I say helped, I mean at times got in my face and forced me to look at who I really was) me focus on my Character and not my talent and charisma. At times, that was hard, but in the end it has taught me how to go with the flow because in the craziness of life that is unpredictable, the known and permanent has become who I am or more accurately who I am becoming. Well, maybe even beyond that the known and predictable is that character needs, not only the most important thing, but the thing that is consistently worked on and addressed. Then no matter where I live or what "character" I am playing--I have routine and consistency but still get to enjoy the fun parts of "temporary" life.

At the end of the day, maybe the most important thing I have learned in the last few years is it isn't about being a character temporarily, but learning how to work on my character in the temporariness of life.

Stock Photos

2008-10-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

It is only 9:34 this morning and I feel like I have had the best morning ever. The irony, it was a normal low key morning. Sometimes I crave normalcy, lack of drama, and routine because my life is pretty much a movie--sometimes a drama, sometimes a romantic comedy, sometimes an action movie (well not really but how cool would it be to live in an action movie...as long as there was a good love story weaved in and out)

I digress, so this morning I started my day at 5:45 reading a GREAT email from Sam (aka favorite guy from NZ--thought I would at least give a name...), and met Niki at McConnel for a morning run at 6. Can I just say I LOVE morning runs...there is nothing like a great jog in the morning, especially with a friend. It was so fun to tell Niki the movie that is my life currently. And great to just start off the day feeling healthy!

The best part of mornings for me is how much you can accomplish....I came in from running, got ready, (still smiling from my morning email, by the way), got Raya ready for school, made lunches, made cinnamon toast for the kids, sat down and caught up on blogs (which is always fun!), and then I realized I was pretty hungry from my run. I wanted a bagel, which is my addiction in Redding....but I would have to drive to go get it. Wait, I live in Redding, not LA...this is totally doable. So, just because I could I hopped in my car, listened to a little of my favorite song right now, Viva la Vida, and smiled all the way to Manhattan Bagel (which took me 6 mins to get to!). Why was I smiling? I don't know actually. It is not like my world is in perfect order right now, which is what often makes me smile. It just was one of those morning that made me glad to be alive. Calm, normalcy, everyday activities that I love. I LOVE adventure and crazy movie like experiences, but sometimes I just love the rhythm of not needing anything except to know that I can drive to a bagel shop that reminds me of moments past, or really it just brings me a sense of control because it is familiar. I love familiar. Maybe that is why Redding is such a place of refuge for me. I can sort out my life in a place that is known...a place of routine. It is almost like those stock photo's you can get off the Internet when you need a picture of people, or a sunrises, or a flower. I always wonder who are those people...they have to exist somewhere? They are some one's real friends, a sunrise some where and a flower that someone had to stop and take a picture of...well my life in Redding...that is my stock photos. Everything is always just OKAY in Redding. Even when life is falling apart, life is just okay. When life is great....it is extra great in Redding. When I picture my life in snap shots I picture moments in Redding, I picture people I love who have never been to Redding, in Redding....it is my refuge place I guess.

Today was a stock photo kind of day....now if Sam was taking the pictures of my life there would be perfect lighting and non posed moments that tell the 100's of stories that is my life in Redding. He is an AMAZING photographer. I am pretty sure it pains him to look at my pics...especially because my Americanness comes out in them--HUGE smiles, close up face pictures and posed...kills my Kiwi friends! Too much emotion, too much posed and too much focus on ourselves...love me, love my Americanness :) But since he isn't taking my stock photos quite yet (YAY for Nov....) I will be okay with the photos that my life in Redding produce. Slowed down life, memories on each street I drive, stores that make me smile simply because of the reminiscing that happens when I think of that place with certain friends, places where I struggled through life and conquered huge fears and insecurities, and a feeling that is matched by no other place. I don't think I will ever live full time in Redding, but it will always be the place I come back to for laughs, restoration, sorting my life out, refreshing and a shot in the arm to keep doing life.

Funny how a morning can hold so many thoughts and words, but for me that is why I LOVE mornings. They are the background of my stock photos....because in my head each stock photo of my life is set in the morning...it is the perfect lighting for pictures...I know because I am dating a guy that tells me stuff like that....

Spontaneous Planning

2008-10-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

Is it spontaneity if you plan to be spontaneous? Me and Sea Jay decided YES. You see, we both love a plan and tonight we thought we were being so flexible and spontaneous....pretty much livin' life on the edge. We looked at each other feeling pretty proud when we decided that we were going to wait until dinner to make a plan for tomorrow, and maybe even wait until after dinner. And we were serious about how proud we were.

The scary part was that we really did think we were being crazy by leaving the hotel where we were staying without making a plan. We stopped, looked at each other and started to laugh when we realized what we had just done. The genuineness of our attempt to be spontaneous and flexible not needing a plan was so funny as I thought about what we had just done...planned to not make a plan--until later.

I have so many people in my life that live in the moment--I sometimes wish I can be like that, but really at the end of the day I am not. I used to tease Scott and Amy that when I got to their house and was getting out of my car the plan was to not have a plan with them...all subconscious, yet how I enjoyed the day so much more. It is funny because the only thing I don't feel like I plan is my planning....you see, the plans just come naturally and seem to bring me joy. I think it is the part of me that loves to dream...I dream within plans and then go beyond those plans. It is like my starting block if you will. So when I have a plan--as slight as it might be, I get to dream once the plan is made about what could happen, what might happen, what I can add to it, what I can invite other people into...

Plans are fun for me...they make me smile, they bring me comfort and they help me laugh. There are some moments, sure, that I freak out because the plans don't go as I hoped and I am really disappointed, but most of the time these days I can roll with the change of plans. In fact, the plan right now is to live in the moment...I know, ironic, but it is how I am not just enduring through this season of life but thoroughly enjoying it. It helps that my guy is one of the best "live in the moment" people I know...but secretly when I live in the moment I still have many different sets of plans ready to go depending on "how the moment goes." Hey it works for me....what can I say?

There is something to be said for spontaneous planning....for us today it made us feel pretty edgy and crazy, which then sent us into a fit of laughter. And, at the end of the day, life can't be bad--plan or no plan--when you are laughing.

"Um....it got loose Dana"

2008-10-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

That is what I heard this afternoon. What got loose you ask? A Praying Mantis!!! IN MY ROOM! Ethan and Raya were so excited when they found one in their explorations after school...

Ethan and Raya have one of the cutes and most unique friendships I have ever seen. They can be with each other all day long, they have this connection that some adults would pay to have with someone. And they have SO much fun together....well, today they had a lot of fun, but....it involved insects in my room--which is actually Raya's, but logistics...

They were so excited when they found a praying mantis, and the next thing I knew they were in our room...I went into check and in loving Dana style I said, "You have got to be kidding me? Seriously Raya I don't want it in our room."

And in typical Raya style, she says, "It will be fine...we won't let it out. Want me to put it on my side?"

The next thing I know Raya is running out of the room saying...."Um...it got loose Dana. We are getting something to catch it don't worry...."

Well, it was caught....luckily. Especially, since the last thing I heard before it was found was..."oh no it is by Dana's bed."

Soul Searching Run

2008-10-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

I LOVE mornings...today I finally had one of those mornings that seemed a little bit like routine and normal. What is normal, though? For me a schedule and a plan is normal. And seeing that my life has been in constant movement and in 3 different places and I have only been back in the States for 2 and 1/2 weeks, normal and routine haven't been a part of my vocabulary. Don't get me wrong--I have ENJOYED every moment of my time back in the States.

And I have to say my friend Mandy, got me onto these vitamins that have changed my life--they aren't that ground breaking....just the stuff you know you should take, but made so easy. And they don't break your budget, nor does she "recommend" you take $700 worth to "feel better." In transition and change and a lack of schedule when I would normally be pretty emotional and pretty frazeled on the inside I have been centered and calm. I have had emotions...lest you be confused that I have changed....still SUPER emotional. Instead of fighting through emotions and craziness in my head I have got to just enjoy this transition and recognize the change and my emotions for what they are---this is a miracle!

I digress, back on topic. This morning I woke up rested, read an email from my guy in NZ, and the migraine I fought for 2 days was gone....the start to a BEAUTIFUL day. Raya got in bed and gave me a cuddle, then I realized that I was feeling pretty good and if I planned right I could get in a quick jog before I helped get Raya ready for school. I got her breakfast and told her to brush her hair after she ate while I was gone and I would get her lunch when I got back--SORTED :)

I set out with a little Coldplay and ran McConnel....the trail I ran in school and when I worked at the University. It is a trail FULL of memories and life change and spiritual & life epiphanies and many tears. As I jogged down the familiar trail, I couldn't help but miss the quick 5 minute jog to the beach and the run down the beach I did with this view on the way home every morning in New Zealand..

I would time my run so that on my way back down the beach I could watch the Sun rise....paradise.....

While it wasn't the beach it was awfully cool to reflect back on the last few years of my life. Wow...is all I can say when I remembered I walked in as a freshmen girl 14 years ago! YIKES....when the heck did that happen!?! To think back to all the soul searching that I did on that trail, all the tears I cried, and all the life processing I did. I was chatting with one of my best friends, Danielle, today about how life is full of working out our crap. I was just telling my friend Anna who is going to turn 30 in the next couple of years how much I LOVE being in my 30's....simply because my 20's are over. Man, your 20's are full of seeing your crap, sorting your crap, missing your crap and seeing it hit other people and having to clean up messes. Not to say, that once you hit your 30's your are perfect, but it did seem to lessen a little bit. Maybe it is that we learn to manage our issues, but let's think positive and believe that we conquer some insecurities and grow into who we were created to be...let me live in denial if that isn't true.

As I ran today, I was reminded how the minute my running shoe hits the ground something in me is just okay. Even when I was dying around the back of the trail wondering why I thought running was a good idea, but not because running is that amazing, but because I had a chance to reflect. For me running is the place that I "work a lot of things out." This season of life is surprisingly great...transition isn't always like that for me. It is a welcome surprise. It might be the way God has continued to love me and be patient with me over the years. Or I guess it could be the fact that my LA friends were AMAZING at welcoming me back into the life of the States, my NZ friends continue to text, email and call me, my parents have gone ABOVE AND BEYOND--like always, to make sure I am okay, my Redding friends have made my stay here comfortable, fun and special, and I have a great guy in NZ who adores me and has reminded me that my bar for men was way too low in my life before him. But beyond all that I think that maybe the truth is that it is a little from column A and a little from column B.

I think life is complex and doesn't have a formula and a plan to it. (which I secretly hate!) God is not just in a religion or a church. God is intertwined throughout our world and through the people that we interact with all the time. There was a time I thought that God only changed me or talked to me through church and Christians, but as I have walked through life I have realized that the God that I read in the Bible is a little bigger than needing to be in a church or religion or a spiritual person. And He only seems to back that up with the personal encounters I have had with Him. When I read about Him in the Bible and encounter Him, who He is He longs to love us and longs for us to know the reality of His unconditional support and love, not to condemn us for not being perfect or tell us what to do....I feel like the last few years has been learning lesson after lesson in that area. Ironically, not just from Christians and the church...but through people who knew God, who don't believe in God at all, who believe very differently than me, who have different world views from me and even from places that have nothing to do with God, like Weight Watchers and the bar I hung out in while I was in NZ--Astrolabe. His goodness is real and His love is tangible...life is definitely not always good, and as I walk with some friends through some REALLY intense stuff, we are all acutely reminded of that, but today I was reminded that He is in the craziest places and sometimes the most unlikely...funny maybe the Bible is on to something. When you read that He is rarely where we think God "should" be, maybe I needed the reminder that He is God and I am not. Sometimes I forget that or worse yet I think He is my assistant....lucky that He is a loving and gracious being....

Funny what one simple jog can remind you of in life....

Memories

2008-09-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

It is funny that sometimes one spot can be a memory of hundreds of memories. I met with Kimberly and Holly today at Manhattan Bagel. This was not only my "office" when I worked in Redding, but it was the spot where I saw transformation take place over and over. I really can't look at a bagel (everything, with reduced fat cream cheese) and a diet coke in the same way. I sat for 100's of hours with different girls, friends, and mentors. I saw tears, laughter, growth, breakthrough, and victory over the years at Manhattan.

How incredible to sit with two girls that have become women and friends over the last few years. As I sat across the table from them today telling them the BEST story ever of my movie like life, I was overwhelmed with just how much of my life I have shared with these girls and all the others that I have had the privilege to listen to and love. I was reminded today that when you stand with someone and walk next to them in life, no matter what age, you give a piece of your heart away. But the beauty of that is, yeah at times you get hurt, but you also make life long friends. It made me think of all the times that I spent there and getting to see some of the lives that have been changed sitting at those tables in Manhattan is such a privilege. This weekend I saw Niki, one of the girls that I have had the chance to walk next and with over the years. She is a GORGEOUS woman, who I have seen conqueror really huge things in her life and come through victoriously.

Memories are such a powerful thing and I love that a simple Bagel Place can hold emotions, memories, tears, laughter and HOPE...

(Me and Kimberly at Manhattan)

(Me and Hols)

Day O' Fun

2008-09-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

Who knew that I would wake up on my 32nd birthday with a cute 6 year old's roommate, read an email from my favorite guy, had a 6 year old cuddle, went to a root canal with my best friend, spent the day with best friends, got great calls from NZ, have a spa day, and dinner in my favorite back yard ever!

Really? Who knew my life would look like this? But I am glad it does...

The spa was SO fun! I had such a good time!!! My favorite part of the spa day was that it said "please use your spa voice" Not thinking American's have a spa voice. Plus me and my friends laugh so much and so hard together that at one point I thought we were going to get kicked out...

(Auntie Dana with Madeleine and Claira, Amy's girls)

(After our relaxing time...Danielle was getting make up put on after her facial...but she was there!)

(me and my best friend best friend)

(me and Danielle)

(Me and Amy)

(In front of our spa...YAY!)

(My bday cake...notice it is in a MINI twix bar...with 4 candles...don't really like twix but it did make me laugh....)

(me and sister Amy!)

Transition Number 847...

2008-09-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today was filled with hello's and goodbye's and more hello's, in short---more transition. The last few days at my parents house I saw my family and got to spend time with my Aunts and my grandparents. It was fun to talk with my Grandma and fun to see my Aunts and my Nana. Time with family always reminds you of where you came from...it is always good to remember where you came from to be able to fully embrace where you are going...

(My Aunt Delores and me)

(My Aunt Denise...who I am kind of EXACTLY like...and my car!!! YAY for having my car back!)

(My Aunt Denise, me, my Mom, and Jim...Jim took us all out to dinner the first night I got into town...He is wonderful!)

(My Grandma and me)

(My Nana and me)

Once the family good bye's took place, I headed in my car to Sacramento to meet one of my best friend's in the world. Her and her family met me on my way up to Redding and I got to give the boys their presents...a COOL AZ map for Jacob that my awesome friend Peter found for me in NZ. Jacob is way into maps and facts and this map got an incredible reaction out of Jacob! He loved it and is so excited to put it on his wall when he gets home. I got Micah some yummy Jet Planes because he is currently OBSESSED with planes...they played at a play place while Ker's amazing husband watched them so me and Ker could talk and catch up. There is nothing like and old friend. It is like putting on your most comfortable shorts or shirt. You know the ones....the ones that you feel comfortable and cute in them all at once. You just know when you put them on the world is going to be okay. It was so fun sitting across the table from her and feeling like I had just seen her. My friends have walked with me through so many dramas and crazy scenarios. We have laughed and cried together for over 15 years (yikes we are old!) But there is just nothing like the moment I see them and you feel known, loved and accepted...I am pretty lucky to have the friends I do.

(seriously how cute are they?!)

(Best friends can meet at a McDonalds and still connect like no time has passed....)

Jacob LOVED his map...thanks Peter!!!

I then got back in my car and headed for Redding...I haven't lived in Redding for 4 years. I have visited so many times I can't even count, but living there is a whole new thing. The last time I was in Redding was a pretty dramatic experience, but the good ending was ending up in LA! Which then landed me in New Zealand. Funny how life works sometimes...

As I drove into Redding I was excited and scared for this new season of life. There is something about coming home to Redding. It to is like an your favorite pair of shorts...there are memories that flood my mine as soon as I drive into town. I grew up here in a lot of ways. I moved her as a 17 year old girl and tomorrow I turn 32...where the heck did the time go? I have spent half my life moving back and forth to Redding. It is a safe landing place for me and right now it is my home for the next season. I have no idea what is next in my life, but I know that I will have so much fun figuring it out as I live with my best friend, share everyday life with my best friends and enjoy what this moment holds. Oh and how could I not love it when I get to live with my little RAYA?!!! Raya was eating her dinner on the front steps today waiting for me to get here and Elli came running out of the house and leaped in my arms....Lakey on the other hand played hard to get, but when I said, "hey I didn't get a cuddle from you" and grabbed him for a quick cuddle, telling him that I loved him, he responded with, "I know" and gave me a coy little smile.

So here is my new room...Can I just say my best friend Sea Jay is AMAZING...she repainted her 6 year olds room and rearranged everything so I had a dresser and a bed and place that was my own. Her and Banning have taken such good care of me (though Banning told me tonight I kind of only missed parts of you...he loves me, he just doesn't like to show it...that is what I keep telling myself :) I am beyond lucky to have the friends I do and I can't believe that I get to start this new season with them and their kids...

(Raya was kind of excited to see me and have me in her room...this is her side and her bunk beds...I don't have to sleep in bunk beds, I get a cutsie bed on the other side of the room)

(Here is El showing you my yellow side)

(this is our whole room...notice her side is pink and my side is yellow--Elli is testing out my new bed, that is ADORABLE and had a welcome tray on it...they used to make fun of me because I always put a tray on my bed, but they finally learned it is just the way I roll)

(Here is my bed with cute El posing for the picture)

(Man I missed these kiddos! Elli was pretty stoked to have me living with them...I think this is going to be a fun year!)

Later as I was trying to fit my life into dressers Amy and Madeleine stopped by to say hi after Aims got off work. It was SO good to see Amy. She is like a sister to me and always makes me feel safe and always makes me laugh. I love that she can just stop by now and it is no longer a quick call, but a quick stop bye.

Tomorrow is Day O' Fun...Starting off with none other than a Root Canal (for Sea not me), but the good friend that I am (and because I LOVE the dentist...I know I am weird but I genuinely do) I am going with Sea Jay to her 7:40 apt...who the heck has a dentist apt before 8 am??! Then Amy will come meet up with us and we will head to Danielle's to see her new house and so I can see her CUTE kids! Then BIRTHDAY MAGIC will commense at 2pm...a Spa, Massages, Facials, Pedicures...laughing, relaxing, some chips and salsa and lots of laughter...what more could you want on your 32nd bday? Minus flying Ali, Sally and Mich over for the bday fun of course :)

While I am MISSING NZ friends terribly and trying to live in the two universes I am caught in, there is something new and fresh about this next chapter, or shall we say scene in my movie. I would have never guessed this last year would have gone the way it did...what will this year hold...?

It's Officially Fall--for the 2nd time this year for me

2008-09-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

So most people know its Fall when the leaves start to turn, back to school sales are all around, the nights are chillier, the days are shorter, kids are heading back to school, there are back to school nights, and Target is FULL of fall colors and Halloween stuff to buy....

But not me...I know when it is Fall when I smell the sweet scent of Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin...ahh Bath and Body Works...man I missed you. The body wash and lotion just bring me such good memories of times gone by, hope for what the future holds and what new memories will be made in this season. I was able to get my Fall Memory yesterday (thanks Mom!)and this morning as I used the yummy smelling scent in the shower--I stopped and literally said out loud...it is officially Fall!

There is nothing better than putting yummy smelling lotion on and knowing all is well in the world. I head to Redding today, where I have spent so many Falls. Fall always brought a newness...new school year (It is where I did Univ and worked for years), new hope for what I would learn and grow in, new friends, new students to spend time with, new school grades to see my friend's kids start...I think that this Fall will be no different. My guess is that this Fall will hold more new than I know what to do with...slightly having to do with the fact that I have no job, living with my sweet Raya (who is 6), have friends I miss TERRIBLY in NZ, a guy that could possibly be changing my life, and I will be living with my best friends with the other ones only hours away not a day away any more....minus Mich...who is still a day away :(

Life will be good this Fall...how can it not? I have Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin on today!

Transition Number 784

2008-09-23T00:05:00.000-07:00

My life feels like one transtion after another these days. I was so sad to say good by to Scott and Amy and the kids today. Though when I told Audrey she had to say good bye to me before she left for school because I would not be there when she got home, she looked at me and said, "oh I am not saying good bye to you." And turned back to playing dollies. And she didn't either...me and Audz both love control and to live in denial...it's why we connect, what can I say?

Today I flew the short flight up to Modesto to my families house. What an ordeal to check my luggage...now granted I had 9 months in three suitcases that were a bit over the legal limits. My friend Chad took me to breakfast and then took me to LAX, making sure I was all sorted before he left the airport. I forget how funny LAX is sometimes. As we waited in line, a man was yelling at the United worker, while she yelled back that she was going to call the cops...AHHH gotta love LA.

I didn't realize until today that you now have to pay for your bags to be checked in...whether they are over the weight limit or not. Yikes when did that happen?! So annoying! I not only had to pay for an extra bag...one of my bags weighed not the legal 50lbs but 67...she looked at me and said you have to get rid of 17lbs...I repsonded with--not gonna happen I will have to pay. Holy Heck it is expensive if you are over the legal weight limit. I finally got them all checked, said good bye to my friend and did the LAX/United trick and headed past the grouch people in the security line in terminal 7 and smiled as I headed down to terminal 6. I was feeling pretty good about myself as I stood in the shorter line, with much happier freindly United people. (Terminal 6 is for business, premire and first class travelers...sometimes money does help) Until, I heard this guy come up to this girl in front of me and say, "where you nominated for an Emmy?" Really? Is he really saying this right now? He was...she said, "No but I was at the Emmy's." His response...."come with me and we will by pass this line."

What the heck is what I was thinking but before I could fully think that thought, this guy in front of her says, "I was actually nominated for an Emmy." The guy just looked at him and said sorry and moved on....he wasn't blonde or cute...just an averge guy eating a chocolate bar. I had to laugh at this last LA moment as I traveled to another world--Nor Cal :)

My mom and my Aunt picked me up and we headed to Outback for dinner with Jim....my dad was out of town :( He is on some Bloke week hunting trip. When I talked to him tonight he kept saying, "I am like a real cowboy Dana..." He is with his two best hunting buddies that I grew up with. It is so fun to see their friendship that has been there for years...It is my model for friendship for sure. Maybe I won't be doing Cowboy Weekends with my best friends, but Spa Weekends...YES for sure!

The transition in my life will continue for quite some time, but if nothing else it will make for some great blogs...drama and transition--that is a recipe for good blogging!

Drama Drama Drama

2008-09-22T01:10:00.001-07:00

What else would you do on your last day in LA, but spend hours in a tire store, missing a special birthday lunch....with Mexican food I might add.

Today was one of those day when I thought, "Really? Can I not just show up without drama one time?" Or as my American friend Jen would say..."Do I have to bring the crazy out all the time?"

My good friends Laura and Becky wanted to make today so special for me...
(Becky, me and Laura at a wedding last year)

(who I fondly refer to as my Grandma Friend Laura because if you knew Laura you would be SO surprised she is a grandma...my friends in Redding thought she was my age the first year I lived in LA. I would talk about her all the time and one day I said...Laura's grandson---and my friend said, "wait hold on how old is Laura? I thought she was your age this whole time.") Laura was my first friend at Mosaic and is still such a dear friend to me.

Since I was only in LA for a week or so and since my birthday is next Thursday she decided that today she would make a special birthday lunch--with her YUMMY AZ Mexican food and homemade salsa for me and invite some of our friends over. I took Amy and Scott's car over and one block away from Laura and Jesse's house a car was flying down there road and there was a car parked on the street as he went to pass me. I moved over a little, successfully missing the car, but unfortunately not missing the curb....

I popped the passenger tire and was GUTTED! I got up to Laura's a little shaken up, and so frustrated because the planner deep inside me knew that this was not going to be a quick ordeal. Laura called Tripple A and a tow truck got there super quick. He towed my car with me and Jesse following. It was right down the road and I thought, maybe this will be a quick experience. Now mind you, I have seen only 2 or 3 of the people that were coming over to see me at this point. But I thought, maybe this will be quick and we won't even have to heat up our lunch...it might still be hot. We wait forever at the tire place and the tow truck guy undoes our car. When the tire guy finally helps us he says, "oh sorry we have NO tire in stock that will fit this car..."

Awesome!

Jesse then hurries outside to the nice tow truck man and asks him if he will tow us to sears. Which, of course because we are in LA, is 20 minutes away. Awesome. But he agrees and we finally get to Sears and the guys there were not so friendly. I had one nice worker and that made it bearable. The guy said to me that he thought the rim was bent and it won't work to put a new tire on it. I asked him as nice as I possibly could if he would check anyway...while wanting to punch him in the face.

The nice worker had someone else check for me. They then wanted to see if they had a tire in stock. There was ONE...that is it, just one in the whole store....are we not in America, the land of the over abundance and self indulgent "we have too much of everything" culture? The worker then looks at me with apologetic eyes and shows me the price..YIKES is all I can say, but what do you do? Gotta have a new tire, especially because it is not my car, too.

Me and Jesse decide since my car is next in line to just wait. I get Jesse a water and me a Diet Coke (which I am so excited to buy because it is half the price of NZ so I feel like I am getting a deal...) I then talk to my friend Sam from NZ for awhile sitting in the tire store, ranting about how dumb this day is turning out. Really? Is there a whole house of people waiting for me and eating a yummy lunch while me and Jesse sit in Sears Auto Store? Yis, it's true.

Finally now at 3:30 it is almost done...I got to Laura's house at 12;25! Right then the not so nice worker says, "Um...some is on the phone for you." Of course there is, why would I not be receiving a call at Sears Auto Store right now. I just look at him like it is the most natural thing in the world and pick up their work phone like it is my cell phone. It is Laura wondering where we were. I explain the brief version and say we are on our way home. The only problem is that I need to get the car back to Scott by 5 at the latest to get to Hollywood for a movie screening we are going to. LA translation...I have to leave Laura's house by 4pm to make this happen.

I walk in to a house full of people, inhale lunch/dinner, open the presents that I didn't know they were going to get me, blow out the candles to the ice cream cake I definitely didn't expect and jump back in the car to get home.

I make it home and we make it to the theater just in time for the Movie Screening Amy is running at this cool az theater--The Egyptian on Hollywood Blvd. We screened the original "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" It was so fun, and the kids loved it. We made it home in time to catch some of the Emmy's and for Scott and some friends to watch the TV show they watch every Sunday night--The Wire.

What a day!!! Sometimes I just have to laugh that I think that I am going to be calm and unventful...nope...just not me....

Happy Birthday Early

2008-09-21T00:38:00.000-07:00

What a FUN day!!! The Reynolds and Cindy and Moni celebrated my birthday today. I had a lazy Saturday morning, which included chatting with Amy in bed this morning, playing Princess Matching Game with Audz in our PJ's at 11 and not leaving the house until 1:30! I love Saturdays like that!

Amy and Audz took me to Corner Bakery for lunch where we ate a great lunch, talked forever, cried a little, dreamed about our lives, and enjoyed the warm Cali sunshine.

Then we did what all people should do on a Celebrate Your Birthday Day--went to Target! This is yet another reason I LOVE Audz...she know says to me all the time, "Dana take a picture of me here, and here, and here..." So while in Target she posed in a couple cute spots, until we got in trouble by the friendly Target worker telling us we were not allowed to take pictures in Target...oops...

We then headed off to Zane's soccer game. He is simply INCREDIBLE. He looks like and international soccer star...check out how cool he is...

(Zane's goalie kick is AMAZING and he boots it half way down the field...in the car on the way home he asked me if I have ever seen a better goalie kick? I am not gonna lie--NOPE)

As good females do we take pictures during the game...

Audrey poses...of course :) Good little American that she is...

Then after the game we headed to 21 Choices--my favorite frozen yogurt place in Pasadena. We waited in a ridiculous long line but it is SO worth the wait...me Audz are posing (of course) outside 21 Choices in Old Town Pasadena. This is the street the Rose Parade goes down...pretty cool I think. These are the fun parts of living in LA, being able to be on the Rose Parade Route...pretty cool, I think.

Then Cindy and Moni picked me up in Old Town and we went and saw Ghost Town. We laughed pretty hard and I loved the humor in it. It was more of a girl movie than I thought, which always makes for a good girls night out...then we headed back to their house for dessert and some time hanging out with Cindy's new guy...who I really like!

What a fun start to my Birthday Week! I LOVE birthdays and love that I got to spend a whole day with friends doing things that made me smile and laugh!

Take Me Out To The Ball Game

2008-09-19T23:15:00.001-07:00

Oh how I LOVE going to the ball park and seeing a good ol' American baseball game. The fun of the stadium just seeps into your soul! One of my most favorite parts...well, I am not going to lie, hearing the national anthem. We really do have a great national anthem...I missed hearing it in NZ because they never showed the medal ceremonies during the olympics when we were winning golds. Really...with Michael Phelps alone they had 8 chances to show it. :) Our national anthem makes me not only want to go out and change the world, but it makes me feel like I can!! And what is more American than a Baseball Game?

Tonight was such a treat. Summer just isn't summer without going to a ball game. And seeing I was in winter all through American summer I didn't think I would be able to see a ball game. But my wonderful friend Lori and her husband took me to the Dodger/Giants game tonight. We took the train into the city and then caught a "Dodger Bus" into the stadium. It was awesome to not have to fight parking and traffic! We spent tons of time chatting and catching up on the train/bus. And when we got to the park I was reminded how much I love going to Baseball Games! There are moments I just love LA...this was one of them. I was in Disneyland all day yesterday and then at a Dodger Game tonight. I don't often get woo'd by the city but this week I have moments of remembering just how much cool stuff there is down here. Don't get me wrong, catch me in traffic and you will hear me singing a different tune...

Speaking of singing--the best part of the night is always the 7th inning stretch! I love singing that classic song..."Take Me Out To The Ball Game" It makes you feel like a kid again, it makes you remember how great life is, it makes you smile and think back to summers and hoping you get crackerjacks and that your surprise inside is a good one. It is honestly my favorite part of the ball game experience. You NEVER leave before 7th inning stretch. When the game stinks you can leave only after the song...it is like baseball unspoken code.

Tonight was one of those...let's leave after the song games. It was definitely no Warrior Win like they had last night in New Zealand!!!! Go THE WARRIORS!!! The Dodgers are doing incredible this season, but tonight you would not have known it. Now I secretly LOVE the Giants because I grew up watching the Giants and if I went to a game we went to Candlestick Park (now I don't even know what the stadium is called it has switched so many time...) But I have lived in LA for 4 years and for almost 3 of those years I lived right by Dodger Stadium, so now I am torn a bit. Really at the end of the day, though, I just love going to the park with friends, eating Dodger peanuts, drinking a Diet Coke and talking and laughing the night away. There are so many fun things to see and do in the Stadium....one of my favorites is "Kiss Cam" They scan the fans and on the big screen it says "Kiss Cam" and when the camera is on you and you notice you kiss the person next to you. It is always fun to watch, but tonight during the "Kiss Cam" part a guy proposed to his girlfriend. She looked super surprised and stoked az...It made me smile and so happy for them. I am sucker for a good girl movie ending...

I am so thankful for my friend Lori and so glad that she thinks of me when she has GREAT tickets!!!

Go DODGERS!

Happiest Place on Earth

2008-09-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Aaahhh Disneyland...the land of make believe, wonder and smiles. Audrey, Zane, Amy and I set out this morning for our Day O' FUN at The Happiest Place On Earth. Audrey looks at me and says we are going to hang out because we are Girly Girls and Mom can take Zane on his rides, and so begins our day....

On the way there I had one of those "only in LA" experiences that made me laugh out loud. As we drove down the 5, I was chatting to my good friend Danielle and I look over and saw this:

There were about 8 policeman just wandering around the other side of the freeway while a HUGE amount of cars sat there patiently waiting...well I guess they really didn't have a choice. It was the most bizarre sight I had seen in awhile for sure!

I digress, back to our Day O' Fun. We headed into the park and had to take the "obligatory picture" that everyone takes to start off our Disneyland experience.

Then we were off! The first comment from Zane was, "Hey Dana, did you know that I can make my hands fart?" And then he showed me so I knew he really could. Gotta love the little bloke! What a day we had in sotThe first thing Amy did was took Zane to do Space Mountain and some rides that Auds had no intention of going on. And what did we do? What any self respecting Girly Girls would do...went to the Princess Castle! We walked around and looked at all the girly things, then chose to go on the Merry Go Round and Dumbo...here is Auds on the Merry Go Round and us on Dumbo.

After that it was time for some serious energy, so we stopped for food and filled our tummies with yummy (all be it expensive) Disney food. Then we did what all Good Americans do....took lots and lots of pictures of ourselves making us laugh forever!

Then Amy said one name and I instantly smiled with a slight tinge of embarassment at my quick smile...and she caught it on camera

It was a beautiful So. Cal. day and I was SO glad to be in LA (I know can you believe I said that?!) and to be with the Reyonlds enjoying one of my most favorite places on earth! Amy left us a little early because she had to get to an Emmy party that Scott was invited to as one of the writers on Dexter...only in LA do you do Disneyland durning the day and head out to an Emmy party that night...Gotta love LA! On the way home I was reminded how beautiful Southern Cal is...the sun was setting behind these gorgeous palm trees and I was enjoying a quiet moment of wonder at how much I have in my life. Then 5 minutes later my mood changed...as I sat in traffic. Though I have to admit that there was really NO traffic at all, I hit 20 mins at the end on the 710. What a wimp I have become...

As we approached South Pasadena we did what any good So Cal family would do--stopped at In n Out and came home, did homework, and went to bed...what a great LA Day.

Addictive Personality...

2008-09-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

So I have had Mexican at least ONCE a day since coming back to the States. AND I have gone to Target at least once every day...I think I have an addictive personality....I can't seem to get enough of either. Maybe tomorrow I will start weening myself off of them....maybe? :)

It is so funny to be back in the States for sure. I have felt pretty displaced in a lot of ways. I have LOVED getting to catch up with old friends, and being back in a community of people that I have come to love. I worked at a place called Mosaic in LA. It is one of those experiences that I have really come to love. I have worked in other places like this before but that is just it, it was work. At Mosaic it was family...not perfect, slightly dysfunctional at times, but my family. I have loved walking up and down the halls, laughing at all the changes, listening to the hearts and dreams of my friends and sharing life with these people again. Mosaic is a special place and one thatI have never encountered like it before. I feel pretty fortunate to be a part of this community of people.

At the same time, I am missing NZ terribly. I have missed my friends like crazy. I miss popping by Sally and Mich's office, laughing with Glen in our office, chatting with Ali on the chairs in the morning and at the kitchen counter in the evening, times with Emma running, and Slow Fish. I wish I was hanging out at my friend's house tonight...especially because I know my friend Sam is going by to give my little Mackenzie a gift and will be laughing with the Lines all night long...It is funny to feel like your heart is in two places. It is part of transition and part of re-entry, so while it doesn't surprise me it is still very real and at times really scary. I had a melt down with my friend Sea on the phone yesterday and then that night with Amy. Amy reminded me I have only been home 3 days and it is okay that I don't have a plan for my life. I know that, but I think after 3 days of telling people I don't know what is next it just got to me. It will all sort itself out, but for now I just must battle through this change.

It is funny, I think that my addictive personality trickles into me needing a plan, too. I laugh at how a plan really does help me...I made a plan for each day and have felt so much better. (it is like I am addicted :) I love a plan and I love getting to the end of my day and realizing that I got everything in that day that I wanted to do. Today was one of those days...everything is just working out. I am seeing the people I want to see, doing the things I want to do, eating at the YUMMY AZ Mexican food places I NEED to eat at and being refreshed with laughter and tears with friends. Tonight I even got to see a friend from Chicago that I worked with 10 years ago! How cool that she happened to be in LA this week...what a treat.

And tomorrow....DISNEYLAND!!!!! I am taking Zane and Audrey to "The Happiest Place On Earth!" I think I just might be more exited than them...and it is BRIGHT and SUNNY and HOT here in CA...how can it not be the happiest place on earth with those things going for us!

Think Right...Think Right...Think Right

2008-09-16T21:16:00.000-07:00

Driving in LA is not my most favorite task...especially when you sit in traffic, miss a turn and end up lost, when the freeways aren't moving and the side streets are so confusing all you can do is say cuss words. But now add on top of that the feeling of confusion. I drove for the first time today after driving on the other side of the car and road the last 9 months.

I definitely felt a little nervous and had to say "think right think right think right." I continually kept turing on the windshield wipers instead of the blinker. I kept thinking "Is it my turn to turn or theirs" when cars were approaching me and kept forgetting I could turn right on a red light...but all in all I did it!

We will see how long it takes until I no longer have to say "think right." It might be awhile!

Little Black Dress

2008-09-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Audrey: I need to put my clothes on for today.
Dana: What do you want to wear?
Audrey: I don't know
Dana: I have a black dress on, do you have a black dress?
Audrey: (Perplexed and looking confused at Dana) Of course I do every girl has a black dress. (as she pulls one out of her closet)

I love that she is only 4 and knows what is essential for a female!

Best Day EVER = Friends, Chipotle, Pedicures, & Target

2008-09-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

There are so many little things in life that make me smile: chocolate, walks on the beach, cafe's across from the Mount, the color pink... Today was FULL of the little moments in life that add up to be breathless because of who you are with and the memories that are made. I went to church this morning and LOVED seeing old friends and catching up. Then I went out for lunch with Scott and Amy and Moni and Cindy at CHIPOTLE!!!! Man I missed that placed! (are you jealous Glen?) It was a warm beautiful day and we sat outside and I ate yummy food (yay for black beans...not going to lie, it was good to eat those again!). We laughed and caught up and then I actually met a guy from New Zealand that just moved to LA (one of Glen's friends that is attending UCLA for the semester). It was fun to talk about NZ and laugh a little about the difference of different cultures ie how loud Americans are. I have found myself feeling like I am SO loud after being quiet (or semi quiet compared to Kiwi's) for the last nine months.

(Me and Zane...Isn't he SOOO cute?!)

After that we took off to do what any self respecting girl would do: went and got pedicures! Though, like always with me there was a little drama and excitement around this experience. We tried to go to three different places, ended up in the middle of a car show--which made me laugh so we had to take pictures. But like the girls that we were we didn't take pictures with all the cool cars in front of us, we took pictures in front of the nail place that was closed.

So I redeemed our "girliness" and made us take a picture in front of the cars.

We finally made it to a pedicure place and got to relax in the massage chairs and girl talk all afternoon!

After that I got to the one thing that I consistently missed the whole 9 months in NZ: GO TO TARGET!!! I was in glorious heaven!!! I got a Diet Coke and wandered around with my friend Cindy loving my life. I actually felt sad a couple times for my friends in NZ who don't have Target. I was standing in the belt section and seriously thought: "there are more belts here than in all the stores down the mount combined!" Then I went to all the other sections so wishing that Mich was with me...I am sure her bank account was glad that Target is 6000 miles away!

And now I am sitting with friends as they do one of my most favorite things: watch a TV show together on Sunday nights. I haven't been watching the series they are watching so I am "with" them while chatting with all of you!

My emotions are still mixed and I can't believe I am not in NZ and not going to be able to pop around to see my friends...sitting in the traffic here definitely makes that feel more real :) But I miss NZ and friends a lot and at times am not sure what to do with all my emotion, but I will continue to process, and for now I will enjoy the moment and not need a plan....

Back Through the Wardrobe...

2008-09-13T23:15:00.000-07:00

As I type this I am sitting on Scott and Amy's couch, watching the food network, eating yummy pop corn Scott made me, have a full tummy of Mexican food and am overwhelmed that I am in the Northern Hemisphere once again. If you have followed my blog at all, you know that I have equated my time in NZ much to Narnia. There is the whole other world I entered through last January. I have had many adventures, lessons, friendships, heartaches, moments of exhilaration, and memories that will be forever. Tonight I walked back through the Wardrobe to another life.

The reality is that there are plenty of adventures, heartaches, moments of joy and memories to be made, but there is just something so different about this experience in NZ. Today was the longest day of my life...literally. I left NZ on Saturday at 7:15pm and got into LA at 12:30 in the afternoon on the same Saturday...weird, but true. The good-bye was BRUTAL to say the least. Lots of tears, sad good byes and lots more tears. I walked through security in a daze crying as I answered questions and then sat on the plan reading good bye cards crying so hard at one point I couldn't even read the dang card! I cried myself to sleep listening to Coldplay's Viva la Vida album...slept for 10 hours of the flight (had a bit of sleep to get caught up on) and listened to 12 hours of Coldplay and cried for 3 of those...then I landed. The transition was done and the tears were ceased and I walked through the doors into the chaos of LA.

Amy and Audrey were there with huge smiles and plenty of cuddles! We went to Mexican food and headed home to see Zane and Scott. It is a bit surreal to be back, but for now it is as it should be. You just never know where life is going to take you but it will take you lots of places if you let it. I am so thankful for all that I have learned, LOVE my friends deeply that I made in NZ and now set out on this new adventure without a plan--which is a miracle in and of itself.

Here are some FUN pictures from today...

(Mich, Me and J in Auckland bay)

(Lots of laughing at lunch)

(fun in the car with Mac and Georgia)

(we are all ten years apart..I am ten years older than Mich, and she is ten years older than Georgia...makes for FUN times)
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(My favorite pic of the day...)
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What You Can Accomplish in 9 Months

2008-09-12T13:55:00.001-07:00

10. A Baby
9. A School Year
8. A TV show (I am making my transition back to LA and the industry :)
7. A certificate in just about any trade you can find on the internet
6. An experience that you chalk up for the most LIFE Changing you have ever had
5. A training for a marathon---though I don't think I will verify this one :)
4. An encounter of finding friends that will forever change who you are--and your status (a sister....)
3. An understanding in the deepest part of your being that God is a good and a kind God
2. An switch from knowing that God loves people to knowing that He loves me and invites me into freedom and love
1. Relationships that turn your world upside down, but somehow when you land you have a better view....

I leave for the airport in 10 minutes with my great friends Mich and J and Sally and Andy and Georgia and Mac--we will pick up Ali in Auckland and then spend the day together. I said a VERY hard good bye last night and barely connected with the fact that I am really leaving and then this morning had to say good bye to Uncle Neville. I immediately started crying. One night I pictured the airport scene and fully lost it. My poor friend Sam who I was hanging out with finally had to take me over to Sally and Andy's to calm me down. I stopped picturing that scene the rest of the week...but in a few hours I will live it. I will wave good bye, walk through security and sit in a chair at the gate with tears filling my eyes. I will get on the plane and say good bye to New Zealand for awhile. As I sit in my seat I will wonder, "what the heck just happened?" I don't know if I will be able to put it into words, but the tears will come, the peace will rest there and then I will fall asleep. I will land at LAX and see the Reynolds, cry a little, cuddle my kids, and then go to Mexican food!!! Then I will sit on the Reynolds couch with Scott's popcorn I have missed terribly and I will talk to Amy and cry and the world will all be well....

After that I will love seeing all my LA friends, laughing, trying to explain this experience, showing them all the cool stuff I brought back. I will head to my parents and see my family and show my mom every picture I took because she loves that...then I will head to Redding, stop and cuddle my Jacob and Micah, cry with Kerri, laugh with Kerri and then keep going to Redding. I will sit on Sea Jay's couch, cuddle the kids, Amy and Danielle will come over, I will cuddle their kids, give them their yummy presents! And then all will be quiet and on Sea Jay's couch I will process all that just happened--then I will go to Raya's 5 year old room and LOVE my life....

There is no way to put into words this experience...it was just TOO wonderful.

Happy Birthday Aims

2008-09-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

I love you Amy!!!! I celebrate you and your life and am SO thankful for you!!!

Things I am thankful for:

Your life long friendship
Your love of vegging out at my parents watching mindless TV while my mom and Jeremy talk Politics, Fox News, and Rush :)
Memories that will last a life time
Holidays with you
Loving me unconditionally
Calling at the right moments
Giving me a place to call home after the most intense season of my life...and letting me cry myself to sleep every night!
YOUR AMAZING FRIENDSHIP!!!

I LOVE YOU AIMS!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Good Byes SUCK, but They Make For Good Parties

2008-09-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

So the official "Good Byes" have begun. I have done really good with being excited to come home but not connecting to the fact that I have to leave my friends and life here....until Saturday. I woke up sad on Saturday realizing that I was going back to the States in a week. It all began hitting me. I rolled through my day in a bit of a fog because there was just so much emotion finally coming to the surface. It was J's birthday (and Michelle's on Thursday) so I went for their family birthday lunch and just sat there trying to take it all in. Sitting in a cafe with best friends, enjoying laughing, and wondering how I will explain all this back home...

As the day progressed I felt the memories that were being made before my eyes and the memories that have already been made flooding my mind and my heart. One of my most favorite memories in NZ is sitting in the kitchen talking to Ali, so before the party started I had to take a picture to capture a memory that really, no picture can fully capture.

The Good Bye party was fun from the moment people got there until the last person left. Right before everyone arrived I was sitting in the kitchen and I looked up at the clock and it was 7:15...I was so sad as I realized in one week I would be sitting on a plane and not in the kitchen...but enough about that...let's look at how much fun the party was...

(here is a picture of me and Mackenzie...he thought it would be funny to come as a girl from Redding....not sure if this is how we look in Redding but man he made me laugh hard!

Then of course there were the super fun friend shots:

(Me and Mich)

(Me and Sally)

(Me and my American Friend Jen--who brought 7 Layer Dip for me!!!! I was SOOOO excited I couldn't even stand it. It was the HIT of the party, with every Kiwi asking for the recipe, which just made me and Jen laugh. It is just the dip that is at every party....so easy yet so yummy!!! And I do have to say that two of my friends said..."you get kind of loud when you are with Jen." Apparently my Americanness comes out with her, I keep my voice level low here I realized (I know shocking to believe for some of you huh?)because when me and Jen are together I think we are talking normal but really we are talking "american" normal, which is SUPER loud for a Kiwi.)

(Me and Rebekah)

(My friends Mark and Hayley)

(My good friend Merryn with Greg sneaking in the back!)

(Greg and Mich)

All in all it was a great party! I had SO much fun!! Ali always throws a GREAT party and she did not disappoint this time!! It was bittersweet to realize all this fun was for me leaving. I really have lost my heart in NZ and realized how hard next Saturday at 7:15 is going to be. I am excited to see everyone in LA and at home, but my heart is beyond full of memories here I am just not sure how to express once I am back. For now we will focus on the fun photos and the fun memories I am still making!!

I am my mother....(and secretly LOVE it!)

2008-09-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

So...today I had Fox News (or CNN depending on which was airing the convention stuff) on ALL Morning!!! I am my Mother!!!!! And I am working my day around seeing Sarah Palin's speech tonight...when did I become my mom? But as far as Mom's go I couldn't think of a better one to become...I just am having to eat my words and swallow all the teasing I have done to my mom over the years!

I did watch the Democratic Convention as much as I could, too and always had CNN or FOX News on during that if I was home, but I was not quite ready to make my big confession as to how much I was actually doing it!

I am so into this election, not just because it is ground breaking and history being made. I think being so far away from America for so long it makes me feel home a little bit. And I'm not going to lie....I love that Sarah Palin came out of nowhere. I love a drama and a great twist. See for me life really is a movie! Excited to hear what she has to say tonight....Obama's speech was amazing last week and I wasn't thinking I would be as excited to hear anyone speak this week, but I am coming home at 2:30pm today so I can catch it live...because TIVO does not exist here :( I have to watch it live!

P.S.
I fly home in 8 days! YIKES

Dresses and Gumboots

2008-09-01T17:12:00.001-07:00

What else would one do on a cruisey Sunday other than wake up your friends with muffins and scones, giggle while coffee is brought to you in bed, hurry and get ready and go look at the most gorgeous property and view every. This was my Sunday morning with the Line's family! I had just seen them on Saturday but thought they looked a bit down, so I decided they needed a wake up from their favorite American friend. Then as the morning progressed we decided I needed to see the land that they have purchased but haven't built on yet....check out this view! This is the most amazing view I have seen here!

Notice my outfit....city girl hits the bush (what they call the country here in NZ). Now I grew up a country girl, but I realized how much I have changed over the years. I had to laugh at the fact that I was in a short little black dress...gum boots (rain boots), a hoodie and Andy's huge puffer vest...I was straight out of a fashion magazine! :)

These are shoots by the stream on their property (Sally, Georgia and her sweet friend Molly)

And do you see the lamb??? Sheep are abundant here....and their little lambs too!

In all it was a wonderful Sunday morning and I'm not going to lie I have to say I was a bit sad this weekend to say good bye....

New Baby!!!

2008-08-29T14:58:00.000-07:00

Not mine...don't worry that is not why I have been in NZ for 9 months...hehehe Ironically, though, (can you tell that irony has been a big part of my life recently?!) I have a few friends that have birthdays on July 11--which always makes me smile because the date is 7/11 (if you say it how American's do with the month said first...sorry Kiwi friends). Well it makes me always remember their birthdays because in the States is a great little store that is open 24 hours and a always has SLURPIES, called, you guessed it 7-11. But that day gained another friend, Isabella Sowter. My friend Ingrid here in NZ has been so special to me. She has always invited me out to coffee, we have great chats and always end up laughing together about something. My mom has tracked her pregnancy with me and I just realized two weeks ago when my mom asked if Ingrid has had her baby, that I forgot to introduce her to my friends in the States.

I got to have my first cuddle with her on Thursday and she is SOOO sweet. She is not just a pretty baby because she is my friend Ingrid's, she is just one of the those gorgeous little babies. Ingrid I am SO glad that you "collected" me as a friend!

Why Are My Friends SO AMAZING?

2008-08-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

Because today this was the phone call I got:

Amy: So for your Bday we are going to the Spa Downtown (in Redding)
Me: WHAT?!!! Really?!
Amy: Yes!
Me: I just wanted to hang out with you guys and not be Loserville USA on my 32nd bday waking up in a 5 Year Old's (Raya's) room that day...
Amy: Well we have a question though, Facial or Massage?
Me: Um...I don't care
Amy: You have to pick. We (Sea, Amy Danielle and I) are all getting Pedicures but their staff can only do 2 of us for Facials and 2 for Massages....Both for an hour. Just choose one.
Me: Um...I think Massage, but who really cares!
Amy: Done!
Me: I LOVE MY FRIENDS!!!!!!

Irony

2008-08-24T02:09:00.000-07:00

One of the things I am going to miss the most in New Zealand is wine....the irony of that statement: I don't even like wine. But what I do like is the Wine Culture of NZ. Today I went to a YUMMY winery with Ali and Lisa for lunch and then did a little wine tasting after. I really don't like wine at all (but I did try this Port that was super good!) but I love the whole experience of wine tasting.

I was pondering on the way home, why I love this part of NZ so much and why I am going to miss it. I think it is the relationships that surround it. It is built into this culture and one of the beautiful memories that I cherish. It is something that is so much more than drinking a glass of wine, but it is an experience with others. One of my most favorite things is to experience the joy and drama of life--of which I have plenty of both! This last week I was reminded just how much I love to experience life. Whether it is good (joy) or bad (drama) I just love the experience of life. Joy and drama means you are alive.

And when you add irony to the mix, it just amps up both joy and drama. There was one point this week that I was sitting with friends and looked around and laughed to myself at how much drama had unfolded over the last 9 months and now I was sitting in a room with 3 of the most unlikely people. None of them knew just how ironic it was, but I did. And the part of the "movie" playing out in my head made me smile. I like when things come full circle and you begin to see some of the why's behind situations. The most ironic part of the whole experience was that I was in the room I think and that I wasn't overly sad, happy or mad...it just was what it was.

Irony is a funny thing. It means that you find yourself in a situation that is not that out of the ordinary but has one or two dynamics that make it just not what you thought it would be. Most of the time you can laugh at it but sometimes it makes you want to cry. I have had my fair share of those "crying" ironic moments, but this one this week just made me shake my head at what a funny life I get to lead. I do so LOVE the experience of joy and drama in my life.

So much like the irony of me loving the wine culture and it being something I am genuinely going to miss here, but not liking wine at all, I also have to laugh at the irony of how some of the things in my life have turned out here in NZ. Even though some relationships went a little different than I planned and some just never went any where I planned the irony of how they have all shaken out means that I am alive and have TONS of good stories! And when I say 'tons' I mean TONS!!! Wow is all I can say...