I Swear I Remember How to Blog and Other Dreams

I was debating on how to jump back on the blogging train {link-up? book review? a post pretending I've been blogging regularly for the past three weeks??}, and then Natalie posted/hosted a Quick Just Because Not So Serious Takes link-up, and it was fate. This is a perfect way to give y'all some updates and share some odds and ends without being weird...although this is me, so it may still end up weird. But you knew that when you clicked this link, so I don't feel too bad.

Item 1: I spent the first week of this month in the beautiful Bluegrass State with some of my dearest friends. AJ and I got to spend lots of quality time together, some of which involved the following:

• crack popcorn - I've never made that much crack popcorn in one sitting, but I'm proud to say there was nothing left the next morning. 
• wedding video - you know you're bosom friends when you spend a Friday night watching her wedding on the small screen. So cool.
• steak nachos with beer cheese - this is becoming a tradition for me to celebrate AJ's birthday. Saul Good's steak nachos with beer cheese is basically heaven on earth. We took a picture that night, but as good as that waiter was, photography wasn't his forte. 
•  Ale-8 - I had one for breakfast every day, and I regret nothing. 
• a surprise pregnancy announcement - AJ had her youngest son announce to me that "mommy has a baby in her tummy" and I put forth a great effort and did not scream with joy and delight.

I also got to visit my good friends Carla and Victoria, as well as attend a baseball game with my friend Rae. Rachel and I got to hang out {and eat the world's most delicious cheesecake}, and I learned two new games with some friends from church. I got to hold new babies and hug old friends. 

Basically, my trip was wonderful and I'm already planning my return trip. 

Item 2: Whilst reading the book I thought was the last on my doula list, I realized that a medical book published in 1987 wasn't going to cut it. So I emailed my director and she emailed back that I should find a different book. It just came in from the library, and much to my delight, it's only about 100 pages long {as opposed to the 400 page beast I was struggling through}. So I should be finished with this little book very, very soon!

Item 3: Speaking of doula stuff, Victoria and I started a FB group for all things birthing related. We want to be able to share articles and pictures and discussions that include words like "placenta" and "dilation" without frightening away half of our FB friends. If you'd like to join, let me know and I'll send you the link. 

this little girl is us

Item 4: My roommate moved out this weekend and my sister moved in! Words cannot describe my joy. Our home is clean and cozy and beautiful, and I'm trying to convince my sis to go with a black-and-white art theme in the living room. We'll see how that goes. 

Item 5: I'm reading The Book Thief as a part of Dahlia's book club, and we're meeting to discuss and to watch the movie next weekend. I'm a bit of a late start on this book, so here's hoping I can finish it in time!

That's it - all the Just Because Not So Serious Takes I've got. Enjoy your Tuesday, friends!

Finish This: Week Fifty-one {and Merry Christmas!}

Merry Christmas to all! Can you believe that it's Christmas Eve already?! And next week is New Year's Eve, and then bam - 2015! Jeepers creepers.

Bek, don't get ahead of yourself. Today is a day for family, singing, candles, and link-ups. Stay focused!

By now, I hope you know the drill. I'm linking up with the awesome hostesses of Finish This: Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

{Next week is The Great Big Year in Review post - I'm so excited to hit "publish" on this puppy! If you'd like the prompts so that you can participate, comment below or email Nicole and we will hook you up. You don't want to miss this big kahuna of a post.}

My favorite Christmas tradition is opening one present from my parents on Christmas Eve... it's always pajamas and my sisters and I always wake up Christmas morning in new pajamas. For several years my mom has been complaining that there are no. more. pajamas. anywhere {with four girls, it's close to true!}, but somehow she works some Christmas magic and we always get pjs. It's my favorite. {I thought about sharing a picture, but then I thought you readers might not appreciate it.}

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My most memorable Christmas was probably 2012, because my grandpa was having a good day and he was able to stay awake and play dominoes with the family for a couple hours. It was one of the best days in Grandpa's last year, and my mom rightly noted that Christmas Day 2012 was a true gift, because it ended up being Grandpa's last Christmas with us on earth. I treasure my memory of that year.

The best gift{s} I've ever received, besides the grace and love of God, growing up in the best family ever, and having the most fantastic friends in the world, was the TARDIS blanket from my sister last year. I'd been asking for TARDIS slippers and she kept telling me she was not getting them for me. I didn't believe her, but it turned out she was telling the truth. My mom gave me the slippers and my sister gave me a warm snuggly blanket. I was shocked that a) she was telling me the truth and I hadn't believed her and b) that such a beautiful blanket exists.

The gift I'd rather forget was totally my idea and my sisters were dragged along in my madness. After performing The Nutcracker for two years {and between the four of us, there were only a couple dances we weren't in}, I convinced my sisters that we should perform it {AGAIN!!} for our parents... in our living room... with music for only 4 songs. So we practiced every time the 4 of us were left alone together, and on Christmas morning, that's what we did.
My poor, patient sisters... my poor, long-suffering parents...

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There you have it - Christmas memories galore! I hope your Christmas is holly-jolly, calm and bright, and full of the love of Christ!

7 Quick Takes: Focus on the Awesome

Thank God it's Friday.

This week has not been the most fun ever, so I'm choosing to focus my 7 Quick Takes on ways this week has been good and why this weekend is going to be awesome. Check out Kelly {our wonderful guest host} at This Ain't the Lyceum for all the link-up fun.

1. Haters gonna hate, but the soundtrack of my week has been Christmas music. Kelly Clarkson, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, even Andrea Botticelli have made this rough week a bit more bearable. Thank you, musical geniuses, for singing happy songs so beautifully.

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2. My sister Jayna came over on Monday night, which is always fun. When we were at the grocery store getting hard cider, she introduced me to Strongbow Gold, which may or may not have bumped Angry Orchard into Third Place in My Heart. If hard cider is your thing, I recommend you give Strongbow at least one try. It's super yummy.

3. On Tuesday, I had a mole removed {side note: I love my dermatologist. She made the whole needles/surgery/stitches thing so painless and pleasant, and her staff checked on us like 4 times after I said I was feeling a little lightheaded. If you're in the area, I highly recommend her!}, so now I have stitches and a huge bandaid on my left forearm.
I was feeling good last night, so I ventured out to Zumba. Just to be safe, though, I didn't really use my left arm, because stitches breaking open and blood gushing was something I avoid AT ALL COSTS.
So I one-armed Zumba, and afterwards my instructor told me that she would have me teach sometime, because if I can one-arm class, then no one else has any excuse. Ha! Good one.

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4. After work today, I am heading east over the mountains to visit Dahlia. Hooray! She is just lovely to be around. We can fly across the continent or sit on the couch all day, and either way we will have fun together.

This weekend, we are planning on scrapbooking and crafting. AJ, your Christmas present will hopefully take shape this weekend!

5. Speaking of Christmas presents, I'm feeling really on top of it this year. I have gifts for 2 out of 3 sisters already, and several yarn-related gifts are already finished. The gift I'm most proud of, though, is for my grandparents {trusting that they a) do not know this blog exists and therefore b) will not be reading this post}.
My sisters and I are using Shutterfly to create a photo book of the four of us. I only need two-three more pictures {ahem, sisters} and this album will be complete! My goal is to order it by Thanksgiving, so we are rocking it out.

6. The best part of my grandparents' gift is that we'll be able to give it to them in person. My family is traveling to the Frozen Tundra on the 26th to spend a few days with my mom's family! I'm really excited about this, and I'm already worrying praying for good traveling weather. Because of some health issues, my grandparents haven't been able to come out and visit us since I graduated from high school, so this is quite the exciting visit. Any upcoming holiday trips for you, dear readers?

7. Finally, coming back full circle to the week/weekend/awesomeness thing, I am spending Sunday afternoon with a friend looking at apartments for her and her new job! It's very exciting - this is a fabulous new job and totally in line with her passions and calling, and the apartments we're looking at are really cute.

This week hasn't been the best thing in life, but there have been some light spots and this weekend is going to be fantastic. Happy Friday!

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Finish This: Week Forty-three

Friends.... it is November next week. Gulp. November always freaks me out because it means that the year is almost over and that the holidays are racing towards us and that it's going to get cold. Actually, the end of October hasn't been that toasty, so maybe November is good because it means the cold is going to end soon-ish? Three months isn't too long, right?

Enough with the weather - let's Finish This! As per usual, this link-up is hosted by the marvelous Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, Lisa at Coastlined, and Nicole at Three 31.

As a kid, my favorite Halloween costume was {I'll just let the images speak for themselves}

I was a baker with Minnie Mouse, a princess, and a clown

I was a book of ferry tickets with an M&M, a Hawaiian dancer, and...my other sister. Sorry, Sis. 

As an adult, I celebrate Halloween by hanging out in costume with my friends! Last year a group of us went to see Benedict Cumberbatch and Johnny Lee Miller in Danny Boyle's "Frankenstein." This year Cami and I are road-tripping down to visit Samara. We will be in costume and there may or may not be videos after the fact... we will wait and see about the quality and share-ability.

My favorite candy is Snickers, of the types of candy generally associated with trick-or-treating. If we are including adult candy, then Lindt sea salt chocolate, hands down. 

Voila! Happy Halloween, and thanks for joining the link-up!

"War Against Women" - a Social Justice Film

This post discusses a film about sexual violence. My discussion will not be graphic, but the content may be a trigger for some people, and I want to be sensitive. Also, let's be careful to be considerate in our comments on this post. Thank you.

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Last night my sisters and I went to see the film "War Against Women" {link is to trailer and description} which focused on the use of rape as a war and terrorist weapon. Filmed over three years and in ten countries, it was a hard 65 minutes to watch.

Before viewing, I was worried that the filmmakers would focus solely on the problem and not offer any hope, because let's get real: rape and sexual abuse and violence, and living in the aftereffects of it, can be really hopeless. It can feel like no one cares, or that everyone knows and sees your shame, or both simultaneously. Without Jesus, and even with Jesus, it is hard to find hope.
But the filmmakers did a beautiful job presenting the testimonies and victories of the dozen or so women they interviewed, and the presence of hope was known.

The first woman we met in the film was Leila in Bosnia. She sat on her bed and smoked and told the film crew she didn't think she could say anything, that she couldn't talk about the horror she lived for three years. But she did share. She talked about the things she experienced as a teenager, and how some girls and women didn't survive, and all I could think of was how strong she was to endure, survive, and come back home and rebuild.

The film was divided into three parts: telling the stories, bringing healing, and changing the system. The first third was probably the hardest to watch... these women have survived so much. The second third was a bit brighter; therapists and doctors shared about the healing process. This film focused on rape as a war crime, and so the last third highlighted the efforts to bring about legal justice for the perpetrators.

Although it was difficult to watch, I am glad I went. "War Against Women" showed the victories of both the women and their governments. The last clip brought us back to Leila, who put down her cigarette and said, "Now I want to tell you why I have children. I want to have children so there will be some good people in this world."

One of the most poignant parts of the film for me was when a young Ugandan woman was describing her abuse. She became pregnant and had a daughter, and she was so glad! I was stunned. This woman who survived brutal violence, who probably would not have chosen to become a mother at age 15, named her daughter "Asima" which means "God loves me." I love how her daughter's name is a proclamation to all, an act of defiance to those who abused her, and a reminder of Truth.

Finish This: {Belated} Week Thirty-two

Skidding in late to join the link-up party hosted by Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

13 Things to Know About Me {in 13 sentences}:

1. The biggest love of my life is Jesus, followed closely by Lee Pace, ice cream, and blogs.

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2. I have three sisters, and you'll often hear me refer to something funny/amazing/brilliant that "my sister" said, and you'll probably have to stop me and ask which funny/amazing/brilliant sister I'm talking about.

3. Usually, I'm in the middle of at least 3 books.

4. Even though I have an iPhone, I still keep my schedule on a paper calendar/day planner.

5. One of my favorite memories with my bestie is watching "Leap Year" together over the internet on Leap Day, 2012.

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6. My friend Whitney pierced my ear cartilage in an epic tale involving hotel bathrooms and "Parent Trap" flashbacks. 

7. I'm convinced that there isn't a problem in life that can't be soothed/healed/improved with some sea salt chocolate and Menage a Trois.

8. Today I will attend a training so I can be a volunteer "baby cuddler" at the NICU!

9. Only four more weeks of Bradley classes - once these are over, I'm hoping to start BAI's online program within a month. 

10. I really love Birdy, and currently this song is on repeat:

11. When I really want to suffer feel the burn, I do this ab series, follow it with this leg and glute combo, and end my pain burn session with this arm routine. 

12. Laundry is soothing to me, no joke. 

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13. I have approximately three more posts drafted in my head, so it's a good thing we have reached #13 because my brain is D-U-N done. 

That's a wrap for Week Thirty-two - come back next time {meaning in two days} for another round of Finish This!

7 Quick Takes: Spiders, Sisters, and Craftiness

Linking up with Jen's friend Carolyn for this edition of 7QT - yay, new friends!

1. Biggest and most exciting news first: I finished my Doctor Who scarf yesterday!!!! Woot! A more complete blog post on that is coming soon, don't you worry. This fangirl cannot limit her excitement to one little Take; a full post is definitely required. I mean, I crocheted the full scarf... I owe it to the scarf to write a full post about it. Here, I've already 'grammed it :) And here's a Flashback Friday to when two of my friends and I wrapped the first half around ourselves.

2. Speaking of crafty things, tomorrow night is officially Craft Night. A few friends and I are getting together to make Moscow Mules, do crafty things, talk, laugh, and perhaps watch a movie {if we can remember the three we said we would remember for such a time as this}. My craft is putting ribbons on cookie holders for a friend's wedding - wish me luck. It's going to be a blast, and it has been the happy thought getting me through this week.

3. My happy thought for next week is a person! My good friend Laurie {from the Frozen Tundra} is coming out for a business meetings our fathers have, and she is spending the week at my house! I will try and remember to take some pictures of us together - promise!

4. Alright, deep dark confession time: I don't get Twitter. Conceptually I understand it involves short notes and links and following and tweeting and retweets and favorites and hashtags... but I don't love it or use it frequently. Am I missing a crucial piece of knowledge that makes Twitter cooler than fro yo? Am I doing it wrong? Twitter Jedis, teach me your ways, for I am only a baby Twitter-bird.

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5. I get to hang out with my sister Jayna today! She came down for my dad's birthday dinner yesterday, and today we are going to coffee before she has to go back to work. I love spending time with my sister!

6. Just this week, I've killed three spiders. THREE! This. Week.
I don't care if the weather goes from 90* to 20* - spiders need to stay out of my house! Anybody have some good recipes for spider repellent? I'm frantically searching Pinterest as I type, because y'all know me and spiders do not get along.
The plus side of this story is that 2 of the 3 spiders were encountered before I left for work, so I couldn't just yell for Samara to come kill them. So I killed them. And then I killed them again, just for good measure. This picture sums up my life pretty well this week:

7. To end with a Funny Friday, here is Yzma as a Disney Princess:

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Happy Friday, friends! Enjoy your weekend :)

7 Quick Takes: Graduation, TFIOS, and Doula Homework

Linking up with Jen's friend Kathryn at Team Whitaker for today's 7 Quick Takes.

1. My sister graduates from college tomorrow!! Woot! She's worked really hard on her degree {creative writing major, Spanish minor}, and I'm so proud of her. Also, did I mention that she's earned her blue belt since starting karate less than 2 years ago? Watch out, world! She's smart, cute, and can kill you 5 different ways.

2. Anyone see "The Fault In Our Stars" last weekend? My friend Rebecca and I went to see it Sunday night, and I used up 1/4 of a box of tissues by myself. Rebecca didn't cry until the end {she hasn't read the book yet, so don't judge!}, but I wept basically the whole time. If you haven't already, go read the book and then go see the movie, and then you can read the book again. Isn't that always the right order for these things? Book first, then the movie, then the book again. Story of my life.

3. The soundtrack to TFIOS is perfection. I generally dislike Ed Sheeran, but his song for the movie was great and I can tolerate listening to it in the soundtrack loop. Anyone else listen to the soundtrack repetitively in an attempt to recreate the movie feels? *raises one hand, wipes eyes with other hand* My three fave songs from the soundtrack are...

4. Birdy, "Not About Angels"



5. M83, "Wait"



6.  {gotta have one happy song, right?} GroupLove, "Let Me In"



7. Finally, my Bradley birth book came in at the library! Perfect timing, too, because my homework from Monday's class was to Get The Book. Check!

Happy Friday, happy weekend, and happy Fathers' Day!

Finish This: Week Twenty-three

Linking up with Becky at The Java Mama, Lisa at Coastlined, Jen at The Arizona Russums, and Nicole at Three-31. Join the fun!

The best compliment I ever received is the general response when I announced that I'm going to become a doula. The positive feedback and encouragement was so, so lovely, and it made me more excited {if possible} and made me believe in this dream even more.

Wearing red lipstick makes me feel like I'm about to go on stage, or that I'm playing dress-up. The only times I wear lipstick are for performances; any other time, it's a waiting game of "how long can Bek go without smearing/licking/wiping off her lipstick?!" which is a game I prefer not to play.

The best investment I've made is any trip. Traveling is an investment with countless rewards, and I always feel richer after going somewhere, be it near or far, old or new.

My best childhood memory is making "tents" in my basement. My sisters and I used afghan quilts, tv trays, and dictionaries to construct fortresses that took over the entire family room. We'd leave them up there for days, much to my mother's chagrin.
Also, my sisters and I used to make our own paper dolls. We each had a different spot in the living room for our "houses," and Jayna got super intricate and made a family of cats for her paper family. Good times, good times.

7QT: Make 'Em Laugh

Linking up with the super talented but handwriting challenged Jen at Conversion Diary! {I'm not insulting her; I'm encouraging you to read her post!}

1. This week is unusual in that I'm starting my QT from scratch today. The past few weeks I've started a draft on Wednesday or Thursday, so by Friday I only have to come up with 4-5 Takes. This week is all from the same morning. And for that, I apologize. Here, laugh at this before you read any more.

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2. My baby sister turned 20 {TWENTY!!!??} earlier this month, and like any good nerdy sister would do, I bought her a good nerdy present: The Star Wars Cookbook with Cookie Cutters {it's on sale!} is now in the hands of a twenty-year-old. She came over Tuesday night and we baked Wookie Cookies {wow, did I actually just type that?!}. They are quite yummy, although I was sad because they did not require the use of the cookie cutters. Another day, another destiny.

3. In less than three weeks, my college roomie Catherine is coming to visit! We {ok, I - Catherine doesn't know about them yet} have grand plans, and you can bet your bonnet {if you have one} that there will be pictures and a blog post to document this momentous occasion. Please pray for good weather! Spring time in the Pacific Northwest can be so fickle, and I'd love love love to have some sunshine for Catherine!

4. Last week, I think I listened to the "Man of Steel" soundtrack two dozen times. This week, Bastille's "Bad Blood" album has been on repeat. Their acoustic versions {"Flaws" and "Pompeii" and "Oblivion"} are seriously incredible.

5. Saturday is my grandma's 90th birthday party. We have cousins coming in from all over, and my grandma's room-mate from college is going to be there. {No pressure, Catherine, but I expect that you will be at my 90th birthday party and vice-versa.} My mom has done the lion's share of the preparation, and my small contribution is making the slideshow of allllllll the pictures from the past 90 years. I found some gems of my father in his younger days; please enjoy, and for those who don't know my dad IRL, know that he still makes the same mischievous face:

6. Since becoming a regular part of Notions Club, I've branched out a bit more in my writing. A few poems have come to fruition, and my guest post for Victoria was originally read at a Notions meeting. That being said, I've been thinking about sharing these pieces on ye old blog here. And I'm thinking, what the hey. I'm gonna click "Publish" and let readers see everything, not just the fun link-ups and the "how's life?" posts. Some pieces may require an explanation, some are really deep, some are rather silly, and that's the way the {Wookie} cookie crumbles. :)

7. Because it wouldn't be Friday without some fangirl memes... Today's fangirl Take is brought to you by Ben and Martin:

Smaug's Daily Affirmations

Happy Friday and happy weekend!

Finish This: Week Thirteen

Linking up with the lovely hostesses of Finish This: Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, Nicole at Three 31, and Lisa at Coastlined. Check 'em out and join the fun!

I don't get enough time with my sisters. It's been a few years since we've all consistently lived in the same house for any amount of time longer than Christmas break, and as crazy as sharing a bathroom was, I miss spending all that time with them. When we get together, we laugh until our sides ache and our cheeks are sopping wet. My sisters are bomb.

Here we are with our favorite cousin

My favorite indulgence is hanging out with friends no matter how late. I'm such a people person and my friends are all wonderful... I'd so much rather talk and be with lovely people than do something as boring as sleep! On New Year's Eve, Samara and Cami and I stayed up talking until 4am. Yikes! I've never stayed up that late/early before, but it was so fun and felt justified since we could sleep in. So much wonderfulness.

I made a major life change when I moved out into my own place. The awesome fun-ness of living on my own is very much balanced with the huge sense of responsibility I feel, and I have to say that I love both the freedom and the gravity. 

I'm going to add another life change. When I started volunteering at Care Net, my life became a declaration. Four hours every week is not a whole lot, but it is the first step of a lifelong journey, and I'm so looking forward to it all.

You should read Jesus Feminist by Sarah Bessey, the Unwind series by Neal Shusterman, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart, Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent. Y'all should know better than to ask a bookwork for book recommendations ;)

Almond bark is my secret ingredient in crack popcorn. To read the full recipe, check out this post {with a picture, no less!}. 

Thanks for another great link-up! Tune in next week for some more prompts, and please add your blog to link-up or finish these sentences in the comments. Until next time...

7 Quick Takes: Encouragement, Tom Baker, and Humility

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary for 7 Quick Takes!

One: The last paragraph of this post is amazing. She resolves the conflict I so often feel, that I need to go somewhere to help but I also am burdened to stay and bring positive change. She says it so simply: "I can choose both here and there - because I have enough and can share with others." Beautiful, peace-filled words. Thank you,  Emily.

Two: Just when you thought Pope Francis couldn't get any more awesome, he does. Bam.

Three: Wow. The articles you find at work but apply to life. This is really cool.

Four: This weekend, Samara and I are going on our Jesus retreat!!! I'm so excited to spend some quality time with my best Friend and my bff :) My goal for this weekend is to work on some of my life goals with Jesus, as well as get some specific answers to some things I've been mulling over {side note: isn't that a great expression? I feel like drinking some wonderful sangria while mulling over deep and intense thoughts}.

Five: For my birthday last month, my youngest sister ordered me a phone case. I know this because she asked me what I wanted and I told her...and then I sent her the links to my favorite cases...and then she told me that she ordered one of them. We're cool like that - the surprise is discovering which one she ordered :) All this is to say that it finally arrived in the mail! So I'll be swinging by my parents' house this evening and having an abridged and delayed birthday celebration - picture forthcoming!

Six: Since I finished my TARDIS purse and my sister's birthday scarf, I'm itching for my next crochet project. I'm thinking that I should make Tom Baker's Doctor's scarf, especially since I have half the colors already. If anyone wants to donate yarn to the Doctor Who cause, I'll make something for you!

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Seven: Next week is Valentine's Day, and since it's on a Friday {meaning 7QT Day}, I won't spill the details of what my gal-pals {oh, hey there, 90's expression, long time no see} and I are doing, but just know that it's awesome. And you should know that it was my idea. And you should also know that humility is my most prominent character trait. Others have told me that; I had no idea. But I did have the idea for Valentine's Day. Wow, full circle, looks like it's time for this post to end riiiiiiight now. 

Happy Friday and happy weekend!

Blog Every Day Feb: Day One - My Story

Welcome to February and the Blog Every Day in February challenge! Here's the link from Bailey Jean so you can add your own {hint hint}.

Let's start at the beginning...waiting for the chorus of "the very best place to start" to ring out from the hills. See what I did there?

Like most children, I was born. :) And then my sister was born. And then my next sister was born. And then my next sister was born. And that is how the Fabulous Four came to be. Watch out, Washington!

My parents homeschooled us and I was also involved in a co-op for a few years. Childhood consisted of ballet lessons, bike riding, and book reading {wow, alliteration *pats self on back*}. The summer before 6th grade, my family moved to an island. This was a challenging time for me, as is common for adolescent girls. I didn't know too many other girls experiencing this, though, since after a couple of years on the island, the friends I thought I'd made turned out to not be true friends. 

Cue lifelong best friend. Enter Samara. Yes, we've been best friends since 6th grade :) 

After a couple more years of homeschooling, my parents heard the Lord that we were supposed to move back to the mainland and enroll in my church's private academy. In my teenage wisdom, I refused. And in my parents' wisdom, they ignored me. 

I entered 10th grade awkwardly. Samara was the only person I knew beyond a name-only basis, although I had grown up in Sunday School with the majority of my classmates. Also awkward: there were 2 other girls besides Samara and me, and then 8 guys. Culture shock, anyone? {For those doing the math, yes, that is a sophomore class of 12 students. Did I mention that this school is really small?}

However traumatic those first few months were, I survived. High school eventually became fun and enjoyable, and those stranger-classmates became good friends. Yes, there were ups and downs, but I think that there were more ups. 

senior ladies with just one month before graduation!

Senior year required a thesis paper {25+ pages} on "God's calling for your life." Gulp. I've always been the person who loves a schedule, a plan, the details spelled out. If God and I could sit down and He could tell me the story of my life, I would fill out my calendars in permanent marker and then go on living happily. Unfortunately for us Type As, that's not always how it works, and so I wrestled and cried and struggled and prayed and cried some more. And then God gave me an answer, and so I wrote my thesis. 

Ballet had still been a part of my life throughout this time, and I wanted to keep dancing, but in a different capacity. The answer to my thesis question and the direction of my life at the time was to go to school for physical therapy and then use ballet as therapy for children. This encompassed all my loves of dancing, children, and running a business {and it filled twenty-five pages quite nicely}.

Before I started college, though, I wanted to solidify my relationship with Jesus. My church offered the Master's Commission as a discipleship, leadership, get-to-know-Jesus 11 month school, and I filled out the application nervously. I'd seen "MCs," as students were affectionately referred to, all my life, and I was anxious about what would actually be in store for me.

MC Class of 2007-08

My year in Master's Commission was one of the hardest and best of my life {up to that point}. My 23 classmates and I grew to love Jesus in new ways, and we also grew to love each other. We toured the country in the summer of our year, and that trip is still one of my fondest memories. 

After Master's Commission, I started college. My first two years were spent at a community college {that turned into a four-year college while I was there}. Instead of taking the route of many of my friends and classmates and transferring to the University of Washington {or U-dub as it is called by locals}, I chose instead to go to Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. 

Berea was amazing. My roomie and I really hit it off, and we actually compiled a list of reasons God made us room-mates. Catherine and I chose to stay roomies for our second year, and I'm so grateful for our time together. She and I were both transfer students from out of state, had both been homeschooled, and were both older than the huge flock of freshmen with whom we went through New Student Orientation. 

old people surrounded by freshmen

While attending Berea, I went to church in a nearby town. My church back home was connected to a local church, and so there were a few families who adopted me on the weekends and let me get out of the dorms and back into a family structure for a few days, and I am so, so grateful for both the chance to get off campus and for the relationships with those wonderful people. AJ is my bosom friend from Kentucky, and her family considers me one of their own. So blessed by all of them!

some Kentucky family!

Class of 2012!!

After earning my B.S., I moved back home to Seattle. My parents wanted to hire me at their company, but wanted me to get some experience first. So after a summer at home, I flew to the Frozen Tundra to live with my grandparents and work at an internship. Laurie is my wonderful friend from that experience, and she and I have had some wonderful adventures together {including the thrill of being in the same ice skating rink room as Kristi Yamaguchi as well as the joy of seeing The Lion King on stage.}.

In March 2013, I finished my internship and moved back home again.And then in July, after travelling to Nicaragua, I moved into my own condo! Samara is my flat-mate and the past 6 months {our six month anniversary is on the 3rd!} have been awesome. 

As I type all of this up, I realize that there are so many more facets that could be included, like my passion for the preborn and my volunteering at a crisis pregnancy center, or the way I crochet like an old lady, or my obsession with British television, or that time I dyed the lower half of my hair purple-that-turned-pink, or the way that my sisters and I get together and sit around the table and just laugh the night away. But since this post is already one of the longest I've written, I guess more of this story will have to come later. Feel free to do some stalking reading of earlier posts, and do please say hello if you're here from Bailey Jean's link-up. Until tomorrow!

Finish This

Jen is such a gift! Right when I'm thinking "I should blog but I forget how," she posts this lovely little link-up that has the prompts. All I have to do is finish the story. Pressure = gone.

I first felt like a grown up when I got my first job that was not babysitting. The summer before my senior year of high school, I applied to work in a Christian bookstore, and while on a youth retreat, I got a phone call from them. I was hired! Such a cool feeling.

I am one-of-a-kind because I have a passionate love for my Wat Bot. Seriously, my water bottle is with me more than my bff is with me, and that's a lot because we live together. If you want to know the full story of my Wat Bot, here ya go.

Spanx is a life saver... and the one item of clothing that my mom steals from me. Samara and I were just discussing how some outfits give you confidence while others require confidence to pull off. Spanx is basically instant confidence!

My favorite family tradition is opening pajamas on Christmas Eve, after listening to days and weeks of my parents telling us "you're not getting pajamas this year. You're too old." Yeah, right, Mom and Pops, yeah, right :)

The last thing I do before bed is put on chapstick. I've weaned myself to not really use it during the day {these winter-y months are challenging my resolve, though!}, but I put it on at night after brushing my teeth. So soothing!

Happiness is laughter with all 4 sisters home. Staying up waaaaay too late talking with the bestie. Stories in the round. A good hair day. Painted toenails. Visiting my favorite Southern state. Painted nails. Phone dates. A new book.

And that does it! How would you finish these prompts?

Link up here!

Happiest Season of All

I read this post recently and the whole thing really spoke to me {I was going to name a specific paragraph, but then I reread the post and decided it was all really wonderful}. I love that Advent is not waiting meaning sitting on your hands, but it's really about preparing and making ready and fully embracing the season in which God has placed you.

This season, and maybe even the whole of 2014, I think God is focusing on how He pursues me. I was reminded of a story in this book and how much God has both given to and given up for me. Yes, gifts are a bit cliche this time of year, but this Sunday my pastor shared some really lovely and practical gifts that God has given to His bride, like the fruit of the Spirit. God has given us gentleness, patience, self-control, etc. I love considering how richly God has blessed and equipped believers for our daily lives.

God has also blessed my family with togetherness! Christmas is my favorite time of the year because ALL the sisters are home! So far we have never been apart over Christmas, and I hope that this tradition can continue forever :)

Praying God's abundant blessings over you and your family this Christmas!

31 Days of Writing: Day Twenty-seven "Write A Haiku"

Sisters

Four girls in total

A gang combining

love, wit, and sarcasm

circa 1997

**linking up with Victoria**

31 Days of Writing: Day Eighteen "Jaw Dropper"

"My jaw dropped to the floor. I couldn't believe..."


...that my mom lied to me.

She told me that my old friend Louisa wanted to get together at Skate King, the roller-blade place in town. What Mom didn't tell me was that ALL my friends from school were gathered there to surprise me for my birthday.

via

Unsuspectingly, I had walked into Skate King, keeping my eyes open for Lou. No sign of her, but then "SURPRISE!!" erupted in front of me. My friends had come to celebrate, and my mom had kept it a secret.

As my friends and I made laps around the skating rink, I kept pondering all the lies my mother had told me. When I reached the end of the rink where she stood, I asked her, "So what about not having a party this year?"

"I lied," was her satisfied response.

Another lap. Another question.

"What about your dinner party tonight?"

"I lied."

I skated another lap or two.

"So when you said..."

"All lies." My mom grinned.

I guess this was the best deception a girl could wish for her golden birthday.

{This story is loosely based on a sister's experience. Many creative licenses were taken, though.}

**linking up with Victoria. Check out her wonderful story today!**

31 Days of Writing: Day Fourteen “Wild Card 3”

“The Trunk That Saves the Universe”

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Tardis in a trunk. It’s perfect. My sister and I will decorate the trunk of my car to look like the TARDIS, and then we will dress ourselves up as the Doctor {the Tenth, of course} and a companion {Rose, of course} and then we will pass out candy to the children who walk around the parking lot of church.
It’s completely brilliant.

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I think that we will hang a blue sheet to completely cover the inside of the trunk. Gotta set the scene, you know. And then we will add some cords and tubes and scientific-looking objects, to accessorize the sides. In the middle, we will put a huge vase and fill it with colored water. Perhaps Dad can help us rig a pump of some sort…
We personally will accessorize with a Sonic Screwdriver and some Psychic Paper. We will look legit.
For candy, we’ll hand out Milky Ways and Moon Pies.
Our trunk will be so TARDIS-like that people will want to climb inside the trunk to see if it’s bigger on the inside.
And that is how we will save the universe, one trunk-or-treater at a time.

**linking up with Victoria!**

31 Days of Writing: Day Two "My earliest memory"

My two earliest memories both involve hospitals. Perhaps that is why I am so traumatized by them now.

The first memory is not unpleasant. I was not yet two, and Mom had to go to the hospital so that *surprise!* my sister could be born. {I tease my sister now that her birth ruined my life as an only child... which is true. My life as an only child ceased to exist, but my sister definitely is worth it.}

After J was born, my grandparents brought me to the hospital to meet her. Exciting! Apparently I was learning human anatomy at this point in my life, because instead of ooh-ing and aww-ing over my first sibling, I pointed to her face and said "nose." And repeat about forty times. One track mind.

My family has a picture of my grandparents holding the swaddled baby J...and I'm standing on the couch pointing in her face. Totes presh.

My second memory is quite horrifying, actually. This memory is more like an out-of-body memory, probably because the PTSD doesn't allow me to relive those moments.

My cousins were visiting; our parents were on the back porch drinking iced tea and the kids were playing in the toy room. I distinctly remember sitting on one of those scooters for toddlers, and then I was standing on the bed looking out the window at the adults. Then my mind's eye removes itself and I watch myself jump on the bed a couple times, lose my balance, and fall backwards into the mirrors on our closet doors.

I only know what happened next through my parents' retelling and through the scars on my body. The mirror broke on top of me and almost cut off my nose. My parents rushed me to the hospital where the nurses could not tell who was injured because of all the blood. I was wrapped in a sheet so I couldn't fight the doctors and they stitched me up.

I have a scar around my nose and three scars on my left hand from this little adventure. Oh, and I also have an inexplicable dislike of hospitals.

**linking up with Victoria's 31 Days of Writing. Join us here!**