The Snow in Seattle...what??

So... it has been a regular blizzard here in Seattle, from the moment I landed in Seattle and had to taxi through the snow to get to our gate until now, and it looks as though we might still get a little more snow. Crazy. My sister, Robyn, and I spent the last couple days at her fiance's apartment (Jack), keeping warm and playing games and building snow forts, complete with a window (something I think is necessary in any structure), cooking a turkey breast, stuffing and gravy! It has been great. I am so happy to be able to spend this incredible quality time with my sister and Jack. I think we would have spent good time together if there hadn't been this crazy snow, but this has made us spend every possible moment together, even if it means me walking my sister the mile to her work, or trudging up and down the icy hill to get to U Village to finish up our Christmas Shopping. Tonight we all made dinner together again and wrapped presents, all the while enjoying great conversation and allowing Jack and I to get to know each other even better. I love Jack!! He and my sister are such a wonderful match for each other. He is so very sweet and kind, but also is a very strong person, and I have realized that he really understands my sister so well. This makes me happy. They love spending every moment together and they have so much fun doing the everyday things together. That's the way it should be, being in love. Everything can be made into something wonderful because you can do it together and that makes it worthwhile. The wedding planning is nearly finished and the wedding is just a month and a half away!!
Anyway, back to the weather.
A couple days ago, I had to babysit for a family that I used to babysit for in college, but they live in Kirkland, which was not any easy place to get to without a car and in the snow. But I took the bus and it was a relatively easy trip. The painful part came after I got off the bus. I really needed to pick up a picture that I had printed at Costco, as it is a necessary part of one of my presents. Well I was at the bottom of the hill, and Costco is WAAaaayyy at the top of the hill, so I began my careful trudge up the ice coated sidewalk. Mind you, I had already walked 4 miles that morning, in the snow and ice, in rain boots that I am borrowing from some girl I have never met, and I have an overnight bag with me. I also have only 1 hour to get to Costco, then back down the hill, and then about a 12 block walk up another hill to get to the house where I am babysitting. OH MY. Well I don't know when I have ever sweat that much before in my life. The clothes I took off were still damp the next morning! I was a bit late to babysitting, my face an attractive shade of cherry red, and so tired I just wanted to pass out. But I had 8 hours of a screaming 4 month old baby ahead of me, so I pressed on. Whew. Well it's been an adventure. I haven't been lacking in my exercise, that's for sure. We still have to figure out how the heck we are getting to Lopez on Wednesday. Lord, please let the snow melt enough...

I love cooking!!

So, Shannon and I decided to have dinner together last night, Jeff is out on a hunting trip and well, I am alone, as usual. So, I got a little too excited and cooked all afternoon, even baked a pie for dessert!! It was so much fun! And it was all soooo yummy :) I don't cook as much as I used to, because, really, why would I cook a whole meal that only I am going to eat? One of my great joys in life is to make other people happy and I love doing that with food. So all that to say, I re-discovered my love of preparing food and changing recipes to make them my own...I love cooking!! :)

A new day

As many of you know, I don't view sadness as something that is so bad. Some people avoid the emotion of sadness as the worst thing that could ever happen. I don't think it's right to seek only "happiness" as your sole goal in life. Yes, I believe that we should have the Joy of the Lord, but I am a firm believer that you can be joyful even when you are sad. I don't think the sweet and good things in life would be as amazing if we don't spend adequate time feeling sorrowful over those things that truly disappoint. I don't think dwelling in sadness is healthy at all, but the occasional cry about people we love that are no longer with us, or a relationship that has changed over time, or finding that something you were really looking forward to is no longer possible, or just being lonely, I think these things are good reasons to embrace sadness for a time. The last two nights I cried myself to sleep, all the while asking God to make the next day new, and when I woke up this morning (after sleeping in until 11:30- hehe) the gorgeous sun was shining and my soul felt fresh. I went for a jog at Wash Park in the beautiful sunshine and I feel happy. The sadness that put me to sleep the last couple nights is fading, and I am ready for this new day and week. God is good, he makes things fresh and helps keep my "insides" from aching. :)

Old friends, new friends

This weekend I flew from my new home in Denver, CO to go to Britt's wedding down in Santa Barbara, CA. I was really excited to go see friends that I haven't seen in a month or more and to have some fun for a couple nights in the little town of Solvang, just northeast of the wedding site. I had such a great time!!
It still amazes me that when you are around people who know you, really know you, you become yourself and any hopes of trying to maybe cover up who you are or make good impressions or whatever, that just doesn't work. Which is wonderful. It made it so hard to fly back to Denver, knowing that coming back to my little apartment by myself means that only one person here truly knows me, and she works the night shift for now, and I love her so much, but I don't get to see her as often as I'd like...
Back to the fun-ness of Cali: the weather was beautiful. We were all able to see Emily, who we thought was eternally trapped in the country of Canada (just kidding Em-lol!), and there were so many moments of nostalgia from spring break sophomore year, Emily's wedding earlier in the year, and at her wedding, finding out that Shera was getting married for sure...I feel like I have spent quite a bit of time in that area of the country, and always with people that I love and have known "forever." The wedding reminded me that God brings people together as friends, or as more, in whatever way He thinks is right. Britt and Daniel met through him being contracted to work on her house...straight from a movie, no? I love it. Other friends who were there are all moving around and trying to figure out life...seattle, delta, denver, arizona, california, england?, where else? everywhere. But we all want to see each other, and try and plan the next run-in, just to make sure we keep up with each other's lives. There are always people you know are going to be at these meet-ups that you aren't quite sure how it will go over, or how you will react to them being there... it is always nice to know that no matter what has happened, time heals wounds, at least some of the way, and God is always working to mend the rest. Ann, Kyle, and Mike- I had so much fun with you guys at the condo. It was fun "playing grownups" lol!! Well at least for most of the time ;)
This weekend of friends was something I won't forget, but it was bittersweet at parting, knowing that they will always be my friends, but right now they are going more than a 1000 miles away from me, and I have to get to know people where I'm at. That is a great adventure, and so far it has been a good one! I know God will bring wonderful people into my life here in Denver, and I am seeking out people who want to be life long friends. I love my friends and I miss you!!