tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18349054236210646952024-03-05T03:04:08.389-05:00Chronicles of a Fake Grown-UpChronicles of a Fake Grown-UpJ Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.comBlogger151125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-86801612942143907342013-06-06T10:17:00.001-04:002013-06-06T10:17:16.740-04:00Impromptu Date NightLife outside the nation's capital is quite fast and busy at times. There is always something going on. Just so you have an idea of what's been happening in the recent lives of me and Mr. Man, I'll give you a little breakdown. He works in security - I work in HR. We live not far from where we work, which around here is a godsend. I like to run and have recently started a running club with our church. We do that every week. We try to have date night once a week, and since getting married in November, we have only spent one Saturday at home with no plans at all. (Yes, if you are wondering, that has been one of my favorites.) We have a great, wonderful, beautiful yellow lab, who - although loyal and adoring, is not the smartest tool in the shed some times.<br />
Recently, we have had a roommate. While you may be thinking - ahhhh! Roommate for the newlywed couple in their tiny two-bedroom condo = nightmare... we have enjoyed it. Roomie is only sticking with us until about July 5 weekend since she is in the area for a super awesome internship at a local international hotel chain's HQ. I have known roomie for - LITERALLY - her entire life. She is my best friend's sister, and so is an extension of my family. <br />
Another thing you should know is that Mr. Man and I are excited to try to save enough money over the next year to get out of debt and buy a house. In the meantime, we are learning to watch our dollars, but still want to enjoy our time being young, single, and free. So when we both have a long day, get stuck at work, and don't get home until 7:30 or 8pm. First thing we do is apologize profusely to the pup, and then make plans to let someone else do the cooking for us. So we headed out to Rockville yesterday for some fine dining at <a href="http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com/" target="_blank">Founding Farmers</a>. If you are in the area - I highly reccomend that place. They have fantastic brunch, a nice bar, and they promote the ever-struggling family farmers and are select about where they get their food. We were seated outside - which was perfect for a clear night in the low-70s. I opted for a Chardonnay paired with my Scallop and Risotto dish. Mr. Man got a MEAT salad (seriously... you had to dig under 1/2lb of meat to find the lettuce!), and a sweet tea. I thought I was full enough to skip dessert, but when our waiter brought out Mr. Man's carrot cake slice that was as tall as my head - I guiltily gave in. It was a fantastic way to unwind after a stressful and frustrating day for both of us, and we were able to laugh, joke, reminisce, and then mosey over to an outdoor firepit after dinner. Summer is here, and so is summer dining, and since the cicadas aren't taking over this particular area, that let's us people swarm around outside. Mhmmm summa nights are the BEST - especially when your dinnertime sunset is as beautiful as this:<br />
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J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-60976506110419859642013-02-07T22:15:00.000-05:002013-02-07T22:15:12.260-05:00The week I tried to poison my knight in shining armor...So... married life. People keep asking me how it is. Obviously, my husband is the love of my life, and the first three months have been quite an adventure. I am really looking forward to the next 11thousand. <br />
But it has definitely come with some learning moments. <br />
But pinterest has given me this confidence. Of course I can make the most delectable meal, work out, make my house look great, and conquer the world with inspirational and witty quotes in the process. <br />
So I found a wonderful recipe for beef stew. I excitedly bought some stew beef chunks, and pinned the best recipes. I breaded the beef, cut up the additional ingredients (even had the foresight to cut the carrots and put them aside so they didn't get to smushy in the slow cooker), and left the stew to cook for a couple hours while we went off to watch the superbowl with the in-laws.<br />
Monday night we were ready for some delicious beef stew. Unfortunately (or fortunately) I had bible study, so I left Kev to enjoy the beef stew while I had dinner with some great girls.<br />
Monday, I got a message from Kev that he quarantined himself in the apartment. At first we thought it might be the stomach bug that his brother and sister in law had last week, but then when I came home and didn't get sick, and then we noticed the smell coming from the crock pot - WE KNEW. <br />
Fast forward to Thursday night. As I was coming home I pulled toward the end of the street and realized there was no further spaces, so I go to put the car in reverse. It wouldn't move. So I put on the parking brake, shift back and forth a couple times, and no dice. But because my car is an automatic, I couldn't get into park either. I call Kev and he tells me to try to turn off my car and turn it back on. Well unfortunately, I tried to turn off the car and it wouldn't turn all the way off. It also decided to not turn all the way back on. So here I'm sitting, blocking in at least 3 cars, and my car won't turn off, won't turn on, and won't shift. So I am sitting here freaking out, having images of the bill for towing our car, getting it fixed, etc... I am waiting for my battery to die, the people who I'm blocking in to suddenly need to leave, and all other ridiculous thoughts. I can't leave because my key is stuck. Finally Kev shows up. He gets in the car, I toss him the manual, and say - Help! He shifts. Just like that. Car turns on. Just like that. Enter riotous laughter from my husband who is then joking about being my knight in shining armor. <br />
I learned an important marriage lesson this week. If you poison your husband, he will plot for your car to betray you. Clearly, there is no other explanation.<br />
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Also, I am giggling because of the occasion (ok... occasions) that I missed the f in shift. It's a funny story either way.J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-43964876560056251962012-12-04T20:31:00.000-05:002012-12-04T20:31:06.651-05:00Date night & puppies!
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby and I celebrated one month of wedded bliss last night by going out on a date night in downtown Frederick. And here's to another 999 more blissful months of marriage!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother in law introducing the new puppy to the horses</td></tr>
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J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-52088558768477809682012-12-04T20:24:00.001-05:002012-12-04T20:24:41.005-05:00Lovely weekendSo, the man has been working lately, and I mean working a LOT. It's been an adjustment for sure, but he likes what he's doing, and it gives me free reign to rule my social life and not feel guilty about "leaving the husband at home."<br />
Friday night - we took the dive and JOINED THE GYM!! Very exciting since I've already gained a couple little pounds since the wedding, and I refuse to be THAT married woman that let's herself go. That, and I need to get my legs in gear if I am going to attempt the 10 miler in April! After that, I headed up to one of the local high schools for a production of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. I got to have a date with the mother in law, meet some people I've heard a lot about, and remember what it's like to be in a high school without the focus of hanging out with YL kids. The school did an amazing job, and the sound was perfection.<br />
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Saturday hubby and I lazed around the apt and went out to breakfast. It was probably the first time all week I had seen him for a collective 4+ waking hours, so that was pretty lovely :-)<br />
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Saturday during the day Graciebelle and I joined my friends Walter &Yelena and Gracie's friends Blake and Luke for some romping around the dog park. My stupid silly dog just walked off sniffing grass by herself while all the other dogs ran around smelling each other's butts, jumping, and chasing balls. Ahhh... she's a special one, but I love that fat old lab!<br />
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After the dogpark I headed down to Rockville for a very unique party! One of the beautiful ladies in my bible study hosted a "my favorite things" party. Don't know what it is? I didn't either. But what I found out is that you show up with 5 of your favorite item in a bag and everyone puts their name in a hat 5 times. Then, as names are picked, each girl ends up with 5 different favorite items from other people at the party! It was fun, unique, and a great time, but from this friend - I didn't expect anything less! The five items I got were body wash, a notepad and post-it holder with Sharpies, a huge amount of tea, (I've already started on it, it won't last too long), some ... ahem... unmentionables from VS, and some really cool colored pencils (hubby will have to hold me back to keep from finishing thank you cards with those!)<br />
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Sunday we re-decorated our tree (it has survived the fall, and now we actually have ornaments on it too!). <br />
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I made a delicious dinner of pinterest finds... what else? I have always been afraid to buy kale because I never cooked with it before, but let me tell you - roasted Kale? BETTER THAN POTATO CHIPS!! <br />
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And then to top it all off, I let my inner craftiness out yesterday and made yet another Pinterest find. I cut up our wedding invitation for a christmas ornament, and also butchered my bridal bouquet. Previously it had been sitting in a vase just rotting away in our apt, but now I have a beautiful ornament with dried peices of my bridal bouquet. Admittedly, not nearly as beautiful as the bouquet was on our wedding day (<a href="http://www.blossomandbasketboutique.com/" target="_blank">Blossom & Basket</a>) did a fantastic job - and I can't wait to show off pictures on here.<br />
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All in all - it was a wonderful weekend, with lots of chances to be social, active, and creative. What more can you ask for?<br />
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Oh yea... for the Eagles to beat the Cowboys. Unfortunately, I think my hometeam would prefer the #1 draft pick instead...<br />
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Happy Holidays!J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-4906713389735374742012-11-28T11:23:00.004-05:002012-11-28T11:33:28.298-05:00Presenting the Mr. & Mrs!I have been absent at best from this blog, but with everything going on in our lives, I want to get back into it. And yes, you read correctly - our lives. On November 3, 2012, I became a We. I am losing the Pott part of my name that made me JPott, but so thrilled to take on this new identity as the wife to my best friend.<br />
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Kev is a wonderful man, full of humor, a generous spirit, desire to serve others, and a boatload of goodness and integrity. I can't express fully in words how lucky of a woman I am that he has chosen to spend the rest of his life with me, and how excited I am for the rest of our lives to begin!<br />
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Where we are - after a beautiful wedding with 170 of our closest friends and family, we jetsetted ourselves off to the west coast where we honeymooned in San Francisco and Napa valley. I will make a dedicated blog update about our wedding and honeymoon at a later time. <br />
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If we fast forward to today, we are biding our time in a small simple apartment in the MD Suburbs, with the hope of beginning the process of buying a home within the next year. We have a wonderful yellow lab (who was previously just mine), and the three of us are one small but very happy family. <br />
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I have started a new job, which I thoroughly enjoy, and the commute has shortened from up to three hours a day (roundtrip) to about 30-40 minutes (traffic pending - about 15-20 minutes each way!!). The location is obviously better for me, and the atmosphere is one of value and teamwork, which makes me much happier than my last role.<br />
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We are getting ready for Christmas, and I have survived Black Friday shopping with my sister-in-law, and brother-in-law's girlfriend. We only had one potentially minor issue, in which SIL was about to chase down some crazy driver in the Best Buy parking lot. I am slightly kidding about this, but overall we got some deals, most of the Christmas shopping done, had a great morning together, and got one more thing checked off my to-do list.<br />
We successfully found, cut down, and put up our tree. We did some decorating of the tree before realizing we didn't have many clips for the ornaments, and also, that we have a pretty bare tree this year!! I guess over the course of marriage we will try to beef up our Christmas ornament collection... But it's probably best we didn't have the tree completely decorated, because at some point early on Monday morning (roundabout 4am), Kevin awoke to a loud crash but didn't feel like it was anything to investigate, and when we were up for the morning realized our tree had timber-ed itself in the middle of the night!! We are currently hoping that our first christmas tree together has survived the fall, otherwise it may be a brown Christmas in our home this year :-/ More to come on that...<br />
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Also, with the ongoing Eagles v. Redskins battle going on in our home, my eagles are breaking my heart this year, and are majorly sucking. Regardless... Kev and I get to spend our Christmas weekend at the Eagles game in Philly and I am stoked beyond words since this is the first time I will be at the Linc for a game. (A wonderful and thoughtful gift from my oh, so dreamy husband...) However, I have learned the disaster in inviting a bunch of redskin fan friends and family over when I am the sole supporting fan of a crappy eagles team. Of course, the Philly Dream in me believes that next year will be a much different story, and just like every year, it will be superbowl or bust. I just hope our team is done busting...<br />
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So hopefully many of you are welcoming me back into the blogging world with grace and patience of not updating nearly at all over the last few months, but I plan to be giving more updates and PLENTLY more photos.<br />
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Happy Holidays!<br />
<br />J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-66771805226176332852012-08-20T10:39:00.001-04:002012-08-20T10:43:28.863-04:00Busy busy busy bee!So... fault - I haven't been blogging. But to my credit, I have been planning a big wedding for about 200 people in the period of 5 months, right?<br />
I'm gonna say it's a good excuse at least...<br />
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So far, we have gotten our reception venue, ceremony venue, our ceremony options, food, drink, save the dates (done and out), invitations are gonna be going out by Labor Day, we have flowers, limo transportation, dress for me, dresses for my girls, tuxes picked out for our guys, first family shower/party (which was such a complete success!), we have our honeymoon booked (don't ask where we are going, we aren't going to tell until we get home!), we have a DJ, a photographer (and engagement photos done), mother of the bride/grooms dresses already chosen, favors picked out. The things I am struggling to decide on are a guest book and wedding favors. Also the cake/dessert options. But for the most part everything has worked out really well, and yes, we are going to be eating ramen noodles for the first year of our marriage, but we couldn't be more thrilled about getting married in November!</div>
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Cue this weekend. This wonderful weekend. The weekend before it was kinda hit and miss. We had a great family shower up in PA for us on Sunday, and another engagement party on Monday for a close friend of mine. But I did unfortunately end up putting about 20 hours of work in over the weekend too, so it was kinda a wash for me as well as for my super wonderful, graceful, and patient fiance. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwKcjpWRQpCSWvcylxP7UqbMcgBZcwQAG3H3YS3WcpAXEVxJ3xEnEj0ZTDDfQI-B2VnSPbP8Kl8cUWOmeiZ2hMiyMxtwnllD3ULYiSAfjUrO5vR2UCe0yJRxqxxXKQtJ9U_9ljiLT884/s1600/Carousel+Rogues.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwKcjpWRQpCSWvcylxP7UqbMcgBZcwQAG3H3YS3WcpAXEVxJ3xEnEj0ZTDDfQI-B2VnSPbP8Kl8cUWOmeiZ2hMiyMxtwnllD3ULYiSAfjUrO5vR2UCe0yJRxqxxXKQtJ9U_9ljiLT884/s320/Carousel+Rogues.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caitlin and Carousel Rogues rockin out!</td></tr>
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Needless to say, this weekend was a welcome break. I took off Friday, slept in until almost 7am (I know, that is depressing). I drove against traffic for the first time in a long time, to head up to Kev's to get his car and get it aligned. (True confession: I did work for just a little bit while waiting for his car to get done.) Then I headed up to his parent's house for dress shopping with his mom. It turned out to be a wonderful day. We got a dress at David's Bridal, had a delicious lunch at Silver diner, and then headed back to the house for some more chatting before I went back to Kev's place with his car. Then, I headed my butt into DC for some sweet jams and good friends since a friend's band was playing a concert. The concert was intimate and awesome, and it was such a good relaxing time. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New recipe: baking turkey bacon on cooling racks and cookie sheets!</td></tr>
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Saturday I tried my hand at making crepes for the first time in my life, and then had 6 of the coolest teenage girls I know come over for brunch. Complete with juice, coffee, fruit, powdered sugar, pumpkin butter, and nutella, we had an amazing brunch of just talking, catching up, and discussing some of life's more important things... Ahhhhh I love those girls.</div>
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And then Kev came down and we embossed thank you cards. We resolved that embossing and creating our own thank you cards needs to be regulated to the showers, and that we are NOT going to take on the challenge of making our own after the wedding, but it was still fun to create something together. We welcomed new roommate 1 of 3 (we have two more moving in the next month), on Saturday night and finished off a great day with a run and then some Chinese food. Mhmm... life is good. Sunday was some more just relaxing, and getting stuff done. But after being so go-go-go for the last month or so, it was nice to just relax and enjoy the good relationships and laid back time with the people that mean the most. </div>
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<em><strong>Mhmm... Life is so good, and I do believe, it's getting better... <3></3></strong></em></div>
J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-37328738731999745532012-07-05T17:00:00.004-04:002012-07-05T17:05:19.638-04:00I sparkle...Sometimes I get in this fantastic rhythm in which I keep up with my blog. I offer witty stories, cute photos, and at least bearable updates on my attempt at an adventurous life. And inevitably I always lose my rhythm and fall into a funk of not posting for weeks or months at a time. And sometimes you are just so fortunate to have a life event amazing and wonderful enough to catapult you back into blogging and sharing your life again.<br />
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A few weeks ago, my life changed in a wonderful and spectacular way.<br />
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The day was planned. I was going to go to Downtown Baltimore for the Sailabration. The Sailabration was the bicentennial of the War of 1812, and of course the creation of our beautiful Star Spangled Banner. (For those of you that don't know this about me, I actually really dig history, and although I am not the most patriotic person in the world, I am pretty freaking proud of this country and my right to be an American. I digress...). So you can imagine that a day to celebrate this point in America's history while featuring Naval Ships from all over the world at Inner Harbor, a Blue Angels airshow, a sunny warm summer day, and fireworks sounds like a perfect win for me. So Kevin and I planned to go to Baltimore and meet up with some friends for the Air Show.<br />
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A couple weeks before the Sailabration, Kevin asked if we could go to Annapolis in the morning before we went to Baltimore. It made complete sense, I LOVE being in Annapolis and right along the water there. It's out in generally the same direction as Baltimore from DC, and we had gone there a couple times before, and even have a favorite brunch place there. As far as I was concerned, it was a good excuse to go hang out in the water, have brunch, and enjoy a quiet morning before the hustle and bustle of downtown Baltimore. <br />
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Kevin came to pick me up around 7ish that morning, and we headed out for the day. We had coolers packed, sunglasses on, and even a CD that he made specially for me (cue: AWWWWWWWW). We got down there and headed on over to this park that we had gone to before. There is this beautiful little bench right along the water and it is out of the way enough that no one really comes to bother you. You can just sit nearby and take it all in. So here we are bright and early along the water in Annapolis. (Melt my heart now.) Kevin had brought his big clunky camera bag, which I always make fun of him for bringing, because we never seem to take pictures when he brings his camera. (Let me assure you - that day was the same.) What I didn't realize though was the the camera bag was a decoy for him to fit a perfect little ring box inside without me ever suspecting. <br />
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We sat on the bench. We joked and laughed and talked about the times we had been there before. Like the time we went to watch the sunrise on his birthday (in January) and almost froze to death before we realized that we actually didn't have a good view of the sunrise there. So we drove a couple blocks up and watched the sunrise (while still shivering) from a different spot. Or like the time last summer when we went there, and sat at the same park and for about 2 hours sitting there, I had a mental war with myself to tell this guy that I loved him. (Which I chickened out and didn't even do that day - but it made for a better story anyway.) We pulled out a log book attached to the bench, started flipping through stories people left when they found this park. Some about heartbreak, or family vacation, or quiet times of contemplation, or seeing Venus orbit. After reading through stories, we went to write our own, but Kevin said he had something he wanted to do first. I gave him the most confused look, and then the next thing I know he is down on one knee... and he has something in his hand... it looks like... it is... OMG he's asking me to marry him! (That was kinda my train of thought.) Of course I said yes and cried and kissed him.<br />
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His brother happened to be there snapping photos and showed up a couple minutes later. I sat there with my fiance grinning like an idiot, taking in the rest of the morning of being there with him by the water. Then we went to breakfast, then headed into Baltimore for friends and festivities. It was the most wonderful day, and included so many of my favorite things - he did so well, and it has so far been the best day of my life. I am very excited, and needed to share with anyone who may stumble upon this blog how awesome and fantastic my fiance is, and how happy I am to be the girl that gets to end up with him. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08lk906cxYQhBDqONEvYXAOt5G_1GrdIDcjSad3qUhAPRUKPobD47wz_YP65GbuCMwD_hmggvnkJCfECr5bsfJR8ne88146FBYPxljNYPxziElgmP9yYnwnEwxwNSoUiyxX8qXYisYpo/s1600/181149_10151030141616163_942656287_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" sca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj08lk906cxYQhBDqONEvYXAOt5G_1GrdIDcjSad3qUhAPRUKPobD47wz_YP65GbuCMwD_hmggvnkJCfECr5bsfJR8ne88146FBYPxljNYPxziElgmP9yYnwnEwxwNSoUiyxX8qXYisYpo/s320/181149_10151030141616163_942656287_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pirate! Surrender the booty! (We are engaged, so I can say that now, right?)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my most favorite pictures ever :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blingin ring!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After getting some sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friends that we shared the wonderful afternoon with!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-53429414348964912722012-06-12T10:11:00.000-04:002012-06-12T22:55:04.456-04:00"And will the Younglife and Youthgroup leaders please stand" said no graduation speaker - everAfter 4 years I am hanging my hat. By the time this next school year rolls around kids will be going back to school, fall sports will start up, Friday nights my high school friends will be watching football games, leaders will be starting to get kids excited for fall weekend, and hundreds of grown ups will find themselves using twitter and facebook again to get their YL kid's attention.<br />
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But not me.<br />
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My time is done. No more campaigner Sunday afternoons, crazy club games and skits, club talks that seem to stress me out until I give in, give it all to God and suddenly I have something worthwhile to share with the kids. No more laughing about how silly our club games were on Thursday, or taking goofy pictures of kids with pots on their heads and lolipops in their mouths. I will miss the days of cuddling together with my younglife friends during cabin times, and club talks, and praying with them through the hard times, and the rare but most beautiful moment of all - when they want to talk to you about changing their life to have a REAL relationship with God. All of the mentioned moments have been some of my absolute favorite over the last 4 years.<br />
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I have loved my time as a Younglife leader. It has taught me humility, selflessness, the servanthood and grace of Christ, and how to push on through the tiredness to have that late night conversation with a kid, let them cry on your shoulder, and spend tons of time/energy/money/all the above to try to be where kids are and pursue them. It has taught me the pleasure of being a kid, living life, finding joy, and the satisfaction when you know you are accepted just for who you are. Because of Younglife I know what dubstep is, can sing more Justin Bieber songs than I would like to admit, have have at least 2,307 car rides screaming Taylor Swift songs at the top of my lungs, I bravely bought a pair of skinny jeans, I have learned how to create no less than 7 interesting prom hairstyles, and know that high school boys are just as cute/adorable/frustrating/obnoxious as they were when I was in high school.<br />
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I went to graduation for the high school the other day. They asked the pivitol people in the kid's lives to stand. They started with parents, and then grandparents and siblings, and then teachers. They never asked for youth leaders to stand up. And I love that - I think every youth group leader does. The one thing I have learned over the last four years, is that it isn't about what we've done for our high school friends. God placed me as a leader to learn that - I think - because I can so easily make life about me. The last four years I have gotten to see God more clearly, and been able to try my hardest to grow more like the others-focused, loving servant that Christ perfectly modeled. There may be times where we question our impact on a kid's life, but we are so quickly reminded that it isn't about US and what WE are doing with the kids - it is what HE is doing for THEM, and how fortunate we are to be used in that way.<br />
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And at graduation, as each of those kids are sitting there, they are waiting for the moment that they walk across the stage. They are revisiting what their time in high school meant, what they stood for, what they are leaving behind. And it's all about them. Welcome to being a YL leader. It is all about them. We love them for who they are (and as frustrating as it is, we love them for their mistakes too). It is so great to know that because I have been given the gift to spend time with them, some of those kids have had encounters with Christ through high school. And some got it, and some didn't. But they are all off to new things now. And I don't get to go with them. If I am lucky, I get to stay in touch with them and share a wonderful friendship with them. But where they are going - I don't get to. God does. And for any time I ever (selfishly) felt under appreciated, stretched too thin, or taken advantage of, I know that I did it in the name of Christ, and to draw them closer to a God who loves them and wants life with them. And hopefully for most of those kids I've met, they will let him go where they are going.<br />
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Leaving Younglife is a sad sort of contentment. I will miss this graduating class, just as I've missed the ones before it. I will miss leading YL for the girls that are still at RM for the next year(s). But I know that I have been set aside so Christ could use me and bless me, and now it's time for someone else to have that blessing, and I hope they love every moment as much as I have.<br />
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Congratulations RM ROCKETS 2012!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSdkfKEmDDlcqskHXN1qURNrmlLyek1e9D86J8oJaODBRwkP7UVHQN6HUzneTtlZzTczGd4IC2Uf20XQ8ZOl7u3LdlvwtHZxpeaWrTmkYjf-0U_DfsJ0a5VQVdXCtpSG9mhzzx47w1cg/s1600/graduation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSdkfKEmDDlcqskHXN1qURNrmlLyek1e9D86J8oJaODBRwkP7UVHQN6HUzneTtlZzTczGd4IC2Uf20XQ8ZOl7u3LdlvwtHZxpeaWrTmkYjf-0U_DfsJ0a5VQVdXCtpSG9mhzzx47w1cg/s640/graduation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-4653356902487430262012-04-19T23:57:00.000-04:002012-04-19T23:57:15.159-04:00And I'm off...Well... another CA-RAAAAAZY week [almost] survived. I am looking forward to a nice date night tomorrow and then flitting off to Charlottesville, VA for a friend's wedding.<br />
There seems to be a lot of moving and change around, enough so that - even for me - it is a bit overwhelming.<br />
Photos? Of course. A new city and a wedding. How could I not come back with some good photos?<br />
Catchya on the flip side friends! Happy weekend :-)J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-25380958843468712232012-04-16T07:12:00.000-04:002012-04-16T10:29:33.201-04:00Catching up and the simple joys...Sometimes we can be running, running, running, and it seems to stress us out even more to find times to rest. I found myself running on E on Friday, and I just started to shut down. <br />
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"And He said to them, 'Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest for a while.' For there were many people coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat." Mark 6:31<br />
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Likewise, Psalm 23 gives us a beautiful image of God leading us to a restful place. The imagry in the passage alone makes you want to get a cool tall glass of lemonade and start chillaxing in a hammock with the sun streaming down on you. Hmmmm....<br />
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Life has been busy, but joyfully busy.<br />
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Last week I attended a very nice Younglife Banquet to celebrate and raise funds for Montgomery County Younglife. There were a few sudden surprises thrown my way, but it turned out to be a great evening, reconnecting with friends across the county who support the ministry, and being part of something I believe in so much. Younglife has, is, and will continue to change lives, and I am blessed to be a part of it. Not only that but I got to hang out with some of my kid's parents, and I got a graduation gift for the baby sister, Rock Climbing for me and the boy, and a 1.5 hour date with a massage therepist around the corner from my house. Mhmmmm.... Lovin it.<br />
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Friday was my day. That was the day I shut down. Cancelled my plans. I picked up sushi, and watched the Flyers v. Penguins game with my roommate. I did not even make it to the third period of the game because I went to bed around 9:30. It was glorious.<br />
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After a much needed 10 hours of sleep, I trudged out of bed for some breakfast with some wonderful women from my chuch (and an adorable little man who joined us!). Then I spent most of the rest of the day cleaning out and organizing the storage room. It was tedious, messy, and frustrating at times, but at the same time there is so much peace that comes from cleaning up and clearing out space - I loved it. I went to softball practice and then to Kev's parent's house for some out of town family, working on a car, and dinner.<br />
<br />
Yesterday I started the Daniel fast, and that was pretty much the biggest accomplishment of my day. It was quite a low-key weekend, and it was so wonderful to have a low-key weekend after all the business and craziness lately! Now, I just need to make it through this wonderful week with pedicures, weeding, Younglife Club, and then Charlottesville for a friend's wedding this weekend! Whooop!<br />
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Pictures from my recent busy-ness:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Rs06elF31Gma4cFNRuFnLP-KqSABPEN9_iha8WJHD-Gx7YN9MJUiFk-yrqrEl6P9ZZW_nC8sAhm4LsaUVbq4UJdw2kkNntBjpsONrWI-gRzEsFJ_Vqf23Z-nIZFQAuA06RSHFV_QAP4/s1600/rice+krispy+peeps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Rs06elF31Gma4cFNRuFnLP-KqSABPEN9_iha8WJHD-Gx7YN9MJUiFk-yrqrEl6P9ZZW_nC8sAhm4LsaUVbq4UJdw2kkNntBjpsONrWI-gRzEsFJ_Vqf23Z-nIZFQAuA06RSHFV_QAP4/s320/rice+krispy+peeps.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter creations! Tim, Kev, and I made Peep sushi, found on Pinterest over Easter weekend. So cute, fun to make, and deleriously sugary. Yum!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_ezmKF0tzJlyjRm9rpTM0yhHKzvz-uxlSIR3Tdn0wn0mZvReXaBMNc4t34RokXufcqAhDwADrVfQw6uuEsAijQSOfLPU4nc-GJsIDfZGqNSVAY6FVT1RfV3TA1qJfDT-NFGJIRYpLmo/s1600/caitlin's+band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_ezmKF0tzJlyjRm9rpTM0yhHKzvz-uxlSIR3Tdn0wn0mZvReXaBMNc4t34RokXufcqAhDwADrVfQw6uuEsAijQSOfLPU4nc-GJsIDfZGqNSVAY6FVT1RfV3TA1qJfDT-NFGJIRYpLmo/s320/caitlin's+band.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carousel Rogues - Friday night on the town with roomie, boyfriend, and YL friends. What a great time!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1QG6KMNf2u2ctybStEYWyv3HkZGtnsrU10q0drRgTOhxLbExOOTzhJDSBMX-PF1p7FTmW1YpDauTIRCcdUop0oETor3n9DQ5FNRGqweeZHXtrBj_ONBizfvCvUyMSPTj_i9evIPjYSY/s1600/caulder+with+sass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1QG6KMNf2u2ctybStEYWyv3HkZGtnsrU10q0drRgTOhxLbExOOTzhJDSBMX-PF1p7FTmW1YpDauTIRCcdUop0oETor3n9DQ5FNRGqweeZHXtrBj_ONBizfvCvUyMSPTj_i9evIPjYSY/s320/caulder+with+sass.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep... he already has a girlfriend? Not a big surprise...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1LkuCPIfxrJQyq2NpKQD-rAkD89hlmOlBloS-jV1ZXv6SIpU3W-_QuDBHIeM22C4_ypD1_zAs3VpYuIMXe9xczq-N-aHws6DCOFGi761BpIJPbSasCqQNY4O1zVORtPWWQQrpfxGP-Q/s1600/Kev+and+Wyeth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1LkuCPIfxrJQyq2NpKQD-rAkD89hlmOlBloS-jV1ZXv6SIpU3W-_QuDBHIeM22C4_ypD1_zAs3VpYuIMXe9xczq-N-aHws6DCOFGi761BpIJPbSasCqQNY4O1zVORtPWWQQrpfxGP-Q/s320/Kev+and+Wyeth.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wyeth and Kev on our Saturday Virginia day. This was at the winery just enjoying fun, sun, wine, and family. What could be better?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-34777335211851844942012-04-10T09:26:00.000-04:002012-04-10T09:26:20.047-04:00Updates to my bucket list!So I have my two lists... my bucket list and my 30 things to do before I turn 30. Made some updates since turning 25, and still have quite a ways to go!<br />
<br />
1- Ride an elephant in the Jungle<br />
2- <strike>Skydiving </strike>May 2011<br />
<br />
3- Missions trip in a foreign country<br />
<br />
4- <strike>Hike to the peak of a mountain</strike> Spring 2010<br />
<br />
5- Take a sailing trip<br />
<br />
6- Go on a cross country road trip<br />
<br />
7- Learn to drive stick shift (I CAN drive a stick shift, but I want to feel comfortable at it)<br />
<br />
8- Kentucky Derby with a big hat<br />
<br />
9- Ice skate at Rockefeller at Christmas<br />
<br />
10- Ride on the back of a motorcycle<br />
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11- Give everything I have to someone (can be everything I can give, everything I have at that moment… I’ll know when it happens)<br />
<br />
12- White Water raft on the CO River<br />
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13- Run a ½ marathon OR do a sprint triathlon <br />
14- Worship with a different culture<br />
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15- <strike>Dance freely in front of at least 10 people</strike> Enter the Haggis concert January 2010<br />
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16- Take a helicopter ride<br />
<br />
17- Go rock climbing<br />
<br />
18- See the Northen Lights<br />
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19- Visit and explore Rio de Janerio<br />
<br />
20- See Victoria Falls<br />
<br />
21- Visit all 50 states<br />
<br />
22- Ride the biggest roller coaster in the US<br />
<br />
23- Make my own wine<br />
<br />
24- Read all 100 books (I have a list of 100 books to read)<br />
<br />
25- <strike>Not be in control</strike> 2010 - the whole year<br />
<br />
26- Spend a weekend, just me and God<br />
<br />
27- <strike>Do God’s will, not my own</strike> Younglife again this year!! Whoooo<br />
<br />
28- <strike>Help build a home</strike> Kevin and I helped build a home in GA and plan to return :-)<br />
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29- Spend Christmas at a shelter<br />
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30- Make a difference in someone’s life<br />
<br />
31- Write and publish a book<br />
<br />
32- Watch the 50 Greatest American Movies of all time<br />
<br />
33- Be a loving mother and wife<br />
<br />
34- Go on a safari<br />
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35- Spend mornings with my husband and coffee on the porch<br />
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36- Attend a professional tennis tournament<br />
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37- Create an art project I can proudly display<br />
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38- Live in the now<br />
<br />
39- <strike>Start a collection of willow angels</strike> I bought the Sunshine angel this year!<br />
<br />
40- Watch the mummers parade – live<br />
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41- <strike>Send my parents to a YL camp as adult guests</strike> Northbay Camp June 2010<br />
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42- Drop everything to help someone<br />
<br />
43- <strike>Have a life changing conversation with a stranger about faith</strike> after giving someone a ride to the metro from the Dr's office. A wonderful woman from Kenya.<br />
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44- Go back to school<br />
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45- Stand out of the sunroof of a moving car<br />
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46- Grow a garden<br />
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47- Sleep under the stars<br />
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48- Build or fix something<br />
<br />
49- Explore the beaches and ocean of Australia<br />
<br />
50- Learn to surf<br />
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Here is my more immediate list of things to before my 30th. And with 26 coming up, I guess I need to knock a few more out of here! (Some are new and some are borrowed from the list above)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
1. <strike>Build a recipe book</strike> - started this! just need to make it prettier :-)<br />
<br />
2. Spend a whole weekend with just me and God<br />
<br />
3. Sleep under the stars<br />
<br />
4. Take and survive a yoga class<br />
<br />
5. <strike>Start my willow angel collection</strike> (see above)<br />
<br />
6. Refurnish/re-upholister a peice of furniture<br />
<br />
7. Ice Skate at Rockafeller Center<br />
<br />
8. Move out of Rockville, MD<br />
<br />
9. Grow a beautiful garden<br />
<br />
10. Lose 20 lbs.<br />
<br />
11. Learn to surf<br />
<br />
12. Break 100 bowling<br />
<br />
13. Take a gorgeous photo<br />
<br />
14. See the Mummer's parade live<br />
<br />
15. Join a book club<br />
<br />
16. Take a dance class<br />
<br />
17. Go to Indonesia or Thailand<br />
<br />
18. Do a missions trip in a foriegn country<br />
<br />
19. Carve a great jack-o-lantern<br />
<br />
20. Fingerpaint with kids<br />
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21. Get married (I don't think I get to choose when that happens...?)<br />
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22. Do a photoshoot with balloons<br />
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23. Go white water rafting on the CO river<br />
<br />
24. Wake up looking at the water<br />
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25. Manage my time and relationships better<br />
<br />
26. Have a real snow day<br />
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27. <strike>Have a great date day with just my mom and sister</strike> Philadelphia premium outlets and dinner. LOVE.<br />
<br />
28. Get paid to be creative (even if it's a one-time thing)<br />
<br />
29. Take a trip on a whim<br />
<br />
30. Buy a houseJ Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-14465785953769717632012-04-05T08:05:00.001-04:002012-04-05T08:11:28.883-04:00Best friends and weddings!So 2013. That is the year. Yes, I am going to start packing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch and eating ramen noodles for dinner. Because I have a lot of traveling and wedding gifts to be saving for.<br />
<br />
I say it like that, but really I am so thrilled. So far I have 5 weddings planned for next year, and while it might be a smart idea to pick and choose the ones I'm closest too, I can't possibly miss any of these weddings. Between all 5 of them, I am most excited about the three below who have been some of my closest friends and together we have made it through life's craziest times.<br />
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Sara and Mike:<br />
Sara and I have known each other literally since we were in diapers. I get to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, and am so thrilled for her that she met Mike. They are going to get married next October with a beautiful New England Fall wedding with an incredible backdrop to their wedding. I have loved this girl like a sister for most of my life. She has pushed me toward God, toward shooting for the stars, and has taught me that if you don't truly love yourself, you aren't living the best life possible. We have been friends across town, across the east coast, across MD. Been close and been far. We've survived becoming teenagers, discovering boys, playing basketball, and producing creative plays and musical presentations for our parents. Mike is amazing for her. He is supportive, encourages her love of teaching and kids, has a great heart, and can ALWAYS make her smile. He treats her so well and you can see how much he loves her.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRHRkUIKI58IaD-fvO46wscVkJZWFOVWjS6l4Za4RDytsXIv4tYM0xZM914YStEI7kd5yooTIRuYpZSRwl-BmO322rhJVCvCzTA7vF4CLcam__fgBN2TbYhB60Zhm47pWKQxUKiy6dMU/s1600/sara+and+mike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRHRkUIKI58IaD-fvO46wscVkJZWFOVWjS6l4Za4RDytsXIv4tYM0xZM914YStEI7kd5yooTIRuYpZSRwl-BmO322rhJVCvCzTA7vF4CLcam__fgBN2TbYhB60Zhm47pWKQxUKiy6dMU/s320/sara+and+mike.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Maris and Eric:<br />
The most recent couple to take the dive into engagement-hood. First of all - STUNNING ETSY ring (he did a very good job)! They are very cute together, love to do nerdy things, indulge themselves in the hipster-ness, and can always be relied on to have something new and interesting to do. Maris and I became friends in high school. She liked the guy I liked, and I had the mentality "Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer." I got to know Maris because I wanted to keep her from edging in on my man. DEAD SERIOUS ABOUT THAT STORY. Well good news is that the guy has come and gone from both of our lives, and we are left as half of a complete breakfast. Friends like Maris are a dime a dozen, and I often think what would a hormonal girl do during teenage angst without her good friends to drive around P-ville in the middle of the night taking ridiculous pictures, having dance parties, and hitting the local diner up at 3am? But Eric is a great man for her, and I love how independent they both are while still being so completely in love and committed to each other. Eric is funny, and smart, and can get along with her dad really well! While it will be sad to see these two up and move halfway across the country, I have no doubt that they will be living an incredible life together. And oh - did I mention they are quirky, funny, and super ADORABLE??<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5y2zsYid5qgFDsd1uqUpqsiuC2h_WcpfsXJBkdRTk2s6aFJnpHQSeSq0ZSO5TBF130qLBPDZz9M0iOEWrbbLdN3tdVyeeiG4ijuUgsHsyRc7l_EaY8lNARtXWMkiBJDe4R8JOByhcv6Q/s1600/maris+and+eric.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5y2zsYid5qgFDsd1uqUpqsiuC2h_WcpfsXJBkdRTk2s6aFJnpHQSeSq0ZSO5TBF130qLBPDZz9M0iOEWrbbLdN3tdVyeeiG4ijuUgsHsyRc7l_EaY8lNARtXWMkiBJDe4R8JOByhcv6Q/s320/maris+and+eric.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Kyle and Caitlin,</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Kyle is a different kind of friend than Sara and Maris. I think Kyle and I became friends out of convenience, and stayed friends out of awesomeness - but that cemented each other as a big part of each other's lives. Freshman year of college 2 of Kyle's friends were in my dorm late on a Saturday chatting up some girls on our floor. Then another one of his friends became interested in my friend. Through these interwoven relationships, I met Kyle. Throughout college, a group of friends formed, including Kyle and I. Then we started having classes and inevitablly being nerds together. We would hang out at 1400 Linden and light Kyle (and eyebrows) on fire, watch Nip/Tuck, have parties, play pranks, have dance parties, going to Pennies and winning the World Series, and lived the college dream. I am partial, but our friend group was pretty much the best. Junior year Kyle and I went to London together for spring break, and had an amazing time. He drove Lisa and I to a house party in an ambulance one time, and we had countless other memories that need not be mentioned on a public blog. Kyle was like the big brother I never had. When senior year came around, Kyle had a 3 bedroom apartment in MD outside of DC, and had only one girl roommate. When I got offered a job, I moved down here into the extra room in their place. That first year out of college we played kickball together, made some <em>interesting</em> friends, and some really cool ones, discovered DC, had a terrible cat, and almost had our apartment burned down one time. Now he and Caitlin are back up in NJ, buying a home and starting a life together. They have an adorable dog, and have come very far in their careers. They are perfect for each other and I am very excited for their wedding - which is bound to be beautiful because let's face it - Caitlin is planning it! Sad that they are now up in NJ starting a life because it reminds me that that part/time of my life has passed, but still VERY excited about what is in store!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCFWa_cjADM8LVfKQ7o-K0gvNaShM9kfhvuAUr-T2_CJ3OCnBQix1ChDZzviYdL_03ohsCxnxybtVTyUdUpgl5zBnf0W89qFICCGBIysEs6k3l89oVuwasb-nN6ScWVfTXqJgAlXOVA4/s1600/kyle+and+caitlin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCFWa_cjADM8LVfKQ7o-K0gvNaShM9kfhvuAUr-T2_CJ3OCnBQix1ChDZzviYdL_03ohsCxnxybtVTyUdUpgl5zBnf0W89qFICCGBIysEs6k3l89oVuwasb-nN6ScWVfTXqJgAlXOVA4/s320/kyle+and+caitlin.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>Just a little post to celebrate my friends. Trying to be better about post updates so y'all can see what's happening in my life!J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-3444622295597463452012-03-06T15:36:00.001-05:002012-03-06T20:13:18.323-05:00I may be giving up on hopes of a real update...So here are some pictures to show you what's been up in my life, and I will resume my blog-life where I am at right now. Enjoy!<br />
(sorry they are out of order!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JPM9fB0nFHe6YWpP0YSLw8VDWF8dHKZSIJRv-2J4IzUREzgVxJVhsJrGrZDpR9_YTaR-blCPQye2nyBM3z9fMcIpfr63MoM8KIzzhIp_SCmrhfAPXwpdTo78anKozt2WaILIfQQ77Cg/s1600/DSCN1263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JPM9fB0nFHe6YWpP0YSLw8VDWF8dHKZSIJRv-2J4IzUREzgVxJVhsJrGrZDpR9_YTaR-blCPQye2nyBM3z9fMcIpfr63MoM8KIzzhIp_SCmrhfAPXwpdTo78anKozt2WaILIfQQ77Cg/s320/DSCN1263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biggest bottle of champagne, and Sadie's hair is a BOW! (a great pinterest find)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3N-lmzh2ga452Y6PlMwtLbAqxoDYuGcy7lapCfYGQjj0oinKE9lgOkqsXYUh-ZGtxeVFpgsB86wDB1e_gTz6W1VCp84-dhgIDUigoHY06OcWTQq5WeNjxn9lAVZe5kfiVeHmm0GolinU/s1600/DSCN1266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3N-lmzh2ga452Y6PlMwtLbAqxoDYuGcy7lapCfYGQjj0oinKE9lgOkqsXYUh-ZGtxeVFpgsB86wDB1e_gTz6W1VCp84-dhgIDUigoHY06OcWTQq5WeNjxn9lAVZe5kfiVeHmm0GolinU/s320/DSCN1266.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last men standing in our ugly sweaters :-)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYLMEI_D87sA0NJT4Zq9gY5x5m_qgedNb_O97y3Q12JpFqxcsVRmzWTTZh0GfYmWs0nh-L6ABNZky_O-XGHCwDedS3sTHvfZl4suDHQQl7eHhyPcvo8rbXjltZ6W0XEhxJwh86B_7j2o/s1600/DSCN1290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYLMEI_D87sA0NJT4Zq9gY5x5m_qgedNb_O97y3Q12JpFqxcsVRmzWTTZh0GfYmWs0nh-L6ABNZky_O-XGHCwDedS3sTHvfZl4suDHQQl7eHhyPcvo8rbXjltZ6W0XEhxJwh86B_7j2o/s320/DSCN1290.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Central Park with Danny</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMY1GmszNDw59oLvdxKhwhQBhkiTBbJc7q218RCiwBcDjQ3JWLT4YdEroJUoRCMmqOKS8rW7E438Tx8IJi2vlAZmixdaXtHt3uTM-2aCf1neCa46hSY8Mb-cFBCeUP_aO7ev0mBO9XVU/s1600/NYE+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMY1GmszNDw59oLvdxKhwhQBhkiTBbJc7q218RCiwBcDjQ3JWLT4YdEroJUoRCMmqOKS8rW7E438Tx8IJi2vlAZmixdaXtHt3uTM-2aCf1neCa46hSY8Mb-cFBCeUP_aO7ev0mBO9XVU/s320/NYE+2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Year's Photobooth</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixA8Wy0pB5FB30qVGvpzM4i2yQBd44MJEg53AV91kGWMepwVLokLPQA8_a7-u2GMxJ9YqeRKJUo3zNQpqf1MEpwub5UT6PJm4l08eG5fsFcbf8ZKNi3wVv6J0LI5WJMXGxFtFy8gYShyphenhyphens/s1600/DSCN1345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixA8Wy0pB5FB30qVGvpzM4i2yQBd44MJEg53AV91kGWMepwVLokLPQA8_a7-u2GMxJ9YqeRKJUo3zNQpqf1MEpwub5UT6PJm4l08eG5fsFcbf8ZKNi3wVv6J0LI5WJMXGxFtFy8gYShyphenhyphens/s320/DSCN1345.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Busting a groove</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYcx9xsAaGY_V9RqLpEJ2yYEvLdVJRX1aFO3-_i2q0K518JjfWJtof2WvRKlUB8zgDUHIE8w9jXq0O9jHGBMcNjIwBqTR0XNd5C5tdrper0CsYtsn1RleU4ERafv_o6eoBzz2vCJpT18/s1600/DSCN1347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYcx9xsAaGY_V9RqLpEJ2yYEvLdVJRX1aFO3-_i2q0K518JjfWJtof2WvRKlUB8zgDUHIE8w9jXq0O9jHGBMcNjIwBqTR0XNd5C5tdrper0CsYtsn1RleU4ERafv_o6eoBzz2vCJpT18/s320/DSCN1347.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photobomb!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzDg7qvssg05EasviJfVarcNyKWU_fjKNPeBuZgL6mxytcUtOffbmt_x7CMruYFJLjJmPbe1X3u-LfhA9qxyXKK56WH-NiVJk9rh2nobBedt6sSY3npYpa1w861nfB7ko1Xezpu8SrV4/s1600/DSCN1353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzDg7qvssg05EasviJfVarcNyKWU_fjKNPeBuZgL6mxytcUtOffbmt_x7CMruYFJLjJmPbe1X3u-LfhA9qxyXKK56WH-NiVJk9rh2nobBedt6sSY3npYpa1w861nfB7ko1Xezpu8SrV4/s320/DSCN1353.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching a plane land at the air and space museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7OguCUyXyjjqKTawL9jbMcIU4N3gbwblusYHL6xXcm40YWenYabD4F6-fV0T75zMBGytsWPz9EVtXXnPbsYAOLc42jVbKjLSnGnTwBwVmCn1FJuvqPTh9Yd_LBRiHNhL1lDCeDvjoC4/s1600/DSCN1355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7OguCUyXyjjqKTawL9jbMcIU4N3gbwblusYHL6xXcm40YWenYabD4F6-fV0T75zMBGytsWPz9EVtXXnPbsYAOLc42jVbKjLSnGnTwBwVmCn1FJuvqPTh9Yd_LBRiHNhL1lDCeDvjoC4/s320/DSCN1355.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So guess where we went for Kev's birthday??</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9pjFpK2OXEev7B57QnUPdJZRCH0517iuKxEMEjRScPMORIxu2gU2MleIIaxhwuQHbEhQdnw6n4v0b1lDDbaOaMbbYiEdvtez70h5C5UcmEra4fkUuxo4Fd5vkensexXvRsgihZZO6bE/s1600/DSCN1356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9pjFpK2OXEev7B57QnUPdJZRCH0517iuKxEMEjRScPMORIxu2gU2MleIIaxhwuQHbEhQdnw6n4v0b1lDDbaOaMbbYiEdvtez70h5C5UcmEra4fkUuxo4Fd5vkensexXvRsgihZZO6bE/s320/DSCN1356.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His favorite, the Lockheed Martin Blackbird</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5FtVT5Y9Gdp5rh6LUYoZqbOFIvchGyrp9MdReOd18xS3KDX4E9CUwXpLTmBKz9yAtDwvY65grNt95v89p4IgXFSZCv9jF1osFLqcARRsa-XSA3u1MOYdEjdNXkpmGszryhlW-dp46TI/s1600/DSCN1414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5FtVT5Y9Gdp5rh6LUYoZqbOFIvchGyrp9MdReOd18xS3KDX4E9CUwXpLTmBKz9yAtDwvY65grNt95v89p4IgXFSZCv9jF1osFLqcARRsa-XSA3u1MOYdEjdNXkpmGszryhlW-dp46TI/s320/DSCN1414.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erica and I out in DC for her last happy hour before moving to Jersey</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgu-pvPHnLqHNXmE5oJN5ie0Ah78Mz-bZXBIaerHBSoQyZLZIQdECz523epMtg7h7zAEO-tHqqd74Qnr1mVI6F_oTY8fg9pwt-mq6j32UuAkeIirC8AsvBh1ODs_DfHAgni1zvJCEeF8/s1600/DSCN1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgu-pvPHnLqHNXmE5oJN5ie0Ah78Mz-bZXBIaerHBSoQyZLZIQdECz523epMtg7h7zAEO-tHqqd74Qnr1mVI6F_oTY8fg9pwt-mq6j32UuAkeIirC8AsvBh1ODs_DfHAgni1zvJCEeF8/s320/DSCN1418.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is thrilled that it's her last time on the DC Metro</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EXEOfG2ZTJtnzWr3bQ2GZQU06xx5UtSyO0SDilfaEaFFj5VxOWyXO60qoVtoKEQrcs99Tuzj17YkKmGwZEd2hrIC2aPnfj3gN20CpSJgRbH56chhqu99I0QJAJhDqmyUWTs_js17P-4/s1600/DSCN1429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3EXEOfG2ZTJtnzWr3bQ2GZQU06xx5UtSyO0SDilfaEaFFj5VxOWyXO60qoVtoKEQrcs99Tuzj17YkKmGwZEd2hrIC2aPnfj3gN20CpSJgRbH56chhqu99I0QJAJhDqmyUWTs_js17P-4/s320/DSCN1429.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No words...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi892gLmNjk5N61OqxLfe90eWB51kWjO8LTgaM9LnA6TbjT9SL-pB2-D6fbkQcsU0bbwoUo9phsHx7JNwoN9k1lUNAB__BOX-x_werPlHtQAzoU3iYvo3VfwdZvHNctdFIqQcjSZ1_NV8Q/s1600/summer+05+011_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi892gLmNjk5N61OqxLfe90eWB51kWjO8LTgaM9LnA6TbjT9SL-pB2-D6fbkQcsU0bbwoUo9phsHx7JNwoN9k1lUNAB__BOX-x_werPlHtQAzoU3iYvo3VfwdZvHNctdFIqQcjSZ1_NV8Q/s320/summer+05+011_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Will miss Aunt Elise (Dec 1920-Jan 2012)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIAoWStFwDr5yn2n4nlr8tpr3R1oF0oTLZnGNkRGhyphenhyphenGws7ZhkUo6qN2cNP3IB-ggvv4wTzqZNwF1x6945LUzqAQbZDV_X6ytj0EevhRGNU1ySLu1-tJGW0mOsL0XHi7vA00cOi-VI5SE/s1600/summer+05+014_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuIAoWStFwDr5yn2n4nlr8tpr3R1oF0oTLZnGNkRGhyphenhyphenGws7ZhkUo6qN2cNP3IB-ggvv4wTzqZNwF1x6945LUzqAQbZDV_X6ytj0EevhRGNU1ySLu1-tJGW0mOsL0XHi7vA00cOi-VI5SE/s320/summer+05+014_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, auntie, and the kids a few years ago</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvByCt7qfcgTAojZOXp6F8KfDo0uOQLn_47s6K6_78qjPephtpa0Dlc8GGRuow6m6MAAO71FIVxFldjpdWVEwEah8JzP7MEVZ7LFr9M-tyMoGb6yAqYKrDau0VwZtVXBAP9e7rl08Tao/s1600/DSCN1348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvByCt7qfcgTAojZOXp6F8KfDo0uOQLn_47s6K6_78qjPephtpa0Dlc8GGRuow6m6MAAO71FIVxFldjpdWVEwEah8JzP7MEVZ7LFr9M-tyMoGb6yAqYKrDau0VwZtVXBAP9e7rl08Tao/s320/DSCN1348.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He calls himself the king of 2012 because of the crown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-17319612716118617872012-02-08T22:11:00.001-05:002012-02-08T22:12:03.963-05:00Life is not always perfect, but often it is good<b><u>Like weekends full of:</u></b><br />
Sleepy early Friday nights with the boyfriend falling asleep on his shoulder.<br />
Early Saturday mornings cheering on my Younglife girls at a swim meet and hanging with their super wonderful parents.<br />
Saturday afternoons sitting with high school friends and cheering on the high school Poms team in their county competition.<br />
Randomly stopping by another high school friend's house and talking about life, her baby, and hanging out with her family and sharing love with them the way Christ does with us.<br />
Dinner with old friends - celebrating growing up, new engagements, home ownerships, and realizing that some things never change.<br />
Sunday mornings at church sitting next to a couple of great friends, and one particularly wonderful man.<br />
Afternoon runs with yet another Younglife friend - our junior leader, and then having her crash lunchtime with said wonderful man and I.<br />
Superbowl parties with good food, decent commercials, plenty of half-time entertainment, and casual laid back conversation.<br />
<br />
<u><b>What else is good is:</b></u><br />
Wednesday afternoons working from home (trying to beat the snow that DIDN'T stick...)<br />
A run to David's bridal to see what I will look like when I am standing in front of the church watching my best friend commit her life to her best friend.<br />
A little innocent gossip between roommates that is not altogether juicy to either one of us, but definitely draws some smirks from the cashier.<br />
A night of invention in the kitchen with brightly colored, delicious tasting veggies.<br />
Chocolate covered strawberries.<br />
Spending time with a friend who will not always be so close (physically).<br />
Finding out that kitchen inventions can be delicious and healthy! (and pretty)<br />
A glass of red wine.<br />
Watching Modern Family with ALL roommates present.<br />
Leftovers of said healthy meal.<br />
Random music videos and dance parties for Shake It Country Girl, and MMMBop (we are all country girls who grew up in the 90s. Don't judge.)<br />
<br />
Pictures and videos below to show you some of my Wednesday night.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DTdnoIJCfpeOJtDgXelBgfK2ODyhYb9E9JlxctUWcQdcSOJKsTzfzEX8OCLu4i0QGlzEwicLjX_Pzt2Kmxg63iYKtZOaGk-wLOsJ4W-e2qnH-gFhprgSVX7S-JFSoPCFLs0jGTZKLHE/s1600/Finished+Product.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1DTdnoIJCfpeOJtDgXelBgfK2ODyhYb9E9JlxctUWcQdcSOJKsTzfzEX8OCLu4i0QGlzEwicLjX_Pzt2Kmxg63iYKtZOaGk-wLOsJ4W-e2qnH-gFhprgSVX7S-JFSoPCFLs0jGTZKLHE/s320/Finished+Product.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roomie dinner night!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQCEFGU4vu74Yk8Bzlgr78NaFBT03Maa_SWaTlBOQC8W8pxcv4RCbiN4_e_laXaQUWRhLHdIx8sWcsGQtXCQnESPfxzBZ7MyyxrKWmp6P5avnLn1FHbW0iZmNlIRoH7YjYTCnf4Wt7ak/s1600/Rice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQCEFGU4vu74Yk8Bzlgr78NaFBT03Maa_SWaTlBOQC8W8pxcv4RCbiN4_e_laXaQUWRhLHdIx8sWcsGQtXCQnESPfxzBZ7MyyxrKWmp6P5avnLn1FHbW0iZmNlIRoH7YjYTCnf4Wt7ak/s320/Rice.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just start with a little brown rice...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5_-__nEtMrzlpcLV3r4Sl4LkklG2wUrCjCn3-Ell1xQa6GihWLXMZovEOkQdGxBptLdCrzdYkR1Pk3IFSSigSQDjY9KeStmce_jSADPtXdnmUY6jAx1xhC5grVVgE-lD7BZt1lke5Lg/s1600/Veggies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_5_-__nEtMrzlpcLV3r4Sl4LkklG2wUrCjCn3-Ell1xQa6GihWLXMZovEOkQdGxBptLdCrzdYkR1Pk3IFSSigSQDjY9KeStmce_jSADPtXdnmUY6jAx1xhC5grVVgE-lD7BZt1lke5Lg/s320/Veggies.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add the most colorful veggies in the market...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1iLjgPIuZ5RVWU6HDZc7flUcQm7um8xEccp1Yql2KlGXLxJp6TxN6TY7NAZXyKob9-5ZLjHaqcqvPs8MwfFi5QedNl8lkD0RJwTt6g6GBdRq58Fs0SzjTvnFK3lMKoSuTzNIvj6jc7A/s1600/wine+and+cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1iLjgPIuZ5RVWU6HDZc7flUcQm7um8xEccp1Yql2KlGXLxJp6TxN6TY7NAZXyKob9-5ZLjHaqcqvPs8MwfFi5QedNl8lkD0RJwTt6g6GBdRq58Fs0SzjTvnFK3lMKoSuTzNIvj6jc7A/s320/wine+and+cheese.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ensure proper garnish (cheese) and tools for proper cooking (wine)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Fa-RA3m572dbdFDEaeZg-5tNIJVJfEMpOH5fzzXP5S_iOC7KdqmaVla4lZMNaLeq85oWQVtDBTmJyy70a8B6QGLR5fM4grvDHN_z1vhgMoZfb-2yhpYn2anW3P57sjc-SocFoOoiFbM/s1600/chocolate+and+strawberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Fa-RA3m572dbdFDEaeZg-5tNIJVJfEMpOH5fzzXP5S_iOC7KdqmaVla4lZMNaLeq85oWQVtDBTmJyy70a8B6QGLR5fM4grvDHN_z1vhgMoZfb-2yhpYn2anW3P57sjc-SocFoOoiFbM/s320/chocolate+and+strawberries.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melt Chocolate Chips onto some fruit for the best dessert imaginable...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/NHozn0YXAeE" target="_blank">MMBop</a> & <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HX4SfnVlP4" target="_blank">Shake It Country Girl</a><br />
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<br />
Tonight was a REALLY good night. This past weekend was a REALLY good weekend. Yes, life is sometimes not easy or downright hard. But I have a lot of love in my life, and that is a very very good thing...<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Life is so good, and I do believe it's gettin better <3</i></b></span></div>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-61665610334399119802012-02-07T10:57:00.000-05:002012-02-07T10:57:44.644-05:00it's only been 2 months since Thanksgiving, so...Why not take this completely time-appropriate opprotunity to update you all on my Thanksgiving? (Don't laugh, or judge me... ok fine, you can and should.)<br />
<br />
So I have a crazy family. We see each other three times a year on my dad's side, and two times a year on my mom's side, so Thanksgiving most years can not come fast enough. I love getting together with my family, we usually go to my Grandma's house for noon social/pre-dinner snacktime (aka- MINI LUNCH). And then we head to Steve's for dinner and football. I can't remember a year where we didn't do that.<br />
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This year mah seester came down in October, met the boyfriend, and guilted me into inviting him up for Thanksgiving. I know - I wrote guilted me into it. I know I should have been the one to think about inviting him up, but I am a bit horrified of committment, and my family can be... well... a bit intimidating. Trust me, I love them to death and wouldn't change them for the world, but I have never brought a guy home for Thanksgiving to meet the family. As a matter of fact last year, I got the comment that every single girl hopes she never hears. Steve pulled me aside and said "Are you ever going to bring a man around for Thanksgiving? You know... you can bring a girl too, if you think you might be a lesbian." AWESOME. Thanks Steve. My response was some sort of mumbled "no, I'm not a lesbian, I'll bring a guy home sometime. I hope..." But he was kidding. That's Steve. He's a kidder. But that just goes to show that after 25 years my family was starting to wonder where the men in my life were hiding.<br />
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I remember talking to my sister about him. I remember saying "FINE, I will invite him." (I mean, I was so crazy about the boy, it was just terrifying.) I was talking to him on the phone about a month before Thanksgiving and said "so... if you want to come up for Thanksgiving or something, that would be ok." Pause - let me just say, bless his heart for dealing with me and my quizzical words. Resume - He asked if I wanted him there, and I told him yes. It was set, and I had about a month to prepare for this nerve-wracking experience. Fortunately, we have a mutual good friend who gave boyfriend a heads-up on my crazy family, telling him stories from when she came to the beach over the summer at met them at their finest. <br />
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Fast forward to driving up to Thanksgiving, and I actually felt good about bringing him around. By this point in time he had already met my dad and my sister, and I was already committed to it. I hardly remember most of the weekend, simply because it was so long ago. I remember that Thanksgiving day my sister had the bright idea to take a family picture. I was excited because we had boyfriend there to take the photo. But NO. Boyfriend got put in the family photo. Well... this could be awkward if he didn't survive the weekend. "Look everyone, this is how nice and happy he looked just before horrendous torture and subsequent death from girlfriend's family." (Fortunately, my man is a trooper!) Needless to say, we just kinda looked at each other as if to say - Really family picture? I'm not sure we are ready for that...<br />
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But we survived awkard family photo moment, all jumped in one car (yep. We really stress family closeness with new people) and headed out to Gma's house. The prying, the questions, the grilling - all that boyfriend had been prepared for, was replaced by good food and easy conversation. I was blown away, but trusted that when we got to Steve's that he would really go through the ringer.<br />
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After our pre-snack, we went to Steve's for dinner, where he was surely going to go through the ringer. I think his heart almost stopped when cousins #1,2,3&4 started talking about their night out. Fortunately, Patty slammed the conversation shut and we started eating. Boyfriend was not grilled or tortured at all. We enjoyed a really nice dinner with some conversation and football, and then we called it a night. I could not believe what just happened, and knew that it was a miracle.<br />
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We piled back in the one car, and headed home until my dad provided torture of his own (if you were in the car, you know - if not - no need to rehash traumatic memories). And hey, boyfriend didn't run out of anyone's house screaming and dumping me in the process, he survived about 2.5 collective hours in the car with my mom, dad, brother, sister, and I (which can be taxing for even me sometimes), and hey - Steve doesn't think I'm a lesbian. I would say it was a nice and successful Thanksgiving dinner overall.<br />
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The next morning, we got up, headed to Philly for some brunch with old high school friends of mine, and drove back to Maryland for some Christmas tree shopping and recoverly. Crisis averted, now if I can just figure out a way to sidestep the inevitable torture he will endure at summer beach week, I will be good to go. Time to get my master plan wheels turning...<br />
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More updates to come!!J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-17533492055501063922012-01-17T22:45:00.001-05:002012-02-07T11:07:13.251-05:00SO overdue!!Lots of things to catch up on (I expect to have lots of posts up between tomorrow and Sunday!!)<br />
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~ <strike>Thanksgiving with the family, in which the boy came to PA with me! Eeeek!</strike><br />
~ Ugly Sweater Christmas party (whoop whoop!)<br />
~ The engagement of the girl-also-known-as-sister who after 25 years of bestfriendship will be preparing to become a Mrs!!<br />
~ Christmas, sisterhood lunch dates, and skiing adventures<br />
~ (maybe you can even look forward to a 2011 recap??)<br />
~ New Year's Eve with some wonderful friends<br />
~ Passing away of my sweet Aunt CeCe<br />
~ Doing a missions trip in Georgia with the boyfriend.<br />
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So... at least I have excuses for NOT blogging lately, but I promise I won't make it a trend. In the meantime, please enjoy this wonderful video, baby. (baby, baby, ohhhhh). I promise it will make you smile. Happy Tuesday!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sF9XBYHrwtk" width="560"></iframe>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-78138056384419947882011-12-06T22:14:00.001-05:002011-12-07T09:54:13.507-05:00Back to Ja-bootyOk, so... I worked a lot in Djibouti. Like a LOT. so... I'm sorry for the post-dated updates, but want to make them before I forget all about the trip.<br />
<br />
But the days were sunny early (like 6am and sunlight was streaming through my window). But at 4:30 it was already getting dark. But it didn't matter too much because it just made the air cooler. If I could live in early November Djiboutian weather constantly - that would be great. It was dry and warm and and great. I had to walk about 3/4 of a mile to get to the dining hall and I tried to do that as often as I could. I also got my fair share of good Starbucks Cinnamon Dulce coffee (perks of being on a US base!).<br />
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The people there were great. It was a camaraderie, although I would struggle a whole lot with being gone for long periods of time. <br />
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Let's talk about the two times I got off base.<br />
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The first time was random. It was unexpected. I was literally blindsided and told we were going on a drive. I had nothing (not even my cell phone for pictures). We went through all the security to get out into the country. We turned left out of the main gate, and down the main stretch out of the city. There is trash lined up all over each side of the road, and cars whiz by on your left or on your right. There are no speed limits and there are no traffic laws. It's pretty much your own risk if you chose to drive in Djibouti. And the ongoing joke is that a cab ride in Djibouti would be the ride of your life... probably even the last one.<br />
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The trash started appearing farther from the road and I got to see the village of Dooba, Grand Dooba, and Little Dooba. The villages were made of hundreds and thousands of shanties made from sheets and sticks. Just past the Dooba villages was a booth and three men with guns. We stopped, the guys looked in our car, and waived us through. Ross then told me we went through Somalian checkpoint #1. We drove a little further and saw a major fire on a hill on the left with a fire on it. Apparently it was the Djiboutian landfill. I am still not sure where all the trash came from, but it COVERED the mountain. We continued driving and passed another booth - Somalian checkpoint #2. I was then told that the next Somalian checkpoint would be entering into Somalia, and that was NOT going to happen since I was an American woman. Eeeesh! But before the third checkpoint there was a golf course on the right side of the road. And when I say golf course, I hope you are not picturing rolling green hills and man made lakes and a country club. This was a 9 hold golf course with holes dug into the tough dry dirt for the balls. <br />
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On the left hand side just past the golf course was the Cheetah and Wildlife refuge. Ross took me there and we went in to see everything. Out front there was a camel and an ostrich in pen's (like metal wire fences about 10 feet high that you might keep a dog in). We went in and saw baboons, a male and female lion, and cheetahs. (all behind the same type of fence mentioned above). We then went into this walking section, and got to walk with other types of animals. I got to walk along an ostrich (I would say it was probably about 7 feet tall!), a Wildabeast (yes, like from the lion king!), and a zebra (which I got to pet). It was REALLY cool. I was surprised by how small cheetahs and zebras actually are. There was also a hyena there - and maaaaaaaaaaaan are they ugly!!<br />
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And since it's late, I will have to wait for the 2nd outing. Sorry!J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-49148259784182354252011-11-29T15:00:00.001-05:002011-11-29T15:02:59.774-05:00The PearlI know - I still owe you stories of Djibouti, and my life - Sorry! I know - terrible updater, and I promise I will do it, and SOON! <br />
But for now, I want to blog about the Pearl. Matthew 13 tells us about the kingdom of God being like a fine pearl. That when the merchant saw it, he sold everything he had to buy it.<br />
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That is focus. That is seeking the treasure. Pearls are not formed quickly or easily. For a pearl to be perfect it needs to be finely cultured for a perfect amount of time. They are roughed out and imperfections are sanded out. <br />
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We are not promised easy things. We are actually promised quite the opposite. What makes all the hurt and hard work worthwhile though is the knowledge that we have hope. The wonderful, fabulous, light at the end of the tunnel - the Good News of hope, and freedom, and love, and eternity, and undeserved salvation.<br />
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When we see adversity, when people push us off, make us feel worthless, or hurt us - it is so easy to just stop and pity ourselves, or doubt ourselves - or our call. But instead we need to press on with the focus of the merchant. I am not saying our feelings are an insignificant detail of the mission. I think our heart is very important and I know that God cares intimately for each of ours. But I also think that what is reflected in our actions are a visualization of our hearts. And clearly - the merchant's heart was focused on that pearl, and when you want something badly enough, you will give up everything for it. And I would like to say that I am that way about the call I've had in my life. I can't honestly say that, but I can admit to trying.<br />
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Colossians 3:23-24 says "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if workign for the Lord, not for humans, since you know that you will recieve an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."<br />
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Press on to the pearl. Work with all your heart to get it. Find your treasure and hold on to it. That's what I plan to do.J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-54573168411803977202011-11-07T01:56:00.002-05:002011-11-07T01:58:40.956-05:00Puppy LoveI remember when my mom first told me we might be getting a dog. Turns out an employee of my dad had a dog with a new litter. I remember coming home from school that day, and bragging to everyone on the bus about how I was getting a puppy that day. I don't remember if I had to run home or if mom met me at the bus stop, but I remember playing with that little playful black thing out in the backyard that day. It was one of the best days of my life, I'm sure. <br />
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I remember sitting at the kitchen table, getting really mad at Elizabeth because I wanted to name the puppy midnight or ebony (I was really creative) or lightening because of the white strip on her chest. I remember when mom picked the name Maysie, I kinda hated it, but I didn't care because I had a puppy (but I did grow to love it, and the fact that she didn't have a regular "dog" name).<br />
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I remember holding Maysie in my little kid arms. I remember her being small enough to do that. I remember taking her to KYAL (the softball fields) and her shivering, and I had to wrap her up in a blanket. I refused to put her down because it was cold out, and I was pretty convinced that sneaking her most of my cheese fries would keep her warm.<br />
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I remember that dog wreaking havoc in my neighborhood and in my house. I remember the day she got my dad's steak off the counter and ate the whole thing (I wasn't sure she would survive that one), and I remember when Beth and I fed her a whole cake because we messed it up, and she got really sick. Whoops! I remember watching our dog sprint out of our yard, across traffic, get calls from the neighbors, and can assure you that she was one hyperactive puppy. <br />
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I even remember taking her for a walk (on either Thanksgiving or Easter) with her retractable leash. That dog saw another dog or person or something she wanted, and she WENT AFTER IT. Somehow she wrapped her leash around the neighbor's tree, and then it happened. THE MOMENT. As she circled the tree so did the leash. As she continued to run, the leash followed. I remember watching it slingshot around the tree, and land itself conveniently right in my neighbor's dining room window in horror. I think I just stood there frozen and crying as everyone came out of the house furious about the broken window. Whoops.<br />
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I remember trying to sneak Maysie upstairs just so she could snuggle in my bed with me when I had a bad day. I remember when we got the electric fence, which for so long seemed like a lost cause because she broke through pretty much everyday, but once she got it we could throw the ball and run with her and play with her outside as much as we wanted to.<br />
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On the one hand, I can not believe that dog lasted 16 years. I can not believe that she held on for as long as she did even though every time I saw her she looked older, breathed harder, and was having an increasingly harder time getting around. I can not believe that for the first time in his life, my kid brother is going to have to live without her. I can not believe that when I go home for Thanksgiving that the old girl won't be there. One the one hand I am very thankful and relieved, both for the 16 good years we had her for, and that she is not struggling anymore. And while I thought that I was ok with it and ready, I feel the sadness in my heart, and know that right now our family is not whole anymore. <br />
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But I am still so grateful. She was a great dog, and survived a lot (both in my life and hers). And I know that she was an amazing comfort to me during some of my most difficult times. I will miss her, and will always remember her for having a great life and being a very real part of my family.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0T9toFYkkRmFPLGqNW26RRLoTZCZiFAme16Uio4FXXL83AtzhLW9rM0l6mr2raOaEU9EqjPgo5H_dV-3luapTsBZ8P8GQI2uK6EbZNYLzAaGj2znLzF4aX-gKoGaO5V0PIQDHn3077E8/s1600/n30700482_31996649_7779.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0T9toFYkkRmFPLGqNW26RRLoTZCZiFAme16Uio4FXXL83AtzhLW9rM0l6mr2raOaEU9EqjPgo5H_dV-3luapTsBZ8P8GQI2uK6EbZNYLzAaGj2znLzF4aX-gKoGaO5V0PIQDHn3077E8/s640/n30700482_31996649_7779.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-21783423796602970512011-11-06T03:17:00.000-05:002011-11-06T03:17:53.692-05:00Friday - DjiboutiFriday was my first full day in Djibouti. Unfortunately, Friday is the day off for my team, so I had to put off meeting most of them until Saturday. (I arrived too late on Thursday.) I woke up early and multiple times, still trying to fight my way through the jet lag. But it was also good that I didn't have a full day with my team, because I had almost two full work-days to catch up on emails that needed some attention. <br />
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Djibouti is hot and dry. I have had my hair straight most of the time here, and it has stayed that way. I met the HR team here on the ground, and am quite in love with them. There is one American woman who is a true traveler of the heart. That part of me really gets her and understand her, while the rooted part of me wonders how she does what she does. She is fun and friendly, and hooked me up with Starbucks instant cinnamon dolce coffee, so clearly we get along great. Then there is Amy and Patricia. They are both my age, both from different areas of Africa, and so sweet, and very smart! I love talking to them, and you can see how much they love their jobs. There is my new Indian friend who is a yogi master (I think that's what he said, I keep thinking yogi berry, mhmmm... frozen yogurt!) and is going to teach me some yoga before I leave. I tried to reassure him it has already been done unsucessfully, and that I have accepted the fact that I am a contact sports-explosive athlete, rather than a soft, gentle, flexible, fluid athlete. He seems to think he can teach me cool stuff, so far my wrist just hurts. He keeps saying "No! Slow! More slowly! Go slow!" I think that may have something to do with my wrist issue. The head hancho is HR comes back this week, and I am excited to meet him, because I have worked with him and spoken to him multiple times.<br />
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The managers are great out here. They love their employees. I think that is one of the things I love so much about the fact that my employees all live and work together. They are more of a family than a work team, which has both it's positives and negatives, but the positives are great! The dining hall is about a mile from the office, and the rooms are right next to the office, but on the opposite side. So basically, I have to walk a mile for any meal I want, unless the admins give me a ride. It's sweet, they see me as DC, someone they want to treat well, but I would almost prefer walking to the dining hall with the employees and chatting about the work environment and who they are on the way. I also am completely in love with the weather here. If I walk to the far end of the base, I can see the sea, and it's about 90-95 degrees every day. It seriously is like Vegas with a beach (and a whole lot less fanfare, money, ok so it's really almost nothing like Vegas). But the weather is great.<br />
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There is a bar here that many of my employees go to, called 11 Degrees North. They do Karaoke there on Friday nights but apparently the music is very outdated. I was given my beer card in case I wanted to go. You need a beer card even just to get in, and you are limited to three beers a night on the beer card and only one beer card a week. Clearly I am just saving up for Tues and Wednesday night and I'm gonna go crazy drinking three whole beers each night. You can say it, I know what you are thinking: PAR-TAY ANNIMAL!! Obviously I'm kidding, but I was going to go until work caught up with me. So I guess you can say that I'm not living the crazy life here in Djibouti yet, but give me a break, it was only my first day! I still had almost a week.J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-24136677469408573822011-11-05T16:22:00.001-04:002011-11-05T23:40:43.940-04:00Dubai > Ja BootySorry for the lack of posting. Even throwing me out in the middle of the dessert can't keep my social life from interfereing with blogging. I still have not taken many pictures, and I am going to start bringing my camera around. I feel kinda weird being the random person on base taking pictures. The team is telling me we will go out into the city of Djibouti at least once, and probably to the French Beach or Lake Assul which will lead to some good pictures for sure. More on that later.<br />
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Day 2 of my trip: <br />
I woke up early so that I could use the gym and get to the airport with plenty of time left. The hotel was attached to an underground shopping mall with a grocery store in it. I threw on my gym clothes (read: conservative and not sloppy. No shorts, no sweatpants, just yoga pants and a t-shirt. Apparently I was a bit underdressed in my t-shirt). I got to the gym, and even the gym looked nice and extravant. I will admit, this was a nice hotel, but seriously - gold decor on a treadmill? Marble gym-section-separators? Dubai people even work out with class!<br />
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After the gym, I headed to the grocery store in the mall to grab some snacks for the flight/next week. Again, everything looked extravagant. It was beautiful with intricate designs and more gold and marble. (Seriously, everything is fancy in Duabi, if I find time during my layover home I will try to get out of the airport and take pictures). I tried to find some good sustaining snacks (read: protein or granola bars), but trying to find my way through the grocery store proved to be more difficult than I could manage, and all the American snacks were very expensive, and I was trying to be conservative with my spending (I only had so many Dirhams and still needed a cab back to the airport!). So I ended up passing on the snacks. I recieved breakfast at the hotel and ended up eating in the Exec Lounge where my friend Chris from the night before invited me to eat with him and Jim. We flew in on the same flight, and they were heading to Kabul for some government work. They were nice guys, and they told me stories about some of their world travels. They had great stories about some areas they have been to, some of which I can't even post about on here, and probably shouldn't share with too many people.<br />
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After breakfast, I checked out and got a cab to the airport. Since I still had some extra time before I needed to be there, I had the cab driver take me the long way to the airport. His name was Jeffrey and he was from Afghanistan. (I think it's funny that people feel the need to Americanize their names when talking to Americans, but I'll admit it is easier than saying or spelling Alman-Amit, which is probably wrong anyway). Again, he is a nice guy, working and living in Dubai and sending all his money home to his family with an 8 month old son and a four year old daughter. We did not get to go out to the island or up to Burj Khalifa, but did get to drive into the downtown area, down the main road in Dubai (which I now forget). The buildings were very tall, and then we got into skyscraper zone. It was unbelievable how tall these buildings were, and I didn't even get very close to the tallest one on Earth! Unfortunately my time was cut short and I had to get to the airport, so I didn't get to explore Dubai the way I truly intended. I can say though, for the beauty that the city had, (and the lack of litter), you could also not see more than a few blocks away from you because of all the smog. I have never seen anything like it, but was amazed by how pollution there was.<br />
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The dubai airport was nothing like it was when I left it (I arrived a different terminal than I was departing from). The airport was clean, but my terminal airport was a hot mess of activity. People were in lines with huge (yet super cheap) TVs, and luggage that was literally a bag tied or taped up with rope and their junk in it. There were lines all over the place, and instead of asking an attendent for help, I got in one line that seemed to be moving. I waited for a half hour and then got up to the counter to be told I was in the wrong line. Of course I was. It wasn't like there was a sign up or anything. Urgh. So I went to get in the line she pointed me to. I waited another 45 minutes before getting up to the gate. When I did, I was pointed to yet another line. Instead of 20+ people, the line I was supposed to be in had about 2. Wonderful over an hour of wasted time. Needless to say I got checked in, checked my baggage, and headed through customs. I made it through the second checkpoint, and waited in line in the second checkpoint. It took me about 2 hours, which left me just enough time to power up the iPhone and respond to 1 email before boarding. Let's talk about a close call!<br />
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The flight was not much to brag about. Instead of boarding a flight, we boarded separate busses (think DC Metro interior without the chairs), and took a bus out to our plane. It was fun to walk on the tarmac to board the plane, I had never done that before! (How archeaic, or so I thought...) On the flight, there was a baby screaming the entire time (three WHOLE hours). The saving grace was that I had a whole row to myself and a Toblerone bar, so I won't complain anymore about it. Plus the baby started sounding like the ambulances in Scranton - after a short enough time, you don't even hear them anymore.<br />
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Landing in Djibouti was an experience all it's own. When we landed we exited the plane (again on a tarmac) and walked into a building that could have been no bigger than a high school gym. The doors were open, there was people crammed into this entry port, and I was asked to fill out my form to enter. And then I showed them my passport and was stamped. Clearly their national security is concerned about people entering.... And then I got my luggage on the only conveyor belt there was. Meanwhile, the sticky heat was hitting, and flies were starting to land on my arms. I could feel myself getting more and more ready to get out of the crowded airport. I stepped outside, and found about 10 very kind gentlemen trying to get my bag and take me to a cab. I had no idea what my pick up person looked like, but after refusing 10 kind cab drivers and walking in and out of the airport three times, a woman finally came up to me and introduced herself to me. We immediately headed toward the camp, seeing very little of Djibouti in between. I learned that most of Djibouti just became a dumpground for HOARDS of trash, and that traffic rules do not exist in Djibouti. It's pretty much ride wherever you want to that your wheels will stay on your car.<br />
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I got set up in my room and met my team, and pretty much that was my evening. I don't have many stories yet, and I still have yet to take any pictures, but also I am now working a lot. That being said, I do have things to update you on, including my tour, the bar, Somalian check points, my trip into Douba, and the wilderness animal refuge I went to! Those stories are coming, but now I need to get some sleep. I promise to liven up this blog a bit for you! I will update on Day 3 (and maybe Day 4 tomorrow - so far they are getting more and more exciting). Want to know what I get to do Day 5 (tomorrow - Sunday 11/6?) I will be heading into Djibouti Proper to really see life in Djibouti. Whoop whoop!J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-11013884012530846732011-11-03T16:26:00.001-04:002011-11-05T23:44:36.046-04:00dew-byeDubai - UAE. Quite simply the most brilliantly gold place I have ever seen in my life.<br />
I wish I had taken pictures. I wish I hadn't been so tired. I wish I had a longer layover. <br />
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That is the bad thing about traveling by yourself to a new place. There is so much unknown, and the thing I was most afraid of was missing my flight, followed pretty closely by the fear that my time clock would be so messed up that I would be at best tired and at worst ineffective for the week I am here with my team.<br />
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So Tuesday night Kev dropped me off at Dulles for my 13 hour overnight flight. I landed in Dubai at 7:30pm on Wednesday and followed the masses to exit, waited forever for a customs agent to review my passport and allow me through. I got through, and got to the baggage claim, and waited. One thing I was warned about was to not let some man carry my luggage because they will ask you for money and then not leave you alone. So when I reached out for my black bag (everyone these days travels with identical baggage) and a man next to me also grabbed for it, I said, 'no, it's ok, I got it.' He looked at me like I was crazy (I don't think he understood English, or at least my murmur of English) and continued to grab the bag. It was then that I tugged it away from him, saying "It's ok, I have it." Of course I immediately realized it wasn't my bag, released it immediately, and headed to the front of the conveyor belt hoping that I didn't just cause an international incident.<br />
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I exited the airport and I got hit by a warm gust of air. It was wonderful. There were people all over the exit door. I was struck by how many people were piled - almost on top of each other - yet every other area of the drivethru looked almost empty. I got my taxi and we headed for the hotel. Driving through Dubai was like a whole different experience. They had the driving skills of New Yorkers (read: crazy and fast seeming like you might die in a crash but no one ever hits anyone), the cleanliness of Sedona (everything was so clean, there was no trash on the sidewalk, gardens were manicured, signs were clean), and the light, palm streets, and flatness of Las Vegas. Everything was written in arabic and english, and there were car dealerships on every block. <br />
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My cab driver was from India, and had two boys. One 14 one 9, and was working here in Dubai so he could send money home. We passed stores with the store title written in brillant green colors, in gold, in purple. Everything was designed to be colorful and extravagant. I got to my hotel, and inside was marble and granite, and gold. I also got upgraded to a suite for free because the hotel was overbooked. After I got my warm towel and complimentary sparking orange juice, I went up to my hotel room, which was HUGE. The bathrooms had marble and glass, and I had an entire living room larger than my living room at home, and then my bedroom on the other side of my bay doors. My windows looked out into the center of the hotel, and when I looked down there was a courtyard and marble patio, and a bungalow, cafe, and piano bar. <br />
I went downstairs to get some dinner, and ended up at the bungalow (Asian buffet). I met Chris there who works for the govermnet and was heading to Kabul for some work, and knew some of my employees out there. Pretty cool!<br />
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Then I went to explore. One thing I didn't get used to in Dubai was everyone smoking in public. Also, men and women rarely were hanging out together which I thought was odd. Most groups I saw were either men or women. I came to grow pretty fond of the burkas I saw women wearing and I will post a little more about that tomorrow. But I did get to go outside where more men who worked at the hotel saw me and started talking to me, and telling me about their families back home. It's funny because as a single woman, if I walked outside a hotel and a bunch of men started talking to me, I would be irritated and probably assume they are hitting on me. Men in Dubai (and this obviously does not speak for all) seemed to give off a more genuine attitude. They simply love others, and I think women especially they want to be protective of, but in a caring and gentle way. <br />
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Those were my first impressions of Dubai, I have much more (exciting) stories to share about the second day, but it is already 11:30 pm here and I need to get some sleep.J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-26002885861619672302011-10-18T08:54:00.000-04:002011-10-18T08:54:15.947-04:00busy-ness!Wow, days go by recently and I can't tell if the days feel like they are whizzing past me, or that time is dragging on at the pace of a snail. When I think about my life moving as quickly as that fast forward button on the old VCR, I feel like I am missing out on the chipmunk voices that real life tends to lack when it goes by that quickly.<br />
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Fall is here in DC. It is beautiful, sweaters and jeans are my (somewhat) daily attire, and every time I drive through my neighborhood I am speechless about the beautiful colors of the trees and how many more leaves are littered all over the street. The night is falling earlier, and for some weird reason I like the fact that it is getting dark at 7:15pm. Younglife club is going great, I have met a few great new high school friends this year, and am excited about a lot of different life events coming up soon! So far we have already gone through homecoming, and fall sports are coming to a close. Did someone say winter weekend? Oh yea - because we are going there. WHOOOOOOOOOO.<br />
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Also, I will be posting pictures soon of my living room. This living room has been transformed in the last few weeks. It is so exciting to see the little details come together, and see our room transform from a collection of all our stuff into a homey little hang out. Mhmmmmm..... love it!<br />
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The daddy-o came down on Friday, and so we went to go grab dinner with him, and then seester came down for the Redskins v. Eagles game! Goooooo Eagles - great seats - and SO THANKFUL the birds pulled out a win. Gives me hope for the rest of the season. <br />
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Work has been crazy, and I believe I am going to Africa for a week. So all around business and craziness and a lot of stress. But all wonderful exciting new adventures. I just need to remind myself sometimes to slow down a little bit!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Life is SO good. And I do believe it's getting better. <3</span></strong></em></div>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-24768738727653991772011-09-28T18:15:00.000-04:002011-09-28T09:47:57.000-04:00For every time there is a season... and blessings...It's true!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI9TwGkhefiX_9lme4T4MkWzWbUtMkRw_pHS21GndrbCx_7XGUAbendxc8z7_eN-qc9Kx5S6b0rReYxGRU7U0G_WpeZhE2NmQL37Z3pnopwf_pTjXkcugX-Ew7R-l9J3mJ-dx_ZYPMZk/s1600/Summer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI9TwGkhefiX_9lme4T4MkWzWbUtMkRw_pHS21GndrbCx_7XGUAbendxc8z7_eN-qc9Kx5S6b0rReYxGRU7U0G_WpeZhE2NmQL37Z3pnopwf_pTjXkcugX-Ew7R-l9J3mJ-dx_ZYPMZk/s200/Summer.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summer brings sunshine and holidays and long days and warm weather. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQap6tWtNNdcdpMllQSPk1a_PC3c4dyxLVCwddfcJafiED5lxhZ7kEq9BTfeUqo5ivRGsmWs7Y2uk_lvXWuYtCXpUvnMimjaaJ_MF3LwSE-2zeD3pKHGxgbn6Ls1KqlcPqNJV66WBdWE4/s1600/fall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQap6tWtNNdcdpMllQSPk1a_PC3c4dyxLVCwddfcJafiED5lxhZ7kEq9BTfeUqo5ivRGsmWs7Y2uk_lvXWuYtCXpUvnMimjaaJ_MF3LwSE-2zeD3pKHGxgbn6Ls1KqlcPqNJV66WBdWE4/s200/fall.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall brings beautiful colors, leaves, orchards, haunted hayrides, apples, sweaters, costumes, and hiking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpxeyWEcwTDsNlHZRW27cstneG_Rcnt55ciFd0E3DCYOstQEudO40N3qu9TDuMHjtFcUqvhWSRniK6eauucetwMlED8iDckgOen3X1H90Fa8E6L6Iwdtf6u3VUVYDnCPOW62gVHEbAXs/s1600/winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpxeyWEcwTDsNlHZRW27cstneG_Rcnt55ciFd0E3DCYOstQEudO40N3qu9TDuMHjtFcUqvhWSRniK6eauucetwMlED8iDckgOen3X1H90Fa8E6L6Iwdtf6u3VUVYDnCPOW62gVHEbAXs/s200/winter.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter brings Christmas, christmas music, peppermint mocha at starbucks, mittens, sledding, cozy fires, and winter sports.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVI0ey5dLJCZ5mbf1ft5Ig_WrN7p8t_4H6-6m32rn8XrLtYxMDwDTrpRnaRkPeixHey47ksNcRpRCwy-F8-m9c0kaN-hF7z3Tz8GUkNO0gPGIM5mwUtV27fXQ61XmGACuvPi0kG2a6sU/s1600/Spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVI0ey5dLJCZ5mbf1ft5Ig_WrN7p8t_4H6-6m32rn8XrLtYxMDwDTrpRnaRkPeixHey47ksNcRpRCwy-F8-m9c0kaN-hF7z3Tz8GUkNO0gPGIM5mwUtV27fXQ61XmGACuvPi0kG2a6sU/s200/Spring.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring brings birds, and flowers, graduations, rain boots, big puddles, cherry blossoms, baseball, and shedding layers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
But in the biblical sense - we all go through seasons.<br />
Currently I am in a season of refreshment with God and excited for Younglife and my small group to start up again, and I love those seasons. The new exciting fresh seasons are always the best :-)<br />
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And I am currently in a season of working hard. There is a LOT on my plate at work right now, and while I am not complaining about it, I do have to admit that it is a significant amount of work, and it's challenging to even just keep my head above water. (To give you an idea, I disabled gchat and facebook for a few weeks until I can get a handle on all this work - it's an unnecessary distraction!)<br />
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But yesterday I came home - after a Tuesday that felt like Thursday. I had been working very hard, trying to get everything done, and then powered up my laptop at home for another couple hours of working. It wasn't horrific, but I can think of a thousand other things I would have preferred doing. ... Like hanging out with the boy. Fortunately for me, I am kinda blessed to have a great guy who made my day easier by picking up groceries, cooking a delicious meal for me (while I worked at the table - girlfriend fail, I know!), and then finally sitting down to eat (I did finally put the laptop away!). Did I mention he brought me some beautiful flowers? Did I mention that after dinner he helped me clean out all the expired stuff in my fridge? Did I mention he also did the dishes? Did I mention that he took me out for frozen yogurt? AND THEN, as if the boy hadn't done enough, sat down with me to help me plan out Younglife club this week.<br />
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I know what you are thinking. And yes, it is ok if your head is swirling with 'awwwww's' and you are giggling that our glamorous date night looked a lot less glamorous and more chore-tastic. But yea... I am pretty blessed to have this guy in my life. And a guy like that? A girl's gotta hold on to! This dreamy choretastic guy is all mine, and I am pretty thankful for that :-)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1LAoVvj3z-que74XVT7gBrkhDIWVv8lMe68FTq3oAOlPlLaIKz3bI3GvS3u0i7Y7mjjDhEBXtK5zGjLDIWJgsg7-SaTGL9Te2FwKB7RVmVlg8_R47iz_oM6DZdjvA2thN37LtUObtGk/s1600/jenandkev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1LAoVvj3z-que74XVT7gBrkhDIWVv8lMe68FTq3oAOlPlLaIKz3bI3GvS3u0i7Y7mjjDhEBXtK5zGjLDIWJgsg7-SaTGL9Te2FwKB7RVmVlg8_R47iz_oM6DZdjvA2thN37LtUObtGk/s320/jenandkev.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1834905423621064695.post-948012670582120032011-09-22T00:10:00.001-04:002011-09-22T00:10:55.271-04:00Things I owe you...Recipes from friday night dinner.<br />
My recipe and story of a SERIOUSLY long overdue friend and boyfriend over for dinner.<br />
Stories of my trip home and long weekend.<br />
An update on my bucket list (yes! another item bites the dust)<br />
An update on Younglife starting up again!<br />
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I am also preparing more home stuff!<br />
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But... all of that will have to wait because at the current moment, work controls my life.<br />
c'est la vie!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Life is SO good, and I do believe it's getting better.</span></b></i></div>J Potthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01180873110740741395noreply@blogger.com0