31 July 2009

diamond/crater lake extravaganza!

last weekend, my parents, sister, brother, sis-in-law, two nephews, a niece, a family friend and i went camping. well, most of us did. my parents stayed at the crater lake lodge while the rest of us toughed it out at diamond lake. we had an amazing time, and the only frustrating thing...mosquitoes.
the drive was LONG. i love road trips especially when i don't have to drive. :o) katelyn and i amused ourselves with cheerios and cameras and walkie-talkie conversations to the other vehicle.


diamond lake was stunning and peaceful. the campsite was busy, but so close to the water. at night, we were serenaded by fellow campers singing praise songs. unfortunately, i never saw who they were. after we had successfully squished all of the blood-sucking vermin that had weaseled their way into our tent, there was no way i was getting out.


covered in dust and bug spray, hot and tired from setting up camp after the long car ride, we made a beeline straight to the swimming area. meshach and azariah LOVED it, and mari was ok until she got splashed. i could have stayed much longer...but it was dinner time!


the sun rose and the mosquitoes were up before us. after breakfast in the van, we met up with my parents at crater lake. we wandered, had a picnic, took pictures and stared into the mesmerizing deep blue water.

during a much needed nap time for the kiddos (and the grandparents...), four of us trekked down to the lake. interesting side note: the hikers at crater lake are not as friendly as gorge hikers. conversations, smiles and hellos are frequent in the gorge as you are passing people...we rarely got a head nod at crater lake. anyways, the view was sweet from the bottom and i wish we would've had time to take the guided boat tour. monica and i dangled our feet into the frigid water while brandon swam for a couple minutes. the walk back to the top was tiring. apparently it is the equivalent of going up 65 flights of stairs. i quickly realized why most of the people walking up weren't to chatty. :o)

on sunday, mom and dad met us at diamond lake. we rented a pontoon boat and went exploring. meshach desperately wanted to try out his new fishing pole, so we dropped anchor and anticipated a whole lot of nothing. to our surprise we caught one! i caught the only picture...milliseconds later it came off of the hook and back into the lake. we think it was about 15 inches long! pretty exciting.


sadly, our weekend was too short. after lunch we were homeward bound.

i love family.

i love summer.

i love water.

definitely an amazing combination.

diamond/crater lake extravaganza!

last weekend, my parents, sister, brother, sis-in-law, two nephews, a niece, a family friend and i went camping. well, most of us did. my parents stayed at the crater lake lodge while the rest of us toughed it out at diamond lake. we had an amazing time, and the only frustrating thing...mosquitoes.
the drive was LONG. i love road trips especially when i don't have to drive. :o) katelyn and i amused ourselves with cheerios and cameras and walkie-talkie conversations to the other vehicle.


diamond lake was stunning and peaceful. the campsite was busy, but so close to the water. at night, we were serenaded by fellow campers singing praise songs. unfortunately, i never saw who they were. after we had successfully squished all of the blood-sucking vermin that had weaseled their way into our tent, there was no way i was getting out.


covered in dust and bug spray, hot and tired from setting up camp after the long car ride, we made a beeline straight to the swimming area. meshach and azariah LOVED it, and mari was ok until she got splashed. i could have stayed much longer...but it was dinner time!


the sun rose and the mosquitoes were up before us. after breakfast in the van, we met up with my parents at crater lake. we wandered, had a picnic, took pictures and stared into the mesmerizing deep blue water.

during a much needed nap time for the kiddos (and the grandparents...), four of us trekked down to the lake. interesting side note: the hikers at crater lake are not as friendly as gorge hikers. conversations, smiles and hellos are frequent in the gorge as you are passing people...we rarely got a head nod at crater lake. anyways, the view was sweet from the bottom and i wish we would've had time to take the guided boat tour. monica and i dangled our feet into the frigid water while brandon swam for a couple minutes. the walk back to the top was tiring. apparently it is the equivalent of going up 65 flights of stairs. i quickly realized why most of the people walking up weren't to chatty. :o)

on sunday, mom and dad met us at diamond lake. we rented a pontoon boat and went exploring. meshach desperately wanted to try out his new fishing pole, so we dropped anchor and anticipated a whole lot of nothing. to our surprise we caught one! i caught the only picture...milliseconds later it came off of the hook and back into the lake. we think it was about 15 inches long! pretty exciting.


sadly, our weekend was too short. after lunch we were homeward bound.

i love family.

i love summer.

i love water.

definitely an amazing combination.

29 July 2009

go check it out!

alexis has a sweet blog. she is pretty cool too. on a hot day like this, you should go check her blog out. :o) CLICK HERE!

go check it out!

alexis has a sweet blog. she is pretty cool too. on a hot day like this, you should go check her blog out. :o) CLICK HERE!

28 July 2009

two days ago...



this is where i was on sunday. i wish i was there today. floating quietly on diamond lake, gazing at the beautiful scenery. enjoying the company of my family.

today brings HOT weather. extreme heat encourages me to nap, eat watermelon, dream of big bowls of ice cream and yearn for time spent in water. doesn't really matter if it is a lake, river, ocean or kiddie pool.

two days ago...



this is where i was on sunday. i wish i was there today. floating quietly on diamond lake, gazing at the beautiful scenery. enjoying the company of my family.

today brings HOT weather. extreme heat encourages me to nap, eat watermelon, dream of big bowls of ice cream and yearn for time spent in water. doesn't really matter if it is a lake, river, ocean or kiddie pool.

23 July 2009

beautiful cloudy morning photo op

these make me smile.
thought i'd share. :o) enjoy!




beautiful cloudy morning photo op

these make me smile.
thought i'd share. :o) enjoy!




21 July 2009

jump!

last friday, i finally fulfilled a dream that i have had for a long time. i've always wanted to fly. my skydiving experience was incredible. because of the risk involved, i had previously believed that i would only do it once. now i'm not so sure.

friday morning i woke up to sunshine and blue skies. my first thoughts...today is the day! as the time approached, i grew more excited. after we arrived, we had to sign release forms and all sorts of waivers stating the different things that could go wrong. i wonder how
many people back out at that point. it's sobering to realize the risks beyond the excitement and enchantment of skydiving. we watched the first group land safely and eagerly waited the call to get ready.

i don't recall thinking about much while getting ready. i did however ask the question that had been plaguing my thoughts that morning. if you puked during freefall, where would the puke go? up, down or just hang out with you? :-) side note: no, i wasn't feeling nauseous...just curious. apparently, the puke doesn't fall as fast as you, so in relation to you, up.

the plane ride was amazing. i love looking around and seeing everything from a bird's eye view. it took about 12-15 minutes to get up to the right altitude, 13,000 feet. along the way, my jumpmaster, terry, would point out landmarks and gave me a countdown until jump time. when it came down to the 45 second mark, it really hit me that we were going to jump out of a
plane. jumbled feelings of exhilaration mixed with a twinge of cautiousness made me pause for a slight moment. the time had come. they opened the door and waited for the green light to come on indicating that it was time. the first two people went. we were up next. my photographer/videographer, i think his name was shawn, climbed out onto a ledge on the outside of the plane. we sat on the edge and dangled our feet. i was told to look up, and seconds later, before i had time to process or think, we were falling. the first few moments after we exited the plane is the point that i tend to think about the most afterwards. i can't describe the intensity and the thoughts that were screaming in my head. after we were in a stable free-fall, it felt like you were suspended, floating in air. breath-taking in more than one way. seriously. the unobstructed view and the wind/air pressure were the main contributors to that. the wind roared loudly and blocked out all other sounds. we spun around and i tried to take in all of my surroundings. i watched shawn as our parachute opened to notice the speed difference. whoa. he dropped out of view SO fast (apparently around 120 mph). after the canopy opened, a sense of peace overwhelmed me as the sound of the wind nearly disappeared. spinning in circles and helping to steer the parachute were a blast. before i knew it, we were getting ready to land. i remember wishing that we could've stay up there much longer. the landing went smoothly and i watched my friends land safely in the field.

the thrill was out of this world. nothing that i've ever done compares to this. trying to explain the sensations and thoughts with words doesn't accurately illuminate what i felt. after a few days to process everything, this is what i've been thinking.
  • my jumpmaster said a few things that are true for me. "now you know why bird's sing." and "you'll never look at the sky the same way after today."
  • they don't keep you at the doorway of the airplane very long at all. they know it's the scariest part. i imagine that is the best for everyone involved. in regards to taking a leap of faith, i'm guessing that God has a similar knowledge. i tend to be the one fighting that, tooth and nail, so i can "get over" the fear first and then jump. how much do i prolong things that will only result in more fear? commit, let go and enjoy the ride. easier said than done.
  • jumping tandem took a LOT of the pressure off of me. i was just along for the ride. i didn't have to know when to pull the cord or how to steer or at what altitude we were. picture this...God is your jumping buddy for life. this is what He is whispering in your ear:
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

i tend to want to know all the details and how i can do it on my own. that is not how God intended it to be. if i remember this and put my trust in Him, what a ride that will be.
  • fear is so weird. it was SO much easier to put myself in a situation that could've had devastating physical results, than it was to sing for an audition recently. that fact intrigues me. knowing that and realizing the craziness of that statement, i wonder why and am pursuing an answer. if i ever discover it, i'll let you know.
  • how many decisions are made based on the fear factor? it's easier to act when the "risk" is low. our view of risk and fear is so personalized and is often distorted. instead of fear, we should base our decisions solely on what God has called us to do and act accordingly and promptly.
  • i'm so small. it's amazing how far i could see at 13,000 feet. BUT i wasn't even able to see the curvature of the earth. i wonder how far up you have to be to see that. anyways, my mind gets boggled when i consider that even though i am minuscule compared to the universe, God knows my name and cares enough to even know how many hairs are on my head. insane.

jump!

last friday, i finally fulfilled a dream that i have had for a long time. i've always wanted to fly. my skydiving experience was incredible. because of the risk involved, i had previously believed that i would only do it once. now i'm not so sure.

friday morning i woke up to sunshine and blue skies. my first thoughts...today is the day! as the time approached, i grew more excited. after we arrived, we had to sign release forms and all sorts of waivers stating the different things that could go wrong. i wonder how
many people back out at that point. it's sobering to realize the risks beyond the excitement and enchantment of skydiving. we watched the first group land safely and eagerly waited the call to get ready.

i don't recall thinking about much while getting ready. i did however ask the question that had been plaguing my thoughts that morning. if you puked during freefall, where would the puke go? up, down or just hang out with you? :-) side note: no, i wasn't feeling nauseous...just curious. apparently, the puke doesn't fall as fast as you, so in relation to you, up.

the plane ride was amazing. i love looking around and seeing everything from a bird's eye view. it took about 12-15 minutes to get up to the right altitude, 13,000 feet. along the way, my jumpmaster, terry, would point out landmarks and gave me a countdown until jump time. when it came down to the 45 second mark, it really hit me that we were going to jump out of a
plane. jumbled feelings of exhilaration mixed with a twinge of cautiousness made me pause for a slight moment. the time had come. they opened the door and waited for the green light to come on indicating that it was time. the first two people went. we were up next. my photographer/videographer, i think his name was shawn, climbed out onto a ledge on the outside of the plane. we sat on the edge and dangled our feet. i was told to look up, and seconds later, before i had time to process or think, we were falling. the first few moments after we exited the plane is the point that i tend to think about the most afterwards. i can't describe the intensity and the thoughts that were screaming in my head. after we were in a stable free-fall, it felt like you were suspended, floating in air. breath-taking in more than one way. seriously. the unobstructed view and the wind/air pressure were the main contributors to that. the wind roared loudly and blocked out all other sounds. we spun around and i tried to take in all of my surroundings. i watched shawn as our parachute opened to notice the speed difference. whoa. he dropped out of view SO fast (apparently around 120 mph). after the canopy opened, a sense of peace overwhelmed me as the sound of the wind nearly disappeared. spinning in circles and helping to steer the parachute were a blast. before i knew it, we were getting ready to land. i remember wishing that we could've stay up there much longer. the landing went smoothly and i watched my friends land safely in the field.

the thrill was out of this world. nothing that i've ever done compares to this. trying to explain the sensations and thoughts with words doesn't accurately illuminate what i felt. after a few days to process everything, this is what i've been thinking.
  • my jumpmaster said a few things that are true for me. "now you know why bird's sing." and "you'll never look at the sky the same way after today."
  • they don't keep you at the doorway of the airplane very long at all. they know it's the scariest part. i imagine that is the best for everyone involved. in regards to taking a leap of faith, i'm guessing that God has a similar knowledge. i tend to be the one fighting that, tooth and nail, so i can "get over" the fear first and then jump. how much do i prolong things that will only result in more fear? commit, let go and enjoy the ride. easier said than done.
  • jumping tandem took a LOT of the pressure off of me. i was just along for the ride. i didn't have to know when to pull the cord or how to steer or at what altitude we were. picture this...God is your jumping buddy for life. this is what He is whispering in your ear:
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

i tend to want to know all the details and how i can do it on my own. that is not how God intended it to be. if i remember this and put my trust in Him, what a ride that will be.
  • fear is so weird. it was SO much easier to put myself in a situation that could've had devastating physical results, than it was to sing for an audition recently. that fact intrigues me. knowing that and realizing the craziness of that statement, i wonder why and am pursuing an answer. if i ever discover it, i'll let you know.
  • how many decisions are made based on the fear factor? it's easier to act when the "risk" is low. our view of risk and fear is so personalized and is often distorted. instead of fear, we should base our decisions solely on what God has called us to do and act accordingly and promptly.
  • i'm so small. it's amazing how far i could see at 13,000 feet. BUT i wasn't even able to see the curvature of the earth. i wonder how far up you have to be to see that. anyways, my mind gets boggled when i consider that even though i am minuscule compared to the universe, God knows my name and cares enough to even know how many hairs are on my head. insane.

20 July 2009

updated video of danny


okay....so i kinda already posted this, but i deleted the other one because the quality of this video is so much better. danny gokey is a preacher at heart.

updated video of danny


okay....so i kinda already posted this, but i deleted the other one because the quality of this video is so much better. danny gokey is a preacher at heart.

17 July 2009

please pray!

go visit www.prayforkate.com! i came across this story in blogland and felt the need to get more people praying for this family.

please pray!

go visit www.prayforkate.com! i came across this story in blogland and felt the need to get more people praying for this family.

a thankful heart is a happy heart.

wednesday night, i also got a bit of a reminder. while singing a song about joy, i complained to God that i don't feel very joyful lately. He bluntly spoke and asked me if i had expressed any sincere thanks to Him in any regards lately. hmm... today, i was reminded of a veggietales song from long ago.

I thank God for this day, For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad, For my piece of apple pie!
For our home on the ground, For His love that's all around,
That's why I say thanks every day!
Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have, Thats an easy way to start!
For the love that He shares, 'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!

simple lyrics. catchy tune. a lifestyle choice. what are you thankful for today?

a thankful heart is a happy heart.

wednesday night, i also got a bit of a reminder. while singing a song about joy, i complained to God that i don't feel very joyful lately. He bluntly spoke and asked me if i had expressed any sincere thanks to Him in any regards lately. hmm... today, i was reminded of a veggietales song from long ago.

I thank God for this day, For the sun in the sky,
For my mom and my dad, For my piece of apple pie!
For our home on the ground, For His love that's all around,
That's why I say thanks every day!
Because a thankful heart is a happy heart!
I'm glad for what I have, Thats an easy way to start!
For the love that He shares, 'Cause He listens to my prayers,
That's why I say thanks every day!

simple lyrics. catchy tune. a lifestyle choice. what are you thankful for today?

you are so beautiful to me

i like to write prayers, thoughts and praises in the midst of worship. i have found that it helps me to be more delibrate and focused on not just going through the motions. this last wednesday night was no exception.

for almost a week, i had been battling feelings of unattractiveness and worthlessness. satan plays these cards frequently and it really infuriates me how effective they tend to be. needless to say, my heart was heavy and was crying out to get a glimpse of how God sees me. i wrote this down along with praise and thanks for being who He is. after worship ended, pastor ted spoke briefly of a song that God had laid on his heart to have sung over the church. he proceeded to encourage us to openly receive the words from God's heart. as pastor anthony sang these words, tears cascaded down my face.

you are so beautiful to me.
you are so beautiful to me. can't you see?
you're everything i planned for.
you're everything i dreamed.
you are so beautiful to me.

in that moment, God's extravagant love overwhelmed me. He knew what struggles i would be having that week, long before that night. to imagine all of the things he had orchestrated for me are unfathomable. beyond that momentary glimpse, i tend to still struggle with those feelings, but the depth of His love for me exceeds my wildest imagination. just think...it's not just those rare moments that He has ordained, but every breath and every step.

you are so beautiful to me

i like to write prayers, thoughts and praises in the midst of worship. i have found that it helps me to be more delibrate and focused on not just going through the motions. this last wednesday night was no exception.

for almost a week, i had been battling feelings of unattractiveness and worthlessness. satan plays these cards frequently and it really infuriates me how effective they tend to be. needless to say, my heart was heavy and was crying out to get a glimpse of how God sees me. i wrote this down along with praise and thanks for being who He is. after worship ended, pastor ted spoke briefly of a song that God had laid on his heart to have sung over the church. he proceeded to encourage us to openly receive the words from God's heart. as pastor anthony sang these words, tears cascaded down my face.

you are so beautiful to me.
you are so beautiful to me. can't you see?
you're everything i planned for.
you're everything i dreamed.
you are so beautiful to me.

in that moment, God's extravagant love overwhelmed me. He knew what struggles i would be having that week, long before that night. to imagine all of the things he had orchestrated for me are unfathomable. beyond that momentary glimpse, i tend to still struggle with those feelings, but the depth of His love for me exceeds my wildest imagination. just think...it's not just those rare moments that He has ordained, but every breath and every step.

14 July 2009

grandma's birthday party.

we didn't go to chuck-e-cheese for this party, but it was definitely a weekend to remember. our family got together to celebrate my grandma's 80th birthday. here is a priceless picture of my beautiful grandma. i feel privileged to be apart of this amazing family.

here is a group shot of the family who could make it to the reunion. the only downsides to this weekend...too short and not everyone was there. it was hard to talk to everyone.


my grandma and all her kids. what an amazing testimony to what an awesome mom she is...we all LOVE to be with each other's families. as a kid, i always dreamed that we would all live in one neighborhood and hang out all the time. unfortunately we are sprinkled across the map.


i got to welcome a few new members to the family too! this was the first time i had met my cousin's husband and son and another cousin's daughter. so fun! i love how much the family has grown and i pray that we never lose touch with anybody. i really want to plan a LONG vacation or several to go visit everyone in their homes. that would be SO cool!


now i am home. exhausted but content. time with family is priceless.