4 Weeks to Go...

Beautiful Day

          Sitting and relaxing, I have missed this.  My life has gotten so busy the last couple of months, I failed to take any time to stop and smell the roses.  More accurately, failed to notice there were any roses at all as I whooshed passed them.  Between tests, papers, reading (tons of reading!), working, and house-sitting, I have let one of my very favorite months nearly slip away.  The trees are all changing into their amazing array of reds and golds, the days are cooler, the nights are cold, and much needed rain has started to make an appearance.  *Sigh* so beautiful.  I have reached the halfway point in the semester, and I know there will be many moments of stress and craziness over the next eight weeks, but I do not want to let life slip by in a stressed frenzy.  Life is too short not to have fun.   

And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.  Genesis 2:2

My Week

          I didn't pull any all-nighters this week, just up-early-and-go-go-gos!  Thank goodness for weekends with no morning alarm clocks in them.  Happy first day of summer!!! :D
 

  

Best Mail Ever!!!!!

          I got the coolest mail today!!!  Two books from Kylie over at Eclectica!  Kylie did a whole post (Click here!) about this traveling book website, and I am super excited about being the first stop for A Girl Made of Dust and The Harp in the South.  Thanks Kylie!!!        

Study Overload

          I am soooooooo tired of studying.  The combination of mornings in class and afternoons kitty sitting means I have been spending hours each day delving into the wonders of earth science.  The brain has reached max, no more today, shutting doooown.... 

     

A Bit of Blue

Three new Robin eggs!!! :D

Beauty

         It is such a beautiful day.  After yesterdays grey gloom and rain, it is quite amazing how quickly things have switched back to sunny and clear.  I am house-sitting right now at my favorite place, and though I am not one to seek large amounts of solitude, it has been a very pleasant two days.  Currently, I am sitting out on the back patio overlooking layers of mountains covered in green pine trees.  When the breeze picks up from the right direction the air fills with the most heavenly smell of jasmine.  A small fountain tinkles softly nearby as several very loud hummingbirds flit back and forth around a feeder.  My mug of earl grey tea (my favorite kind) sits atop my copy of Thoreau’s Walden,which I have been faithfully reading the past few days.  I must admit while Thoreau describes his own beloved surroundings my eyes tend to wander from the page to the beauty surrounding me.  Recently my days have been filled with big plans and big changes all focusing on the future, but I constantly remind myself not to let the present slip through my fingers.  No matter what the future holds, I live now.  No matter where I end up, I am happy now.  I love my Lord.  I love my family.  I love my home.  I love who I am.  
I love my life.    

 

Another Good Bye

          Another visit with Aunt Cindy and Uncle Cliff has come to an end *sad sigh.* After spending a few days in Disneyland with mom and dad, they all came home for a fun filled weekend of movies, games, good food (of course!), and lots of laughing.  As always, their visit seemed far too short, but we are looking forward to them coming out for a long visit over Christmas and through the New Year!!!  Considering how busy we are these days, I expect the next seven months will fly by.  But, not too fast -- I hope!    

Never Say Never

          Whenever the subject of school comes up, my answer has usually been, “I’m done with school.”  But, I have also kept the motto, “never say never” in my mind because whenever I dig in my heels God taps me on the shoulder and points me down some path I had either disregarded or already turned away from.  So, I have once again embarked down the educational route, but this time with a much more definite plan.  If all falls into place, I will complete my Associates degree at Sierra College next spring in Business Administration.  I then intend to transfer and finish out my Bachelors online.  I am still unsure where I will be transferring to, but I am leaning toward National University because of their unique and accelerated program.  At twenty-four, I find time is a higher priority than it once was, and finishing out my education in a timely manner makes the most sense.  I will be taking one class over the summer, four in the fall, and three (or more, if needed) in the spring.  I am really excited about this new direction in my life.  Now I just need to work hard, pray hard, and dream big!          

Another Empty Nest

          The baby robins have grown and gone!  Last Monday the robin parents spent the majority of the day flying around the front garden trying to coax their four fledglings from the nest.  Their adolescent offspring spent their day ignoring the parents.  I finally gave up checking to see if they left, but Rachel was vigilant and at dusk she saw them take flight.  The front feels so quiet now.  I hope they decide to return next year, I can’t imagine a spring without baby robins in it!      

Getting crowded.

Mama robin watching from the nearby pink dogwood.

Daddy robin being the bread -- I mean-- worm winner!

Ignoring their parents.

Getting a little more adventurous.

Almost dusk!

Good luck robins!!!  :D

An English Tea, an Indian Dinner, and a Film to Bridge the Two. Happy Birthday Mum!!!

The Birthday Girl with her Prince Charming.

Glowing pink candles.

Freshly-picked pink roses.

A proper tea.  ;)

One pink candle.  (Have you figured out the theme yet?)

Make a wish!

Roses from dad. <3

Santa Barbara!!!

          I am home!  Actually, I have been home for well over a week now, but every time I sit down with the intention of posting I get so bogged down with sorting through pictures I fail to get anything up.  Not today!  I have narrowed it down to forty-three pictures – I know, I know, forty-three is hardly narrowing – but we packed a lot into those few days.  Enjoy!  :D

The Beach!

Molly, the cute little dog belonging to the family Stephanie and I stayed with.

While waiting for Taylor to finish his final class, Eric, Stephanie, and I explored an old cemetery.

This one appeared to be made of sandstone.  It is amazing how long it has lasted.

There were some impressive mausoleums, too.

Coffee!!!

My Shakerato.  Small cup, big punch.  (And really yummy!)

The Courthouse.

There was a lot of this going on.  ;)

The architecture was so beautiful.

The clockwork.  We were there to hear it strike!  At 1 o'clock.  :(

The Santa Barbara Mission!  (My favorite part of the trip!)

I caught a glimpse of two monks across the courtyard.  One lingered long enough for this special picture.

The woman who inspired Scott O'Dell's prize winning novel, Island of the Blue Dolphins.

The Cathedral's entrance.

Simply breathtaking.

At the Marina Museum.  A working replica model of the very first seaplane.

The Nordkap.  Built by Dwight Brooks in 1981, this 8.5 Ft 285 Ib working model can catch live fish!  If it senses the fish is too large, the line and net automatically detach to prevent the fish from capsizing the boat.

Amazing building art!

Some of them were even interactive!  :D

I love walking along the wharf.

 

Graduation day!

The Siblings,

The Friends,

and --most importantly-- the Girlfriend. <3