Christmas!

This year was a busy one for me. So when I had the opportunity to go back to Phoenix for Christmas with the Heller Family, I took full advantage of waking up slowly and staying in my pajamas late into the morning. I used the first couple days to catch up with old friends, and then used the remainder of my stay to visit with my parents and brother and sister in law. We took walks together, played games, and baked. Here are a few photos from my visit:

These are a few of the original members of the Shamrock Crossfire soccer team that I joined when I was ten. Joey (on the left) lives in Denver now and we see each other frequently.

We spent a day making our traditional Christmas treats! Mom and JJ are hard at work.

One of our finished products....oh so good!

One night we played a competitive game of Imaginif; it's a good one!

Out enjoying the warm Arizona winter weather on a walk with JJ

Quite the contrast upon my return to Denver, a 10 degree day with snow falling steadily! This is my view from the kitchen window.

A few Favs

A Rendezvous with the Rocks

This past week I had the honor and privilege of spending five days in Joshua Tree National Park rock climbing with some of Outward Bound's finest women! There were 27 of us in sum, and we came from all over the nation (one even came down from Canada). The women were all different ages and skill levels and we all came together with perhaps different expectations or goals, but for the purpose of getting to know others in the Outward Bound community, to improve our personal climbing skills, and most of all, to have fun!


This mission was definitely accomplished, and expectations were surpassed, personally, during my time in JTree. I drove out with three other gals from the Golden Headquarters; thus we
were so named the Golden Girls :) We took turns driving and in two days and 16 hours of driving time later, we ended up in California's town of 29 Palms at the Joshua Tree Basecamp.








I slept under the stars, woke up with the sun, felt the strength of my body radiate through my fingertips and down through my toes. I bled. I sweat. I learned. I grew. I observed. I listened.












I found a new appreciation for the desert. I grew up in a similar environment but usually preferred the green grass to the brown desert. But this last week showed me some of the desert's true colors and they shined brilliantly into my heart and soul. I soaked in the sunshine, I smiled at the cacti, I made footprints in the sand, and I drank as much water as I could!


My time in Joshua Tree was magical, and I feel quite blessed to have had the opportunity to spend the time there with 26 other strong, beautiful, talented, wonderful women!

Viva Italia!

I just returned from an amazing three week backpacking trip with my friend Elaine in Northern Italy. We flew into Venice, out of Rome, and hit some of the most amazing countryside in between the two! The jet lag is certainly in full effect right now, but I don't care, it was well worth it!


My favorite stop was definitely the Cinque Terre on the western coast of Italy.
"Cinque" translates to "five" in Italian, and "Terre" means "land". These five lands, or towns are connected by a path that is cut into the countryside right along the Ligurian Sea, and can also be accessed by a train that runs through each town. All five towns have their own charm and beauty to them.




We stayed in a hostel in Manarola that served organic food and was very energy efficient and eco-friendly (showers were limited to five minutes). The views were spectacular, the sea was such an amazingly beautiful blue hue, and the experience was unforgettable. I enjoyed seeing the transformation of towns from their daytime crowd to the nightlife experience. There was a certain hustle and bustle feel during the day, people getting their shopping done, running errands and such. But at night, the lights are dim, the chairs are all setup outside, the wine starts flowing, and the sounds of laughter and good times permeates the streets.

Some of my favorite things while on the trip: FOOD! The gelato is a must have. It is to be eaten as often as possible, preferably when the afternoon I-should-be-sleeping feeling starts to hit. In the Cinque Terre region, pesto is plentiful and bursting with flavor! Our hostel and served up some killer Gnocchi pasta with pesto. So good! In addition to the food, a favorite was also the fact that we could pack it in or be as relaxed as we wanted! We really concentrated on perfecting The Stroll over the last few weeks. It was so nice to have the freedom to just sit, people watch, and walk the streets of the Italian towns.

A few of the things I missed while in Italy: Free toilets, my bed, free e mail access, Peanut Butter, and ice cubes. :)

I had a really wonderful time of reflection while on the trip, and the opportunity to while away to remember what is important to me and what things should be a priority in my life. And perhaps what things I should say no to in order to open up some space for myself to have a break once in a while.
Elaine and I certainly grew closer while living together and traveling for three weeks straight. She is an amazing person, and someone that I feel quite blessed and fortunate to have in my life. It was an honor to be able to be by her side and experience God's creation together. She is such an encouragement in my life, and I will miss our evening talks over a glass of vino rosso!

It's been a few days since I arrived in the States and I am very much still adjusting, but I would be happy to tell you more about my trip if you have questions or want to see more pics! I am so thankful that I was able to go on this trip, and it is something I will treasure in my heart for the rest of my life! 'Til next time!
JH

A New Addition!

She's still alive folks! It's been a busy last few months, but a really wonderful time as well. Since my last post I have had two big events happen: 1) I moved into a new place! 2) I have a wonderful black lab puppy (her name is Bella)! She's full of energy and personality. She's a about 19 months old and a wonderful companion for me. My job allows me to take her to work with me, and Denver is a very dog friendly city. You can even bring your dog into Home Depot!

I'm excited to take her camping and hiking this summer, she loves to be outside, especially in the water, and she's a wonderful retriever. She could play fetch for hours if my arm could hold up! AND thanks to the invention of the Halti dog harness, she's become a very good walking partner :) Thanks David and JJ!

Peace Child

Something that has recently been on my mind is the subject of pluralism. It is something that my church has been discussing, and a topic that is prevalent throughout society in regards to religion and theology. I get the feeling that the people of the city in which I live are quite spiritual. Maybe even religious. Perhaps not religious in the same way that one might usually use the term in a way to describe one's church-going habits, but in a ritualistic sense. This is especially clear to me during this time of year. Winter. Coloradans religiously make their way westward on I-70 to numerous congregations with tall summits and plenty of seating every weekend. Some of the more popular destinations you've probably hear of, such as Vail, Breck, Copper. Some might say they make a connection there. They feel most at peace with the world when they are going top speed down a beautiful mountain packed with powder and full of grace. Heck, God created nature for us to enjoy right? Why do we need to go into a man-made building in the city to be with God when I can dwell with others in His presence in nature? Can't I find God in everything? Aren't there more than just one way to get to God? Is there?


Recently I read a book by the name of Peace Child, written by Don Richardson. He writes about his life years ago; of going into a canniballistic culture in New Guinea and making his home there with his wife a newborn son. He knew nothing of their language or traditions, but puts forth all of his energy into doing so. Eventually, not only does Don learn the language of the Sawi, he also learns of a way that he might be able to present the Gospel to this people in such a way that they might understand, through THEIR oral traditions and culture. He was able to use something called a redemptive analogy in such a way that this people would understand the love and grace that God has for humanity, for them. Richardson found common ground with a people who had never come into contact with a white man before his arrival. He was as different to them as anything they had ever imagined. And yet, he was able to find ways to relate with them. He translated the whole Bible into the Sawi language, and was even allowed the opportunity to show this culture how God, sending his only son to earth to die on a cross as a criminal, was the ultimate peace child. You'll have to read the book to understand the full significance of what the Sawi's called a Peace Child. But through reading this book, I was given a renewed sense of hope for this city of Denver. If a man can step into a culture that he has nothing in common with, and find common ground to share Christ with them, how much more should I be able to find common ground with a fellow Denverite? Does Denver, as a city, have a redemptive analogy? Does each one of us have our own redemptive analogy? How can we find common ground with one another? Comments are encouraged and welcome!

Oh Snow!!!

Even though I have lived in Colorado now for a little over a year and a half, I am experiencing a TRUE winter the second time around. Ever since the weekend of Christmas, it has snowed every weekend. And, as most of you know, a few of those weekends brought TONS of snow!!!! In fact, I was definitely blessed that I left on the Tuesday evening before Christmas because Denver International Airport CLOSED FOR TWO DAYS that next afternoon.











In the meantime, I have begun the adventure of becoming a ski bum. :) Well snowboarding bum anyways. The snow is so much more enjoyable when you just embrace it and play in it....lots! Here are a few pics of me and some other transplants enjoying the good stuff!