Newport Beach

Okay, so I forgot my camera, but JJ had hers! Here's a good one of Lucy when we were hanging out at Newport Beach. She's recently begun to sit up on her own very well. It was a perfect day to be outside with a soft ocean breeze, the sun shining, and lots of happy people all enjoying the beach!

Oops....

I forgot to charge my camera battery between trips, so I don’t have any pics from our LA trip this weekend. Sorry, no visual material to go along with this post. We spent a great few days hanging out in Southern California, I stayed with JJ’s cousin and her family, while David, JJ and Lucy were just down the road staying at the worship pastor’s house of the church where they played on Sunday.

Both of the shows where David and JJ sang were very well received, and of course, everyone absolutely loved Lucy! This was not the first time I heard ladies commenting to one another, “Oh look at that cute little doll-baby!”

My mind traveled between being present, and thinking about Josh and my parents, dealing with everything that is going on back in Phoenix. I am looking forward to seeing them this afternoon as we spend less than 24 hours in AZ before heading to Texas for some shows over the next several days.

Josh is spending his time recovering from the colectomy, and will hopefully continue to feel better with each day- as his pain subsides, and he learns how to effectively maintain and live with a colostomy bag. He has had a few visitors come out to the house to visit or play Xbox with him.

Please pray for rest for Josh and my parents, continued healing from the surgery, and that Josh would see God in the midst of all that is happening. That he would recognize the orchestration of God’s hand in this mess- that we all would.

12.5 hrs later!

I made it! And almost all of my stuff did too, thanks to my all-star roommates that helped me pack the car. Bella had less than half the backseat to her name, but she was a total trooper! The day started off with a quick trip to get the tire pressure checked, just in case. The front left tired looked a little flat; and for good read, it had a nail in the sidewall. So thanks to God's protection, I got it patched up before I even left town!

Getting all patched up

Here are a couple pics right before taking off....Bella is on the other side :(

And I took this one as I was driving into AZ, back to the old stompin' grounds...



So after a night's rest, I am off to LA this afternoon to meet up with JJ and Co. for a couple of shows this weekend.

The job of a nanny is never done!

Please continue to be in prayer for Josh and my family. Josh is now home from the hospital and recuperating from surgery.

Crap.

Sorry to have a lull in the blog-posting arena the past several days. I've been trying to wrap my head around some news about my oldest brother, Josh, that has shocked us all. On Friday night Josh went in for surgery to have a fistula repaired in between his colon and bladder, and came out of surgery with the news that he had six inches of his colon removed, and they found vast amounts of cancer throughout his GI tract. Cancer. Wow. What? Yeah.

Friday night was full of tears and trying to get my head wrapped around the reality of the situation. Saturday was a bit of a blur- pulled weeds, cried, zoned out, held back more tears, watched a movie....

By Saturday afternoon I was able to feel more at peace with the situation and do some processing with David and JJ regarding what was happening. A welcomed relief has been seeing Lucy's smiling face on a daily basis. Her eyes and smile just melt my heart every time!

The decision was made for us to stay in Nashville until the recording project that David and JJ have been working on is finished. They just have one more day now, and the project has turned out so well!

Right now we are just taking things day by day with Josh's situation, and asking for lots and lots of prayer. Please join our family in asking the Lord for peace over this unforseen circumstance, and that He would be glorified through it all.

I love you bro!

A Daily Ritual

I never thought I'd be so grateful for a cemetery! The recording studio backs up to one, intentionally, so that it cuts down on noise pollution for recording purposes. It comes in handy for Lucy and me to get out of the studio when Lu starts to get fussy as well. It's quite peaceful in there, and no one cares much (or at all....they're dead) if Lucy fusses a bit!

1st day at the job

This is a photo David snapped recently of little Lucy Love

Today was Day 1 for David and JJ in the studio at Sputnik Sound in Nashville, and day 1 for me at my new job as nanny for little Lucy. The little one and I are getting reacquainted with one another after a month or so of not seeing each other. She recognizes people's faces and voices a lot more than she used to...especially her momma's. This was problematic today, as she has a bit of separation anxiety. We tried to stay out of line of vision so that Lucy wouldn't get worked up about being in my arms rather than JJ's. Over the course of the day, Lu became more and more comfortable with me. We went across the street, just the two of us-for a swing together, her first one, and by the end of the day, she even fell asleep on me while I lay on the couch. Those were definitely the two highlights of my day :) Can't beat a sleeping child curled up close to you!

Tomorrow promises to be even more of a bonding experience, and the next, and the next!

We have the video camera with us, so be sure to check in on JJ's website shortly for a video journal. We'll get one up eventually.

What I know....

Sooooo....since the last time I blogged, a bit has changed in the destination department. Such as, I don't really know what, or more specifically where, the next nine months are going to take me or look like...AT ALL. Nashville is not a for sure thing anymore since the housing is now more affordable on the West coast. I could be moving to California....northern or southern, or possibly be in Arizona. There is a lot up in the air, as far as the location of where I will call home for the next nine months. It will be an adventure no matter what, that's for sure!

Here's what I do know:

-As of today, I am no longer employed by Outward Bound.
-Through the end of May I will be nannying for my beautiful niece, Lucy.
-I am not a huge fan of change or transition, and both are happening in full force in my life right now.
-I have lived in a beautiful state for the last four and a half years, and feel as though I have been able to take full advantage of it's grandeur over my time here in Colorado.







-I am going to miss my community, church, roommates...room, and neighborhood very much.
-Spending the next nine months with my niece, brother and sister in law is going to be a really special experience.
-I know God is walking beside me every step of the way!


I am going to try to blog more often in the days to come, as I begin this new season of life as a nanny/booking agent/roadie for JJ Heller. Feel free to stop by periodically to see what state we just came from, and where we might be going next!

A Change in Scenery

It's official blogworld, I'm moving to Nashville at the end of August! I don't even know who reads this anymore, but I thought I'd make the announcement. After lots of prayer, processing, and thinking, I'm going to join David and JJ, and their newest addition- Lucy Love, in Nashville for a little while to be a nanny/booking agent/personal assistant/helper in any way I can.


This is an amazing opportunity to share in the ever new and exciting life of my now four and a half month old niece, and travel around the country with my musically-talented brother and sister-in-law, while using Nashville as the home base.



I'm excited to see what the Lord has planned for me as I take a step in a completely new direction. I never imagined that I would leave Denver so soon, as I really feel at home here, but it is only a temporary absence. My roommates, community, and church have been such an amazing family, and I will miss everyone immensely. It is definitely not an easy thing for me to leave. And at the same time, I look forward to living in a region of the county that I haven't had much exposure to, and taking advantage of the time spent with my family to live and work together.

I have the desire to look for volunteer opportunities while I am living in Nashville, possibly to become a Big Sister to a teenage gal, or look into some mentorship opportunities. I want to be able to establish myself wherever I am living, and I think giving back to my community is a way to do that.



The phrase, "Bloom where you're planted" continually pops into my head as a reminder for me to be as impactful as possible in the place where I find myself in the moment. I look forward to seeing how I can plant seeds and bloom in Nashville!

Were I went in '08

I've seen a couple people log where they traveled last year, and unfortunately, I already threw out my 2008 Calendar, but here was the bulk of my travel:

Phoenix, AZ

Steamboat Springs, CO

Portland, OR

Detroit, MI

Portland, OR

Phoenix, AZ

Orlando, FL

Sarasota, FL

Detroit, MI

Nashville, TN

Phoenix, AZ

Maybe more edits to come if I remember them...

Oh Humanity

Sometimes, when I take a second to think about all the hard stuff my friends are going through, it becomes overwhelming. I want to be there for each one of them. I want to comfort them, sit with them, give them a hug, and help fix it. This week I found out two of my friend's marriages have fallen apart, someone else is in critical condition after having two strokes at my age, a couple others have lost their jobs, and some are just frankly hurting. Why? WHY?

Then I'm reminded of something....I don't have to take these things on by myself. In fact, I shouldn't. There is Someone much larger than me. Larger than any of these hurts, pains, struggles and situations. Someone Who knew these things would happen. Once I turn to Him, and express my hurt for these people, my cares, concerns and worries, I then receive comfort and solace in the fact that my prayers were heard and will not fall on deaf ears. There is a lot of hurt in this world, and it is too big for any one of us to try and take on ourselves. But there is Someone who can take it on, who did, and who is there for us 'til the end of time.

Pile your troubles on God's shoulders—
he'll carry your load, he'll help you out.
He'll never let good people
topple into ruin.

-Psalm 55:22 (The Message)

Full Circle

Yesterday I went for a hike to Maxwell Falls, just outside of Evergreen, CO with my friends Anne Marie and Nanci. As we pulled into the parking lot, it looked quite familiar and I was almost positive I had been at this trailhead before. As we kept walking, it dawned on me that this trail was the very first that I hiked after I moved to Denver, a little over three years ago!

It was such a neat feeling thinking back to where I was when I went on that hike three years ago, and where I am now. It's so interesting how one can grow and change, and yet, on the same token, stay the same in a lot of ways.

While hiking, Nanci asked me where I saw myself in five years. It was the second time in a few days that I had been asked that question, and I felt the same both times...I hate that question. I think I dislike it so much because the future is so uncertain. I can make my plans and goals, but most likely, the next five years will look nothing like how I planned. The thought of being disappointed or even failing is not something I want to voluntarily inject into my life. So I usually don't think about what I will be doing in five years, because who really knows except for the One who knows everything.

Today, in church, I was challenged to be someone who is willing to give everything of myself to God. That includes giving up everything that I own or thought was mine. A woman who put two coins into an offering box, equalling a penny, gave more than anyone of the rich aristocracy because she gave all that she had. She gave it all. Am I willing to do the same? Am I willing to give so much monetarily that it hurts; that it makes me question how I'm going to make rent this month?

Getting out into the wilderness, going for a hike to Maxwell Falls, helped me remember that my life is a gift, it's fragile, and it is not my own. I need to remember that I cannot get too attached to the things of this world or this life. They are fleeting, and temporary. Hearing the sermon in church today helped me remember that I need to be open to letting go of all I hold dear on this earth so that I may reap a greater reward.

Now, I ask you, are you willing to give EVERYTHING? Are you willing to give up everything?

A New Look!

Yesterday my friend Conor and I busted out painting the kitchen in my house in less than three hours! Check out the before and afters!

Before


After



Before



After



All smiles after admiring our work!

Customer Service

I don't usually do this type of blog, but I was so thrilled with the customer service of High Sierra, that I just had to share it with you all and give them a little plug. When I was traveling in Europe this past summer, I took a High Sierra small backpack with me that had a pouch for my hydration device as well (a Camelback-ish type). To my dismay, very time I had the pack on and bent down to pick something up from the ground, water would leak out all over the inside of my pack and I'd have to empty out all of my guidebooks, papers, etc. I thought I had made the mistake of not screwing the top on correctly, however, upon my return to the States, and further inspection of my water reservoir, the falty party was not myself, but a hole in the top of the reservoir! UGH! I was so mad, a) because I had blamed myself for the misfortune of getting all of the contents of my pack wet, and b) because I'd have to call customer service and wade through the multiple phone operators to try and figure out how I could get a replacement reservoir.

To my great surprise and delight, my phone call lasted less than 5 minutes with High Sierra and they didn't even ask me for any information, they just took down my address and said that they would send me a new water reservoir! Now, High Sierra wouldn't be the top of my list for outdoor gear, the pack itself was a gift, but they have certainly climbed the charts with this act of goodness!

What keeps me goin...

I was thinking today about the things in my life that I love and appreciate. I must say, this creature is one of my favorite things in life! The scene pictured is scene a daily occurrence- Bella standing staring from the ball to me and back to ball, just waiting for the moment where I make the lunge towards the ball to pick it up and toss it for her, indicating that her response will be to fetch the ball and bring it back to me with an indefatigable energy.

Ah the simple life and pleasures of a dog. Do I appreciate the simple pleasures in life as much as this Black Lab? She is a constant reminder to do so.

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!