Happiest Place on Earth!

We've been in California since last Friday. After David and JJ sang at a church in Northern California on Sunday morning, we made our way down to Southern California for a few days off before they perform on UCLA's campus tonight. JJ celebrated her 29th birthday while we've been on the road, and what better way to celebrate than to go to Disneyland! In 2009 Disneyland is giving free admission on your birthday, so JJ wanted to take advantage of the opportunity and take Lucy along for the ride.




We spent a solid 5 hours at the park. JJ's grandpa met us there on his motorized scooter....which got us to the FRONT of EVERY ride in a matter of seconds! It was great! Thanks, Bampa! Another treat was that the University of Portland soccer team ended up being there that afternoon. I was able to meet up with a couple of the gals near "It's a Small World". Thought it was only appropriate that that should be the meeting place :)




Lucy was a champ! She did great, and we each go to go on a ride that we wanted to, before heading out.



We will get a few weeks at home in Phoenix after this performance at UCLA tonight. It will be good to get some time with the family, and stay put for a little while. Some fun updates on Lucy's development: She is now a clapping machine! Yes, that's right, Lucy has learned how to clap. She is also enjoying many more solid foods, and is not a fan of baby food mush anymore. She's become quite the babbler. She's getting pretty good at entertaining herself in her carseat now :)

Birthday Happenings

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday, spent with David, JJ and little Lucy! The day started with a walk, girls only, to the farmer's market down the road from JJ's parent's house. I love the freshness of the market, the personal touch, the direct exchange from grower to buyer, and all the fun colors!





The after noon included a trip to a wonderful Thai place in Santa Cruz and some beach time:





It was a good day. I felt special, and happy to be alive :) Thanks for a fun day David and JJ! (and Lucy)

What about me?

After JJ and David sang five times in two days, we are preparing to head out of the Redlands, and back to Phoenix for a much needed few days of rest. I've still been living out of the same suitcase that I left Denver with, one month ago....with a couple loads of laundry in between.

I enjoyed seeing a good friend while I was here in California. She added a slice of familiarity and comfort that I really needed. Thanks Kel. She reminded me that I can't take care of anyone if I don't take care of myself. I know that, and I can tell myself that, but there's a feel that's completely different hearing it from someone else. It caused me to break down for a second and shed a few tears. I think I've done a good job of being self aware through this process, but it is also easy to lose perspective and keep giving and giving and going strong, because there is so much to be done, and always something to do. Someone to care for.

Today we are driving back to AZ, and after four days of watching a little one, I will stay a night at my parents house and take on the responsibility of watching out for three big ones. Not because it's expected, because I love them. Because I know the stress they are under. Because I would want someone to do the same. I'll also have three days to hopefully move out of my car and into the house that I will be staying at for a while, when we are in Phoenix. Yep, my car still has all of my belongings in it from when I did this. Then it's off to San Jose for several days.

Some days just feel really heavy. Yesterday was one of those days. Sometimes I feel helpless. Like events happening in my life are completely out of my control. I hate that feeling. I want to be in control. I want to call the shots. And then reality sets in- I remember that I am NOT the One who calls the shots. But I know the One who is, and when I start to feel the weight of life pressing down on me, I must concentrate on what I CAN do, not what I can't. I CAN pray. I CAN be present wherever I am, and be helpful and productive in that situation. I CAN stop worrying, because that isn't helping anyone. And I CAN take care of myself.

His mercies are new every morning, and I feel them on this morning. Great is Thy faithfulness. Now hopefully the baby won't scream for five hours in the car.

Kinda Random

So most of you have heard of this gal, and probably have seen this already. I hadn't yet, and it moved me to tears! Check it out:

Watch a Dream Come True - Susan Boyle

Posted using ShareThis

Oh. My. Goodness.

The last three weeks have been a blur. Let's summarize, shall we?

-I completely uprooted myself from Denver, CO (a place I hold near and dear to my heart... I will come back!)

-Went to Nashville for a week and a half to hang out with my niece while David and JJ recorded their new album (called "Deeper", it's gonna be sweet).

-Found out midway through our time in Nash that Josh has cancer.

-Flew back to Denver for less than 24 hours, packed up all of my belongings, drove to Phoenix in 12.5 hours with Bella scrunched in the backseat

-Less than 24 hours later flew to CA, back to AZ, flew to TX, found out while there that my grandmother passed away.

-Flew back to AZ, less than 12 hours later flew to PA to attend my grandmother's funeral.

-Today...in AZ. Tomorrow...in CA.

- Oy.

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.