Tomorrow! Tomorrow!

At 5 a.m. tomorrow morning, I will jump into my Dad's minivan with a liveliness that no normal human should have at that hour. This unnatural energy will come from the overwhelming excitement about being in Minnesota with my lovely boyfriend, TOMORROW.

a pretty good example of how I'm feeling right now

It didn't hit me until yesterday that I'm actually going to be in that lovely winter wonderland so I feel a little unprepared. Last time I was there it had been 2 and a half months since Jake and I had seen each other, so I basically had the countdown memorized and was practically ticking off the minutes. This time, we only had a few short weeks in between, but I'm definitely more than ready to see him again. 

The only thing that could get me down right now is packing. I'm not the greatest at it. I think too hard.

This chaos is my bedroom and my suitcase. I think I just need to throw in the last few things and call it a night. 

I'm so excited for this lovely week long vacay with friends and boyfriends.

Muppets and Brunch

Merry Christmas to all who may read this today. The fam did the usual traditions of brunch, present opening, and the Muppets Christmas Carol. Sadly, it seems that only us sisters really like that movie, and we got overruled half way through the movie and it switched to Toy Story 3. My nephews were so cute opening their presents. Landon opened each present with skill, tenacity, and a hunger to own all of the cool games out there for his new Nintendo DS. Evan was a slow opener, easily distracted, but still did a few victory dances when he got something he was really looking forward to. Colton was oblivious, and ended up playing with a plastic cup and whatever his older cousins let lay on the floor for longer than a minute. I had fun writing up clues last night so that the little ones had to go on a scavenger hunt to find their gifts. All in all it was a lovely day and I'm so thankful for my family.

 Bing Crosby CD, Valley of Vision book, Pilates kit :) Quite the assortment!

But, if I leave it just at that, this is a pretty dissatisfying holiday. It's amazing how everything we pack into this "Holiday Season" seems to drown out any extra time or energy we could put towards the real meaning of this time. The weeks leading up to Christmas are called advent because it is meant to be a greatly anticipated arrival or coming. No, not the arrival of time off, good food, presents, or even time with family. We're meant to ponder, ruminate, meditate (whichever word you want to use) on the incredible thing that happened in history some 2,000 years ago. Not just the quaint story of a manger and shepherds and angels, but of the unbelievable grace and mercy God showed us in the humility of becoming like the creatures He formed. His coming is what set me free! His coming is what brings me hope! His coming makes me look to His return! This is way more than cookies, Home Alone 2, and decorations. This is the long awaited Messiah, the desire of the nations, the Savior of the World. This day doesn't feel so empty when I remember this. I'm grateful for what I have and I love to enjoy sweet memories with family, but I try to steer clear of allowing indulgence and comfort to cloud the stunning reality of Christmas.

Food for thought

Brief and somewhat random update, I'm thinking about making some drastic changes to my eating habits. The thought has crossed my mind quite a few times over the past couple of years, but after watching a Dr. Oz episode on obesogens (terrible sounding word right??) I feel even more desperate to take the plunge. Dairy products and I just don't get a long. We've had a rocky relationship, and for some reason I keep ignoring the abuse I receive and run back to all of that lovely lactose with open arms (and mouth). It's bad. I feel terrible after I eat just about anything dairy. I have little lactose pills I can take with my first bite, but I too often forget to take one or don't have any on hand. And that's not all, meat and I are barely even acquaintances anymore. We've drifted apart over time, and now that I know all of the terrible little secrets that lie inside of these packaged and processed beasts, I think it's time to call it quits. Wow. Am I really saying what I think I'm saying?!! That would be a major change in my diet, but I feel like my tummy would be thankful for it. Anyways, that's something I'm chewing on right now (har har).

In exactly one week I will be in Minnesota again for yet another wedding. I must say that my Austria team wasted no time in getting hitched and hooked up once we touched down in the homeland. I'm looking forward to spending New Years with lots of loved ones and getting to spend some much needed quality time with Jake and his family. After I come back, Jake and I will be starting our separate internships meaning that we will only converse through written mail for about 3 months! It's going to be challenging, but we're so excited to see what God has in store for us.

Merry Cliffmas!

I know I know... I'm a baseball dork. But seriously, the thought of the Phillies being really awesome another year due to their new arrival of Cliff Lee is extremely exciting.

4 aces with lovely faces

Take me out to the ball game....!!

The Christmas Story

If this doesn't get you a little excited for Christmas, I don't know what will.


Please enjoy this video my Jacob sent me :)

Goin' to Minnesota in my mind

I visited Minnesota for 5 days to see some friends get married, visit my boyfriend, and reconnect with other wonderful people. It was really cold, but definitely worth it. Jake and I did all sorts of fun things like bowling, ice skating, sushi eating, and going to the Holidazzle parade. I was able to see most of my Austria team and we spent a lot of time reminiscing and laughing about all of the adventures we journeyed through together. I didn't take near enough pictures, so I'll have to make sure to take a lot more next time.

Danke Thanks Gracias

You can never be too careful when transporting a Turkey. Precious goods...

So, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I'm sure we all have loads of things we're thankful for. But, I just thought I'd name a few of them that will also update you on life.
#1. Creativity. I love being inspired by the way others express themselves creatively. I have so many friends that amaze me with how they can make some of the most simple or traditional things, unique and full of personality. Here are pictures of the cake toppers and guest favors from my friend Candice's wedding that happened this weekend.

#2. Houses of prayer. I'm so incredibly grateful to have a house of prayer that is open 24/7 so near by! It's wonderful to have a place to get away, and also an opportunity to unify my heart and prayers with other believers. I found out last week that the internship will start January 8th and is a month longer than before, ending May 28th. I'm really looking forward to this season of my life coming up and can't wait to see what God has in store.

#3. In exactly one week I will be visiting the wonderful land of Minnesota!!! My dear friend Emily is getting married and I'm so happy for her. I'm looking forward to seeing how beautiful everything turns out, and even helping a little with food prep. I'm so excited to be back in a city I miss, with friends I love, and seeing a very special boy!

(summer 2008?)

#4. My job. I can't believe I'm one of the few lucky people who actually likes what I do for a job, which is saying a lot since I have 3 of them. Job #1 is babysitting my nephew two days a week. How could I not love that?! He is absolutely adorable and I enjoy every moment, even when he's not so precious. Job #2 is Home Helpers. I currently have 6 clients that I visit and I can't believe how much I like it. I've started to build really close relationships and look forward to seeing these people. It's going to be hard to say goodbye to them when it's all said and done. Job #3 is the nursing home. Once again, I love getting to help people who can't do it for themselves so this is the right place for me. I've gotten the hang of my job so I have a lot more time and energy to become friends with the residents. They are lovely people and I look forward to knowing them better. 

(I can't believe he's 1 year old!)

So, that's a brief update with some things I'm thankful for. God has been oh so good to me, so I have to give Him some credit and praise! I never would have thought this would be where I'm at now. He is so faithful.

Journey in my mind

I'm currently dreaming of Hungary and thought I would invite you all in on it. Picture this...

As you enter Hungary you pass by pools of sunflower fields on both sides of the road. The sunflowers skinny necks sway to and fro, allowing their fat faces to be staring down the sun at all times. It's summer time, so the bright blue sky and white puffy clouds make them dance right down to their roots.
You see people walking down the street and become very aware you're not in Western Europe anymore. The faces of the old men and women show old pain, stubborn strength, and long nights of story telling after a few swigs of Pálinka. They dress different, they live different, they think different. You're in a new land, a new culture you've never experienced.

You drive into a tiny familiar village with about 2,000 people in it. They all know you're coming, and people begin poking out their windows and watching from their gates to see their old friends from afar visit once again. A group of kids catch sight of your van and chase you down the street for a while, yelling your names and greeting you with a friendly "Szia!"

You arrive at your destination and meet some familiar faces and after smooching faces and giving hugs, you attempt to chat in English, Hungarian, and a little bit of German with the ones who know it. The conversation is confusing, filled with many gestures and waving hands, and often ending in laughter. Slowly you make your way to someone's house, where many people are invited for a cook out. You walk along the dirt road, passing the many houses with furry, barking gatekeepers. A child comes up from behind and grabs your hand. You can't communicate with her at all, she's only 5, but she just wants to be near you. You made good friends with her the last time and now she won't leave your side, but you're ok with that.

You arrive and are given leave to eat anything they have in their enormous garden surrounding the tiny house. You feel like you entered a wonderland. Everywhere you look there are rows upon rows of fruit trees and vines and bushes with every kind of tasty thing you can imagine. This is their pride and joy, and to see your excitement over it makes all those hours of toil and labor worth it. You are led by a little boy who continues to chat with you in Hungarian and doesn't understand why you don't talk back. First you snag a peach from a nearby tree, but seeing how absolutely perfect and beautiful it is, you decide to save it for later. Next you come to a funny plum tree that holds an oval shaped fruit that you've never seen and your taste buds decide instantly that it's a new favorite. Nestled among the tall cherry trees are blackberry vines where you spend most of your time searching for the fattest and juiciest of them all. You remind yourself that an amazing dinner is headed your way and hold back from exploring further into the garden. You see the host already taking note of the things you enjoyed and telling his wife to get a large bag filled for you to take home. He also adds some of his peppers, tomatoes, and homemade bread, just in case.

The sun is starting to go down and you haven't eaten yet, but don't worry, this is normal. Everyone is taking their time and haste is not in their vocabulary. You sit around a fire and chat while kids run and play all around you. The host frequently checks on you to see if everything is ok. He offers you his coat when he saw you out of the corner of his eye rub your arms after a chilly wind rushed through. You are comfortable, full of all sorts of delicious drinks, and enjoying laughter and conversation while the smell of stew cooked over the fire reaches your nostrils. One of your dear Hungarian friends with a beautiful voice begins to sing and the sound of it makes you smile uncontrollably. The language itself is melodic while simply being spoken, but when old folk songs about someone's precious flower are sung, it brings utter delight to the listener. The food is ready and you feast until quite full and you've politely said no to offers of more helpings for the last time. You say goodnight and goodbye and chuckle to yourself as the shouts of "Hello!" are drowned by distance.

This has been a good day, but your adventures tomorrow at the thermal spa and explorations in Budapest will prove to give some competition.
I miss this country and the people I met in it. I have confidence that one day I will be there again and will hopefully be greeted by some of the same smiling faces.

Chums, pals, comrades

I recently began attending a small group of young adults that meet in Lancaster on Tuesday nights. I was introduced to this gathering by my dear friend Debbie who is a member of the house church that this small group came from. I really look forward to it every week now, which is funny because normally this would not be my cup of tea. The people there all know each other and have some sort of connection already. I've come in as an outsider and it appears that I don't have very much in common with any of the members. But we do have a few core components in common that make a world of difference. We're all just a group of young people who earnestly desire to know Christ more and hope to find a way to do that as a body of believers instead of alone. I love community and have noticed recently how important it is for me to be connected in some way to other followers of Jesus. We weren't meant to stand alone during times of hardships or sorrow or confusion or even celebration and joy. We function best when we have others to pray, laugh, cry, and stand with. Even though this small group consists mostly of single guys (7 dudes and 3 girls!!), I'm pumped to see how God will deepen our love for Him, and create a connection of friends that doesn't happen naturally in this world. I'm all about supernatural friendships. They're the best kind.

Speaking of super friendships, I just want to make a brief shout out to two couples who mean the world to me. These friends have stuck with me even when big oceans separated us. They are understanding, caring, loving, and probably the people I have the most fun with. I missed both of their weddings, but by God's goodness it looks like our paths will cross for another season coming in the spring. I can't wait to see what's in store for these friendships. They are so dear to me :)

Post # 80

Well, October is coming to a close and it still is breathtaking outside! The leaves are hanging on to their brilliant color, the air is crisp but not too cold, the sun shines most of the time, and my mom made a pumpkin roll cake!! Now I'm getting ready for November and the wonderful Thanksgiving festivities that come with it. I don't know of too many things going on in November other than a wedding of two friends (Candice and Brian) and the preparation to visit MN on December 1st!

Last weekend I visited my friend Victoria in Philadelphia. I was so excited to go on a train since I really enjoyed doing that in Europe, and was pleased to meet two German tourists at the train station. We chatted in German while an Amish guy listened in and gave his two cents here and there. The journey was beautiful with all of the colorful trees, Amish farms, and quaint towns. Vic and I had a wonderful time exploring the city and meandering around. We went to a homeless outreach in Love park which was challenging but good. I'm very aware that evangelizing does not come very naturally to me. It was nice to pray with people and give them some pizza. If nothing else, they at least got to sleep with a full belly. All in all, it was wonderful to be in a city, to experience new things, and to spend time with a lovely friend.

Purtty purtty pumpkins!

On Sunday I carved pumpkins with two of my favorite munchkins and my lovely sister. The boys' attention span may have been a bit short, but I still enjoyed every bit of it!

I also had a really great weekend with my good friend Victoria in Philadelphia. Those pictures will hopefully come in a later post.

short and sweet

3 cheers for beautiful leaves! hip hip! hurrah!

October is soon over and I can't believe it. Time is flying by, while at the same time I'm wishing for it to go faster. I haven't been extremely fond of what I'm currently doing with my life, and mostly that is to blame on a lack of trust in God. Because my focus is not fixed on Him, I then decide to pick apart my own life, and I become so self-absorbed it's disgusting. So, now I've identified the problem and am taking small steps to fix it. One of the steps include joining a small group that doesn't perfectly fit my fancy of what small groups should be like. I'm trying to forget my preconceived ideas and my selfish desires, and do something just because I believe God wants me to. I'm actually getting pretty excited about it as well. I think God is going to use those times to change some things in my heart. I'm so bad at embracing weakness, so it's a good thing I have an understanding and wise boyfriend who prays for me and reminds me of the truth. Woo hoo!

This weekend I'm going to visit a dear friend of mine in Philly. I'm excited to see what her life looks like over there, and also to join her in a homeless outreach going on in Love park. It's going to be a good weekend. Oh, and I also get to ride a train, which sounds so awesome since I miss long rides on public transportation in Europe.

The month I love

It's October and I've done a really poor job of updating my blog about the celebration! It was a little anti climactic due to the fact that I worked like a dog the first week or so of October. It was hard seeing the celebration on the horizon. But here we are, October 13th, and I think it's shaping up to be a lovely month. I've learned to search for the little moments and be content with what I've got and the situation I'm in. I've spent a lot of time with my nephew Colton and had a few fun days with a good friend Debbie. To enjoy some time outside, my dad and I went geocaching the other day and it was a lot of fun. Here are a few pictures to show how October is going so far.

we had just finished making coconut curry pumpkin soup!

car rides with blue skies and fields of gold

long walks with the little one

Bombadil

I've been home for over a month now and things have been a bit harder than expected. I still feel out of place in the area that I called home for most of my life, and loneliness is trying to kick in. Being around my family has been the biggest highlight and blessing of this time at home. I'm so thankful I get to watch my nephews grow, reconnect with my sisters, and of course be around my parents. I have a few things I've been doing lately to brighten my day in my down time. One is knitting my very first hat. It's proved to be a challenge, but definitely doable. I have an extra drive to complete it because it's for my wonderful boyfriend and the cold Minnesota days are coming quickly!

 I am also embarking on the long journey of the "Lord of the Rings" book series. I really love it! Tolkien's language paints the most beautiful pictures and brings me right along in the adventure. If any of you are fans of the movies, the books are really wonderful as well.

And last, but not least, I'm preparing to celebrate my favorite month of the year. October is just around the corner and I have quite the list of things I want to do. I got myself in the fall festive mood by ordering a fallish drink at a coffee shop, which was decorated in such a way that I didn't even want to drink it!

Butterflies, beaches, bicycles, boyfriends

Yesterday Jake jumped back on a plane to Minnesota after a much needed 7 day stay. The first three days we were in Pennsylvania and he got to meet all of the family. It was so nice to have him share in my world over here, to be able to have faces with names and what not. Then we left for a 4 day vacation with my parents in Ocean City, New Jersey. The weather was exquisite, the boardwalk food delicious, and the time spent together essential. At the very latest we'll see each other in December, but we sure hope to make it sooner than that.

Today I also had my first day with Home helpers and my first client. It went well and I feel a lot more confident about working in this area. I really hope that God can use me to love people who need it in a practical way. One of the first things my client asked me was "Do you like to torture yourself or something with those nose rings and tattoo?" :) I think we're going to get a long great.

jingle jangle

My trip to the cabin was relaxing and enjoyable. We spent most of the time outside in the beautiful 60 degree weather with my sisters, mom, and I knitting while the men and boys did some geocaching and hiking. And, because I can't show off my newest nephew enough and due to feelings of 'blog neglect' from my sister, here's a cute picture of mother and son :)

My parents and I have taken on the challenge of moving my mother's sewing room from upstairs to downstairs. This has been something we've dreamed of doing for a long time, and have finally decided that now was the time to do it. In going through her sewing stuff my mom has found a lot of older sewing supplies that she neither needs or wants. This is exciting for me since I plan on trying my hand at sewing in the very near future and would need some supplies of my own. I also enjoyed taking some cute retro needle holders and using them as decorations in my room.

While we were cleaning out my mom's room I found three old prayer cards of mine. I realized that this is the first time in four years that there wasn't some sort of card plastered all over people's refrigerators with my face on it. I was thinking I should make a new one that says something like "Pray for Lindy as she embarks on a long distance relationship" and maybe post a photo of me holding my "Help Jake and Lindy be in the same time zone" change jar.

In case you lost count, Jake will be here in less than 48 hours. :)

Young and Old

I'm going through the process of becoming a 'caregiver' with an agency in Lancaster called "Home Helpers." Their tag line is "Helping aging seniors safely manage and enjoy an active lifestyle while maintaining their independence." I'm really looking forward to this new opportunity. I'll get to hang out with people in their homes and help them do little bits of every day life that are a struggle to them. I can't wait to have lots of new Grandpas and Grandmas around.

On top of that, I've been babysitting my youngest nephew Colton at his house on Mondays and Fridays, and helping my mom babysit him and my nephew Evan on Tuesdays and Thursdays here at home. They keep me on my toes and exercising my imagination which is always a blast for me. Also, they give me an excuse to check out some of my old favorite kids books from the local library. If you haven't read anything by Bill Peet you are seriously missing out. The Wump World was always my personal favorite.

Tomorrow my whole family (parents, sisters, husbands, nephews) will be heading up to our cabin for the long labor day weekend. I'm so excited to relax and enjoy the outdoors. Hopefully I can teach my nephews my favorite game to play at the cabin which includes a slanted tin roof and lots of acorns. When we return from the cabin, it will only be 5 short days until Jake arrives!! I'm a little bit thrilled about that :)

And since two other dear friends of mine recently posted links to lovely videos with good music, I've decided to do the same. Check these guys out. This video feeds my origami obsession.

Doors

This is my sixth day home in Pennsylvania. Things are not the way I expected, but still good. I found out on Monday that the House of Prayer internship I was planning on doing is being postponed until January due to a lack of interest. That was a shocking blow at first. What does one do when you think you hear from God something specific, and then the door shuts abruptly? I'm learning that you keep going the way you were before, choosing not to lean on your own understanding of what's going on, but trusting God for everything. Now, I'm feeling the pressure to find a job so that I feel like I have some purpose here. But, until that happens, I'll just focus on what God has blessed me with for this season; lots and lots of time with my nephews :)

New!

This past week or so has been full of new things and new life. I love it! On Saturday I graduated from BCOM, officially ending one season and preparing for a fresh start in Pennsylvania.

Then, on Sunday my very close friends McKenzie and Jeff got married finally! It was a beautiful wedding and I'm so thankful I got to be apart of it!

Also, on August 10th little Selah Marcellus was born to two other very close friends. I'm currently in Green Bay Wisconsin to visit the new parents and their bundle of joy. It's been so relaxing and fun to be here!

And last, but certainly not least, on Monday I started dating one of my best friends in the whole wide world, Jacob Paurus. We've been through Teen Mania, Bethany, and Austria together and now look forward to see what God has next. He's so special to me and to say that I'm excited would be an understatement.