I Am Thankful.

I Am Thankful. Thankful for much.

I am thankful for England. For how green it is. For having lots of sheep and cattle and farmers.

I am thankful for trains and cheap transportation in Europe. It was a lifesaver this weekend.

I am thankful for Capernwray. For everything about it. For it's inner beauty and outward beauty. For Major Ian Thomas who created the dream of Capernwray. Who bought this fascinating manor house that has now been home to thousands of Christ followers. For those Christ followers who were thirsty, searched, and drank in life...real life... at this sanctuary. It is like nothing every experienced. ever.

I am thankful for my family. I miss them dearly. With ALL my heart. I ache for them, their unconditional love, the warmth I feel when I'm with them. I am thankful that I can listen to Nsync Christmas on repeat with my 3 brothers encouraging it. For facebook video-making with Jake and Josh. For playing soccer in the backyard barefoot and it never getting old. For watching the food network with Jake and doing a family Iron Chef. For my mom for being so dam good at cooking. For her words of widsom, for her compassion and listening ears towards her incapable daughter. For being a "Proverbs woman". For my dad who loves coffee more than I do. Who pursues daughter-father time with coffee dates rather than soccer tournaments. Who reminds me of what how I deserve to be treated by men. For being a salmon towards my mom.

I am thankful for children. For the innocence and spirit. For their excitement in life and the way they teach me more than many adults ever could teach.

I am thankful for Granite Bay. For my home. I can always come back to and feel comfort, find true friends.

I am thankful for coffee. man, I LOVE a cup of joe every morning. just isn't right without one.

I am thankful for sunsets. for colors and natural beauty.

I am thankful for my legs and feet. That I am able to run, jump as much as I want.

I am thankful for SLO. Cal Poly's community. For 3 years of amaziness that I never thought I could dream. I am thankful for my loved ones in that utopia of a town. For the Pismo House. For the babes who are genuinely loving such a great home while we're away. For my sisters-my roommates who are dam good at cooking, dancing in their underwear, drinking wine, showing compassion and unconditional love to me, and having style. For Meredith...loving Friends passionately just as much as I do. For Jen...for being Jen...for being goofier and wierder than me. and being proud of it. For Lisa....for being the best Apple representative in the world...and smiling more than Ive ever seen anyone smile. For shan and dave....being the hottest and most humble couple in the world. :) for the Grand girls....loving Twilight and being soooo proud of it....for being really blonde and having the most fun. For being really close to campus. no fair. For the Osos girls....being the most unique, hippiest, Toms wearin, 3rd world lovin, music makin, craziest group of girls I've met. For the twins...being hot lifeguards and representing Hume. for being twins that look very different and making it easy :) For my Bible Study girls. For teaching me. For being such God lovers and followers. For desiring to grow. And for just being wonderful. I am thankful for Campus Crusade and the community it has given me in SLO. For all of you who I have met through it. For my mentors, Bible study leaders, "older" friends who has sent examples-examples of women and men of God. For loving me.

(I am thankful for many more of you in SLO. Trust me. I am just getting started. Didn't realize i was gonna get all crazy in thankfulness today).

To end this typical Thanksgiving blog, I am beyond thankful for my Heavenly Daddy. For Christ who died for me. Shed His pure innocent blood for my dirty, sinful blood. For my God who gave His son up for me. For all humanity. For the gift of grace. For God as my rock. My first love. My only dependency in this world.

I am thankful. I hope you are too. Because there is much more than all this to be thankful for.

Growing with age does not always mean growing in maturity...

Dear loved ones...

It has been a while since I last shared my insights of the life I live here in Harry Potter land. I have 5 weeks left. Unbelieveable! Time flies when...well...you get the picture. :)

Before I indulge you in some extreme opinions about the working industry and the female persona, I am excited to say I visited some dear friends in London last week, and will be traveling to Oxford tomorrow and Liverpool on Wednesday! I think the travel bug has finally become my buzz despite the weariness of work. Tomorrow I will enjoy a beer with Mr. CS Lewis and JRR Tolkein at The Eagle & Child pub. This is the pub where the two authors used to meet weekly and discuss Theology and philosophy in a quaint back room of the pub called "The Rabbit Room". I cannot wait to sit in the very same room where such knowledge and insight was discussed years and years ago. Liverpool will also be such an adventure seeing as it is a 14 hour long trip, and I will have to up and ready for work the next morning. But to be in the presence of The Beatles upbringing is quite worth it. I will be walking along Strawberry fields, Abbey Road, and get to walk into the very pub where the band had their first show. Yes...this will be cool. :)

Seeing as it is 10:30 pm on a Saturday night, and I am very tired, I will make this short and sweet. The work force in the military is quite interesting. Even morso, the work force with women is crazy! I have never experienced such manipulativeness, negativity, gossip, and drama as I have in my present job. And I am 22! Still in college...still coming out of my teenage years...where most would assume I am immersed in drama and gossip. But noooo....the most immaturity I have ever experienced between staff member have been while I am overseas in a professional working field. Excuse me for the bluntness. This does not mean I hate my job. This does not mean I dislike my time and experience here. In fact, I can already admit, I have grown, been challenged in more ways than I could have ever dreamed, and I will miss this place. But I am also sad. I am sad as I see women treat women with such lies and negativity. I am sad that we cannot come to work with positive attitudes as seeing that we work with children everyday who feed off demeanors, auras, attitudes, ect. Children very easily detect negativity. It saddens that we cannot be a place of more love than dislike. I have never heard so much exasperated rumors, pitiful unnecessary drama, and complaining as I do with women. Now I am not taking myself out of the conform...I am just to blame in many ways. I simply am stating an observation and am making a point that I think we, as women, need to be wiser, more positive as we work, less gossipy about other people's lives, and focus on our own problems and issues.

Just a thought :)