Farewell Summer

Summer days have come and gone,

They were so very fun,

The long and lazy days of being,

Outside in the sun.

The pool is full of yucky muck,

It should be put away,

The bathing suits have all,

Been put in the drawer to stay.

The school books have come off the shelf,

The supplies are being bought,

One last week of summer time,

Is all that we have got!

Go to the park, go to the lake,

Go any where at all,

This one last week of summer time,

We all ought to have a ball!

This last summer, oh how it has been,

One of the best I've ever had,

Lots of fun, fellowship and friends,

Have made it very glad.

The fall is bringing more then,

The start of school it seems,

It brings an older sister dear,

The fulfilment of a dream!

A wedding we are having now,

Her special day we plan,

She's leaving me, this sister dear,

He is one lucky man!

Another tear this fall will bring,

The loss of friends so dear,

One only goes to school again,

And only for a year!

Sunday nights I will no longer see,

Another friend so near,

I know I will see her again,

But not so often I do fear.

Life is changing so very fast,

I'm being left behind,

Why am I being left alone?

Is running through my mind.

Then I see a sunset bright,

I feel the crisp fall breeze ,

It reminds me of the God,

That will always be with me!

He's always close, He's always near,

He'll never leave my side,

He's standing there with arms held out,

With arms thrown open wide!

This poem it has gone on to long,

It's gone from bad to worse,

I will just write one little last,

Just one more small short verse!

The moral of this story is,

There's always one you see,

Whatever life does throw my way,

God will always be with me!

Just What I Needed

Something I've noticed about God, is that when I'm having problems or lots of worry and stress; He doesn't come down with a clap and a bang and then all of the sudden everything is all hunky dory again. When I really need Him, He always gives me the tools to haul myself up out of the whatever pit I've been wallowing in!

It's hard being the second born to a perfect older sister. You feel like your never going to be as good and that people are always going to notice and like them better. That is true sometimes, but it's just the way of the world and I've come to tenuous terms with it!=) With the perfect older sister getting married though........ boy-oh-boy! Has that brought out some old resentment skeletons I thought I had buried in the back of the proverbial closet a long time ago!! And if that wasn't hard enough with all of the history that's already there, I also just got some 2x4 to the back of the head type of news. So, needless to say I was having a hard time before, but the past week and a half or so.............watch out!!!

I got the 2x4 to the head bad news Monday after getting home from a 4 day long camping trip. Then on Wednesday I headed out again for another 4 days of camping. This time with out the perfect older sister, so it was kind of a break but can you ever really escape from your problems? I was tiered and a trifle; okay maybe more like hugely, overwhelmed when I got home that Saturday, then my Mom was mad at me because I hadn't called her when I was gone and I had been slacking off on the cleaning a bit( What can I say? It's summer! There's nothing I hate more in the summer then dusting!!) so I get home and it's not the I'm so glad your home lets all be happy type of welcome I needed. I couldn't sleep that night my stomach was in so many knots.

It was church the next morning and I did not want to go, but I went any way because that's what good Christian girls do. But God knew that I needed to be there this Sunday. The Pastors sermon was just what I needed to hear. It was on John 14 and you should really listen to it but I'll share my favorite part now. This is a path to peace with God that Jesus lays out for us in John 14.

To Believe is to Know

To Know is to Love

To Love is to Obey

To Obey is to Abide

To Abide is to Experience Everlasting Joy and Peace

Isn't that beautiful? I don't know what exactly about it spoke right to my heart that day, but whatever it is I am so very grateful that God spoke through the Pastor and made me drag myself out of bed and go to church that day. It's still been hard but God gave me what I needed to grow past this and become closer to Him.

Also this week, I pulled out a CD that I have never listened to. It's the second CD in a set of Celtic hymns that I lost the first one with all of my favorites on it so out of frustration I never listened to the second one. But something made me pull it out this week, and song number 5 is Trust and Obey. This line inparticular really struck me.

Trust and obey,

For there is no other way,
To be happy in Jesus,

But to trust and obey!

Awesome right? It's hard, really hard! But if I trust in Jesus and obey Him, what a wonderful peace and joy I will experience! Now, Gods given me the tools to climb out of the pit I'm in. The question is, will I use them? Please pray for me to use these things God has given me to climb out of the pit!

Here is a link to the sermon, it's only about half an hour long and definitely worth listening to!=)

http://www.bendchurch.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/top.std_media/elementid/11905/index.html

Castle in the Air

While camping I was asked if you could live any where, where would it be and what kind of house would you live in. I'm not very good at coming up with spur of the moment answers so here is my answer after careful consideration! Come and take a tour of my house o' dreams.......

A cool, misty breeze plays against your face as you stand looking out over the crashing waves. The scent of the sea and green growing things fill your senses. You can feel the beat of the waves as they crash against the cliff face far below you. The sight of the setting sun turning the sky a brilliant rainbow of reds and oranges setting the sea below aflame reminds you that it's time to go. You take one last long look at the sea you love so dearly and turn to go. You can hear the sigh of the wind and imagine it's telling you good bye.

You walk down a path through the leafy moss covered trees, ferns brushing against your ankles. The breeze rustles the leaves in the trees making them sound as if they are having whispered conversations that only God can know. Every once in a while you catch a glimpse of the ocean through a break in the trees, its constant woosh muffled by the trees. You round one last bend and then you see it, your home!

Tucked on a hill side above the shore; againt a forest full of enchanted things, sits the little piece of heaven on earth God has seen fit to bless you with! Close enough to hear the lullaby of the waves but far enough into the trees to be protected from the fierce power of the ocean when a storm has come. How you love to watch the waves grow higher and hear the thunder boom in response, the lightening illuminating the storm tossed sea in almost terrifying flashes.

You stop and take in the view for a moment. The house is small, but that's how you like it, you can't stay mad at the ones you love in a small house! The covered front porch is deep and wide, how you love to sit out there in your rocking chair with a book sitting forgotten in your lap as you contemplate the wonder of your Saviors creation.

The deep brown color reminds you of chocolate and and the white of marshmallow. Your favorite drink inspired this color combination! The flowers that grow in riot up around the porch are in full bloom, the many colors and scents making for a heady experience as you get closer. You absentmindedly place your hand upon the gate post, it's weathered gray surface worn smooth by the hands of the many friends that have done the same.

You hurry down the stone path and bound up the steps as the rain starts to come down. Even though darkness has fallen outside the light hasn't left your home. The soft colors of the sea and shore grace your home. The soft blue-grays and greens of the sea. The light yellows, creams, pinks of the shore have inspired you in your decorating. No anchors or pelicans in sight, but more subtle touches of the coast have found there way into your home. The sand dollars you search so hard to find line the mantle, only the perfect ones please! Drift wood worn smooth by the relentless tide, sea glass, pebbles, shells and a few prize Japaneses glass floats are also scattered about. In the center of the mantle sits your favorite find ever..........do you know what happens when lightning hits the sand?

Pictures of your happy life line the walls, book cases filled with the books you love so much, the joyful voices of loved ones filling the silence and the wonderful feeling of love and peace that fills a Godly home make this your sanctuary. This is home.

So ends the tour, sorry abut the length! I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into one of my air castles. If you've even made it this far, and if you have I applaud you; this is very long!=)

Day Four

Day four we woke up, packed up and headed home! Very exciting I know! The road was very pretty, but very curvy! I had a wonderful time, the Kirkmans are great people to travel with. For all of you who were invited but didn't come, you really missed out!

Here is a link to all of the pictures, there are some movies on page three of the fish at the aquarium and they go in no particular order. The downloads got messed up a couple of times!

http://s569.photobucket.com/albums/ss136/KatySue1986/Coast%20trip%20with%20Kim%20and%20Telli/

It was a great time and it was very reasonably priced. I will definitely do this again!=)

Day Three

I started out day three by myself on the beach. I took lots of pictures and played around with the different color settings, it was very peaceful and foggy. It was great! Then breakfast was the same as the day before, but Kelli and I wrapped the rolls around marshmallows, very very good! All we needed was some chocolate to make it perfect!=)

We went to the Tillamook cheese factory in the morning and let me tell you the tour has gotten way better. It is a definite stop on your trip down the coast. Kelli and I got some very good ice cream then we headed to Mo's for lunch. I am usually not a seafood fan, but their calm chowder was very tasty!

We headed off to Newport next and dropped Kelli off down town to find tea and shop and Tim and I went to the aquarium. I love zoos and aquariums and the like! They have added a sea tube or whatever you call those things that are big tanks with tubes down the middle that you can walk through. I was very happy I wasn't wearing a skirt that day, because the floors had port holes in them and at one point when I looked down a scuba diver was waving at me!

The aquarium was very neat, in the aviary a puffin gave him self a bath right in front of us and was splashed water at us, that was pretty neat! The odd water exhibit was beautiful! All of the tanks had blown glass in them, I love blown glass. We then picked Kelli up and headed to a very pretty light house. My camera died once again(man that thing eats up the batteries now a days!!) so I didn't get many pictures of the light house. It was very pretty and it was free, you can't argue with that! We then headed to Beverly beach for our last night of camping, and had some very good chicken for dinner, right Tim?=)

The stairs headed up to the light part of the light house, I love taking pictures of stairs!

The puffin, so cute=)

Kim and Telli at the cheese factory!

A picture of the almost perfect sand dollars I found when I was by myself. I kept the big white one to the right, what can I say?........I had to fight against the urge to keep all three!=)

The beach at 6:30 in the morning. B-e-autiful!

Day Two

We started out day two by cooking crescent rolls on a stick over the fire(Yeah! Tim got a fire started!) that was really good, thank you Kelli for the idea! Then Kelli went for a run down to the beach and Tim and I drove(yes we are the lazy ones!) down a little while alter and saw this really cool ship wreck that is just sticking up out of the sand. Very cool.=)

Then we drove to the Columbia river wildlife viewing bunker and walked along the bank for awhile, there were lots of birds! It was very pretty and the sand was interesting to walk in. It took great foot prints.

We then ate lunch and packed up the campsite to be out of there by one, and we went to the Fort Stevens historic area and looked at some awesome batteries(the kind that have guns, not the Duracell kind!) and climbed allover those, my camera died pretty soon onto the adventure so I didn't get very many pictures of the batteries. Tim as lots though, so if you want to see pictures go bug him!

We the headed on over to Sea Side and walked down to the beach through the midway crowd, it was very busy and full of tourists! The beach was very full of people very unlike an Oregon beach actually. Tim took pity on my poor camera-less soul and gave me some of his batteries so I got some pictures of it. Then we headed on over to Cape Look Out which was out next camping destination.

We thought we were going to be able to see the beach from our camp spot, but not only could we not see the beach because of rather large dune, but there was nothing between the campsites but some sparse knee high bushes! Hello friendly and not so friendly people!

Kelli and I walked down the beach to some really neat caves in the cliff and had our own little petting zoo of sea anemones, star fish, and all kinds of cool sea creatures! It was really neat! We couldn't get to the last and largest cave though, even at low tide you would need to swim or have a boat! I also got to take a shower, there where doors on the stalls for which I was very happy; but some inquisitive little girl kept peeking under my door and so ends day two!=)

The smallest sea cave

A view from a view point along highway 101, the best highway ever!
Kelli driving a very cool vintage Jeep!

The wild life vewing bunker on the Columbia river

The ship wreck on the beach, very neat!

Coast Trip with Kim and Telli~Day One

We left from Redmond at about 8am. After fitting camping things for four days and three people into a smallish car. You don't think three people would need that much stuff, but weren't we all surprised! We drove up to Astoria and went to the Heritage Museum and walked around down town for a bit. We also stopped by the ever impressive Fort Astoria the very highly advertised attraction, you should go if you ever get to Astoria, you'll be very surprised!

We then went to a cannery museum that was pretty cool, a little hard to find though, and later we found out that we should have stopped by the main office and signed liability waivers before going in, hmmm....makes you want to go doesn't it?=)

Then we drove across the Astoria bridge, very neat. Fort Stevens was where we camped the first night. It defiantly wins for best camp spot out of the three we stayed at.

He's in the jail house now

The highly anticipated and never disappointing Fort Astoria!

Telli setting our very posh table, I loved the plastic wine glasses. It just added something to the whole experience!=)

Kims tent.........

Mine and Tellis tent, is there someting wrong with this picture? ;)

For more Day One pictures click on the link below!
http://s569.photobucket.com/albums/ss136/KatySue1986/Coast%20Trip%20Day%20One/

Deep Breath! It's Done!

I did it! I did it! I did it! I did something that any 16 year should be able to do............hmmmm doesn't sound so impressive now does it?=) I went in for my third and final drive test today and I passed!

(Names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved!)

The first time I failed because I had gotten about halfway through the manual and stopped reading it two pages before the one way street rules. I had never driven on one way streets. Which is about half of the test! Ugh! My test givers English was also a little sketchy and hard to understand and it was a he. I had never wanted a male instructor, don't know why, just didn't! His biggest piece of advice was to always look into the darkness behind, I'm pretty sure he meant blind spots. Or he was warning me about something I'm not sure I want to know about!

Drive test two went little better. The instructor was very nice and I wasn't nervous at all. He(once again a he!) reminded me of Bobby Ray from "Sweet Home Alabama", even down to the hat. But a jeep was messing around in the parking lot right behind me and I kind of....maybe.....um dragged a parking come about 5 feet? Needless to say that is grounds for immediate failure!!

Number three! I had just gotten back from four days of camping and was tired and a little cranky, hadn't slept very good the night before the test because I was worried. Then I check in and do the sit in your car and stew for 20 minutes and who should come out and tap on my window but can't speak English man. He asked if I was comfortablee with him giving me the test, I just wanted it to be over, at that point I was way past caring! My heart was pounding very hard until I had successfully and fully cleared the parking cones.

Then it went fine. The one thing I did wrong was follow the other cars in a left turn yield on green intersection. My Mom thinks that what I did was okay, but no speak English man says never follow the people in front of you. That might be difficult in driving; the never following anyone else thing, but what the heck. I'll march to the beat of no speak English mans drummer!

I went in and turned in my score sheet then went over to get my picture taken. I had to sign one of those horrible electronic signers and my hand writing in bad at it's best. It's down right unreadable on one of those things! Then the guy told me to take a step back towards the blue on the wall. I did so and I looked back to make sure I was where I was supposed to be and as soon as I looked forward again FLASH! I've seen mug shoots with happier people in them! I now have a temporary license and will get my real one in a week or so. Deep breathe, it's over!

Munch N' Movies

rEver been to a drive in? I had always wanted to go, but I've never gotten to go. So imagine my excitement when a couple of years ago they advertised Munch N' Movies. A FREE movie played on a ginormous inflatable screen outside at a park. Awesome right? The first year was really great, then the next year they had to turn the sound way down at 10 because people had complained to the cops about the noise. Then the next year La-Z-Boy pulled there funding and the event was shut down.

TA-DA! Northwest Crossing has brought it back starting August 21 at Compass Park. The music starts at 6 but the movie starts at dusk. My family just grabs a pizza or Luchables(I still love Lunchables, does anyone else?) a blanket and settle in for the show! Sometimes Kettle corn is purchased, they sell food; hence the Munch part of the tittle, because it smells so good.=)

The movies this year are:

August 21 Wall-E (I won't be here for that one, so sad!)

August 28 Twilight (I admit I'm a fan)

September 4 The Princess Bride (You won't be able to keep me away from this one!)

September 11 Kung Fu Panda (Jack Black, need I say anything more?)

Come join me at the park for a one of a kind experience. Well, unless you go more then once then it's not really a one of a kind experience is it?(hehe)

Yum!

The art of making food look and taste good is one that I can't seem to learn! I mean it tastes great(at least that's what I've been told!) but most of it looks a little unappetizing. Especially my baked goods which look like they got in a fight with a car and the car won. But, this time I think I did it! They tasted and looked good!

These may look familiar to some.......=) They are home made versions of a famous snack cake

(Ding-Dongs are great frozen by the way!)

Who Knew?

We all want to live in a movie right? I bet even the most rational of you have wanted to, at some point with that certain movie! The handsome "prince", the way bad people are punished and the way good deeds are always rewarded and usually right away! I have always had my head in the clouds and fantasized about wanting to live in whatever movie I've just watched(some more then others, like I am making my way though the Bourne movies right now. Ekkkk!)

Who knew out of all of the movies I've watched it would be 27 Dresses-Father of the Bride that my life is like right now! It couldn't be any of the other countless movies I've fantasized about over the years! Weeelll, to be fair I guess it's not exactly like those movies we don't have a Frank(say it with the accent included please!) helping us and as far as I can tell no James Marsden has come a courtin' at my door!(though hopefully someone a little more silly and a little less full of him self then James Marsden would come a courtin'!)and I was never in love with the brides man!!

So far all of the things you see about wedding planning in the movies is true. Who knew figuring out the guest list would be hard. Just invite the people you like and you know would want to see you get married. Simple and straight forward right? Who knew that figuring out what colors, flowers, where, when etc etc etc and all of that would be so difficult! We've had balls for over 300 people and they where a little stressful, but nowhere near this stressful. What is about planning the happiest day of someones life that gets everyone so upset?

I'm so not sure about wanting to live in the movies anymore. So far the experience hasn't been much fun! Unlike the movies I can't get up and leave or just turn it off when it gets really scary(hehe) Well, good bye faithful reader(s) I am wanted in the touture chamber; oops I mean kitchen, to hash over the guest list once more! HELP ME!!!

Air Castles

Does any one else build air castles? I do, I have built them about pretty much everything in my life. Some are big and grand, others are really more like cottages nothing much to them but very homey and comforting. Whenever I feel like it I can just pop on over to one of my air castles and take a tour. Some I have been working on for years! When they fall, especially the old grand ones it breaks my heart! But what if they aren't just breaking down over time? What if some one you love is slowly picking it apart piece by peace and taking the best parts and leaving the rest in a jumbled heap? But I'm getting ahead of myself, let me explain!

What on earth am I referring to? Do I really have a bunch of castles and cottages floating around above me in the sky? The explanation is this. In Little Women they call their dreams air castles. I feel in love with the term and have been building them ever since. My dreams and anticipations get "built" up in my mind. I do it about almost everything, I even have some haunted ones filled with the things I'm not looking forward to. The driving instructor inhabits a rather large and drafty one!

As with all personality traits there are good and bad things about them. I anticipate things, come up with endless scenarios about everything in my life. It makes it hard to surprise me, because if I find out one little clue I will think and dream about it until I've figured it out. It sucks sometimes, but then sometimes then anticipation is the best part. Christmas day is overrated but it's the feeling of anticipation and joy that is Christmas spirit that makes the holidays one of my favorite times of year.

Now that you know some about my over active and rather odd imagination, back to the point of this post. Over the years of course the content of these castles has changed some of them have even faded away completely without me really noticing. But I have a treasured few that I've held on to for years. I've built them, seeking the perfect pieces, searching until I find something that is just right. Like looking for the right words in a story or the perfect angle and lighting for a picture.

I have to share when I find a something that is a perfect fit, in fact my family tiers of my enthusiasm. But I can't help it! But this inability in to keep these things to myself has caused some problems. The picking apart and poking fun can hurt. Right now though, one of the oldest and most grand castles is slowly being picked apart and gone through. The pieces I worked so hard to find and so happily shared are being taken and put into somebody elses castle. Some of my most treasured ideas are now being built into and used by somebody else for their castle!

If I find an idea first and talked about it for me I guess I want to use it first! I like reading the books I buy first and being the one to open my Cd's and things like that. I'm just funny that way I guess. Some of the joy is lost and I'm no longer as excited about them if I haven't used them first. So, now all those years of gathering ideas feels wasted and now I have to start over , my castle is slowly falling over and I'm sitting in the middle of the wreckage mad and sulking.

Am I wrong to feel this way? Should I not feel some disspointment? As I was pouting last night a song come unbidden into my head. On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand. Okay, okay what are you trying to tell me God? What verse is that song from? I did some searching and found what I was looking for.
Matthew 7:24-27 24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Okay, okay. I get it! I shouldn't pin my hopes and dreams on castles in the air. They are built on the sand and anything at anytime cold sweep them away. I should build my hopes on Jesus and the things I know He wants for my life, not base how I'm doing by how many of my castles are becoming reality. I fell asleep peaceful and knowing that it was okay to feel disappointed, but that ultimately it doesn't matter what happens to my air castles as long as I have built my real life upon Jesus. Nothing in-on-above-or below this world could ever move my house from the rock! I'll still have my castles and cottages. I have to much fun building them to ever completely get rid of them. But this reality check has dragged me out of my imagination and back out in the real world. I really needed it, sometimes God just has to smack me upside the head. And I thank Him for it everytime!=)

Yeah for Swine Flu!

We went to the fair last Thursday. We always enter stuff and go every year. Sometimes it doesn't seem worth it as we drive back and forth to Redmond multiple times. But after it's all said and done, the memories are enough to make us do it all again the next year!

The one part of the fair I really do not like is the swine barn. It just smells so bad! But this year they were being anal about how close you could get, and having to wash your hands and lots of other precautions so we wouldn't give the pigs swine flu. It was just to much to deal with, so we didn't have top go through the swine barn! I just gave them a merry wave and stuck my tongue out at them as we walked right on by!!!

If you can read this sign, it's very funny!

This is Daisy, she was my very favorite duck in the chicken exhibit. Though surprisingly enough, no the only duck in the chicken exhibit!(If you've been around me at all since the fair, it might explain why I've seemed confused about ducks and chickens!)

These chickens names were, Chicken, Nugget and Meal!

Hungry goats, the square eyes have always creeped me out!

The sky was beautiful that night! My batteries died before I could get any more pics though!=(

So that is our trip to the fair, well about half of it anyway!=)

Do We Really Need to See That?

I watched a movie last night(shocking right?) and once again was confronted with something that has always confused me. Why do they feel the need to put so much nudity and sex in movies? I mean the movie wouldn't have been any less good if they just had them kiss(even though the close ups of that aren't very nice to watch or listen to! Do we really need to see their tongues?) and then went to the dialog the always happens when they are mostly covered with, sheets, blankets, clothes etc. Some otherwise great movies have been wreaked for me because of how much of this type of thing they put in.

I have been trying to not watch to much stuff like that anymore, but the if people see you averting your eyes you get questions or told to be a big girl or that you've seen way worse then this(the latter courtesy of my sister! By the way Megan I've been doing it for awhile now) Yes, I have seen worse! I am very uncomfortable with what I have allowed my self to view in the past and am trying to change! Is there something wrong with that? For you, maybe it's fine our paths are different, just let me close my eyes and please tell me when it's over!=)