honey bunches of oats

We totally get to hang out this weekend and I am beyond excited :)

(a longer post will be coming sometime)

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Once upon a steamy August night, in an irreconcilably muggy room, I had the inclination to sleep naked. Just for reference: this was the first absurdity of the night. As I cover my free self in my soft sheets and begin to doze off the most horrific noise sounded from outside my door. I sprang up and groggily realized that I was not wearing clothing. "I can't face a robber naked!!" I thought. I ran over to the light switch and was immediately blinded by the overhead lights. Like a mole I began feeling around for something to cover my body, just in case, ya know, we were being looted.

With an oversized tee shirt inside out and a pair of backwards boxers I reached for the door when my froommate (female roommate) whispered wearily

"I'm so so so so sorry, I couldn't get it to stop! I didn't know it was already set, oh dear Jeremy's gonna wake up.....stupid alarm...sorry sorry sorry"

So I turned and very illogically decided to undress once again. I climb into my lovely and welcoming bed and begin drifting off into dreamland when my phone starts to ring. At first I am thoroughly perturbed, wondering how the night could be over already...my alarm clock could NOT be going off already! No.... no that's not it....someone is calling me...who would be calling at 1:37 am?? I picked up the phone and on the other end was Sergeant so and so asking me to please let him in.

WHAT?

"Ma'am you are on the contact list for 850 N 19th st. we called the house and no one answered so if you are home please come open the door, or else we will have to break in. The alarm warrants that we take a search through your house."

"What?....no no we're all fine! I'm coming hang on, I'm sorry we were all upstairs and didn't hear the phone....no we're fine. One second....I'll be right there!"

O my gosh, I'm NAKED again!! Why!!??? I threw on the same disheveled outfit as before and flew downstairs to let the police man in, closely followed by a completely soaked and dripping Abbie wrapped in her bathrobe, who had realized only after starting the shower that her towels were in the dryer. We assured the officer that everyone was perfectly fine, that we were not being robbed, that (untruthfully) we were all sane and he had nothing further to worry about, but thank you!

I pulled myself back up the stairs laughing exhaustedly at everything that had just happened. After a quick recap and giggle fest, and some concerns about the temperaments of our broommates Abbie and I parted and I flopped onto my bed--clothed this time.

I woke up this morning with the memory of last night vividly playing in my mind, smiling at the completely ridiculous decision I had made to sleep without clothes on. I pulled off the covers to go turn off my alarm and get ready for the day.....only to reveal my nakedness once again. I looked down and my clothes were on the ground next to my bed.

Absurd. Classic. Hysterical.

Some favs as of late.

1. Tony Hoffer Photography (blog):
The best pictures I've seen from a photographer in the Philadelphia area. This will take you to some older pictures-I love the wedding pics he does.

2. "I'd Rather Be With You" by Joshua Radin

3. Young House Love:
A blog by a couple who has re-vamped their formerly blah home, and recently had a baby, who has the cutest nursery I think I've ever seen. Seriously-I LOVE this nursery. Not looking for kids right now, fyi haha.

4. Grilling

5. WorldMarket.com:
Great, wallet-friendly store full of sweet sweet finds. For example...
-These towels, and these, too
-This pillow, and also... this pillow
-This apron

6. Jeff Divine Surf Photography:
I need to order some of these prints!

7. That today is 8/9/10

8. Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg being hilarious in The Other Guys

9. I love you all!

In the past three weeks, God gave me the opportunity to try lots of new things. I loved it. I've come to appreciate some different things. Also, I've been away doing something almost every minute, hence the diminished contact, face-to-face, technologically or otherwise.

I miss you lovely women! Shall we meet up, say, this weekend? :o) I hope you all will be there. Especially, I hope Bri will be there, seeing as it is her house. Otherwise, it could be awkward. I especially hope Joy will be there, seeing as it's been about ten thousand years (hyperbole) since our last meeting. I especially hope Amanda is there because I miss her in general. I especially love you all.

This is what the past three weeks looked like for me:

July 24-31, 2010: Mars Hill, North Carolina
Mars Hill, North Carolina (near Asheville) for our annual (year 15!) all-ages-welcome church mission trip.
-Most of the week I worked on shingling a roof, but other tasks included chipping lead paint in a hazmat suit, clearing out a garage (think expired moonshine, bugs, dirt and plastic ferns),helping with the kiddos, and cleaning an oil tank.
-In my mission to be the least coordinated person alive, I fell off of a short stone wall, or a large stone curb. It was about shoulder-high. I am still healing physically. Luckily not too many people saw. It was a lovely week.
-Spent the latter half of Thursday night (adults night out) with my former youth leader, and three other middle-aged men in a bar in downtown Asheville drinking beer and eating chips and salsa. It was one of the more hilarious parts of my week. I ordered a 12oz house wheat, somehow received a 20oz house wheat, and REALLY SOMEHOW walked safely back to the car. It was wobbly there for a minute standing up, folks, I'm not gona lie.
-I had a wonderful time with a bunch of high schoolers while shingling. They were hilarious and awesome to get to work with for 4 days. Also, shingling is awesome, but less awesome when the shingle tar starts to bubble from the heat. We worked on a Habitat for Humanity house for the shingling-it is a super great organization.

On the 31st (a Saturday), I returned home from the trip at about 6pm, only to leave for Nick's at 8pm, because we were leaving Nick's the next morning for the Outer Banks.
So...

July 31/August 1-August 8, 2010: Corolla, North Carolina
That's right, folks, the day after driving 10 hours back from North Carolina to PA, I drove 8 hours back TO North Carolina, FROM PA. But this is no complaint-I had some amazing trips!
-Spent an awesome week in OBX getting to know Nick's family even better, and just hanging out in general. Lots of beach, pool, hot tub, reading, wave-riding, eating,tennis-"playing" (I believe you've all seen my hand-eye coordination in work), cooking, game-playing, and ... NEW DEVELOPMENT:
-RUNNING! Yes, friends, I run now. I ran every day, except Wednesday, usually for about a half hour, and on Friday, I ran for half an hour in the morning, and then an hour (4 miles... I realize this is slow... but I don't run, so I am amazed that I kept going) in the breezey cool afternoon. I also ran most of the mornings the following week, and I've run every day, except one since I've been home. Are you all proud? I am, because I don't run. But now I do. And I'm the slowest road-squeaking, crank-up-the-music-so-I-can't-hear-my-heavy-breathing, please-move-over-for-the-snail-family-who-is-passing-you runner that you ever did see. But, I do run. I really love OBX. I liked it last time, when I was there about three years ago with Nick's family, but now I love it. There isn't much quite like sitting by the breezy water in a low beach chair with a good book, I've decided. The day we left, it rained. I think that place was sad to see us go. Either that, or there was a low pressure system or something.

August 2-6, 2010: Lake Anna, Virginia
The day after we got back from the Outer Banks, I left with middle schoolers from my church, my good friend, Cara, who is the Children's Director, and two guys (youth leader, and parent volunteer) for the Middle School Youth trip. This is the same sort of trip I took with the high schoolers in July, except, you guessed it, more awkwardness and shorter people. Lots to talk about with the leadership in that, but that is for another time where the internet isn't involved.
-I think God is kind of showing me the awesome thing that is youth ministry and children's ministry. I think I might like to be a Director of Children's ministry somewhere, and I hope to volunteer with our youth group this year. I really liked getting to know the kids on the trips.
-Among the activities were hanging out on a lake with a tube and some pontoon boats, Monticello (because the paintballing we did with the high schoolers was awesome, but way too intense of a place-run by former service men and women-), King's Dominion for a day, helping the girls learn to prank the boys (think frozen nerf darts), and campfires.

I got home this past Saturday. Nick came over Saturday night-Sunday, and I went back to work today (Monday). Next week is Vacation Bible School and work for me.

I didn't mean for that to be so long, because I want to do a "Favorite Things" post, just for fun. I KNOW! I will make a NEW post just for that!

Also, could you all please be praying for my dad, because he has walking pneumonia and is feeling pretty awful. I just want him to feel all better! He's starting to get a little better, I think, but his Dr. told him he has to be out of work for a few weeks.

Love you all and can't wait to SEE you!!!

LOVE,
Hillshire farms
"BIG FEET!"
(Get it, like hillshire farms, go meat!?)

Hey everyone! That's the view from my porch. More photos to come, I am aware of the poor quality. That is the view from my balcony! woot. I can see the ocean... ahhhh. I would actually be outside on my balcony to take the picture but unfortunately it is drizzling this morning, so Matt and I have resigned to a relaxing morning of reading and surfing. I can't even tell you how much I love this place. Everything from the homemade english-style breakfast, to the Victorian houses, to the gardens that surround each and every building... it's just amazing. Perfect relaxation. That's me... tan. Sorta.. I am tan. Although I am trying to be more "conscious" this year.. aka actually putting spf on. I put SPF 100 all over my very fair-skinned fiancee and he still managed to turn a nice shade of strawberry-blush. Ouch. He's better today,but the first day was kind of hilarious : )

Today, we go see the Cape May lighthouse I think. Which should be pretty neat.

Anywhoo, I agree with amandapants as she stated below, I think we should take advantage of these warm months and do weekend things together. After this week, I am free almost every weekend (I think..)

Anyways, I love you all so much and I am missing you like crazy! Let's please do a beach trip or something? I can come to Philly so long as lodging is provided at any particular residence : )

xoxo

Joyful

__GIRLS__!

I miss you!

I hope you are enjoying your summers thusfar--stalking has told me that its a good possibility! I can't wait to see you next. Do you think we could do a July get together or should we wait until the Briannual? Vacations and things may be our hitch this time but I feel like there is much to catch up on with each of you, I'm very much looking forward to sleepover chitchat and possibly a skinny dipping endeavor 8}. Maybe we could try getting there a little early so we can have a little bit of time catch up? I know its a month away but I'm excited!

So things have been tipped on the side a bit for me lately but, by God's grace I'm dealing much better than I had anticipated. I guess the past 9 months has made me more used to Greg being away then being in the country. Thank you for ALL of your wonderful support this past year, I really don't know where I'd be without you ladies. That said, it was a great reunion and I feel even more hopeful about our connection and a peace about the next year and a half of his service. It took a good week to get into our groove and the 'electricity' was back about 4 days before he had to leave again. All in all, I feel like it was a bit of a dream and that I waited 9 months for 2 weeks of whirlwind but, I'm left with pictures, tokens, presents, deeper connections and it all still seems more than worth it. I'm all filled up, and I feel wonderfully happy when I'm with him... so, that's that I suppose.

How was everyone's fourth of July celebrations? We had a bunch of people over from church, etc. and grilled out and had tons and tons to eat and then traipsed down to the Art Museum for the fireworks and Goo Goo dolls. We sat behind the museum, which was actually where they were shooting them off--we were so close that there were shraps falling all around us. There was a piece of what was essentially thin cardboard about the size of my whole hand that fell and hit me in the face. It didn't hurt but these fireworks were HIGHLY multisensory. Much to the amusement of those around me, I was screaming for a good portion of the show because I thought I was going to have hot burning something light fall on me and light me on fire! I hope that your nights were just as invigorating haha!

Does anyone have any special summer recipes they wanna share? I love this time of year more than I can possibly say. This heatwave is the best thing to happen to Philadelphia. I'm so hot but I don't sweat until I stop moving, how does that work?? Also I was floating down the Delaware River the other day and I thought that it would be SO fun to do this with a group of people that isn't necessarily my church but maybe you guys instead. Its so relaxing! What are your plans for the next couple months? We should take advantage of this fabulous season and do fun things on the weekends if we can!

Alright, well I'm at work and clearly not doing what I am supposed to be doint currently. SO I'll bid you adieu for now. I promise I'll be back soon with something more interesting to comment on :)

LOVE

mandapants

AWESOME PHOTOS JOY!!!!


AmANDAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU SEE YOUR MANNNNNN TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAYYyyyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY


BRI: I really like your hair in your new profile pic. Your face is also quite acceptable. Did you change your hair?


This is all I have.
Oh, I got accepted to La Salle U. for some online classes that I'm gonna take so I can get out of some for next summer ('11) which will hopefully be when I start grad school for Speech Language Pathology at West Chester!


You guys are SO WONDERFUL and I love you! Thanks for all of your various contributions to my birthday! They were great!!

Might I see you guys super sooooooooooooooooooon?!??!?!?!? I miss you.

A lot.


LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HIl