Deep Breaths

It has been one month since my last posting…. A lot has happened, as I am sure you can imagine.  Would you like to know? Of course you do!  Because you are here, reading my blog, one your own will… Which I totally appreciate. PS. Thank you very much for your support J

What has happened… What has happened… What has happened…

Banquet for Project HEAL clients – we had a Holiday banquet for 150 of our clients.  It was lovely, a lot of work, and we were able to make their holiday season just that much more memorable.

Work – a lot of clients, a lot of paperwork, and I still really enjoy myself.  It is becoming more and more apparent the struggles and hardships that our clients go through.  Now knowing a lot of them by name, and knowing their stories is making work that much more important.  So I would say that work is still very wonderful.

Some more work – because I have come to find that even though people with full-time jobs work 40+ hours a week… there is ALWAYS work to be done the next day.  It blows my mind!

Trip to North Carolina – I stayed on the east coast for the holidays. I had packed for a real cold winter… and ended up in sunny NC.  But little do people know that sunny NC in December is still FREEZING.  Good thing I packed all my heavy layers.

Saw my family and my Grandma Boring – the first family members I have seen since my move.  It was nice to have a Grandma there, she was my piece of California that I have missed so so much. It was a lot a lot a lot of fun, and I am grateful to have such a wonderful family.

Christmas – for the first time in years, I was awake for Christmas at 7am.  Usually back in California our morning tradition has become (since my brother and I have gotten older) Christmas morning begins around 10am because I sleep in.  And skyping my mom, dad, and brother was the ultimate highlight of Christmas.

Bought a live lobster for the first time – My cousin Paul and I were bored, and decided to buy a lobster.  No one told us lobster was $20!  No wonder college students never invest in such a creature…

Met my boyfriends parents - yes, I have a loving boyfriend… All the way in Ukraine.  And his parents were absolutely amazing!  Could not have asked for a better ‘meet the parents’ dinner date. 

New Years Eve – which included a bon fire that could burn for 3 days, in the middle of the woods, with 2,700 illegal fireworks… it was an experience, to say the least

50 pages left of The Hunger Games – this book is ridiculous.  If you have not read it yet, I say DO SO!  It is awesome.  And addicting.  Read it before the movie comes out J

Plugged up all the holes in our walls and are catching mice! – meaning less roaches and less mice, which in turn makes a happy household.  Roaches/mice LOSE – Little Haiti House WIN

Experienced Miami winter – sunny with a cold chill… that’s when you see Native Floridians in snow jackets and UGG boots. And me wearing wool socks and under armor because its too frigid outside.  Us Floridians are not ‘cold temperature tolerant’ people.

Trying out a new lifestyle – It consists of my housemates and I working out daily (with each other because it makes strenuous workouts much more fun), and are on the ‘No Junk Food Challenge’ (no chocolate, pastries, candy, biscuits, white bread, peanut butter, nutella, ice cream, cake, donuts, muffins, cookies, fast food, and chips for 21 days – we are 4 days into it, and thus far successful!)

Started Project 365 – taking one picture a day for a whole year.  Started doing it with friends from back home.  It is a nice way to feel connected J my photo blog is http://www.tumblr.com/blog/thelife289 … you can follow me!

Planning on going on a Haiti Mission Trip with the Florida Conference in March – the plans are still in progress… but it looks like it will be happening (hopefully!)  I am so excited for the opportunity, and I cannot wait!  This will benefit me in so many ways, with work, personal experience, and spiritual growth.

Hmmmm… That is a lot of things that has happened.  A goal of mine is that I am going to try and condense blogs to be shorter, more focused on one specific thing.  Lets see how that comes about. Sometimes even I get overwhelmed with all of the information that I post on my blogs.  I just told my roommate that I could blog for days once I am in the right state of mind.  My fingers just spit out words!  God gave me the grace of having a brain that works a million miles a minute.  I wouldn’t have it any other way J

I am grateful always to have this opportunity to grow in such a manner that I could have never imagined.  I am constantly filled with the love of God.  And that is the fuel to my constant fire.  I find God’s love in EVERYTHING I am doing.  Everything that I listed above is all possible, and all wonderful because it is all out of love.  And you know what, I LOVE GOD.  So it’s just an awesome circle of love.  I wouldn’t have this any other way either J

Thank you everyone for all of your continuous support and all the prayers.  I could not get through the tough times without it, and I surely could not get through life in general without it. 

Peace and love