25 random facts

there is this silly survey type thing rampaging through facebook right now - and although i don't typically enjoy feeling pressured to post my answers to a ridiculumn of questions, for whatever reason, i responded this time and posted 25 random facts about myself. and although i highly doubt there is anyone reading my blog that is not my facebook friend - just in case - here it is again! ha!

1. My name is actually Shelly – that isn’t a nickname or shortened version of Michelle.
2. My nickname is Scooter – my dad actually still calls me that – I think its endearing.
3. I have freckles in my eyes.
4. I had braces from 8th grade through Christmas break my freshmen year of college.
5. I have two fake teeth.
6. I wasn’t at my childhood best friend’s wedding – but she’ll be the matron of honor in mine.
7. I’ve always wanted to raise my family in Virginia.
8. I’m moving to Virginia when I’m 30. So is Emily Trammell. And I think Sara Linkous.
9. I’m not too adventurous by myself – but I have friends that bring out the adventurer in me.
10. I go to Disneyland A LOT.
11. I’ve been to at least 31 states and 1 territory – Puerto Rico.
12. I’ve been to 6 countries – Canada, Spain, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, and England.
13. I think everyone should tour Auschwitz at least once. It will change your life.
14. I kissed a boy under a waterfall in the rainforest once. It was amazing.
15. My favorite color used to be yellow. I don’t think I have a favorite color anymore.
16. I really like coffee – but I hate the coffee they brew at my office.
17. I still write thank you notes when I receive gifts. My mother raised me well.
18. I have a bachelors and a masters and I’m contemplating getting a teaching credential.
19. I have never colored my hair – but I always think it would be fun to add some red to it.
20. I love to write – I even have a blog – but I'm pretty sure Megan and Kenzie are the only ones that read it.
21. I collect children’s books.
22. I watch a lot of ridiculous television (basically anything on the wedding channels, TLC, or BRAVO) but my favorites are Grey’s Anatomy and HOUSE.
23. I pride myself on being a good friend –but still fail at it miserably sometimes.
24. I get headaches. Often.
25. I’m a dreamer – I don’t know where I’m going or who I’m going to be – but I pray that at the end of my life, I will look back and know that I was a woman who did incredible things for the Lord.

ps since this post is supposed to be "random" don't you think they could have picked a more "random" number than 25...i'm just saying!

is it February yet???

I am getting SO excited for upcoming events…this weekend I’m going home and spending some time with my sweet baby MADELINE and the rest of my family. NEXT weekend is packed between Missions Conference at EV FREE FULLERTON on Saturday and then THE DIZ with the girls on Sunday. I already posted the invitation to CUPCAKE CRAWL 2009 which is on Valentines Day…so just over two weeks from now…and Megan and I are currently planning for the 3rd weekend in February…it is going to be our ULTIMATE BACKYARD CAMPING ADVENTURE!!!!
Everyone who sees my backyard literally foams at the mouth – it isn’t acres of land – but for California, it is HUGE. There are big trees and although the grass hasn’t been watered by the sprinkler system in several weeks, it is still looking decent. Megan and I are going to set up a tent in the backyard and hopefully find some decent padding to put in it…we’re going to have coffee and write in our journals under the stars…we’re going to wear grubby jeans and sweatshirts while we roast marshmallows and make s’mores…we’re going to be claustrophobic and suffocated by sleeping bags while we listen to Whit, Connie, and Eugene on Adventures in Odyssey…we’re going to sleep very little and laugh a whole lot and of course take pictures of everything! Yes!!! Its going to be AMAZING!!!! Oooh we should probably play a card game or two as well…maybe I’ll bust out yahtzee – that is old school! hahaha! Or we could do crafts – we made lanyards when we went camping growing up. Loads of licorice and cherry seven-up are also a must!!! This plan is getting better all the time…is it February YET??!!?!?!?!?!

tagged...

The Rules:
1. Go to where you store your digital photos and open the 4th folder.
2. Post the 4th picture in that folder.
3. Explain the picture.
4. Tag 4 people

in 2007 i was on staff for the North American Mission Board: World Changers as a summer missionary. that summer, emily trammell was on my team - we worked together, ate together, shared hotel rooms, went on crazy adventures through New Orleans, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York and Canada, made ridiculous purchases, and laughed a LOT. she truly became one of my best friends. in 2008 emily came all the way to California from Valley Springs, Arkansas to visit me. on her FIRST night in town, em and i got pedicures - and this photo was the result and representation of our CUTE CUTE CUTE toes!!!

i will now tag: gan; em tram; autumn; tricia

there is room in my heart for one of His children...

throughout my life i have been overwhelmingly touched by stories of hope in the midst of incredible pain - i am captivated by the specials produced by St. Jude Children's Cancer Research Hospital and moved by the presentations given by Compassion International and World Vision...my heart has been continually stirred. more recently in my adult life, i have felt God nudging me to seriously consider international adoption. i have always wanted to be a mother - but how incredible to be a mother to someone who otherwise would never know the true definition of family. i have been so overwhelmingly blessed in my lifetime - saturated with love from my parents, siblings, grandparents, and even extended family. how amazing to rescue a hopeless child and bring him or her into such a rich place of acceptance. although i am not sure how this dream will play out in my life, my desire to change the world of at least one child becomes increasingly intense each day - and i am reminded more often than ever of the incredible needs that exist throughout our world. i was created for a distinct and specific purpose and i sincerely pray that God's plan for my life includes making room in my heart to love someone who was deemed unlovable by his or her world.

this video was my reminder today...and as the tears flowed down my cheeks...i prayed that when the time is right, God will open the door for me to be instrumental in His rescue of one of His precious children.

quote of the day...

"You only live once. But, if you do it right, once is enough."

how is that for alliteration...

Wednesday night brought the AMUSING, AWKWARD, AWESOME, ANGRY, AMAZING trip to the DIZ!!
It started off all wrong – megan went to pick up taco bell for us to eat in the car on the way to the park in hopes of getting there in time to catch the TOY STORY ride at the DIZ CA…its one of our new favorites! Unfortunately, after she got in the drive-thru line to order, they informed her that they could only accept cash as their machines were down. She didn’t have cash –but had to wait because she was already in line... ahhh…so we started off the night behind schedule.
When we got to the park, we drove too far down the first row – after which you have to drive back around the ENTIRE structure before you can pick a different row…so I made an ultimate decision and backed down the second row and got a great spot. AMUSING.
Once we were inside the park, we met up with my friend Stacey and her new boyfriend Ryan from San Diego. We met at Peter Pan… stood in line… and kinda sorta had conversation. After riding, we decided on Pirates of the Caribbean. However, upon our arrival there – Stace and Ryan decided to go get funnel cake – so Gan and I rode pirates alone (which we were fine with – it was an escape from the somewhat FORCED communication we were enduring with our guests). We had pre-determined a meeting point for after the ride – but as we were headed there, I got a text message from Stace saying they were gonna go ahead and go home…no waiting to actually say goodbye or anything. AWKWARD.
Megan and I laughed about it a bit and conversed about it a lot…but headed along on our merry way. We rode big thunder mountain which is AWESOME at night even though I felt my head got just a little bit too close to the “rocks” on the sides of the ride. Then we headed to splash mountain. At this point, almost everyone in the park was waiting with anticipation for fantasmic to begin. Perfect! Gan and I walked onto Splash Mountain and didn’t wait for even a second – there wasn’t a single SOUL in line. After riding once, we STAYED on and rode for a second time. AWESOME.
By the time we got off Splash Mountain the second time, it was 8:01 and the park was officially closed. So we headed to sephora in Downtown Disney to pick up a new nail polish color. Picking the color was somewhat overwhelming as there are over 50 choices and they are almost all great…but I decided on one and got in line. This little old lady was behind me but standing inordinately close with absolutely no appreciation for the personal bubble or space issues she was creating. I swear I could feel her breathing on my neck. Ick!!! Then she did it…a cashier was available and I was the next in line – but she completely bypassed me and went to check out. ANGRY.
Once we were out of Sephora and enjoying the short jaunt to the car, Megan and I laughed about the interesting events of the evening. It was definitely a poignant evening at the Diz. We concluded the night by listening to Priscilla Ahn and stopping for Cold Stone. AMAZING.

current delights...

I HATE surveys...but i LOVE favorites...and although these aren’t LIFETIME favorites, they are CURRENT delights......

WHAT I’M READING: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – it was one of Oprah’s favorites from 2008 and what my book club is reading right now – its an interesting story about a little boy and his experiences while raising and training dogs...i haven’t gotten into the thick of the story yet – but its intriguing none the less.

WHAT I’M WATCHING: The Bachelor (season 13) it is so reminiscent of college for me – I used to have Megan, Erika, and Tessa over every Monday for tv time! We laughed and laughed at budaprincess and the bachelor who was an actual prince…the ridiculous behavior exhibited throughout the show is what makes it!!! ha!
I’m also watching Grey’s Anatomy (season 5) and HOUSE (season 5) – but those are just classic favorites.

WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: Priscilla Ahn: Dream. It is definitely my current favorite song...its just so whimsical – a great slideshow song for sure...oooh...ps megan just sent me an email that includes the definition for reverie: Daydream; A State of Idle and Pleasant Contemplation – that is EXACTLY where this song takes me!!!



WHAT I’M WEARING: TODAY i am wearing work clothes – par usual...black herringbone pants with a white tuxedo top that has a LOVELY bow at the neck line with a black ¾ sleeve cardigan. The jewelry is also the classic daily affair – the fossil watch and tiffany bracelet with some silver dangly earrings.

WHAT I’M EATING: nothing...but it’s almost time to eat and i’m EXCITED. I’m still an elementary school kid at heart – lunch is still my favorite subject of the school (or work) day! Hahaaaa! Ps i think lunch today is olive garden salad and breadsticks combo...sounds like HEAVEN being served on a plate/bowl!!

WHAT I’M ENJOYING: emailing megan all day every day from my desk to hers! It is one of my favorite parts of adult life...if i have to sit here and stare at a computer screen all day long endlessly – at least i can experience joy in the fact that my friend is sitting staring at one as well!

WHAT I’M SNIFFING: STELLA i doused myself in its bliss this morning and will remain happily mystified by her beauty all day long!!! Yes!!!!

wedding day dreams...

A few days ago I went to see Bride Wars with my friend Megan. Although the movie is not terribly emotional, I cried my way through the entire thing. You see, last summer my best friend from childhood got married...and I wasn’t there.
Anna and I did EVERYTHING together growing up. She was the friend I called before planning my birthday party to make sure she didn’t have anywhere else to be that day and then invited her to come just a few minutes early so she could hide her sleeping bag and jammies because only ONE friend was allowed to spend the night after the party. She potty trained me and I taught her to tell time…I peed my pants while playing dress up in her backyard. Every summer our parents took us to Carlsbad State Beach to camp for a week. Anna and I would take our boogie boards out into the waves and pretend we were mermaids…we made drip castles and had sand fights… played Canasta and Yahtzee…went on bike rides down to the store where we scored some candy or maybe even an ice-cream. We were best friends. As we got older, we attended summer camps together, took AP classes (including the one that forced us to watch Band-of-Brothers for 10 weeks straight), led the Christian Club on our high school campus, traveled to Europe to sing with our choir, and even went to Prom. Of course, we still celebrated birthdays together and continued the tradition of exchanging an ornament each Christmas. Through the years our friendship changed, but there was still something so very special about Anna – the friend I had shared my entire life with. I left for college in the fall of 2003 and Anna stayed home to attend PLNU. It was really the first time that we had separate lives – we lived in different cities – had different friends – took different classes – and didn’t see each other on a weekly basis. Yet every time I came home – she was there – and the hugs were waiting. I spent the summers of my college years serving at a student missionary for the North American Mission Board and it was during my last summer on staff that Anna got engaged and married. Although I fought with every ounce of my being to be home for that special day in Anna’s life, it was impossible. I will never forget the morning of her wedding day – I was standing on a ferry on my way to Ellis Island with the wind blowing my hair and tears streaming down my face. I told her I loved her and wished with all my heart that I could be with her… she told me she somehow just believed that I would be there – that my flower bouquet was waiting for me and that my name was printed in her program – she never imagined that she would actually walk down that aisle without me there. She told me she loved me without saying it at all. My heart broke as I bought her a Christmas ornament of an M&M bride and groom that day in New York City. I had missed living a dream in my best friend’s life and nothing would ever change that.
As I sat in that theatre and watched Bride Wars, the tears flowed down my cheeks as I remembered the true sadness of missing Anna’s day and my hearts desire to have shared that dream with her. I made the decision a long time ago that I would set my wedding date after determining Anna’s schedule to make sure that we could share at least one wedding together. However, as I sat in that theatre, I realized Anna just being there wasn’t going to be enough for me. SO…even though I am not dating anybody, far from engaged, and years away from marriage, Anna Rae, will you please be my matron of honor? My dream is to share every bit of my wedding day with you – you’re my best friend for life – and I love you endlessly.

excitement...

longing to relive the memories...

My dear sweet friend Susan Peugh got married on Friday and missing her wedding thrust me deep into uncontrollable nostalgia. Although I have not yet shed a tear, they have welled up and are stuck in my throat just waiting for the opportune moment to flow freely down my cheeks. I was on summer staff for World Changers for four years as a missionary working with youth from across the country as they became the hands and feet of Christ in low-income and impoverished areas of the United States. Very quickly World Changers became my passion – the experience my heartbeat accelerated for. The memories are countless. My first summer I gallivanted throughout Mississippi and Louisiana with Rachel, Nathan, Calvin and most of the time Drew…in Biloxi I remember refusing to go run and play with all the birds because I didn’t want to get pooped on…unfortunately the wind was blowing my direction and I was absolutely COVERED in bird poop…in Florida I got what I thought was the worst sunburn I’d ever experience…Calvin and Nathan had cone wars…and Shawn Doss made us laugh until it hurt by doing his Stewart from Mad TV impression. Summer number two was a little more scattered…Chris (aka Whitey), Lee Weaver, Susan Griffin and I started our adventure in Jackson, Tennessee where we first met Larry Williams and had more Sonic than we could have ever imagined…we lived with bugs that were as big as encouragrams…then headed to Chicago for some time with Claude Gore, Brittany McDonie, and Jacqueline Ward…it rained on the morning of the great send-off and we danced on top of the expedition to “eye of the tiger” laughing hysterically the entire time (especially when we dented in the top WHOOPS!)…the second half of our summer was spent back in Louisiana where we played paintball, went mudding, and had amazing steaks on our REDNECK Wednesday night off…PASSSSSADAS with Shawn Doss and the endless bottles of mountain dew brought the summer to an amazing close. Next were the adventures of the ATLANTIC team and our journey on the island of Puerto Rico…it was there that I fell in love with Danny and had my first “love story”…got absolutely destroyed by mosquitoes of a variety I have never seen since… ate mayo y ketchup con garlic and Wendy’s until I was sure if I smelled it one more time I would throw up…we went to the rainforest and the monkey pooped all over the side of our car…we swam in the waterfalls and laid out in the Caribbean sun…then we headed to Florida where we missed our Puerto Rico friends more than ever...BUT we worked with Danny and Lizanne Crocker as we wore our “scurvy dawgs of the Atlantic Team” t-shirts (pirates III came out that week) and managed to somehow say goodbye to our island days…we spent a week at Disneyworld and universal studios…and then finished the summer off with Joel and Dawn Dramis in Port St. Lucie where we walked on the beach and collected shells in the vibrant Florida sunset (oh and YES the orange juice is amazing!!!) My final summer on WC staff I was the team leader for the New Orleans team. Emily, Michael, Brian and I spent 5 weeks living it up in New Orleans, LA! We stayed at one school, ate at another school, and worship at a church down the street. It was the most INTENSE world changers experience outside of PR that I think I’ve ever experienced. However, it was coupled with moments of absolute hysteria…Em and I ditched the boys at wal mart and went to buy purses from Angie’s…Em peed her pants and went running into a very fancy Chinese restaurant for immediate relief, Michael ate over 5 pounds of twizzlers, Brian fell through a roof and had a serious bruise to show for it…there was the oscillating cockroach and the 5:00am firedrill along with the land of eternal sunshine and the bunk beds placed strategically over the support beams…the haunted show Em and I watched on the tv while I was in the hospital (as she starved but felt too bad for me to tell me she was hungry and leave me in the hospital alone)…the meal at every hard rock café we could find (the ranch dressing wasn’t good)…getting lost in Washington DC at night and trying to follow the cop out of the city…riding the train from the Arlington national cemetery after the torrential downpour that should have completely ruined our hair but somehow we managed to survive…the crowns we wore to opening celebration in Philadelphia, PA since we lived in a castle for the week…BONNIE and BEV…we no like the multi…the day we met bud on our airboat adventure…the many MANY trips to Café Du Monde for iced café au lait and beignets…paddle boating in Ottawa…aunt jo taking us to get our nails done in quebec…four square…worship outside the parliament building…I could go on and on for hours! There really isn’t anything quite like World Changers and although I have graduated and somewhat moved on from that part of my life, I think part of my heart is still captivated by those experiences. I’m not sure I’ll ever completely be past it – it is a part of my past – but it has shaped my present and will be a factor in determining my future – it shaped and molded me into the person I am – it is imbedded deep within the core of my being – it is me – I am and will always be a World Changer.