Monday, December 28, 2009

Top 10 Highlights from this past year

1. Getting Married

2. Having flexible jobs where, despite Ariel working nights for the year, we enjoyed time together and even a handful of great vacations together.

3. “Through the Bible in a Summer” ended up taking me 5 months, but getting hit with a whirlwind of Bible all at once was one of the most enjoyable and eye opening studies I’ve done.

4. Working with Reed and Micah this past semester, and becoming better friends with them. They’re two super enjoyable guys and it’s been fun to get more into their world.

5. Where things are at the end of this semester with the ministry. God' has brought in a great freshman class who are saying things like, “I want to pray for my hall and family over break,” “I’d be interested in memorizing scripture with you,” “Let’s next semester do something together to reach out to my floor.” I’m especially excited about one student I’m friends with whose grown up in the church and I’ve had the opportunity to share the Gospel with but is carefully considering how real he considers his faith. It excites me to see students who don’t take their faith for granted or who want to be lukewarm, but rather who are interested in all or nothing.

6. For my birthday Ariel took me up to Sedona. Sitting on a balcony at starbucks looking at the red rocks in the morning with a slight rain was one of my favorite times.

7. I got bit by a rattlesnake. It sucked, but really, how many people can say that?

8. We’re having a baby! just kidding… seriously though, not true.

9. Not passing out while giving my first Nav Night talk.

10. Despite all my close friends moving away after college, I was able to spend significant time with all of them. From visiting Kurt and Heather in CO, to seeing Thart at the Glen and vacationing in Hawaii with him Meaghan and Kmomo, seeing Scraw at Nav functions, watching Tim Lin get married, and sitting next to Mike on a 6 hour plane ride.

Tim Lin has a wife!

pictures from the trip:

Friday, December 25, 2009

I love bugs

Upon arriving at home I realized Ariel’s bug battery was totally dead. Turns out it’s harder than I thought to find a set of jumper cables on Christmas day…

Circle K – Open, no jumper cables

Safeway – Open, no cables

Auto Zone – Closed

Target – Closed

Walgreens – Open, might be out of stock, associate looks, found! But I’m already heading in the wrong direction so I continue along until…

Cheveron – Open, LAST pair of jumper cables!

Hoorah!

Highlights from Hawaii

  • Poke and Shave Ice with Mike and Joni when they picked us up from the airport (Poke is Ahi marinated sushi, and shave ice is like heaven).
  • Staying in a fun hotel with Ariel
  • Getting handed a buy one-get one free coupon booklet our first night in Honolulu. Which we used. A lot. :)
  • Staying in a perfectly adequate hotel with our friends
  • Walking to, hiking, and walking back from Diamond Head (total: 8miles)
  • Actually being there for John Armstrong’s post about being a real surfer. I too never got up and was on a little 6’ short board.
  • Seeing Tim Lin’s intense glare through the entire wedding ceremony. He did break into a smile once :). I think he was really concentrating.
  • Steven’s “second best speech ever” that most of the people couldn’t hear because the speaker wasn’t loud enough.
  • Leonard’s malasadas (a freshly baked filled donut with macadamian nut goodness. I imagine this is what was hanging on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden, and that’s why Eve couldn’t resist.)
  • Driving back from the North Shore on the Windward side and enjoying the most fun dinner ever with all our friends, eating an incredible pork sandwich, watching the sun set over the ocean, listening to our monotone waitress say “sure” like a dozen times.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Cam-bowl(s)!!

Today was the inaugural Mullet vs. Soups house football throw down. It was epic. Score: Mullet 40ish, Soups 7.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

December 1st

In honor of the first day of December Ariel and I celebrated by turning our heater on to 65.

A bit more celebratory was our first annual watching of White Christmas with peppermint hot chocolate while wrapping the presents we bought on black Friday. :)