though the road ahead unknown...

Living Art DIY

2012-01-29T21:37:00.000-08:00

With a little more time on my hands now that paper writing does not consume my weekends, I was inspired to create a living succulent frame. Succulents have become one of my favorite plants since moving to southern California and I wanted to find a way to display them in an artistic way.

Brian found some scrap wood in our shed and purchased the wire mesh at the hardware store. It took a bit of time to saw all of the pieces the correct length but he enjoyed working with his hands outside on a warm winter's day.

Here is the finished product before painting.

I simply used paint we had around the house, which happened to be yellow and light brown.

Light brown paint gives it an "antiqued" look.

Here is the box after it was painted.

Succulents need cactus soil for easy drainage.

The soil fell easily through the metal mesh.

I ordered 36 succulents for $36 at Amazon and they came 2 days later in really good condition!

look at those beauts.

I shook the dirt off the roots and used the end of a scissors (pencil or chopstick would work as well) to make holes through the mesh. Start with the big plants first and use the smaller ones to work around the bigger ones. My preference is to use as many plants as possible for a more full look.

the finished product needs to rest for about 4-8 weeks for the roots to establish before hanging it up as a picture. Increase the sunlight gradually but do not place in hot direct sunlight for long hours as plants can become sunburned.

the final product. We're pleased :)

our little nephew

2012-01-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

We have a new nephew!! Ezra Amos Etheridge was born on Sunday morning weighing 6lbs 4 oz., 19in long, with a head full of sandy blondish hair. Brittany pulled through a long two and a half days at the hospital before the actual labor started because her body did not respond at all to the pitocin for inducing labor. Early Sunday morning though, she finally started to dilate with subsequent contractions and out came little Ezra right before lunch. Way to go Burty!! We are so sad we couldn't actually be here for his arrival but we will be flying over to NC soon enough to meet him. We love you three!!

Caribbean Cruise

2012-01-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

Last week we went in a 6 day cruise with the extended McPhail family to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Jamaica! We had a wonderful time relaxing, reading, swimming, and trying out parasailing, sea kayaking, and "snuba". Here are a few pictures from the trip. Thank you McPhails for a wonderful week together :)

a new year...

2012-01-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry for our long absence. This past month has been extremely busy for us as I (kelly) finished my thesis and degree (yay!) and we flew to North Carolina to visit family and friends. We had a wonderful time with the McPhails over Christmas and then headed to the Kidders for the week after. It has been fun to see long time friends as well... what a treasure.

Brian flew back home to Pasadena yesterday for work and I am staying in North Carolina for another week working remotely and taking some time to visit my sister Brittany and her husband Ryan and help them with last minute preparations before "baby e" makes his appearance in the next few weeks! Britt called today and said they might induce next week so that would mean I will be an auntie in less than two weeks! We are all waiting and praying for a healthy baby boy though.

On Sunday, the McPhail family will all meet up in Miami for a week long cruise in the Caribbean to Key West, Cayman Islands, and Jamaica! We are pretty excited to see some warm weather and spend time with Brian's family and relatives. It looks like we will have the chance to para-sail and "snuba" (a combo of snorkeling and scuba diving... not sure how that works out?).

As we look ahead to the new year, there are many exciting changes coming our way including new jobs and preparations to move back to China. Although we do not yet have a time line for some of these changes, we eagerly wait and pray for what God has in store.

On a less than serious note, my new year's resolution is to get Brian to drink more water since he is always slightly dehydrated. He said that it didn't count because I can't make a resolution for someone else but I'm going to try anyways! No resolutions for me this year. Changes seem to come more gradually for me and they aren't typically based on the time of the year. For instance, I stopped chewing my fingernails this year. I know you all wanted to know that but hey, this was a huge resolution as I have been chewing them since I had fingernails, which would be almost 30 years! Anyhow, enough on that... happy new year to everyone and hopefully we will be up and blogging again here soon :)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T10:01:00.001-08:00

righteous anger

2011-12-04T19:01:00.001-08:00

A few days ago I was pulling out of a parking lot when an affluent white man in a sleek Mercedes speedily turned into a parking spot almost running over the Hispanic landscaper who was blowing leaves. The man in the Mercedes quickly blew his horn in indignation that the man didn't move out of the way more expediently. Anger was instantly ignited in the maintenance man as it rightly should because really, who did this Mercedes man really think he was?! At this point, the affluent man rolled down his window and started yelling at the maintenance man like he was some sub-human life that was beneath him, but not knowing English, the landscaper yelled back defensively in Spanish. At this point, Mercedes man marched over to the maintenance truck and yelled flinging his arms, "get this man out of here" to the boss-man who sat watching the whole ordeal.

My blood began to boil and even as I write this, a righteous indignation arises deep within my being. Who does this man think he is and how can he possibly treat another human being with such disrespect and hatred? It was a good thing that I was in my car because I would have probably started yelling at Mercedes man and saying things I too regretted. Later in the day, I pondered how I am supposed handle this anger that had been kindled within me. I know that Jesus felt and expressed similar righteous anger at injustice and hatred and rightly so, he caused all kinds of havoc in the synagogue's marketplace. Yet I have seen so called "righteous" anger do all kinds of destructive things like start wars, burn Qurans, kill abortion doctors, and heartlessly roundup undocumented or "illegal" immigrants, tearing them from homes and families.

It is here that I am left wondering what to do with this righteous indignation in the face of the injustice, hatred, and prejudice present in the world. Yet Jesus reminds me that the most important thing I can do is to pray as he did to his heavenly Father, "your kingdom come your will be done". God, you are calling us to be a part of your kingdom here on earth, a kingdom that defies this world's ways and loves those who are often considered "enemies". While there is nothing I could have done to stop the situation that I saw, I can be a part of the coming of God's kingdom here on earth by living a radically different way and showing a love that is only possible through your redemptive work in me.

sliders and crispy sweet potato fries

2011-12-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

Brian made this rave meal last week, Spicy Chipotle Turkey Sliders and crispy sweet potato fries. We learned the trick to make the fries taste crispy without frying them is to soak the sweet potato strips in water for bit, put them in a bag with corn starch and shake, then lay them out on a tray and lightly, dust with salt and pepper, spritz with olive oil and and bake for 15-25 minutes at 425 degrees.

fall photo ops

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

I received a new camera lens for my birthday that has been perfect for taking portrait pictures. Here are a few from our recent photo shoot with some friends. We would like to continue practicing so if you are in the area and would like a free photo session, let us know! It would be our pleasure!

"no more pictures!"

Santa Ana Storm

2011-12-01T09:56:00.001-08:00

Pasadena declared a state of emergency last night with the Santa Ana winds racing up to 80 miles per hour. Basically Brian and I didn't sleep as we laid in bed all night listening to the wind and police/fire sirens howling as trees cracked and fell on our house. I kept thinking that our little house would be picked up by the wind and plopped down in the land of OZ!

We have a big tree branch that fell on our roof, a down half-tree in the front yard that has pulled the power lines and siding off of our house but other than that we are ok. Others didn't fair so well though and many are without power today. The winds are supposed to continue today and pick up speed again tonight. Maybe this time I will wear earplugs so I don't hear the strong gusts of wind that make my heart race and imagination go in overdrive.

Tarheels in Vegas

2011-11-30T10:50:00.000-08:00

This past weekend Brian and I drove over to Vegas, along with everyone else in California apparently causing crazy traffic, to watch the Tarheels play in the Las Vegas Inventational! We had a really fun time watching the games and meeting other Tarheel fans on the left coast but Carolina's loss to UNLV was pretty sad. I can still hear that rowdy crowd cheering re---bels, re--bels with their tomahawk chop.

look who's back? Jackie!

Praise and Thankgiving

2011-11-24T11:11:00.001-08:00

O my God,

Thou fairest, greatest, fist of all objects,

my heart admires, adores, loves thee,

for my little vessel is as full as it can be,

and I would pour out all that fullness before thee

in ceaseless flow.

When I think upon and converse with thee

ten thousand delightful thoughts spring up,

ten thousand sources of pleasure are unsealed,

ten thousand refreshing joys spread over my heart,

crowding into every moment of happiness.

I bless thee for the soul thou has created,

for adorning it, sanctifying it,

though it is fixed in barren soil;

for the body thou hast given me,

for preserving its strength and vigour,

for providing senses to enjoy delights,

for the ease and freedom of my limbs,

for hands, eyes, ears that do they bidding;

for thy royal bounty providing my daily support,

for a full table and overflowing cup,

for appetite, taste, sweetness,

for social joys of relatives and friends,

for ability to serve others,

for a heart that feels sorrows and necessities,

for a mind to care for fellow-humans,

for opportunities of spreading happiness around,

for loved ones in the joys of heaven,

for my own expectation of seeing thee clearly.

I love thee above the powers of language to express,

for though are to thy creatures.

Increase my love, O my God, through time and eternity.

~ A Puritan Prayer

in absentia

2011-11-18T21:03:00.001-08:00

Sorry we haven't blogged much lately. Besides work, I've spent most of my time in this very spot working on my thesis. Not very exciting but thought I'd let you know we are alive:) Three more weeks until I graduate!

Kidders in San Diego

2011-11-07T18:07:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with my family this weekend in San Diego! My dad had meetings during the day so we missed him but we were able to bum around Little Italy on Saturday morning, the Wild Animal Park in the afternoon followed by a little breakfast cruise on Sunday morning. The weather was chilly and a bit rainy but all in all it was a super fun weekend to see family and relax for a bit.

sunset after the rainstorm

Grandma and Brian

What a cute couple!

This is not a great picture but this is the USS Carl Vinson, the ship that the Tarheels will be playing a Veteran's Day basketball game against Michigan State. Can you see the stands and lights?

flying high

2011-10-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we did not defy gravity but fell 120mph before floating through the sky with a view of the mountains, coastline, and Ventura. I have wanted to go skydiving for a long time and kept telling Brian we had to do it before we turned 30. He surprised me with skydiving tickets for my birthday this past summer but with traveling and busyness, we did not get to schedule it until this past weekend. I will say, we were a little nervous, but once we harnessed up and our instructors told us they had jumped 2,500 and the other 8,000 times, we felt pretty competent with their ability. The weather was beautiful and we loved it! I think I forgot to breathe during the fall (refer to video). We then called our parents to let them know what we had done... they were glad we told them after we were on the ground :)

Boba breaks

2011-10-17T16:38:00.001-07:00

I discovered a little cafe near Fuller called Beany's that serves boba milk tea. I confess that I went almost everyday last week for boba encouragement and motivation to keep on researching and writing. I noticed every boba I bought had the word "movement" on the top. Whatever the meaning, I know it is helping me keep moving on this thesis:)

hot wings

2011-10-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have been trying out new vegetarian recipes this week in hopes of cheaper grocery bills and healthier meals and Brian has been a really great sport about my new kick.... until Saturday. Haha... no we have really enjoyed trying some of the new recipes but he volunteered to cook on Saturday and his menu included hot wings and all the trimmings. We had one sporting event playing on the TV and another playing on his laptop and I felt as if Buffalo Wild Wings had come to our living room. Nice work B :)

Good morning Pasadena

2011-10-11T07:33:00.001-07:00

Grand Canyon Hike

2011-10-07T21:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we traveled over to Arizona and made our way down to the Grand Canyon for our Rim to Rim to Rim hike! We have been planning this hike for a while and when it finally arrived, we were a little nervous about how strenuous it was going to be... but we made it and had a wonderful time as well! We started at the South Kaibab Trail at the South Rim on Saturday morning and hiked down to Cottonwood Camp that evening (hiking down is a lot harder than hiking up... at least on my knees and legs!) The next day we left our stuff at the campsite and hiked up to the North Rim and back down again that afternoon. The third day we hiked from Cottonwood to Bright Angel Campground and bummed around at the bottom of the canyon that afternoon and the fourth day, we hiked out of the canyon up the Bright Angel Trail for a total of 48 miles!

We made it to the North Rim!

the leaves were beginning to turn colors... fall is here!

view from North Rim lookout point.

Ribbon Falls- see Brian on the left-hand side to put it into perspective

We got a lemonade at Phantom Ranch down in the bottom of the canyon per my Grandpa Kidder's recommendation... it hit the spot for sure!

We tried to take a picture at night but couldn't get it into focus (shutter open for more than 1 minute)... you can see the light at the top which is the North Rim lodge.

An ominous sky

2011-09-30T16:20:00.001-07:00

We're on our way to the Grand Canyon for our backpacking trip starting tomorrow and we hit an impressive little storm. We don't really have much weather in LA so seeing lightning is a real treat! More updates to come.

Mt. Wilson Trail

2011-09-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were determined to make it up to the top of Mt Wilson just north of Pasadena. We have long looked upon this mountain commenting that one day we would make it up there but it is between 15-17 miles (each map/mile marker was different) round trip so we knew that would take a little time with more than 4,000ft elevation change. Yesterday was the day and unfortunately we had a meeting until noon so we got started around 1:30PM. We made it up around 4:30 and started back around 5PM but we were hiking with headlights the last 30 minutes. The Mt Wilson Observatory closed at 4PM so we just missed the Cosmic Cafe (sigh) and Observatory but next time we will try to make it up there when it is open!

This trail first opened in 1864 and there is an annual trail race that has been taking place since 1908.

the old Mt Wilson Toll Road

We are almost there... the longest last mile.

A visit from the McPhails

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

The McPhails came to visit us right before we left for China and I didn't have enough time to post pictures before we left. We had a wonderful time sightseeing around San Fran, catching two baseball games, and driving along the coast on Hwy 1. Thanks so much for coming to visit us!!

trying to stay warm at the Oakland A's baseball game!

our sweet hotel room at the Crescent in San Fran (a great deal for a downtown boutique hotel).

redwoods

Hearst Castle- it was a cloudy day and thus did not make for great picture taking.

Look familiar? Hearst Castle's banquet hall provided some of the background for the Harry Potter films.

sunset along the coast... one of my favorite sights.

Thanks for coming Neil and Cindy!

Beijing, lectures, and the 798 Art District

2011-09-12T09:50:00.000-07:00

We spent our last few days in Beijing and had the opportunity to exchange lectures at Minzu University (a minority university in China), visit a prominent Three-Self Church, and do a bit of sight-seeing. Since we have been to Beijing a few times now, we skipped the Great Wall and opted for an art district called 798. The weather was finally cooling down and I even needed a jacket a few of the nights!

Our group at Minzu's Religion and Philosophy Department

lectures from two Fuller and three Minzu faculty and students

Lattes at 798 Art District

Once factories, these newly renovated museums house an assortment of Chinese art.

This transformer is huge as you can see it in comparison with the round door on the front of the large water tank behind it. It felt like a movie and the end of the world as we know it...

a packed out place on a sunday morning...

2011-09-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

We had the wonderful experience of joining a Three-Self church service last Sunday morning in Nanjing. I was continually surprised at how many people were around the church waiting to get in for the next service. The leaders warmly welcomed our group and we had a wonderful time worshiping with Chinese brothers and sisters.

People listening to the sermon via outdoor speakers because it was so packed inside.

Interestingly, a copy of the Nestorian Tablet (a stone monument written by a priest of the Syrian church in 781) was prominently displayed in the church's office. I just recently wrote a paper on this tablet and the Nestorian Movement in China and found it interesting that they would have it displayed.

our group leader Dr. D giving his sermon

post service.

people rush to the front to find a spot to pray after the service.

the children's class that sang us "Jesus Loves You"

The entrance to the church says "Jesus loves you" in Chinese and English.

here is a really quick video inside the church... excuse the poor quality.

Nanjing

2011-09-07T01:54:00.000-07:00

Nanjing is a lovely city! This was our first time to the old capital of China and we loved the tree lined streets and laid back atmosphere compared to that of Shanghai.

We were invited to visit Jiangsu Bible College the first day we arrived.

The chapel at Jiangsu Bible College.

The second day we were invited to visit Nanjing Seminary were Brian and I presented papers to a group of graduate students and faculty.

The unfinished church/chapel at Nanjing Seminary

inside the library at the seminary

the dormitories at the seminary where all of the students live.

amazing lunch. Fuller's Refectory should take notes :)

view from the front gate of the seminary.

The old seminary in the downtown area before they moved out to the college town. It is a beautiful building.

Pizza Hut pizza- pigs in a blanket for the crust :)

boba filled with a red bean-a first for me!

a nifty little space saving parking lot near our hotel where cars are moved up and down on an elevator!

J and a wise Chinese sage comparing notes at the Confucian Temple.

one of our lovely professors giving A some advice

Confucius

The Nanjing Massacre Memorial

A woman holding her dead child... the memorial was extremely tragic and powerful.

Shanghai

2011-09-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days in Shanghai in meetings and lectures but had time for a few sight seeing trips. Overall we really enjoyed Shanghai- it is a busy and bustling city and the food is amazing! We have met some amazing people and have learned so much along the way. Next stop Nanjing!

Our Fuller group in the Trinity Church in Shanghai

inside Trinity Church

street shopping

Jehu and Brian holding up their mooncakes. Jehu does not look impressed.

area view of Shanghai.

Muslim center in Shanghai

Only functioning Jewish Synagogue in Shanghai.

Jewish Museum

China Christian Council of Shanghai.

Fudan University where we dialogued with scholars for the day (Fudan is one of the top universities in China).

Lunch with a few of the post doc students at Fudan.

Our visit to Pu'an Church for the Sunday evening service.

The outside of Pu'an Church- one of the biggest churches in Shanghai.

Hong Kong

2011-08-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Hong Kong on Friday morning and had the afternoon to acclimate and sight see a bit. After going to Victoria Peak, we meet up with some good friends for dinner that night.

The next day we had the opportunity to visit China Graduate School of Theology (CGST) and two members of our Fuller group presented papers as well as one of their faculty members. The discussions following were fascinating and we had great conversation over lunch as well. There are some really amazing things happening at the seminary and it was wonderful to be able to meet the faculty and hear all that God is doing through this institution to raise and train leaders.

We are in Shanghai now.... more to come soon!

our Fuller group

CGST

another view of CGST

the lecture portion

CGST's court yard

grass jelly in my frappaccino!

the lady next to us on the airplane was very industrious and used the bag from the blanket to protect her new hairdo... not sure about the visor though :)

auntie and uncle!!

2011-08-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

My sister Brittany and her husband Ryan are expecting a baby boy in January!! We couldn't be more excited for them and our parents are equally excited about becoming grandparents! While we have been called auntie and uncle for a while now by the little kids at our predominately Chinese-American church, these titles will have a new meaning with our very own nephew. I have only bought one baby thing so far from amazon and am restraining myself not to buy all of the cute clothes and toys that I see until the baby is actually here :)

a weekend in williams.

2011-08-13T12:49:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we drove over to Williams Arizona to meet my grandparents for a little weekend get-away. The weather is a bit too hot in Phoenix so we decided that meeting in the mountains worked better. We had a great time hiking, playing golf, eating, and seeing my aunt and uncle as well.

my caddie :)

grandpa driving

cowboy getting off of a yellow motorcycle!

just a little rock that was on the trail... Brian moved it out of the way.

An old wagon trail in Kingman near my aunt and uncle's house.

in less than two weeks...

2011-08-10T22:14:00.000-07:00

...we will be on a plane to China! Brian and I have been presented with an amazing opportunity to join a small team of faculty and students from Fuller Seminary for a two week trip to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing to visit seminaries and universities. Our group has been invited by a number of state churches, seminaries, and universities to lecture and participate in seminars regarding religion in China. Brian and I will present a lecture in a smaller college in Nanjing where we will each have 45 minutes to share about theology and culture. We are still finalizing our topics but Brian plans on discussing the theology of revelation from a global perspective and I will talk about the loss of lament in our modern society as it relates to the Psalms. We are a bit nervous about how these lectures will go but are excited for the opportunity.

It has been four years since we have been in China and are excited, nervous, and curious to see all that has changed since our last time there. We have also been taking language classes here in Pasadena to freshen up on our language in preparation. I will try to post pictures along the way while we are there!

China Dialogue

2011-08-08T20:48:00.000-07:00

Brian and I had the opportunity to attend a dialogue between Fuller's president Dr. Mouw and Mr. Zhang Lebin, Deputy Minister of China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) on a discussion entitled “Religion and Its Benefits to Social Services” this past Thursday. Along with Mr. Zhang, 22 Chinese delegates from the central government and various provinces were present for the discussion. Fuller was one of a number of stops that the SARA delegation was making on their 3 week trip through the U.S.

What a exciting experience it was to see Fuller's relationship with China deepened as Dr. Mouw and Mr. Zhang discussed the impact of religion on society. Dr. Mouw noted, “this is a historic occasion when we can gather around tables, speaking together and learning from each other, with our Chinese friends.”

Paradise Cove, Malibu

2011-07-31T17:21:00.001-07:00

budgeting the easy way

2011-07-27T23:41:00.000-07:00

When we first got married, we kept all of our receipts and logged them into an excel spreadsheet along the way, or so we tried. Well, that lasted for all of 2 months before we were a month, then two or three months behind and trying to catch up on our budget. It didn't really help to know that we overspent on our "restaurant" budget two months after the fact, nor was it convenient to put all our receipts in one place without losing them from time to time. We also thought about the envelope/cash only system but knew we would be losing the amazing cash back rewards (almost a $1,000 a year cash back with our Chase Freedom cc) if we went that route.

We read about Mint.com from another friend's blog recommendation and decided to give it a try a few years back. Mint has revolutionized our budgeting over the last three years and made it so completely easy to keep track minute to minute where we are on our spending. Mint allows you to track checking accounts, savings, investments, credit card spending, and more all in one place. Towards the end of the month, I am able to look on the account and see how much we have left for eating out, shopping, and other leisure expenditures and check whether we need to hold tight the rest of the month or allow ourselves to eat out again. I just thought I would share this little gem of a find with you in case you find yourself laboring over excel spreadsheets liked we tried with no avail.

Every teardrop is a waterfall.

2011-07-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

When will Coldplay release their new CD? Hard to tell yet but hopefully by the end of the year. I'm not sure if I can wait!

latticed peach pie

2011-07-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

We had a little garden dinner party (sounds better than a cookout:) last night in our front yard and our friends requested a peach pie. I have never made a pie, let alone a pie crust but I thought I would give it a try and find the butteriest and flakiest crust recipe possible. Turns out the trick to making a flaky pie crust is ice cold butter and ice water! You don't want the butter to really mix in well with the flour but rather have the iced butter create small chunks throughout the dough. When I rolled the dough out to put in the pie tin, I could see the butter marbleized throughout the dough. This meant that when baking, the butter would melt and create pockets between the flour to give the light and flaky effect desired. You can find the pie crust recipe here at butter flaky pie crust and the filling here at peach pie.

ashley's visit!!

2011-07-20T22:13:00.000-07:00

Our dearest friend Ashley flew up from El Salvador to Pasadena for a week to take an intensive class at Fuller and hang out with us! We had the best time showing her around Pasadena and LA. Among other things, we went to Olvera Street, Union Station, Hollywood, Little Tokyo, Santa Monica, Chinatown, San Gabriel for Chinese and foot massages, frozen yogurt runs, and lots of good hangout time :) Thanks so much Ashley for coming up for a week full of wonderful memories... we sure did miss her husband Elvis and little girl Suzy though!

Union Station

Union Station
Little Tokyo
Little Tokyo with Ash

Olvera Street

food trucks and foodies

2011-07-19T13:06:00.000-07:00

Since coming to LA, we have been introduced to the food truck craze and have loved trying a vast array of foods from these restaurants on wheels. We took Brittany and Ryan to a food truck meet up in Altadena their last night here and got glass bottled ginger beer, truffle fries, subs, and cupcakes from the various trucks.

Venice Canals

2011-07-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

Designer Abbott Kinney thought it would be fun to bring Venice Italy to Southern California back in the late 19th century. Although most of the canals have now disappeared, there are a few left to enjoy! Oh to own a house along the Venice Canals...

Tonight Show

2011-07-11T17:38:00.000-07:00

Burt, Ryan, Brian and I got free tickets to the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in nearby Burbank at the NBC studio. We were numbers 167-170 in line to get in but when we were brought in to the studio, the page brought us to four reserved seats on the front row! We were pretty surprised but happily took the seats. When Jay came out, he asked if anyone had any questions.... Ryan quickly raised his hand and asked if we could come up on stage and take a picture with him! He was super friendly and invited us up, asked a bit about us and we took a picture together (the Polaroid below). The taping was really fun but we definitely had sore jaws from smiling and tired hands from clapping! :)

Backpacking Yosemite Part II

2011-07-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

more of the flooded trail.

more soggy water crossings.

Waterwheel Falls.

Third camp sight

That was actually the trail alongside the overly flooded river. We made it! :)

Tuolomne Meadows

I want that house.

Backpacking Yosemite Part I

2011-07-08T21:57:00.001-07:00

Brittany, Ryan, Brian and I were in Yosemite over the long weekend for a 28 mile hike through the Grand Canyon of the Tuolomne. We couldn't find the trail the first afternoon because the snow was so deep, which put us behind 5 miles. We pushed hard day 2 and 3 and made it out on day four! While the water was extremely high from a winter with a snowfall that was almost 200% higher than normal, we had a great and adventurous time!
pure beauty.

half dome.

the ridiculously hard waterfall crossing that we managed!

deep snow, big tree.

crazy amounts of water from 199% higher snow fall this year.

flooded trail and ice cold water from snow melt.

fly fishing.

big.

warming up.

camp night #1

Ryan fell through the snow!

flooded trail

we finally found the sign after a long search in the snow!!

the etheridges!!

2011-07-01T11:34:00.001-07:00

Brittany and Ryan arrive tonight! We couldn't be more excited for them to come and visit for a week. We have a number of fun things planned while they are here... first off we are heading to Yosemite tomorrow morning to backpack for 4 days in the back country. We will be backpacking the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River. After we arrive back in LA, we have a number of fun things planned from attending the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to bike rides at the beach. More blog posts to come in the next week!

29

2011-06-28T08:27:00.001-07:00

yesterday was the big 29. Although I haven't stressed about getting older, I have been reflecting on the fact that this is my last year in my twenties and what it means that thirty is right around the corner. There is something that tells me I need to have it all figured out by now or I'm a real adult or something. My grandma reminded me on the phone yesterday though that I don't ever have to grow up so I will take her advice and not worry about getting older :)

After work, we went to a sushi place in Pasadena with a few friends. The wait staff were really cute because they brought out this little tray of red bean and green tea ice cream and sang happy birthday to me :)

Pasadena 2011 Chalk Festival

2011-06-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

my favorite

Dawn Mine

2011-06-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

Next week we are going backpacking for a few days in Yosemite with Brittany and Ryan so we felt the need to take a few smaller hikes before the big trip. We went to Dawn Mine, a 5 mile hike in Millard Canyon, Altadena this past weekend. We have tried this hike before and were unsuccessful at finding the mine because the trail is not kept up and we didn't hike far enough in. This time though we were determined to keep hiking until we found it and our work paid off. Dawn Mine was a gold digging spot from 1895 until the early 1950s and although the mine is unsafe to enter now, you can get a sneak peak from the entrance.

june gloom

2011-06-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

No don't worry, we're not depressed :) June gloom/May gray comes around each spring when the marine layer off the coast settles in each morning for a foggy/cloudy mist that hovers over the LA basin until around lunch time. That means that the end of May and first half of June is the cloudiest part of the year here in LA! In addition, the weather usually stays in the 70's and possibly low 80's so summer doesn't really start until July here, which is just fine with us.

One thing we are sad about though is that our dear neighbors with three lovely little girls moved yesterday. We are not going to know what to do with ourselves now that there aren't little kids running up to our door everyday. The good thing is that they are moving to Durham, NC to attend Duke, so at least we will get to see them over the Christmas vacation!

line marshals

2011-06-13T08:38:00.000-07:00

Although neither of us graduated this year, we were asked to be the line marshals for the graduates who were walking across the stage. That meant that we also wore black graduation gowns and led the procession down through the auditorium. As I walked down the long isle next to Brian while the organ was playing, it kind of felt like we were getting married again, except there were 500+ graduates walking down the isle behind us! :) Congrats Fuller grads!!!

mr. pizza and ktv

2011-06-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about LA is the diversity. I can go to China Town, Little Tokyo, Korea Town, Little India, Little Ethopia, El Salvador, or virtually anywhere in the world all right within LA!! Last week we went out to celebrate my friend's engagement over Korean pizza at Mr. Pizza (sweet potato pizza crust... yumm) and Korean Karaoke (just like KTV in China!).

the crust is stuffed with sweet potato "mousse"!

sing it!

divas:)

anniversary surprise!

2011-06-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

Each year for our anniversary so far, Brian has planned a little surprise getaway in the area! He has fun doing it and I love surprises so it works out well! This year we went to West Hollywood to the London Hotel with a rooftop pool and lounge. It was so fun to kick back for the afternoon around the pool and forget all the papers I had to finish for finals! We went to the Eveleigh for dinner, which is a rustic barn like restaurant in the midst of the glitz and glamor of Sunset Blvd with local farm fresh cuisine.

the view of LA from the rooftop

a groupon special for chocolate covered strawberries!

peonies from Brian. Some of my most favorite flowers.

store name fail!

2011-06-05T22:29:00.001-07:00

three years.

2011-06-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, we tied the knot! I can't believe how quickly time has flown by and although we are not technically newly weds any more, we can still continue to act as if we were ;) Brian has a surprise planned for today... I will let you what it is when I find out!

not many spring showers but we have may flowers!

2011-05-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

end of the world/year cookout

2011-05-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

The school year is winding down to the final weeks, 3 to be exact, and so is our time as community coordinators in Madison Square. We had a cookout last night to celebrate the end of the world (which didn't happen) and the end of the school year! After dinner we lit the fire pit and started up a movie on the back wall. We have really enjoyed the last 2 years we have been coordinators for this wonderful residential community but are thankful that a great couple in the community will be taking it over for the upcoming year as our future plans our uncertain at this point. It has been wonderful to live in community and interact daily with those who live next door to us. Thanks Madison Square!

incriminating pictures

2011-05-20T21:35:00.000-07:00

Watch out what you put on the internet because it might end up on the front of your birthday card next year!! :) (Kelly's office birthday card creations)

just stopping through...

2011-05-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

We always love when friends stop through LA...Tyler and Brooke were in town for a few days and we got to grab breakfast this morning in Westwood at a great breakfast place called Amandine's Cafe. Thanks you two!!!

surprise!

2011-05-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

I asked Brian to take the afternoon off work on his birthday because I had a few surprises planned. We drove down to Santa Monica and pulled our bikes out to bike along the beach down to Venice. I had heard of this quaint little desserterie called Jin Patisserie that I wanted to take Brian too so we biked over and lounged in their outdoor patio for some tea and macarons. We rode our bikes back and took a little walk on the beach before the next surprise.

I few months back I had bought a Groupon for a flight lesson with Justice Aviation in Santa Monica... so Brian got to fly an airplane for an hour across the coast, up to Malibu, and back! It was a total thrill to be in a small airplane and know that Brian was steering and controlling the speed. He did so well... he is now considering quitting grad school and taking up flying! :) haha Our flight instructor and owner of Justice Aviation, Joe Justice, was just amazing as well. He told us all about flying planes and showed Brian everything he needed to know to feel comfortable flying.

After our flight, we headed over to Brian's favorite, Buffalo Wild Wings, to eat to our hearts content with wings and cheese fries. All in all, it was a super fun day. Happy 28th Birthday Brian!

Jin PatisserieSanta Monica
this is the plane he flew!
loading up

Santa Monica Pier

Pointe Dume, Malibu

flying with our instructor Joe Justice

me in the backseat listening to air traffic control

more of Santa Monica beach

downtown LA

Happy Birthday Brian!

2011-05-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

happy birthday to my best friend and love of my life! Birthdays are important because it is a day to celebrate not only your birth but ultimately the person God has created YOU to be! I hope you know how much you are loved today and I look forward to whatever year 28 holds for you and I! It will be an adventure for sure on this road yet unknown.

~Kelly

Easter in Arizona

2011-04-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we drove over to Surprise Arizona where my grandparents, aunt and uncle and cousins live. We invited our friends Mark and Becky and their 10 month old son Koah to join us! It was a super relaxing weekend involving lots of amazing food thanks to my grandma, a round of golf, two trips to the pool, and a dinner to Organ Stop Pizza (refer to video below!). We also celebrated my grandpa being completely cancer free and finished with his chemo treatments! The celebration called for a homemade chocolate cake with lots of buttercream frosting:) Thanks grandpa and grandma for a wonderful weekend away!!

Organ Stop Pizza! Every sound made in this video came from the organ!! This guy has been doing this for over 40 years so he is pretty amazing.

for ashley and elvis

2011-04-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

breakfast=beans, plantains, eggs, and coffee. inspired by our trip to El Salvador.

the picnic table

2011-04-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

For the past two years, Brian and I have been the community coordinators for our community at Fuller. Our time as coordinators is coming to an end in June but we wanted to leave the community with something that would last. We decided that the community needs a picnic table for communal dinners and barbecues on the lawn. Brian thought that instead of buying a ready made picnic table, he would like to try his hands at making one. He worked all day Saturday and completed the table today! I believe woodworking is therapeutic for him :)

heart tug

2011-04-08T11:20:00.001-07:00

I teared up last night as I read an article about Matt and Liz Logelin, a couple who gave birth to Madeline, a little baby girl and hours later, Liz suddenly died in the hospital. Liz was getting up to walk to her wheelchair with Matt to see Madeline when she collapsed on the floor and died from a blood clot, totally unrelated to the pregnancy and labor/delivery. The neat thing about this utterly tragic situation though is that Matt continued blogging and writing about the journey of raising his daughter and the impact of family, friends, and the blogger community through it all over the past few years. He now has a book out called Two Kisses for Maddie that is a memoir of his loss and love. Anyhow, check out his blog if this story captivates you like it has me.

http://www.mattlogelin.com/

cloan of a cinnabon

2011-04-06T17:24:00.001-07:00

If you haven't made homemade cinnamon rolls yet, you are missing out! Brian and I found an amazing recipe called Cloan of Cinnabon that we would HIGHLY recommend! We usually get up early to make the dough, then go back to sleep for an hour while it rises, and then get up to finish it off and get ready for the day. You can however make the dough the night before and put it in the fridge. Also we mix the butter and brown sugar together to make a paste for the filling instead of sprinkling brown sugar on melted butter like the recipe says. We don't use a bread maker either... just a hand mixer with the bread hooks.

enjoy!

easter dresses

2011-04-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

I did a little photo shoot with the neighbor girls in their Easter dresses last week! They were really cute but it sure is challenging to get a three little girls to smile at the same time or look at the camera! :)

the last two pictures show that it was time to end our picture session... :)

El Salvador Part II- Salinitas

2011-03-30T21:51:00.000-07:00

In the middle part of the week, we went to a resort called Royal Decameron in Salinitas El Salvador. It was fun to relax, read books, swim, and eat! :)

Andrew Walls on Global Christianity

2011-03-30T14:46:00.001-07:00

"There are two dangers. One lies in an instinctive desire to protect our own version of Christian faith, or even to seek to establish it as the standard, normative one. The other, and perhaps the more seductive in the present condition of Western Christianity, is the postmodern option: to decide that each of the expressions and versions is equally valid and authentic and that we are therefore each at liberty to enjoy our won in isolation from all the others.

Neither of these approaches is the Ephesian way. The Ephesian metaphors of the temple and of the body show each of the culture-specific segments as necessary to the body but as incomplete in itself. Only in Christ does completion, fullness, dwell. And Christ's completion, as we have seen, comes from all humanity, from the translation of the life of Jesus into the lifeways of the world's cultures and subcultures through history. None of us can reach Christ's completeness on our own. We need each other's version to correct, enlarge, and focus our own: only together are we complete in Christ."

(The Cross Cultural Process in Christian History-Andrew Walls 2002:78-9)

El Salvador Part 1- San Salvador

2011-03-29T17:06:00.001-07:00

Brian and I had the best time in El Salvador with our dear friends Elvis, Ashley and Suzy! We flew out on Saturday and spent a few days in San Salvador with Elvis, Ash and Suz before heading off to the Decameron Resort in Salinitas, El Salvador with Ash and Suz. Brian and I stayed on for a few days and then rejoined them this past weekend before we flew back home on Sunday night. It was so fun to see their home, work, church, and life in El Salvador. We were blessed to meet some of their friends and felt so welcomed when their friends Efra and Tania showed us around while Ash and Elvis were at work. Our favorite food was of course papusas and we ate many of them throughout the week because they were 60 cents a piece!

mouth full of cheese:)

making mango lassi's!

Elvis cooking Indian food for us... with the beard protector on :)

Elvis and Ashley's place.

Elvis and Brian waiting for us girls while we shopped.

The Jesus on the world statue.

Oscar Romero

Romero's grave- the 31st anniversary of his death.

President Obama visited the same week that we were there!

Ashley's school.

Ashley's school take two.

A statue on the National University's campus that their friend Efra helped design.

murals on nearby walls around the campus.

a pupusa dinner with their friends.

$20 total for everyone's meal (11 adults +2 kids)

A day at the volcano lake.

Suzy y Poppi

Suzy relaxin.

Volcano Lake"What do you want with me?!"

Pictures of the beach to come.

Saludos desde El Salvador!

2011-03-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

Just a little glimpse of the fun we've had in El Salvador with Ashley, Elvis, and little Suzy! More pictures to come when we return home.

Mt. Baldy Ski

2011-03-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

Mount Baldy is the closest ski place to Pasadena and it takes around 1 hour to drive from our house to the ski lift. You have to hit the weather just right or all the snow is gone but it is a great day trip and fun place to learn.

M Sq Bowling Night

2011-03-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

We have a pretty amazing community here at Fuller. Our housing community is named Madison Square, affectionately M Sq. The other night, we had a March Madness Bowling Night with prizes and all... and I did something I have never done before... I bowled a turkey! You probably won't ever see that again... but it is fun to say I did it once.

here are a few of our neighbors.

To prove it...I'm KM :)

Midori Sushi

2011-03-03T22:13:00.001-08:00

Our friends Bryant and Margaret took us to an amazing place called Midori Sushi in Studio City last week where for $25 a person, you can eat all the sushi your heart desires... with a few rules.

1. You only have one hour to eat the "all you can eat sushi".
2. You must finish all sushi before ordering more (that includes rice... which some, ehhumm, have tried to hide rice in their napkins before so as to eat more fish).
3. You must finish everything you order or you pay for it. No ordering 50 pieces of sushi and leaving 40 uneaten when you leave.

a few of the many platters of amazing sushi we devoured.

All to say, we probably ordered 15-20 rolls, and plenty of sushi and sashimi to go around. We were so stuffed at the end, they almost had to roll us out. The next day Brian said though, "that was amazing... I think we should go again!"

Thanks Bryant and Margaret!

my first publication...well not really but...

2011-03-01T10:40:00.001-08:00

Check out my Intersem Article put on the Fuller website! Maybe one day I will really be published :)

Bound Together

2011-02-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

Bound Together: How Traders, Preachers, Adventurers, and Warriors Shaped Globalization

Nayan Chanda (2007)

The tune, “It’s a Small World” comes to mind when reading Chanda’s book, Bound Together, as he shares the story of human nature and how our small world continues to get smaller. Chanda writes that globalization “is a never-ending saga in which the striving for a better life and greater security by millions of individuals manifests itself in the search for profit, for a livelihood, for knowledge, for inner peace” (242). Just as Chanda believes this saga known as globalization has continued for thousands of years, so to has God placed within the human heart a desire for love, peace and purpose that is only fulfilled in Christ Jesus. In Ecclesiastes 3:11 the author writes, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart...” There seems to be a common thread running throughout Chanda’s globalization narrative and the narrative found in the scriptures as to the longings of the heart and yet, how practically can the church address these longings? What then are the implications for the church as they seek to participate in God’s mission by ushering in the kingdom here on earth?

Throughout history, the mission of the church has been an agent of globalization by “reconnecting dispersed human communities” (107). As seen in chapter four of Chanda’s book, one acute need that the church can continue to focus on is defending human rights and freedoms. Churches do not necessarily need to take on advocacy and relief work all by themselves but should partner with already existing NGO’s and organizations for a common cause. Not only will the church be reaching out to those who are most impoverished or marginalized, but will also be working along side other people who might not be adherents to the Christian faith but have a similar vision for human rights. The church must see that God’s mission is much more holistic in nature and encompasses both spiritual and physical needs. If the church becomes interested in AIDS, poverty, and endangered species for example, the world might finally see that the church is not only seeking converts but actually cares about a hurting world.

terrariums.

2011-02-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Margaret for her hanging terrarium, I now have this little globe hanging in my kitchen. I am really fascinated by closed terrariums and hopefully will build one when I have a window one day with more sunlight! :)

Intersem 2011: Interfaith Dialogue for Emerging Leaders

2011-02-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

As I looked around the small circle of my dialogue group, I saw eager and inquisitive faces yearning to learn and understand the perspectives and stories of other seminarians from various faith traditions. Although I have had friends of other religions, this was my first interfaith dialogue experience and I have to admit, I was nervous. Here we were, students from seven seminaries and three faith traditions including Catholic, Jewish and Protestant, gathering together at a Jewish retreat center in Malibu with a clear purpose: to share our experiences, build deeper relationships, and promote increased communication and understanding between Christian and Jewish communities.

It was the retreat topic, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly- Addressing and Understanding the Extremes of Our Faith” that peeked my curiosity the most, and I wondered what good could come by talking about each religion’s extremisms. I was hesitant to allow myself the freedom and openness to share the concerns I have had with my faith tradition for fear of being a poor witness or moreover misrepresenting my faith. However, over the course of twenty-four hours, I came to trust the members of my dialogue group as we each shared points of tension and hope found in our faith traditions as well as discussed the extremisms we were most unsure of how to handle. The decisive point in the conversation came when a Jewish student reminded me that Martin Luther King Jr. was a Christian extremist and yet profoundly altered the course of American history. I began to realize that extremisms are not always destructive and that even across faith traditions, we can help one another both confront and embrace the extreme aspects of our faiths. Together, my dialogue group agreed that by building personal relationships, promoting education, and cultivating a spirit of generosity, we could accompany one another on the journey towards mutual understanding, peaceful and lasting relationships, and a more enriched faith experience in seminary.

a day for love.

2011-02-15T16:42:00.000-08:00

Some people dog on Valentine's day but I say, why not have another holiday to celebrate love?! I have always thought Valentine's day was fabulous from the day I started decorating shoeboxes with a little slot for valentine's day cards from classmates to the present when my sweet husband brings home flowers and cooks dinner for me! My parents and grandparents send cards and we give each other small gifts of chocolate and candy... what could make a better day? Last night Brian cooked four cheese ravioli with roasted red pepper cream sauce, asparagus with a pesto cream, french bread, and chocolate covered strawberries. We ended the day with the movie Social Network.... all in all it was a great day :)

mammoth excursion

2011-02-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

Brian and I decided when we got married that instead of traditional gifts for birthdays and Christmas, we would give memories to each other! This year our Christmas present was a ski trip to Mammoth Mountain, California for a couple days! We had a blast skiing and staying slopeside at the Mammoth Mountain Inn where we were able to soak sore muscles at the end of the day in an outdoor jacuzzi. This was Brian's third time ever skiing and I'm going to brag a little, but he was amazing! I included a little video at the end but after one run he said greens were too easy and we stuck to blues and blue/blacks the rest of the trip. Now blues on the West coast are a lot harder than blues on the East coast, so he was outstanding!

at 11,053 feet. also, i look really short... but I think I was on the sloped side of the pic!

a view of Minaret Mountain Range.

a kidder visit!

2011-02-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

my mom and dad came through this past weekend for two days of fun before they went up to Fresno for business. It was so fun to hang out for a few days with them, introduce them to friends and professors, eat lots of good food, and enjoy warm and sunny socal weather. thanks mom and dad for coming!

outside the taco stand on greene street.

Descanso Gardens

view of the San Gabriel Mountains

tree hugger.

an excuse for sushi.

malibu hike

2011-02-07T08:02:00.000-08:00

we could see the snow capped mountains from one direction...and the ocean from the other direction!

80 degree winter day.

made it!

signing the guest book.

Descanso Gardens

2011-02-06T19:05:00.000-08:00

Even though it is January, there were still a number of flowers in bloom today!

I have a dream...

2011-01-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

What is your dream for peace and justice in the world today? What injustices are we ignoring or inadvertently perpetuating? I often wonder what my future children will one day ask me as it relates to the present injustices and how I affected change in the world.

Life as we know it...

2011-01-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

A new year...2011! What will it hold and where will we be in a year from now? Who knows... but for now we are continuing to love Pasadena, our jobs, and school. Of course there are times when we wish we could have a break from school and all the reading, research and paper writing, but for the most part, it has been an amazing journey. This quarter I (Kelly) am taking Interfaith Dialogue, Global Theology in Context, and Globalization, the Poor, Christian Mission (an international development class) and Brian is taking Christian Ethics. I have been challenged on many levels already and noticed that I hadn't posted anything since the quarter started.

On a super fun note... we just bought cheap tickets to El Salvador for spring break and we are getting to go visit our friends Ashley, Elvis, and Suzy in march for eight days!! We couldn't be more excited about this fun adventure... we will fly out the day after finals ends and beaches, bathing suits, pupusas, and best friends couldn't come any sooner!

I don't have many pictures as of late but here are a few pictures of the the little greens I planted this past weekend. The fun thing with the weather here is that I can garden all year long.

thyme
sage

purple pansies

Happy Martin Luther King weekend!

2011 Rose Parade

2011-01-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

6:30AM when all those who camped out overnight for front row seats were starting to awake. We opted to sleep in our own beds and walk over around 6AM for second row seats.

Guess who the grand marshal was this year? Hint: butter :)We sat with our friends the Cains (we work at Fuller with Chad)

towing the float: we only saw one broken float this year!

this float was so tall that it has a mechanism to lower the pacman when they get to the bridge.

it was a chilly wait but well worth it! Happy New Years!

Christmas in NC Part 2

2010-12-30T09:46:00.000-08:00

We had a white Christmas this year! The snow started falling around midday on Christmas and continued through the night for around 5-6 inches the next morning!

Brittany, Ryan, Brian and me playing in the backyard.Brittany and me.

mom and dad skating at the Icehouse.

dad's extra large antique tools

can you really be that surprised when you bought your own Christmas presents? :)

mistletoe time!

Carolina Hurricanes hockey game

always a silly face ;)

preggo pictures with Summer and Mike
lunch with Ashley, Elvis, and Suzy!
The sweet little Zaxsby's lady who took our picture asked us if we were friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time. We told her that we met in the middle for lunch (in Dunn, NC) and then she asked where we were from. I told her California and Ashley said El Salvador and I think we thoroughly confused her with the "meeting in the middle" part. :)

Christmas in NC Part 1

2010-12-27T18:18:00.001-08:00

We flew in to Raleigh North Carolina on Wednesday evening and stayed with the McPhails for a few days before Christmas! Here are a few photos to commemorate our time.

Hayley and Brian with Grandma Long

Neil with his bees.

Brian trying to get the smoker to work to calm the bees.

Hayley and Matt

you might think that Neil got a keg for Christmas but he actually got a honey extractor for his honeycombs!

present time on Christmas Eve

The Carolina Christmas tree is a tradition in the McPhail home :)

Father Weese

2010-12-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Our dear friend from college Jeremy Weese just moved to town to start a new pastoral position in Santa Monica! We had a great time catching up with him on Saturday while watching the Carolina basketball game at a local joint that has a million tv's. Welcome to Southern California Jeremy!

Work Christmas Partays

2010-12-19T10:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Fuller's Admissions office!me, hatty, drea, and katie.

our modeling shot:)

Divisional Christmas party- bowling at Pasadena 300!me, katie, chris, and drea

joel, simon, brian and mark (with drea in the background)

we were lucky to get the private bowling room!

iceskating so cal style

2010-12-18T10:13:00.000-08:00

Pershing Square in downtown LA has an ice rink from November through February. Brian and I had a fun time skating even though it was a little crowded and most people in LA cannot ice skate very well! ;)

A warm and sunny weekend...

2010-12-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

Brian and I wrapped up finals week dragging ourselves to the finish line.. but we made it! We drove over to Phoenix on Friday afternoon oh so tired but we made it and were able to enjoy the weekend with my parents and grandparents. It was a warm and sunny weekend in AZ with highs in the 70's... crazy compared to the rest of the country this weekend with blizzards and snowy madness.

left to right. me, brian, my dad, uncle dean, aunt sue, my cousin rees, grandma, grandpa, and my mom.

my parents are so in love :)

before we had an early christmas and opened presents.

mom and me.

matching christmas presents- carolina golf shirts from my grandparents.

LA Kings

2010-12-14T19:35:00.000-08:00

Last week, we had the privilege of attending the LA Kings hockey game! We work with Chris in the admission's office and were able to join them to watch the Kings play the Calgary Flames and are happy to say that the Kings won 3-2. Thanks Chris, Tiffany, and Kalen for letting us tag along!!

Hazel the 88 year old mayor...

2010-12-11T10:48:00.000-08:00

christmas pic shoot

2010-12-08T07:04:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for a family Christmas picture this year, I offer my humble services for free! :) I am in need of portrait experience and would love to photograph your family. I have included a few shots from the Finneys last week and will be doing another shoot this week for a family. Thanks for letting me practice! :)

must see: Taiwanese Lin Yu Chun Sings "I Will Always Love You"

2010-12-07T19:24:00.000-08:00

parisian macaroon

2010-12-07T07:23:00.000-08:00

I asked my mom the other day if she had ever tried a macaroon and she said that she had make the little coconut cookies before. "Oh no" I replied, as I described to her the new delectable that I has recently captured my attention and taste buds. You have not had a macaroon until you have tasted a Parisian macaroon. These little gems all but melt in your mouth as you taste this velvety rich creamy treasure. One of the best places to purchase such a treat is at a local bakery in Pasadena, Euro Pane. If you go, I would recommend trying the sea salt caramel macaroon first as it is my favorite. I would also recommend the open-faced egg sandwich- it's all the rage. After my final exam, I might just walk down to the bakery to indulge myself in a post-exam reward.

Piled High!!

2010-12-06T06:33:00.000-08:00

We have been a little busy lately as you can see from the stack of books above that have piled high in our house. One more week though and we are done with the fall quarter... Christmas break, come quickly!

wishing I was home...

2010-12-05T21:28:00.000-08:00

my parents house this morning...

Madison Square Progressive Dinner

2010-12-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

Each Christmas in our community, Madison Square, we have a progressive dinner! This year we had four stops, appetizers, main course, dessert, and Christmas tree decorating and drinks. Although our houses are pretty small, we were able to fit 25 people in them (not our house though!) We have been so blessed to live in this community for the past 2.5 years sharing life and school together.

The Finney's place for appetizers.

Laurie and me

Anna, me, Laurie, and Tammy

Birgit, Anna, and Jennie

John and his visiting mother Frieda

Anna and Jennie

Laurie introspectively decorating the Christmas tree:)

Grahamotram

2010-11-08T16:39:00.001-08:00

This past weekend we had a blast with our dear friend Graham Long. Graham flew out here in Thursday night and spent the weekend with us. Of course it went by too fast but we were able to do a number of fun things like hit up In and Out, bike at the beach, make dumplings, get a Chinese foot massage, play disc golf, eat wings, and the list goes on. We didn't want to say goodbye to Graham last night but maybe he will just have to come out to visit again next year! Thanks Graham!!!!

LA Graham.

City Hall

City Hall by night.

not Halloween any more kids.

breakfast at the beach!

Graham flexing it at muscle beach

you both could totally take Arnold.

walkin on the beach.

the art of levitation.

Graham with a boba tea in Chinatown

Graham like boba.

making dumplings

what skill he has.

a long week calls for a good hike...

2010-10-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

After a long and difficult week, Brian and I set out for Henninger Flats this morning. The trail head is about 10 minutes from our house and the climb is steep but the views are spectacular. It rained during the night so the air was unusually clear.

a view of Pasadena and greater LA from our picnic spot

grassy hills and pine trees make for a wonderful resting place.

Harvest Fest

2010-10-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Harvest Festival on a 75 degree day!

The Johnson's sporting Thing 1, Thing 2 and Thing 3!

A little ladybug :)

Brian and I were in charge of the Hay Ride for the evening.
Chad with roaring Liam the Lion :)

Genessa, Breanna and me outside the hayride

a little ducky
ballerina mouse?

Luke Skywalker in person
Ninja girl!

Our community guys- Matt, Brian, Zach, and TJ

and the princess said, "my prince never showed up... " :(

Chad, Sarah, and baby Mick!

2010-10-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

My college roommate Sarah and her husband Chad came last week to visit and attend their cousin's wedding! They also brought with them special guest.... baby Mick! This little guy has two more months before he can come out and I can't wait to meet him!! They also came on the rainiest and coldest week and the weather in North Carolina definitely beat anything that we in Southern California could offer. Sorry kids!

missing praise...

2010-10-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

Life seems so fragile when it is suddenly lost. Yesterday our dear friend and coworker Praise Goh suddenly passed away after a very brief illness over the weekend. Brian and I worked in the Admissions office with Praise and she was also a Fuller graduate. Praise was quick to encourage, love, and care for those she knew. Her hopes and dreams were to work with at-risk street children and yet her life seemed to be suddenly cut short. It is hard to fathom why this happened and why so suddenly you have called her home. Extend your love and grace oh Lord to those who are grieving the loss of Praise. Naomi, Andrea, Praise and me at a birthday celebration.

Brian, Praise and Andrea at the office