Lil' Red

Elise Taylor

2010-11-23T14:07:00.005-05:00

Elise is graduating! Sunday, we made our way through different areas of Chattanooga looking for the best locations to shoot her senior pictures. I think we found a few :) I don't know about Elise, but I had a total blast! Here are a few of my favorites.

2010-10-23T15:46:00.000-04:00

Previously, most of my shooting has been done with Evan. This time I went solo, and even though it was my cousins wife, I was still nervous for some reason. Anyhow... here are a few from my very first pregnancy shoot. Laura is a photographer herself, so we had a lot of fun coming up with ideas.

2009-09-24T12:50:00.002-04:00

Casual after dinner conversation...

Evan: I'm going to have some ice cream to settle my stomach
Joni: Your stomach is unsettled?
Evan: Lack of ice cream is very unsettling...

2009-07-25T18:21:00.004-04:00

Krystal was wondering why I skipped writing about the wedding... I don't know. Guess I'm just tired of weddings. (Just went to number four in the last few months) Love this pic though.... We were waiting for our music to start so we could walk down the aisle.

2009-07-25T18:16:00.003-04:00

One week for church, the speaker talked about wilderness experiences. The time in your life when, like Moses, you are in your “wilderness”; the place that is unfamiliar to you and is a challenge for you to endure. I’d have to say, living in the South has been my wilderness experience. The sad part is, I don’t see it ending any time soon. In previous posts, I’ve described some of the ways the culture is so incredibly different. But the longer I’m here, the more differences I find. For example, just this morning, someone told me that southerners, as a main part of their holiday (Christmas or Thanksgiving) meal, they serve macaroni and cheese. Can you believe it? How weird....

I had to laugh yesterday because I noticed an article in the newspaper... it stuck out to me because it had Canada in the title. So of course I had to read it. It was an article on how some Canadian baseball teams have been coming to the US in search of tournaments because there seems to be a lack of baseball teams in Canada. It started off by saying one of the team members “first taste of grits will likely be her last.” I laughed because my own first experience was quite the same. I thought I had bought cream of wheat. Couldn’t figure out where I had gone so horribly wrong.... did I not cook it long enough?? Needless to say, grits are still not a favorite of mine. They are however, a staple food here in the South. Along with black eyed peas, fried chicken and collard greens, smothered in butter or who knows what kind of grease.

One of my biggest pet peeves is the flour though... you can’t find flour in bags bigger than 5 lbs... ANYWHERE! and on top of that, its always bleached white, and contains less gluten. So if you want your bread or whatever your baking to stay together, you have to use more flour than what’s called for. Whatever happened to good ol’ Robin Hood? I was very excited about finding Birds Custard powder last week though. I was able to make Nanaimo bars for the first time! Such a wonderful taste of home.
Its not all bad though. Southern hospitality is second to none. Like that country song... “Everybody knows everybody, everybody calls you friend; You don’t need an invitation, take off your shoes and come on in.”

So for now, I’ll continue to marvel at the differences and strange ways of life, and try to learn to love them( apart from the grease filled food). But what I wouldn’t give for a mug of Timmy’s and some -35 C weather...

2009-01-31T14:16:00.004-05:00

I had something happen to me yesterday that causes me to question life and why things like this always seem to happen to me. I was at work, and in the process of serving lunch to the anxious elderly, I received a second degree burn... from a kidney bean. Yes, you heard me right... a bean.

I was serving a bowl of minestrone soup and somehow this over zealous bean managed to flip out onto my hand and sizzle its way through the layers of epidermis between my thumb and pointer finger as my face contorted in pain. It just so happened I was holding the bowl in the same hand so I couldn't throw it.... I now have a large red spot and blister on my hand. Who would have ever thought a bean could be a dangerous thing?

Home for the holidays...

2009-01-15T16:54:00.019-05:00

It seemed as though we were destined to be in San Jose for Christmas. No way that was going to happen! Alaskan airlines notified us about four hours before our flight was to leave, that it had been canceled. "Okay, well...lets go to the airport anyways and see what we can do." We got there, and the lines of people were stretching far down the hallway of the ticket counter area. At one point, there was even a camera crew from a news channel recording the mayhem and angry customers being told that they wouldn't be able to get on a plane until two or three days later due to ice storms in Portland and Seattle. The story was the same for us. "No, I'm sorry, there is nothing until the 23rd." We took our tickets and went to the back of the line so we could think of some other options while waiting to get to the front again. I think we must have gone through that line-up about 5 times... each with no luck ( a big thank you to Cindy Buell who stayed on the phone with us the whole time trying to work it all out). I sat with our luggage taking advantage of the free WI-FI, while Evan waged war at the ticket counter. After a while, I looked up to see a young back packer and as he got close enough I heard him saying to the man next to him, "Its time for me to give somebody a tongue lashing.." I chuckled at him a bit, just knowing that no matter how much he blew off... he wasn't getting anywhere. A short while later Evan comes to me, with this same backpacker dude and tells me thy are going to the car rental area to check out the pricing and availability. *Deep breath*.... "okay." The thought of driving 13 hours in a car with a strange man put my stomach in knots, but hey, my man would protect me. :o)

By about seven they had a car and we were on our way to pick up Jordan and Krystal from San Fransisco where their flight had also been canceled.

The weather report was saying that chains were required on Grants Pass and all the other mountains in Northern California. We stopped at every place we could think of that might carry chains... but either they were closed, they didn't know what they were or they didn't have them. By midnight we said forget it, and headed over the pass. I kept looking ahead to see where the bad weather was that required chains... I don't think we ever found it. There was a skiff of snow on the very top, but nothing that needed chains. I laughed a bit at the trucks as they stopped to put them on at the check points and then again as I watched the sparks flying off the wheels when they started down the highway. Crazy Californians...

We arrived in Salem the next morning, dropped off the rental car and the backpacker and went to the Buells house for a few hours to rest, hot tub and roll a bit in the snow. Then we were off again!

When we stopped for gas in Kamloops my hand nearly froze to the gas pump. I asked the attendant what the temperature was. "-30 C." Welcome to Canada!

We arrived home Tuesday morning around 9:30 am... The same day we had tickets to fly to Portland! No way were the airlines going to get the best of us! Home for Christmas, just as it should be. And I'd have to say, its been the best Christmas of my life!

After being in the South for so long, going home was such a relief. Almost like, I could breath again... and relax. We spent much of our time there playing music, eating, playing in the snow... eating... playing inside, playing in the snow. I was thankful that the morning we got there, it warmed up from -30 to -20 C. We could be outside for more than 10 minutes at a time!

Evan was excited to experience, for the first time, real ice hockey. We also were able to borrow a ski-doo for the two weeks we were there, and had a ton of fun playing with that.

(picture taken from the spot he proposed)

Then, December 28, Evan and I decided to take a trip out to the back 40 and go snowboarding. Apparently it had been planned all along. Little did I know. I took Annies board all the way down there, and realized it was the step in kind, and I didn't have the right boots on. So Evan and I took turns on the one he'd brought, even though the bindings were all backwards and the powder was so deep you couldn't go more than ten feet without getting stuck. It was good excercise, but after one run down and the hike back up I was exhausted (I say run, but it was really more of a fight... getting stuck with a board strapped to your feet makes you feel like a turtle as you try to right yourself and start going again). Evan suggested we take a break and motioned for me to sit next to him. Then he pulls from his coat an envelope that contained all the post cards he'd given me since June. As he laid them out in the snow, I looked over each one remembering all the things we'd done together, all the laughs and tears we had shared. By then I knew what was happening and I watched as he spelled out with the letters in the corners of the cards the words "will you marry me". On the 28th card, the very last one, the one I hadn't seen yet, there was a big question mark in the center. My mind felt fogged as I heard him say "Joni Lynn Spangler, will you marry me?" I was in a bit of shock that this long anticipated moment was actually here... I must have sat there longer than I realized but finally managed a very delighted and happy "ya!"

The rest of our time at home flew by in planning and decision making. Since the wedding will be in McBride, we wanted to get as much done as possible before we had to leave.

A year ago I thought it was the best Christmas of my life when he asked me to be his girlfriend. I couldn't imagine at the time the joy and excitment that would fill me when he asked me to be his wife. And now I get to look forward to spending the rest of my life with my best friend. It doesn't get any better than that.

The rest are just some random pictures of my family over the holidays. Cheers!

Toto, we're not in Canada anymore

2008-11-09T14:39:00.020-05:00

Its been a bit of an adventure getting to know the culture here in the South. I've experienced things here that I'd never even heard of or thought of before. For example: Does anyone know what a Chittlin is? One day in class, the instructor, who likes to get off on any topic other than the one we're studying, asked the class what they ate growing up. Almost every one of them said "chittlins." I'm sitting there thinking... am I miss-hearing the accent? What in the world are they saying?? Finally, feeling quite stupid, I leaned over and asked the girl sitting next to me, "First, what is she saying and then, what is it?" "Girl", she drawls, "you don't know what a chittlin is? Well its pig intestine of course." She continued to go on and explain how she liked them best cooked, and that it was practically all she ate growing up, but I wasn't hearing anything... I was to busy trying not to vomit and imagining what her insides must look like. It's also common to eat squirrel. Apparently they're hard to skin, and there isn't much to them, but "Boy are they good!" I really did start to feel nauseous when they started talking about the swamp rats. How they were introduced to the bayou and have since taken over. Apparently there are restaurants in Lousianna that serve them. No wonder America is one of the most unhealthy countries in the world! Will someone please bring them the health message??

On Halloween we had a lunch together with everyone...we were all to bring something to contribute. Before we left class the day before, the instructor asked if there were any vegetarians in the class. I raised my hand, and as I looked around, realized... I was the only one. Out of all the food that showed up the next day, one dish had no meat in it. I think my teacher (Miss Marcie, as we call her) felt sorry for me. They are watching me though... several times people have offered me meat at lunch, but I always kindly refuse it. One girl even tried to persuade me, saying "It isn't gonna hurt nuttin' to jest eat a lil'".

Also, there are things like this...

It reminds me of those horrible smelly chicken barns in Aldergrove, but I get a kick out of it every time I pass the sign. I really want to go check it out some time... see what the locals are like. Or how 'bout this one? Since when does Wendy's serve gospel music with their burgers?

Then, after the election, the racial jokes and comments I heard were shocking! Never in my life have I had to deal with racism, and it makes me sick. Here we are, in 2008, and people still havn't managed to expand their minds beyond their own selfishness and pride. It disgusts me! I'm so grateful to my mum for raising me better than that, and just knowing that God created us all equal. What a blessing it is not to be so caught up in the hatred and anger people feel... so much so that it consumes their lives. I've learned alot in the last few months; about myself and the world around me, and God only knows how thankful I am that this isn't our home.

Jordan

2008-10-29T21:06:00.006-04:00

I know its been several months... but I stumbled across these pictures the other day, and I decided I just had to post them. It brings tears to my eyes everytime I think about him; how proud I am of him, and how very much I love him. We wern't always close growing up, but as we got older that began to change. We started to talk more, and didn't beat each other up quite so often. Then, when he got sick, I thought my world was going to end. I still cry when I think about anything happening to him... he's one of the most precious and special people in my life. I love to tell people about him... about my "little brother." Its a joke to me, because everyone knows he's anything but little. My heart nearly burst with pride as I saw him standing there, so tall and handsome on the podium receiving his diploma, and as he gave the presidents speech to his class. I love how he is always so positive and upbeat about everything, and how he has a way of making the room laugh.

That was the part of the show where the back of my skirt made a loud ripping noise while Jesse stands there and laughs.... classic.

Grandma Olive only three months before she passed away. I'm so excited that she made it to all three of our grads...

What handsome brothers I have!

Yup! Thats my little bro! He's so special. Jordan, I hope you know how much you mean to me. I can't wait to see you again... Thanks for being one of my best friends. I love you....

AP

2008-10-29T20:59:00.004-04:00

I think this must be one of the highlights of my year! I still can't believe I got to sit on the front row at my absolute most favorite musician's concert! It was surreal... And yes, this may be the shortest blog post I ever write.... but thats ok. His new CD is great by the way!

Two's company, three's a crowd.

2008-10-08T21:47:00.004-04:00

And I thought twins were bad! Boy was I in for a suprise. They were four months old...just old enough to have personality, which made it fun. I love the talking and cute noises they make. The mother had tried to have another child, but had hemorrhaged several times. They ended up planting their sperm and two eggs in a surrogate mother. The doctors said one egg had about a 60% chance of surviving, an the other about 12%. Well...they both survived. One split into identical twins, and the other was also fertilized leaving them with triplets. Bet they weren't expecting that! The twins were Jonah and Robert. They painted two of Roberts finger nails red so we could tell them apart. The third one, weighing in at a grand 16.7 pounds at the last doctor visit is...Maximus. I kid you not. It made me laugh on more than one occasion. He was kinda like one of those big bullies who run to mommy as soon as they get scared. He was a very sensitive baby, and needed lots of reassurance.

I learned alot on this job about emotions and babies feelings. Did you know that the emotions of the mother that carries them are downloaded, so to speak, into the baby? For example...towards the end of this pregnancy, the surrogate mother got to the point where she didn't want them anymore. She was tired of being pregnant, she wanted it over. And the late afternoons were her hardest times of the day. By the end of the day, she was ready for it to be over, and it was just a miserable time of day for her. Well...guess what? These babies (especially Maximus) were extra sensitive. They were insecure and they didn't feel wanted. In the late afternoons, they were the most fussy. They cried, and it was just a miserable time of day for all of us. Its so interesting to me how God creates us. I've heard other stories too. This one lady went all her life feeling like someone was following her. She felt like she was being hunted down, and she lived her life in fear. When she shared this with Marie, the lady that's been training me, she told her to ask her mother what happened while she was pregnant with her. This lady comes to find out that while her mother was pregnant, the father tried to kill her several times. She was constantly hiding from him and running for her life. The emotions were transferred to the baby. Once she realized this she was set free from all those feelings that had been haunting her all her life! Anyone thinking on having children, stay happy and positive while you're pregnant. You'll have happier babies.

L-R . Maximus, Jonah and Robert

Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

2008-09-21T23:02:00.012-04:00

Evan, always full of surprises, managed to do it again. He had been planning on coming out to SEYC for the weekend, but not until late thursday night. Then, early Wednesday morning, who should wake me up but my knight in shining armour! He had called my Aunt and she had unlocked the door for him on her way to work. The night before, we talked on the phone like we normally do, and as soon as we hung up, he jumped in his car and drove all night to wake me up the next morning! I nearly had a heartattack... and as my mind slowly registered that I wasn't dreaming, the realization of what he had just done began to hit me. Talk about feeling special! So, I got to spend 5 whole days with the love of my life, and oh were they wonderful!

He planned a surprise date for us the next day, only telling me that we needed to take a picnic. We drove for about an hour, and ended up at some stables in the mountains of Georgia! I hadn't been horse back riding for about 6 years, and it was so much fun! The two of us and our trail guide rode all over the mountain on their trails eventually stopping for our picnic lunch. Unfortunately, the place that was planned for our lunch was occupied by some government officals who were doing something with large machines, so we had to settle for another place which didn't have quite the view out over the valley. It was still beautiful and very romantic! Later that evening, we dressed up and went out for dinner at one of our favorite asian restaurants...

On Sabbath we were able to get away for a while and enjoy some time with our good friends, Nathan and Leilana. Following which, we raced up Look Out Mountain to watch the sun go down, and explore some new trails. After being apart for so long, it was so great to be able to just hang out together and talk with out having a phone glued to our ears. I don't know how people stand long distance.... I'll be so glad when this is over! I'm learning that being apart really does make the love shared between you more intense and real. Nathan calls it "love sick" and says we'll get over it once we've been together for a while. Maybe that's true, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts...

Heaven on Earth

2008-09-21T20:58:00.011-04:00

The Robson Valley is without a doubt the most glorious place in the whole world. Believe me, I've been alot of places, and some were very beautiful. But there is just something about that valley, when I enter it at Tete Jaune Cache... my breath is taken away. The air is crisp and fresh, the mountains tall and magestically inviting. Then suddenly, the fast paced world seems only like a dream, and a peace settles on you like the warmth of a campfire on a fall evening. It could possibly be that because its home to me, it means so much. Or maybe its because you can drive for ten or fifteen minutes without passing another vehicle. Regardless, it feels about as close to heaven as you can get on this earth. I was in Canada for a week, but only in McBride a day and a half... not nearly enough. My cousin Ryan, Aunt Bette and I flew into Seattle the same day, rented a car, and made the grueling 13 hour drive north. We arrived home Monday evening just in time to enjoy a bon fire picnic with all the other family members that had made the trek for the funeral. Just having come from the South, we quickly changed from our shorts into our parkas as our leg hairs began to freeze and fall off. The fire was a welcome relief to our shivering forms.
Tuesday morning before the funeral, we decided to bask in the beauty while we could. Ryan had never been to McBride before, so we took him to a couple of our favorite places.

The funeral was really nice. We had lots of music, and then there was a sharing time, so I got to tell some of my funny stories about Gram and get everyone away from their tears for a few minutes. Believe me, there was alot of them. But, as far as funerals go... it was top notch. Them McBride people sure know how to do it. We had the burial the next day four hours south in Merrit. First there was the viewing in a small chapel where we could all meet together as a family and say goodbye to Grandma. The viewing was from twelve to one, but you can only look at a body in a casket for so long. So after a few minutes of sitting there looking at Gram, Jordan and I started poking around in the back rooms of the chapel to see what we could find. We found the herse and stretchers where they brought her in from, but next to the herse, there was another herse. It was from the .... well, a long time ago. Probably back from when Gram was a little girl. When the first cars were coming out. It was one of the neatest things I've ever seen! But it had a flat tire, so we decided we couldn't ask them to take Gram to the graveyard in it.

During the time we were there, I noticed something. Most of the tears were coming from the non-Adventist side of the family. Being able to look forward to heaven, and knowing we'll see her again is such a comforting thing! The hope we have is wonderful!

The sky was cloudless, making the burial much more enjoyable than rain would have. We sang some songs and shared some thoughts and stories. Most of us were in tears by the time the last prayer was said.

All of us cousins had to get together for a picture...

Gram's second husband had been a veteran, and she had requested to be burried next to him. I find it very fitting that she be burried here. She was a very honourable woman...

We said good bye then and parted, each family going in their different dirrections. In spite of the reason for the gathering, the week we spent in Canada was wonderful! I can't help but look forward to the next visit at Christmas, when we will gather with another group of family and friends in our tiny little house, and enjoy the blessings of being together. Won't it be wonderful when we can be in one place, all together, forever? It will be more beautiful than McBride! And this time, Grandma Olive will get to join in, singing on tune and shareing her poetry...

I think more than the peace of the valley, it is the joy of being with family that is so special. That is really what is so beautiful. Family is what God gave to show us what Heaven would be like. So yes, the valley is the most glorious place on earth. But it's because of the love that is there. It wouldn't be quite as beautiful if there was no one to share it with...

Life and Death

2008-09-06T15:24:00.012-04:00

I've been asked at least a hundred times, "what are you taking at Southern?" Its automatic for one to think that since I'm a young person in Collegedale, I must be in school. "Well, you know... I'm not actually in school..." I watch as a wave of disbelief and disgust washes over there faces. "What?!?! how could you not be in school? what are you going to do with your life? you'll never amount to anything!" *Much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth*

I've just returned from my very first job as a baby nurse. Five hours and a state away, I found myself in Gastonia, North Carolina. The family I was working with was very friendly and laid back. The perfect job for me to start my training on. They had premie twins; a boy and a girl. Now, the mother is Icelandic, so I'm hopeing the names she chose were an ethnic decision... Haldora, and Herbert. Thankfully, they went by their middle names.... Caroline, and Hunt (which was shortend from Huntington).

Inspite of the mouthful, they were tiny and precious. I fell in love with them at once. My responsibilities as a baby nurse would include: feeding and burping them...changing their diapers, keeping the nursery clean, and making mum a smoothie with lots of vitamins and healthy things to help her recover, as well as cooking for the parents each evening. Whew! What a load. It wasn't so bad, until you get through two or three nights of feedings... 1am...5am... I would average 4 hours of sleep every night. Never all together mind you. Anyone thinking on having children, I strongly suggest you do it one at a time. With twins...everything takes twice as long. I was getting the hang of things as we neared the end of the second week...

On the evening of September 3rd as I was finishing up with the cooking, I received a call from my sister-in-law, Annie. "Hey Joni, How are you?" That was all she said, and I knew what the call was about. "Grandma died, didn't she?"
She had been taken to hospital the week before by ambulance, so I knew that it was a possibility. In fact, at 92, I'd been waiting for it to happen for some time and was happy that she was hanging in as long as she was. Gram was so stubborn, I knew she wouldn't die until she was good and ready. I'd known it was coming, and yet it still came as such a shock to me. Gram had always been there...she was like a cozy old piece of furniture that you knew you could count on.

I hadn't known my Grandma very well. We would visit on Christmas, or some other significant holiday, but that was it. Then, I went to live with her while I was going to college, and we got to know each other really well. I would write down story after story of the things she would do and say... I was going to write a book called "19 going on 90."

Gram would get confused alot. I'd wake up in the middle of the night, and find her in the kitchen making granola, or bread. She would tell me a funny story, and we'd laugh until our sides hurt. One time I was working in the kitchen and had bent down to pick something up off the floor, when she reaches out and pinches my bum, then runs away giggling. She was such a tease! On another occasion, my brother Jordan was doing a hand stand in the living room, just with-in her reach. She stuck her toe out and kicked him over... then sat there lauging as he gathered himself together. She managed to make the trip down for my older brothers wedding... swearing that she would be there, even if in a casket. I've never met another person with so much spunk and feistiness.

One thing I remember about Gram was how much she loved babies. She would ooh and ahh over them, and talk about them often. Whenever a new one entered the family, she would get so excited, and show pictures of them. You would often hear her recite this poem...

All of my years have vanished and gone
And I'm certainly growing old
Comfort my days with one starting his
Oh give me a baby to hold!

About a week and a half before she passed away, she asked my mum to take her back with her to McBride for a visit, saying she "wanted to go home." McBride is where she raised her family and made her home for many years. So, mum consented and they made the journey north.
I kinda wonder if she had a gut feeling that it might be her time... old people tend to know these things. Even if not... its a nice thought to me, that she wanted to go home to die. I would.

That night as I looked down through my tears at Hunt and Caroline, I couldn't help but think of the life they had just begun, and the one so dear to me that had just ended. I'm so thankful for the time I spent with her, and all the memories we have together. She will be greatly missed...

The ASi chapter has closed...

2008-08-10T16:36:00.024-04:00

The summer went so fast! I can't believe its over already... It was extremely challenging and a huge growing experience all wrapped up in one. Not only have I never been to YFJ before, I've never deaned before, so I was learning both on the go. Talk about stress. I enjoyed it though. I love my girls... It was an adventure having all those personalities in one room for that amount of time.

The last Sunday of the program, we got to go on another beach outing. We went to a different beach than the one that was at Clearwater. We drove for almost two hours to get to this beach... and on the way there encountered one of the worst rain storms I've ever had to drive though. It was so bad, I could hardly see the road in front of me. I had all the students in the car pray that the rain would stop so we could have a wonderful day at the beach... it wasn't looking to promising with the sky looking so black, but we kept driving. When we finally arrived at the beach, there was no trace of the blackness we had just passed through. Praise God! One of the students said the weather in Florida is Bipolar...

In all my travels around the world, I've never seen such beautiful white sand. It was nearly as white as the snow on the mountain tops back home, and so smooth you could hardly feel it with your toes. We played in the waves for a while, and then decided to try some pictures...

Olivia was nervous shooting on my film... not sure why though... she's amazing! She has the same taste and style as we do, so we had a ton of fun shooting with her!

Tuesday we gathered all five of our sites together and had big baptismal service at the Tampa First church, since it was the largest. Mark Finley had the sermon, and it was so powerful! He spoke on all the evidence there is to prove that the Seventh Day Adventist church is the true church... that these people being baptized were being welcomed into a huge family the reaches to all ends of the world. But as he was there making his appeal at the end, we're all standing in a circle around the candidates and he's going at it with everything he's got. We stood there being showered by his presence... and I mean that in the most literal sense of the word. Like Dan says "The news, not the weather bro..." When you see him on TV, you never see the huge spray that follows his powerful words.

Its fun being at ASi getting to see all the big wigs, and Adventist superstars... Like Sabbath in the lunch line, there was Kenneth Cox and the Mitchiff sisters behind me having a super animated conversation about the experiences they've had while filming for 3ABN.

The convention is over... everyone has gone home, and here I am, starting the newest chapter of my life. It feels weird to be moving to another country... even though most of my life I never thought of the States as being a different country... separate from Canada, but I'm realizing more and more that it really is. Weird eh? What's going to happen? Where will I be a year from now? Guess we're about to find out...

2008-07-09T15:50:00.017-04:00

Here we go...my very own blog. And my very first entry. I can't believe I'm doing this. But then, I suppose thats what happens when you date a geek...you yourself become one. I should have seen it coming. Let me tell you tho...its been the most amazing journey of my life. It happened December 28, 2007. He drove all the way from Minneapolis in the dead of winter to ask me to be his girlfriend. I woke up Christmas morning...and there he was. Its been magical from day one.

I'm presently in Tampa Florida working with the ASi Youth for Jesus program as the assistant girls dean. I've been back and forth to the airport today three times picking up the students that are flying in and finding lost Czechoslovakian cell phones. Coming from McBride where there's not even a stop light, to traffic in Tampa has been enough to give me an infarction, but praise the Lord I'm still alive.
Already they've considered moving me to a different department because they think I can't handle the girls... Lucky for me now, I know all the secrets for getting away with things from all my experiences in the past, so I always seem to know what they are up to.

Yesterday was one of the strangest days I've had in a long time. The day in itself wasn't so strange, but the things that happened were. It started off with a trip to Sams Club, grocery shopping for close to 80 people...talk about a gong show. It was all Evan and I could do to get the three massively loaded carts to the front, through the checkout, out the door and loaded into the van. Praise the Lord they haven't checked ID on the credit card yet...I've used it so many places. The Lord is working that one out.

That afternoon we loaded the whole group up into the many vehicles that we have, and headed to the beach. Last minute they asked me to drive the Highlander with a load of kids... After everyone had eaten, and ran off to swim in the ocean, Evan and I decided to take advantage of the few minutes we had and took off on what we've come to call "power dates." Kinda like a power nap... only... different.

We went back to the Jamba Juice we'd seen on the way in, and as we parked, we started noticing all these strange looking people. They were all dressed exactly the same; white shirts, with dress pants and belts with beepers. Men and women alike. They were all coming from the same direction, like someone had just let them out of a cage. I didn't really think much about it until Evan got a weird look on his face; kinda staring in disbelief and shock with a little bit of horror. "No way! This is Clearwater, Florida. I just remembered where we are!" I'm thinking, "ya, we've been here most of the afternoon.." He goes on to explain to me that Clearwater is the headquarters for the Church of Scientology and that this cult basically owns and runs the town. Talk about creepy. By now, they were completely let lose, and surrounding us. I saw like, three people on the whole street that were dressed in normal clothes. It felt like we were in a horror movie... the twilight zone.... a scene from a movie about the future. "No! make it stop! make them go away!" We got out of the car and walked across the street to get our smoothies.

Inside, it was full of them. They didn't smile. They looked at us like they wanted to eat us. Evan got brave and started talking to one. "So, I noticed you all have the same shirt, are you from the same organization?" He replied in a sultry, hypnotic tone, "Yes, we are from the Church of Scientology. You're not from around here are you?" Evan staggers back in horror. "Uh, uh, no, we're from a long ways away." We quickly ordered and hid in the corner while we waited. As the streets were filling with the identically dressed automatons, we realized more and more the weight of the situation and knew we had to get out as fast as possible. We ran for the car as soon as we had smoothies in hand, barely making it out with our lives....

(Of course I dramatized it a little... but its really not that far from the truth.)