...and so it went

And so it's been forgotten by dozens more than the year before. Another year older and I've learned even more. I didn't ask for much just to be remembered. My family has shown how much they care. Practical gifts, delicious dinner, a few texts and calls, my brothers sad baseball game and plenty of studying. It didn't amount to much, just another day with slight extra meaning. I thank those who made it a point to show that they care and have yet to forget me each year. At 21 I foresee good wishes coming from those whom I will soon meet and less from those whom I already know.

Over and Out,

SGD

71 days until I move to APU

Good News

So much going on in such little time. Writing paper after paper, traveling, studying, working, exercising, going to school, figuring out my future, trying to build a stronger relationship with God. I've had very little time to relax until today. It's a beautiful day and I worked early this morning so now I am resting and rebuilding my strength. God is good and I am grateful.

My wonderful father found our digital camera in his coat pocket the other night. Our camera had been missing since the beginning of March. My mother was so excited. Above is a picture I got from the camera that I was so upset I thought I had lost. Its my favorite picture of my "sister", Ale that came to visit us in February and I in San Francisco. I miss her so much. Lately I've come to notice the things that make everyone so much happier are simple and small. The time I have to read just two pages in my favorite book, the way the lettuce is cut for caesar salads at work, honesty the comes from the heart, a smile from a stranger, a text from a friend to ask how you are, wild flowers along the sidewalk, laughter, the sun peaking out as you head off to work, a glass of cold water, green hills and many many more things. My whole life I've been a pretty negative girl, always looking at the bad in situations. Recently I've begun to look at the positive that comes from everything, it's made me a happier person and I think its rubbed off on a few people too :) I hope the weekend brings great fun for you. Tomorrow I get to make breakfast for customers, thank you Lord that I have a job. After that I get to help with the floral arrangements at a wedding, thank you Lord that you have given us love. Tip: try to use the word "get" instead of "have to", it makes everything more positive. Just think, there is someone out there who isn't as lucky as you are.

112 days until I move to APU

Over and Out,

SGD

I Am His

Spring break was more than needed. I got a tad bit of rest and worked quite a bit. The best part of it all was the two day trip my mom and I took to Southern California. We stopped by my grandmas, shopped with my sister, stayed with my sister and visited APU! APU was incredible. I got to see an old friend and meet some really cool people. I'm so excited to begin my major and minor courses at Azusa Pacific University. I wish it would come sooner. My mom and one of the current students at APU who was a transfer (just like I will be) sat together at Wednesday nights Kaleo service (chapel). It was amazing, the message, the worship, and the prayers all impacted me and I've brought it all home with me. The following is one of the songs the extremely talented worship band sang/played, I love this song.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

Over and Out,

SGD

Feeling Faint

Spring break is almost here! I can not wait to take a trip with my mom down south to visit my sister and see my future home for the next few years! There are only a few girls available for the next month at work, so I am working a lot for a part time job. Money is good tho and I'm blessed to have a job so I'm not going to complain.

Since I am going to be living on campus starting in September I needed to do a little check up. Yes, I still go to my pediatrician at age 19 (almost 20). I haven't been to the Dr. in quite a while. Needless to say, I had to get a few updates. Tetanus, meningitis, HPV shots and a TB test have all been injected in to my right and left arms. When I was about 13 I fainted and slid out of my chair in the waiting room after getting a shot, my mom was a little frightened, first time any of her kids had fainted. This last Thursday I went in at 830am alone, to get poked. It went perfectly fine. This morning I went in for the first of a series of 3 HPV shots and the TB test. Mom chatted in the waiting room thinking if she were in the room with me it'd make things worse. Neither of them hurt too much just the shock and anxiety about needles sends my body in to shut down mode. I was fine for a few minutes. Laying on the SHORT patient table (I was much too tall even when they pulled out the extra board) I closed my eyes and thought about the little bubble that was on my right forearm from the TB test. Then things went fuzzy, I got very light headed and my body began shaking, next thing I know my mom and the nurse are standing over me. Pale, just as I had been 6 years ago sitting next to my mom in the waiting room. Well this morning I went in to my Pediatricians office for two shots which ended up being an hour long roller coaster for all the systems in my body. All of my maintenance is done until May when I get my second shot for the HPV.

Over and Out,

SGD

Alive and Well

I survived winter camp with the high school and middle school hooligans. It was pretty fun. Glad to be home to my somewhat normal routine, which to many of you I'm sure doesn't sound so normal.

We had a foreign exchange student living with us for a few months when I was a junior. Now she is back visiting (Feb 21st-March 7th). Thus part of the reason no one can keep track of my whereabouts. Monday my Grandmother aka "Grammy" was admitted to the hospital, only 73 years young. Long story short Wednesday afternoon I walked out of my history class and drove to southern California with my dad. She is doing better but still in the hospital, looks like she'll be going home this coming week yay! Hung out in the hospital, then left at 7am Thursday morning to head to San Francisco with the rest of my family. Got home Friday night at 11pm. Back to work and school, until....DISNEYLAND on Wednesday and Thursday!!!!!! I'm so excited! Can't wait.

Here is the camp video I made for church that everyone will be watching tomorrow :)

Goodnight!

Azusa update: Going to take summer classes in order to come close to finishing my general ed! Sent my housing and tuition deposits off last week :) $$$cha-ching$$$

Catwalk

A few pictures from the fashion show I was in last month.

ACCEPTED

After a weekend of being sick with a very obnoxious cold good news arrived. In the mail on Monday was a large envelope from Concordia University-Irvine. "Congratulations on your acceptance to CUI, Sarah!" First thought was, I hope I don't get sick like this when I'm away at school. Then oh wait, I'm gonna be outta this area in the fall! Away at school at last! Tuesday I had a fairly normal lunch shift at work. Came home, received a call from a photographer who wants to begin taking fashion shots and meet with me to talk about taking pictures of me. Less than 5 minutes after getting off the phone with the photographer our house phone began ringing. All this is happening while I am trying to peel potatoes for dinner. We just switched over to a new phone company a few days before, so our phone now speaks to us when someone calls ie: Joe Schmoe. So the phone rings once, silence for a bit then yells at me AZUSA PACIFIC UNIVERISTY! Scared me so bad but I jumped up and grabbed the phone.

S: "Hello?"

J: "Hi is this Sarah?"

S: "Yes"

J: "Hi Sarah this is John, your admissions counselor at Azusa. How are you?"

S: "Great. How are you?"

J: "Wonderful thank you. I have so good news. We've been able to go through your application and I am excited to inform you that you have been accepted to Azusa for fall 2010!"

S: "Yay! Thank you!"

.....The rest of the conversation isn't nearly as exciting.....

Now I am making all kinds of plans to attend Azusa in the fall. I am officially going to be a Southern California student! But right now I have to focus on the upcoming wild weekend. Its winter camp time for our church and I will be a counselor for

the middle school girls. It should be a blast and definitely interesting with the high school and middle school groups there at the same time. Pictures will come next week. Please pray for our safety and specifically for the counselors/adults sanity!

Whirlwind

What a crazy two weeks. School is back in session, lots and lots of reading. Many many hours of work. Up to my head in errands from Bestbuy and MacSuperstore to Target and college application requirements. I've completed my applications to APU and CUI. Crossing my fingers that I get in to APU! Right now I am really leaning toward a major in Sociology with a minor in Global Studies. Oh the decisions to be made dealing with college, I'm swimming in them.

With all the running around there have been a few moments of down time, watching the Bachelor with a friend and making chocolate chip cookies, resting at night after work and sleeping.

On Friday, January 22 my dear friend Jessica Beattie pulled together a wonderful fashion show at her place of employment, Eagle Castle Winery. With and audience of 167 the room was full and dozens of cameras were flashing at the end of the runway. The show was to promote the local stores that were being modeled by local faces. Salon Roux did a fabulous job on the make up and hair, very nice ladies. Blessed Beyond Belief Photography took some fantastic photos before and during the show. Thank you to everyone who helped make the night a huge hit and a blast! The next show will be May 21, 2010. Again at Eagle Castle Winery, but this time there will be 400 tickets for the event. I will post more on that when details become available.

And so begins the first week of February: school, work, family dinner, interview for a summer camp job at Forest Home Ojai Valley in Oak View, and the Superbowl! Go Saints!

I've Given In

Well its happened. I've decided to create my own blog. Who knows if there will be any "followers", but I think this could be interesting! After getting off of work and eating dinner I am now avoiding cleaning my bedroom. In my mothers words..."It looks like a bomb went off in there!". I wont disagree.

Its that time in a Cuesta College students life where its back to the books and boring teachers. I'm looking forward to this being my last semester at Cuesta! Where will the next step in my education be? Azusa Pacific University, Concordia University-Irvine, Concordia University-Portland......at least I now have it narrowed down to 3! Filling out applications, sending out transcripts, sending test scores, paying application fees, and pastoral references. Boy oh boy is this more work than I expected. I did find one nice break in the money spending, www.chegg.com is a site to rent books and for every book you rent they plant a tree. Great prices! It is becoming quite the popular site among college students who are always on a tight budget. It has become increasingly difficult to find jobs in SLO county, I am so thankful I have a great job waitress-ing at the wonderful Griff's Pizzeria and Bistro in Templeton (http://griffspizzeria.com/). Extremely delicious food. Not having to pay rent like many other students is so nice, saving money! It will all be gone once I begin major courses at a university. They seem to be sucking students and their parents dry.