Year One.

So here we are, a year later, we survived. We made it through winter, and the summer and even the beautiful spring and fall. It has been intense. Challenging. Refreshing. Exciting and depressing. Exhasuting, to say the least. Words can't really express how I feel, mainly because I don't really know how I feel, swirls and swirls of emotions would be the best I could do.

I find my self feeling very optimistic, and extremely grateful. Grateful for all of our friends and family and all the visits, cards, and surprise packages that made this year a little less painful and helped remind me how loved and blessed we really are. Grateful also for the new people God has brought into our lives, so insane how one minute you don't even know someone exists and the next you can't really picture life without them. That really blows my mind a little bit each day. A lot of what I'm grateful for is also what scares me, I LOVE my job and I LOVE my church, seriously, and I'm afraid someday I might love them both too much.

Also just a little frustrated and confused, I guess I thought I'd be over a lot more by now, but I still crave Miguels and just the other day I was in tears after a rough day because all I wanted was to sit near the ocean. Crazy how some things just make you miss home like nothing you could have ever imagined.

Overall, I feel like I have survived one of the hardest years of my life, and Iived to tell about it. Lots of teaful stories I can recall and differenes between the life I knew and this crazy little life I've become a little more accusotmed to. More than anything I am hopeful about this year and continue to pray that God reminds me everyday why we are here and opens my heart not only for the people of Des moines, but also for the city. As Moise would say " I may be an Iowan but my spirit will always be in African"

♥

seasons

the harders

my drive to work

Moise and his little brother David

the tanzania boys

bike rides

back to school night

Adel corn festival

Iowa State Fair

jeremy breaking my heart

I'll keep you posted.

Fall.

It's finally here, and SO worth the wait. The BEST (read: only) good thing about seasons, is fall. It's like God hand crafted this glorious season just for me: scarves, pumpkin lattes, and mustard yellow and red on every tree! Yeah no doubt God is showing off for me. Not a day goes by I'm not awestruck by His beauty in nature. Almost just as often though I remind myself to soak in every minute, and every day because "the one that shall not be mentioned" is coming right behind it. ugh. It can't be worse right than last winter right? Who knows? At this point I've pretty much learned to expect the unexpected. But for now all I expect is to watch the trees continue to change color, the leaves to collect outside our window and the rest will be here soon enough.

Here's what's been happening in between seasons

The trees down town

Playing on the beach at Half Moon Bay

This beach is amazing, seriously.

And so are these boys. ahh. <3

Our kickball team on the other hand, well lets just say this is the most amazing thing about it

Bike ride on the west des moines trails

like a scene from a movie

dinner with the fam, it was so delicious

and probably my new favorite picture of all time.

.

Fall was good.

Summer.

It's that time again folks, yes the "quarterly blogger" strikes again (name courtesy of Justin Baxter) and as you can guess the seasons transitioned yet again in this ever changing place known as Des Moines, Iowa. Spring is only a faint memory as Summer melts us away one humid moment at a time. I have vowed not to make one single complaint about the summer season regardless how miserably hot and humid it gets because, I know how quickly this weather turns its back on you and winter is just waiting around the corner to start this madness all over again!

So instead I will tell you about the UNBELIEVABLE thunderstorms I have experienced, with thunder so loud I thought the Earth may literally be breaking in half and lightning so intense it's made the skies brighter than I ever thought possible. Seriously, there were more nights than I can count where Chris and I were woken up by the amazingness of it all and after we got over the initial shock of it, just chuckled at this crazy place and everything God has shown us.

Umm hello lightning bugs, yeah.. you are legit, the rest of the bugs can really take a page out of your book. You might be my favorite thing about summer in Iowa. Hats off to you and making the most out of being a bug.

Aside from the weather, if that's even possible, things have been pretty amazing/crazy/intense etc we have had a slew of visitors since May, man we are a blessed and spoiled spoiled spoiled couple of kids. Thank you to all of who have come and shared a little bit of life in Iowa with us, it means more than you will ever know. <3 I love my job. Seriously. I can not be more grateful for the job God has allowed me to have, I have found a job I'd do for free. (more to come on that later) I lover our church. So much. The people of Gateway are truly a uniquely amazing group and there's no way to explain how much I admire these people who week after week prove in such various ways they are serious about being a life giving community. So much more to say but I'll let a few pics speak for themselves- side note coming soon: blog about my first time in a corn field. my.word. yea.
Love and miss you, and think about you often.

Saylorville Lake

The clouds here, are ridiculous

On a boat (Big Creek Lake)

The "Tanzania Boys"

I couldn't keep this awesomeness all to myself

Lazy day at Grey's Lake

Seriously can't get enough of these clouds

YEAH. nuff said.

My favorite junior highers

walking home from the grocery store

and of course, corn fields.

Until next time <3

Wrong.

Well it's safe to say I was wrong. It's been a while since my last post, the end of January to be exact, back when I thought February would mark the beginning of spring. Yeah, I was wrong. February was horrible and March was of little comfort either But spoiler alert this blog is actually NOT about how miserable the weather was! Shocking twist, I know.

God has blessed me with soooo much, especially recently, that it just wouldn't seem right to spend my energy recalling the heartache that was the rest of winter.

Instead, just an update to say I was wrong. About so many things.

And as it would seem, my life, along with this crazy Iowa weather is now also i
n a different season. Along with spring have come so many new and amazing friendships, a fresh perspective towards the place God has brought us, and a renewed spirit for the work to be done here.






-my thoughts for now

Donzo.

I made it through January! I am now sure that the worst is over, (if it's not don't ruin my new positive outlook with your truths and facts) February is here and there are so many amazing things to look forward to this month.

In a few short weeks spring will at least be "on the verge" of starting, Chris and all of his romantic powers has planned a surprise weekend getaway for us, (he's so good to me) Gateway has some more pretty awesome things going on this month (I heart day), and of course going back to the sweet land of Miguel's burritos and in and out hamburgers is going to be pretty amazing too.

Last night as some of you may have seen via twitter Chris and I spent the night laughing and being ridiculously silly on the couch, it was perfect.

I am feeling a little more hopeful today, despite the fact that it is currently only 18 degrees in Des Moines, February is looking good, and it's mostly because January is over.

See you soon!

Ice Storm. 2010.

I know that those who have ever lived outside of the sweet and sunny Californian paradise have probably experienced a lot more of a REAL winter than I have... that is until now. I am officially in the middle of it, and it's beautiful. Seriously, it's breathtaking. No possible way to deny God's beauty and creativity. Doesn't do too much to change the fact that it's FREEZING cold (literally) outside, or the fact that my dad and grandma probably are getting around faster than I am these days, but at least it makes for a nice change of scenery indeed. Most of these I took right outside of our apartment, I only fell twice trying to get to and from the courtyard to the apartment, I'd say they were worth it. Enjoy.

Literally Frozen Over.

One of the coolest parts was that when the wind blew them, because of how heavy the branches were when they swayed together it sounded like applause, it was amazing.

Snow and Things.

It's coming down prrrrretty hard right now. Pretty being the main thing, it's soo much easier to appreciate the snow when you don't have to walk/drive/move/touch it. From the comfort of my couch and warm apartment it's magical. These also happen to be some of the biggest snowflakes. Ever. Seriously, they're the kind all the whos and the grinch must live in.

In other 2010 news, I started my job and I have a feeling it's going to be amazing, I really like the peeople I'm working with and the opportunities I'm gonna have.

In related news last night Chris slept IN what was supposed to be 'our' snuggie. Yup, he went to bed and got out of bed wearing it. Yeah.

And of course what kind of blog would this be without a Midwest/SoCal difference.

Definition: something you wear on your head to keep you warm

Me: beanie
Iowa: stocking cap wth?

Something you're asked at the groceries:

CA: would you like a bag for that?
IA: do you want me to sack that for you?

Ummm no thanks?

Thats it from this snow globe for today.





-my thoughts for now