Mixed Up Files of The Shell Shack

europefabulous.blogspot.com

2009-07-11T00:07:00.001-07:00

oh man! it's embarrassing that we haven't even posted in the year 2009 yet!
Well...for those of you who've been sitting on the edge of your seat waiting for an update from the Shell Shack (which I doubt is the case), just know that it's been a great year so far! BUSY, but still fun!

Speaking of fun, Charity & April are traveling in Europe for 4 weeks this summer and hope to share a bit of the adventures through blogging. I know, I know...you're probably wondering if we'll actually post anything. I'm wondering the same thing but it's off to a good start.....http://europefabulous.blogspot.com

Wesley Richard Woodruff Thomas

2008-11-09T23:19:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Kristal's baby boy, Wesley, entered the world last Saturday, November 1st, at 2:58 am. He was a perfect 19 inches and 6 lbs 12 ounces, and is the sweetest baby in the world. Congrats Kristal and Dave, you two will be amazing parents, and I am so excited to be a part of your little boy's life.

We Heart Shell Beach...and SLO-Town

2008-09-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't recognize this beach, it is my beach, Shell Beach. Our house is just off to the right side under the ridge. Sunset Magazine named San Luis as #2 in their list of the West's Top Ten Dream Towns, and this is the picture that accompanied the story. While I don't want everyone moving to the Central Coast, I am so proud of little Shell Beach! The article explains perfectly we we live in the best place in the world.

2. San Luis Obispo, Calif.: Pure California

By Matthew Jaffe, Sunset

Population: 44,359

Median home price: $655,323

For your consideration: San Luis Obispo is the most Californian place in all of California.

A historic mission town set among rolling hills halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, SLO buzzes with undergraduate energy, thanks to California Polytechnic State University. The Edna Valley wine country is a few minutes south, and the coast is 10 minutes west by car or, as many in this relentlessly fit community prefer, 30 minutes by bike.

And the climate? Well, let's see, how do you describe a place that's as ideal for people as it is for wine grapes? Where the annual average monthly highs range all the way from 62 to 74 degrees?

Oh, that's right: Perfect.

SLO is a town of 44,359 people who live outdoors, whether on the trail that winds through the oak forests and meadows on Bishop Peak or along the shaded downtown banks of its restored creek.

Some of its best neighborhoods — where the streets are lined by a mix of Queen Annes and Spanish bungalows — sit within a few blocks of the back patio at the local coffee-house classic, Linnaea's Cafe, or the eclectic offerings of the Palm Theatre, the only solar-powered picture show in the country.

And all year long, Thursday's evening farmers market sends the scent of barbecued tri-tip (and a soundtrack of live blues) across the tidy urban landscape.

Make a visit

San Luis Obispo is 12 miles inland from the coast on U.S. Highway 101, 190 miles north of Los Angeles and 230 miles south of San Francisco. Amtrak's Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner both stop here (800-872-7245). The local airport is served by American Eagle, Delta Connection, United Express and US Airways, with direct connections to and from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. Staying the night? Consider Petit Soleil Bed et Breakfast (from $159; 805-549-0321); it's charming and near downtown. More info at: Visitslo.

Make a move

If you're thinking about living the SLO life, figure on a median home price of $655,323 (2007). As for jobs, Cal Poly is the city's biggest employer — but the county is the third-largest wine-grape producer in California. For local news, try the free weekly, New Times, or the city's daily newspaper, The Tribune.

Click here for the complete story.

Summer Days

2008-09-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

School is back in session, I have now been a real teacher for two weeks, and summer is officially over. We have been truly remiss in keeping our blog updated, so here is a photo story of some of the highlights of the last weeks of summer.

3 visits to the Mid-State Fair: Once for Colbie Caillat and
John Mayer, once for Still Time, and once for Ozomatli.

A fun week long visit from Janai on her break from China

Lots of beach days!

Concerts in the Plaza!

One last hurrah with Kristin, aka K-Baby, before she headed off to Lithuania!
We heart Wheels of Fun!

Disco Night at Native with Charity's coworkers

More Still Time at the Cliffs!

While I am sad to see the summer end and the seasons change, I am thrilled to be done with my credential and actually working. Teaching is exhausting but exhilarating. I love my students - they are all so energetic, enthusiatic, and just darn cute! I decided not to post any pics of them, but I will (as long as I have energy and time to) share stories about them, so stay tuned.

Solo in Tahoe

2008-08-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

So this past week was an incredible adventure for me. I decided to take my first solo vacation ever...and the lucky destination was beautiful Lake Tahoe!

Why vacation alone? Well, making vacation plans with friends this summer just didn't work out (timing was bad), but as the summer progressed it became more and more apparent that not only did I need a vacation (change of pace and change of scenery), but also some much needed time alone. Those who know me well, know that I need my time of solitude, which is a bit of a Myer's Briggs enigma, since I seem to be the epitome of an extrovert at first glance, but I also have the heart of a true introvert when it comes to valuing solitude and reflection.

Anyways...Tahoe was a fabulous place to be as an introvert and extrovert, so it worked out well for me! I packed up the car on Sunday morning, and as usual I totally over-packed. But who cares how much space you take up when it's just you in the car!! Of course some would look at my little Altima and think I was trying to convert it to an SUV! Yes, I couldn't hold back--I had to bring the paddle board and my bike....both turned out to be very handy!

After a long 7 hour drive, I arrived in Tahoe. I stayed at a great Casino Hotel (mainly because it was cheap), but it had all the amenities I'd want...big room, nice pool/spa and close to the lake(and did I mention it was cheap?). I actually spent very little time in the hotel and a lot more time outdoors.

My typical day consisted of sleeping in as much as I wanted, having a leisurely morning of reading, prayer, reflection...and then around 11 or noon everyday, I'd say to myself, "what should I do today?!" It was always fun just coming up with a plan out of the blue. I rode my bike everywhere--more than I drove my car. There were lots of scenic bike paths that I could take along the lake to the various beaches and I loved not having to worry about parking.

In the evenings, I would typically go out for a late dinner to wherever sounded good. I had Sushi 2 nights in a row---after all, it is vacation! At first, the thought of eating dinner alone was a bit intimidating and somewhat depressing.....but I always sat at the bar of a restaurant and people around me always initiated conversation, which was pleasantly surprising to me, and totally made my meals fun! A lot of people were a bit enamoured that I was vacationing alone, so that was a good conversation piece....along with exchanging stories of the activities we had done or wanted to do while in Tahoe.

Highlights in PHOTO...

Parasailing--Gives a surprisingly calming, yet breathtaking view of the world below. Soaring over 600 feet above the lake, I found myself somewhat speechless and all I could do was praise God for the majestic world around me.

Sailing--A two hour sailboat ride around the lake, left me thinking that sailing may need to be in the cards for my retirement plans!

Paddle Boarding---My first time taking the board on the lake, it was such a different feeling and experience than paddling on the ocean. Tahoe has extremely clear water, so I could see down to the bottom, even in deep water, to huge underwater rocks and boulders. Above water, I was surrounded by pine covered mountains and scattered clouds...sigh. I could do that everyday and never get tired of it! (sorry no pix...didn't take my camera out on the water)

Biking----can I just say that I love the concept of biking to and fro? It's so much easier and more simple than driving; and just getting to the destination becomes part of the adventure/enjoyment. I also purchased a basket for my bike on the way up to Tahoe. Best purchase I made all week (besides parasailing)--it totally revolutionized my bike travel experience! I could now go anywhere with just about anything!

Hiking--Although I love hiking, it seemed a little too risky to hike alone, so I only did one short hike along the lake to beautiful Cascading Falls. There wasn't a whole lot of water, but as it poured over slide rock and stone, it was the most beautiful bubbling brook sound! Well worth the hike.

Beaches, beaches, beaches---Although I live on a coastal beach, there's something about a lake beach that is just so great. The weather was hot, the water was perfect and the tide never came up to steal my dry sand. I sat for hours just reading, re-applying sunscreen and soaking up the the outdoors!

Lessons learned this week:
1. Getting time away and going alone for the purpose of reflection, solitude and prayer is GREAT and so important for my soul. My biggest desire for my vaca was to have a time of rejuvenation and hopefully gain some perspective in my times with Jesus...and that's exactly what happened.

2. Vacationing alone is somewhat over-rated. Even for someone like me--who is pretty independent. Whenever I experienced something beautiful, adventurous or amusing, I found myself wanting to share it with someone. Thankfully, I met a lot of friendly and fun people along the way, which I believe was God's way of providing company when I needed it.

3. I LOVE my friends and family and I'm so grateful for them!!!! Being alone for even a few days highlights this fact and I found myself being more thankful than ever when I thought about returning home to friends.

Tag - I'm it!

2008-08-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

The ABC's of April

A. Attached or single? Single, and ready to mingle!

B. Best friend? I am so blessed to have so many amazing friends in my life! I can't even name them all.

C. Cake or Pie? I would pass over both for Girhadelli brownies or strawberry shortcake.

D. Day of choice? Saturdays in Shell Beach - sleep in, bike ride to Farmers and the Bean, hit the beach with the roommates, dinner on our deck, and Sundays to look forward to.

E. Essential items? A good book, sunscreen, mascara, my laptop.

F. Favorite color(s)? Any shade of pink! But I love wearing turquoise, red, orange, and blues (but not all together, although I do love blue and orange combos).

G. Gummy bears or worms? Both - I love gummy candy.

H. Hometown? Arroyo Grande, aka The Big Ditch or AG!

I. Favorite indulgence? Chocolate covered strawberries - I can't stop eating them once I start.

J. January or July? I love both, but now that I have summers off, July wins out.

K. Kids? none, aside from the 20 kindergarteners I am about to spend every weekday with.

L. Life isn't complete without? Jesus

M. Marriage date? n/a -see question A

N. Number of brothers and sisters? 2 younger brothers

O. Oranges or apples? Oranges, especially the ones off our tree this summer

P. Phobias? Great white sharks, although they don't stop me from going in the water. I am more concerned about my dad meeting one than me.

Q. Quotes- wait a few weeks and I will have some from my students

R. Reasons to smile?I am so incredibly blessed with friends, family, and a place I love, and I have a teaching job starting tomorrow.

S. Season of choice? The Indian Summers of Shell Beach

T. Tag 5 people: Charity, Devon, Holly, Kristin, Debra

U. Unknown fact about me? I was a State Champion in archery when I was 13.

V. Vacation of choice? For total kick-back and relax, the lake with friends, family and lots of good food, good books, and good waterskiing. For an adventure, anywhere in Central or South America for several weeks where I can experience the culture and language.

W. Worst habit? It is not a habit since I don't do it, and it is probably not the worst thing I ever do, but I really need to floss more often.

X. X-ray or ultrasound? I have never had either, and I am not sure how I feel about either one. X-rays make me think of broken bones, which probably hurt, and ultrasounds of babies, which are not in my future any time soon!

Y. Your favorite food? My dad's Santa Maria style BBQ'd tri-tip, with all the fixin's!

Z. Zodiac sign? Taurus.

Stand Up Paddle Surfing--my latest adventure

2008-06-26T19:36:00.001-07:00

It's been about three months since I first laid eyes on this fascinating concept known as Stand Up Paddle Surfing! I saw a few random pics in People Magazine of celebrities trying it out in Hawaii followed by one sighting of a SUPer in Avila Beach. In typical "Charity" fashion, I was completely enamored with the idea and quickly began my quest for info--anything I could find on the web, blogs and any other SUP resources to get the scoop on this intriguing new ocean activity. I've spent the last 3 months telling my friends about how much I wanted to try it. But one can only talk about doing something for so long before everyone begins to wonder if it will ever happen! Finally, I decided to put my newfound free time (after graduating) to good use--I decided to try it out!

Went to Santa Barbara last weekend and tried out my first SUPBoard with Surfing Sports owner, AKA "Wardog". I talked with him quite a bit before I even tried a board. My biggest worry was if I would have the ability to balance on the board, but Wardog assured me that he had just the right board for me. And much to my surprise, he did. After plunging into the water and hoisting myself onto the board, I simply paddled out to calm water on my knees and followed the simple instructions to stand up. IT WAS NO PROBLEM! Balancing on the board was much easier than I expected and I had a blast paddling around from the very start. After about an hour of paddling, I was sold and knew that I wanted to get a board.
So I did! A 10'6'' beauty....

I still need to think of a name for her. Got any ideas?

My first "test drive" in Avila Beach....

Looking back on the week, I've been reflecting on the process of finding this new hobby and realized a key lesson for my personal growth...
I never want to lose the ability/drive to try new things and dive into challenges that might seem ridiculous...even to my closest friends. I'm learning that change and challenge is a good thing in my life and God has used it to build a character of openness, adventure and risk-taking. Ultimately, I believe and hope that He uses even these new (and seemingly simple) interests in my life for his Glory and purposes.

Anyone out there?

2008-06-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

If the Shell Shack blog still has any faithful readers out there, we apologize for our lack of postings lately. Life has been busy at the Shell Shack: Charity graduates from her Master's in Counseling program this Saturday, Heather took her boards for her RN last Friday, and I made it through student teaching two weeks ago and have been completing last minute projects and filling out teaching applications for next year. Don't worry, the Shell Shack blog will be lit up once again with this summer. So keep checking back, and while you wait, enjoy this nugget I found while researching schools I am applying to.

Regulations for Creston Teachers, circa 1872...
1. Teachers each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys, and trim wicks.

2. Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and scuttle of coal for the day's sessions.

3. Make your pens carefully: you may whittle nibs to the individual taste of pupils.

4. Men teachers may take one evening each week for courting purposes, or two evenings if they go to church regularly. After 10 hours in school, the teachers spend the remaining time reading the Bible or other good books.

5. Women teachers who marry or engage in unseemly conduct will be dismissed.

6. Each teacher should lay aside from each pay a goodly sum of his earnings for his benefit during his declining years so that he will not become a burden on society.

7. Any teacher who smokes, uses liquor in any form, frequents pool or public halls, or gets shaved in a barber shop will give good reason to suspect his worth, intentions, integrity and honesty.

8. The teacher who performs his labors faithfully and without fault for five years will be given an increase of 25 cents per week in his pay, providing the Board of Education approves.

I didn't know shaves in barber shops were suspicious- I will be on guard for those kinds of men from now on. But seriosly, even though I dreamed of being Anne of Green Gables in her teaching days, this makes me thankful I am a circa 2008 teacher!

Dia de Mamacitas

2008-05-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

This is a shout out to my MOM!!!

My mom is one-of-a-kind.

She loves me and our family with all she is.

She is a comitted mother in every sense of the word.

She laughs whole-heartedly, is easily amused and especially fun when she gets silly.

Sometimes she worries, but it's just because she cares a lot about the people around her.

She is a natural counselor, especially to my friends who have enjoyed many "kitchen table" conversations with my mom about life, direction and future plans.

She's a woman of faith, leaning on the power of prayer.

She has signature little quirks that are uniquely her ...like making up the way she pronounces certain words (scissors is my fav)...wearing aprons in the car...and not letting different foods touch on her dinner plate.

She's street-smart and very wise, but she also has a childish playful side.

She has the best expressions and can be so animated!

My favorite memories I have of her from when I was a kid is when she would faithfully pray for me & my brothers everyday before we left the house to go to school (she did this Elementary through high school). I also enjoyed when she would read out loud to me when I was really young.

And... of course, I love the smell of her spaghetti sauce!

So cheers MOM! I feel so blessed that God would give me such an amazing MOM!

above: We both tried out a Tandem bike for the first time last weekend! So fun!

007

2008-04-07T21:23:00.000-07:00

3 Numbers: 007
2 Words: James Bond
1 Night: 4.5.08

The cards were stacked in our favor at the Shell Shack Casino & Lounge this weekend! We hosted a James Bond 007 Party on Saturday Night and had a blast! Of course, we had to transform the Shell Shack into a swanky Casino & Lounge with character and class.

We tried to include everything...

from Lighting...

to Martini glass tags...

to a red carpet...

and James Bond himself!

What's the occasion, you ask. ....we've thought about this theme party idea for quite some time; and finally decided we needed no occasion; just one night filled with plenty of Bonds and even more Bond girls.

We were thrilled to have so many VIP's in attendance...

Shell Shackers extend a Special Thanks To...

Dev: Once a Shell Shacker, always a Shell Shacker! What's a party without you?

Tim (aka the BOYFRIEND): YOU ROCK! We owe you a free party set-up at your place! Thanks for your help!

K-Baby: Honorary Shell Shacker. You are fabulous!

Cecily: for the FABULOUS strawberries...and the incredible late night laughs. :)

Sara: for the cinema contribution!

Barnett Family: for all the legit casino decor and games!

Karie, Janelle & Katherine: for being our cheerleaders on the Bond idea.

Brother: for the red carpet

Lori: for the music

Connie: for the Bond Girl photo history

ALL: for coming in style, bringing the party and sharing the incredible appetizers! We are so blessed to have such FUN and amazing friends!!

Spring Break on the Boat

2008-03-31T21:41:00.001-07:00

Last week was my spring break from student teaching. Since I am feeling the grad school financial pinch, I took advantage of having a dad who will hire his kids any time and worked on the boat for four days tending him and his crew. While the 35 miles an hour winds did not make the best conditions for working or traveling across the Santa Barbara Channel, it was still fun to be with my dad for a few days, and humbling and inspiring to be out in a part of God's creation that is so desolate and unreachable, and seen by few humans.

We were working off of San Miguel Island, and the highlight of the trip was spending an afternoon hiking around the island. Getting on the island was an adventure in itself! We swam ashore wearing survival suits, which was challenging due to the low mobility of the suits and the wind blowing against us. We finally made it to the beach, were the hundreds of sea lions were most likely wondering who the three lumbering, oddly-shaped, bright orange figures emerging from the surf were. Hiking around the island was amazing, as the coreopsis flowers were in full bloom, lining both sides of the trail and reaching above my head. The park ranger took as all the way to the other side of the island to see the Caliche Forest. It is an unuusal formation on the island where calcium deposits form small stalactites coming out of the sand, looking like something from Middle Earth. I also played "junior ranger" by assisting the ranger monitor her radio for the foxes that are endemic to the island. I spent the rest of the trip huddled up and hanging onto the mast in between throwing out the air hose to the guys and pulling them back in. While I am thankful for the time spent with my dad and the extra cash is provided me, I was even more thankful to make it safely back to the harbor Friday night!

Seals guarding our survival suits

Juan Cabrillo's monument - he is buried somewhere on the island

The Caliche Forest

How Harry and my dad kill time between jumps

I have a new Sister!

2008-03-24T20:03:00.000-07:00

My big brother got married on March 15 and I am THRILLED to say that God blessed me with a new sister, Debra! Watching my brother get married was one of the sweetest moments in my life yet! There are few things in life that seem more important than knowing that your sibling has found an amazing partner for life. Debra is genuine, fun, surprising, gentle, kind, a good friend, and most importantly a woman of genuine faith. I can tell that God is at the center of Tim & Debra's relationship and I can think of nothing more valuable. My favorite part of their wedding day was a precious moment in the midst of their ceremony--they were praying together with a song in the background that reminisced of all the ways God is faithful. As I listened to the song and watched Tim & Debra, I was overjoyed at this beautiful picture of God's faithfulness before me... to bring Tim & Debra together...but more importantly, I was just overwhelmed at the thought of how faithful God is in the entirely of our lives. That is my God!--awesome, amazing, faithful to so many generations. I'm humbled that my family is part of the generations God has been faithful to. What a sweet moment to savor!

Other than that, the weekend was a whilrwind! From a zany and fun rehearsal dinner at AJ's in Templeton, to my unfiltered pillow talk with the bridesmaids that night, to enjoying all of Tim & Debra's friends in the wedding party, to seeing so many of our family members, to dancing the night away at the reception! I had a BLAST! A few of us from the wedding party had an "after party" at Bubba's after the reception and as the night came to a close, I was kind of sad for us all to go home! I love the celebration so much, I was ready to do it all over again the next weekend!

There are a lot of great shots from the wedding, but I'm sure you'll see more on Tim & Debra's site in the near future! In the mean time, there's a really cool one on the photographer's blog that's worth checking out: http://davidpascolla.blogspot.com/

MAVERICKS

2008-03-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

We have absolutely no pictures to show for it...but let's just say, we had a fabulous time!

This weekend, the Shell Shack girls finally went to Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez. What a place! Just an old school saloon with wooden floors, pool tables, dollar bills hangin from the ceiling and authentic cowboys along with plenty of other interesting "characters". Country dancing to a live band--until about 11:30, when a DJ starts making dance remixes to Johnny Cash and ultimately transitions into a hip hop set that kept us going til about 1:30am. So not only did we get to enjoy plenty of fun country dancing...but we got to top off the night with Hip Hop!

Of course, the real fun was in the company! April, Charity & Heather (current shell shackers) met up with Devon in Santa Barbara. Debra came along for one of her last "wild" nights before she gets hitched. Plus we brought Paul, Heather's man, who finally decided to brave the shell shackers at our best---DANCING! Meanwhile, Devon brought her crew from Santa Barabara: Tim, Seth, Will & Becky. It was a perfect group: good people + good dancing + good talk = great time!

HIGHLIGHTS....if I had pictures, here's what I would show:
*Heather bustin' moves we've never seen before!
*Devon getting that excited look on her face whenever a new hip hop song started. Every song was her "favorite song".
*Will skillfully learning and mastering the 2-step AND adding his own salsa flavor!
*Paul's unexpected, but totally impressive, "worm" dance performance in the break-dance circle toward the end of the night!

Other highlights will go unmentioned, since it takes too long to type and there aren't any pictures either way!

*sigh* another fabulous weekend...makes me really thank God for the amazing friends and simple little pleasures (like country dancing) that He blesses me with. :)

Party For the Papa Nesper!

2008-02-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Aaron Nesper's birthday last Friday by attending the San Jose Earthquakes v. Colombus Crew exhibition game at Cal Poly. Charity hooked us up with tickets to the President's Suite shindig, so we enjoyed pregame appetizers from above before meeting up with everyone else at gametime. Happy birthday again, Papa!

We heart cowbell!

The guys sporting their jerseys!

Devon came home for the weekend as well, so we had some hang out time by posing for PhotoBooth!

And next weekend we get to see Dev again - three weekends in a row!

I know I've had an exceptionally fabulous weekend when...Part II

2008-02-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

I was just about to blog about our fun weekend visiting the Devolisciousness in Santa Barbara, but since Charity did such a great job of recapping it (see below), I will just give you all a few pics from the weekend.

I know I've had an exceptionally fabulous weekend when...

2008-02-18T22:05:00.000-08:00

1. I can't stand the idea of going back to work on Monday (even though I love my job)!
2. It feels like I just got back from vacation!
3. Wasting time with friends really wasn't a waste of time at all.
4. Meeting new people seemed like seeing old friends.
5. Laughter was a part of EVERY conversation.
6. The pace was slow enough for me to actually stop and appreciate how good God is...in all the little details.
7. The depth of conversation has left me pondering where the road of life has led me...and where it may lead next.
8. I over-pack for a 3-day getaway and have to borrow clothes when I get there!
9. I feel like I've enjoyed all the advantages of being a tourist AND a local all at the same time!
10. Late nights are fully worth getting less sleep!
11. I can't wait until next weekend!

So glad I spent the weekend with Dev & April in SB! It was such a fabulously good time!

End of An Era

2008-01-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

Shell Shack Girls......

So I have been inevitably putting off this for a couple of month now...and now I have to admit....I must leave the Shell Shack. As most of you know I got my dream job at Anthropologie as their visual merchandiser. It was a complete answer to prayer after months of trying to figure out what I wanted to do. It sure came with a big cost though..leaving the Shell Shack. The Shell Shack means alot of things to a lot of people. A house where themed parties are held, late night karokees, and many game nights. To me the Shell Shack has nothing to do with the amazing view or good times at game nights, it has everything to do with the true heart of the Shell Shack, in which lies April and Charity, my beloved roommates. To me some of the best memories are late night pillowtalks, dinner on the deck and all around sillyness that comes with the day to day shanagans. These girls mean the world to me, not only have they been my support through hard times but they are my family. It is truly rare to find people in whom you can truly be yourself and they love you no matter what. Now my eyes are overflowing with tears to have to say bye to two of the dearest roommates! I know I am only an hour and a half away but it is in the day to day stuff that I will miss you girls the most!! I just always assumed we would all live together til we got married off..which for us would be a long time and I was excited about that!

Tribute to My Girls

April-- I will miss the dungeon, what can I say there was alot of good times down there. There is noone I would rather share a small bathroom with. Mcdreamy in random hiding spots, getting ready for the grad, Felicity marathons, your sangria, human sexuality 101, a summer of laying out in the backyard-reading people and asking each other if it was ok to have happy hour at 2 in the afternoon!!

Charity- My partner in sillyness, candlelight and spritzers, drives determinded to find the sun, picnics and winetasting in Avila, abnoxiously singing at the top of our lungs on roadtrips, talks regarding matters of the heart and steaming bean dates!

Roomies you know I am not good with goodbyes, so until next roadtrip! Love ya more than words can say.

I Have An Elephant

2008-01-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

One of the most unique gifts I got this year was an elephant. A real one. Seriously. Okay, so she isn't going to live here at the Shell Shack, but Maggie the Elephant was adopted in honor of the Hawkins family by my aunts Becky and Connie. She used to live at the Alaska Zoo, and she was recently retired, flown to California, and now she lives at PAWS Animal Sanctuary in Galt. Check out Maggie on her webcam!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year...Looking back on my personal Best of 2007

2007-12-20T00:18:00.000-08:00

NEW EXPERIENCES

Indoor Bocci: Thanks to K-Baby & her crew in San Jose

WINE TASTING: Although I’m still developing a taste for wine, I have really come to appreciate the wine tasting experience as most people that are truly local to the Central Coast do! The vineyards are beautiful and the company is always good!

Coop visits!

Sara pours for us at her winery!

Had to get out of the office for a hot summer afternoon at Castoro Cellars!

BANGS:
I got bangs for the first time since Elementary School! It's been a fun change...although the more pictures I look at, I wonder if I'm becoming the the brunette version of my roommmate, Devon! (unfortunately, I'd also have to grow another foot before we could be true twins!)

BEST TRAVEL

BOSTON in the fall...
it was my first time in Boston & I loved it! I went to Boston in October to visit Ilene & she did a fabulous job of showing me the city--the Fall folliage was my favorite part!

Discovered “Afternoon Tea” at the Boston Harbor Hotel!

What a treat!!!! ...and then I shopped for lots of yummy teas to bring home!

We did a fun amphibious tour of the city on "Beantown Betty"--a boat that drove us through teh streets of the city AND floated us down the river!

I also got to try Candlestick Bowling...a New England specialty!

After Boston, I made a quick stop in Virginia to visit my Cousin Jimmy & his family. I met one of his sons--JASON--for the first time and we became instant buddies. He's a cop & took me to an indoor shooting range.

After that, I went to Baltimore for a conference for work. I spent one short day giving a tour of DC to my co-worker. It was the first time I've been back to DC since I studied there in 2002....I love DC!!!!

Even though I stayed in downtown Baltimore for the work conference, I have nothing to show for it except the ESPN Zone because that's where we spent our evenings... watching the Final games for Baseball!

CELEBRATIONS

New Year’s 2007: We celebrated the new year at our “new to us” Shell Shack. K-Baby & Linette came from outa town to help us host the biggest New Year’s brunch ever! We had a full house it it was a blast sharing our new ocean view with all our friends!

Mom’s 50th Birthday: Me, Tim, David & Dad organized and hosted Murder Mystery party in honor of Mom ! It was a 50’s theme party with lots of fun characters and acting! Can't locate a photo, though! Sorry!!

Tim got engaged to Debra! Me & my roommates + Janai were part of a covert operation to help set up the engagement day in Big Sur, CA. Tim pulled off a truly romantic day (with some of my help, of course) :) We all got to toast to the newly engaged couple late that night! I could not be happier for my brother!!!!

3rd Annual Fall Fun Party at the Shell Shack!

There were a ton of fun costumes & 60+ guests! Scroll down to our blog entry in October to see pix! The Shell Shack girls were "Greek Girls for the night"...

Although I didn't win the pumpkin carving contest, I started the latest trend in Watermelon carving...

April’s BDay: fun time in the mountains! I just got my knee scooter on this weekend (for my broken ankle), so it was a happy weekend of outdoor freedom!
My 28th BDay: I didn't do a huge theme party as I usually do, but instead, the Nespers hosted a dinner for a small group of my close friends! I had a blast and it was a SWEET way to celebrate another year of LIFE! Tim added the fun touch of party hats! :)

MATTERS OF THE HEART & SOUL

*I broke my ankle last Christmas and I've been recovering throughout most of this year. At times it was really difficult becuase I wasn't allowed to walk at all for 3-4 months. It was really difficult for me to deal with limitations, but I learned a lot about patience, perseverance, depending on others for help, and praying even when I'm frustrated with my circumstances! Now, that my ankle is almost fully recovered, I am so thankful EVERY day for simply being able to walk! And I see more of how sometimes God uses difficult circumstances to mold my character.

"Endure hardship as discipline; the Lord disciplines those He loves." Heb. 12: 7

* Thursday night is almost a guaranteed highlight of EVERY week this year, because I met with a few girls for bible study and encouragement. We've been studying the book of Mark and finding out incredible things about what the character of Jesus Christ really is. These women have been amazing friends, confidantes and the source of much so much fun & encouragement!

camping trip with the girls

Laeticia Winery with the girls

***My roommates, Devon & April are truly my family on the central coast. This year has been filled with ups & downs...but like a true family, we have enjoyed the ride! From sharing funny stories after a hard days work to praying for each other in hard times, each moment with these girls is truly a blessing! I love you, April & Dev!!!

Sadly, Devon moved to Santa Barbara about a month ago. She got a great opportunity, but we miss her at the Shell Shack!

Luckily, we just got an awesome NEW roommate--Heather! We need to get some pix of her and add her to the Shell Shack blog!

****Discovered "Precepts for Life"--Daily Podcast by Kay Arthur...this woman knows how to preach the Word! I love starting my mornings listening to these studies. If you haven't tried a podcast bible study and you wanna try something new, I highly recommend...

http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Precept/

“Blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, for the shall be satisfied” ~Matt. 5
*****As always, I am overwhelmingly grateful for my parents and brothers. They are my treasured family and each one of them means so much to me in 2007...and years to come! I love you guys!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM WORK
· Working as an Academic Advisor for Business students has it’s advantages & disadvantages, but bottom line, I totally enjoy being around students students! I especially love working with the students that I help supervise in our office —They are the best part of my job!

· I taught my first college course ever-- BUS 100 “Introduction to College Success”. It's a course for Freshmen to learn about skills for surviving & succeeding in college. This was an incredibly challenging, but rewarding experience! I really enjoy teaching in the classroom setting! We also got the opportunity to use this new classroom “clicker” technology. Each student gets their own remote control and they answer questions that we embed in the lecture. All the answers are then displayed on the overhead projector. If you are a teacher with access to money, this is an incredible way to get everyone to participate in the class!

HIGHLIGHTS FROM SCHOOL
· I’m in my 3rd year of working toward my Master’s degree at night. Although I love classes, it can be tiring to balance with a full time job. I’m hoping to finish the program this June!!!

HOPES FOR 2008

“ He makes everything beautiful in it’s time” ~Ecclesiastes 3:11
· Slow down; more time with friends & less time at work
· Take more pictures
· Learn Italian (at least the basics) & Go to Italy this Summer

Ecuador with the brothers!

2007-12-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

I finally had time to finish my Ecuador recap now that school is out for Christmas! Sorry for those of you who were promised it weeks ago, but better late than never, right?

Last month I went on an 8 day trip to visit my youngest brother Zack in Ecuador, where he has been studying for the last 4 months. My other brother Kyle met up with us halfway through the week, and the three of us plus Zack's friend Shaka from APU spent 5 days in the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve in the Amazon Basin, were we searched for anacondas, fished for piranas, and trekked through the jungle!

Memorable experiences of the trip were:

The adventures starting before I even left Los Angeles: I walked into the terminal at 9 pm after taking a shuttle bus to LAX, only to be greeted with the news that the entire country was closed to incoming flights due to a minor plane accident at the Quito airport. The wheel blew on an Iberia jet as it landed, and it skidded off the runway into a field, causing a small amount of damage to the runway. The plane is still sitting in the field almost three weeks later! The delay meant that I had to use some of my carefully budgeted travel money for a hotel in LA, and I spent the next day wasting time in LA and hoping that the Qiuto airport would allow my flight on Saturday night to leave, which thankfully it did.

landing Sunday afternoon in Quito, meeting Zack at the airport, and then immediately flagging down a bus in order to go to Otavalo, a small, very picturesque town up in the Andes. Boarding this bus was not quite like getting on the colectivos of Argentina - we stood on the side of a busy main road in Quito, and as the bus approached us, a man leaned out the door and yelled "OTAVALO!" When we nodded, he hopped off, grabbed my bag, yelled at us to "Sube, sube!", or "get on, get on," and pushed us on the bus before it even came to a complete stop.

Otavalo - a beautiful town in the Andes, where we bartered over hammocks and alpaca scarves at their renowned artisan market, huffed and puffed our way around Laguna Ciococha, a 400 meter deep volcanic crater lake at 10,000 feet elevation, and sat down for dinner at a restuarant just as the entire town lost power, to have the menus whisked out of hands and be thrown back on the cold, dark streets, starving, where we wandered around before going back in to the restuarant to beg for food and eating by candlelight.

Exploring Quito's old town, especialy climbing to the top of La Basilica's spires

Traveling to our jungle lodge: we took a 9 hour overnight bus ride through the Andes, 3 hours of which was on a bumpy dirt road that did not allow the bus to go more than 5 miles an hour. Side note: My confidence in the buses was not improved when we passed this accident on our trip back to Quito: After the 9 hour bus ride, we then took a 4 hour car ride from a small town outside of the Amazon to the entrance to the national park we were going to, then a 2.5 hour canoe ride, 2 hours of which was in a tropical downpour.

Every minute of our 5 days in the Amazon. Our first night we went out in the canoes to look for caimans, who you find by their glowing red eyes when you shine your flashlights in the banks of the river. The next day we went pirana fishing, tromped through the mud on an unsuccessful but still incredibly fun and exciting search for anacondas, watched the sun set over the Laguna Grande, and went on a night hike through the jungle, where we saw tree spiders larger than my hand, snakes, poisonous Conga ants half the size of my pinky, tarantulas, and grasshoppers the size of my palm. The next day we visited an indigenous village, found ruby poison dart frogs, visited a Shaman that still practices his healing ritual (which involves both healer and healee drinking ioasca together) for the local people, and found an anaconda sunning itself on a pile of branches over the river. Our last full day we went one a three hour hike through the jungle where our guide explainded how the indigiones people use the medicinal plants and trees. We tasted the tree they make anti-malaria medication from, drank tree sap that cures ulcers, and ate edible ants - they tasted like lemon! During the 5 days there we saw an incredible amount of wildlife, including turtles, freshwater dolphins, several kinds of bats, four kinds of monkeys, two kinds of sloths, five kinds of snakes, and countless birds: three types of toucans, two varietes of potoos, scarlett macaws (an endangered species), blue and yellow macaws, parrots, stinky turkeys, kingfishers, swallows, hummingbirds, vultures, herons, and woodpeckers, to name only a few.

Watching water drain down a sink straight down directly on the equator, drain clockwise 10 feet into the southern hemisphere, and counter-clockwise 10 feet into the northern hemisphere.

Spending time with my brothers, learning more about them as adults, talking nonstop about fishing, traveling, or politics, and not fighting...very much!

3rd Annual Fall Fun Party

2007-11-06T23:38:00.000-08:00

The 3rd Annual Shell Shack Fall Fun Party was a smashing success Halloween weekend. I have too much to do to get ready for my trip to Ecuador to write much about it, but I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Winner Best Girl Costume:

Heather the Hot Ladybug!

One of many crossdressers:

Winner Best Couple or Group Costume:
Cruella DeVille and her Dalmation!

Winner Best Guy Costume:

The Banana Hammock!

More Crossdressers:

Winner Best Greek Costume:

The Shell Shack Girls - just kidding, that was not a category.

Once again, we want to say a huge THANK YOU to every person who came - we were so blessed by your presence, and amazed at the creativity and effort you put into your costumes.

See all the party pics here.

I know, finally...

2007-10-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

We have been definitely neglecting our blog the last few months! Once fall started we all got caught up in the busyness of the new season, and have not had much time for updating the blog. There are many things to share, however, so hopefully over the next couple of weeks we will get the Shell Shack Files back up to date.

One of the most recent happenings was the 26th birthday party of the unofficial 4th Shell Shacker Kristin, aka KBaby. (Don't worry, Janai, you both qualify as the 4th Shell Shacker. And I know, you deserve your own post.) She celebrated with a 1920's themed murdery mystery party at her house in San Jose. Unfortunately I was the only representative of the Shell Shack for reasons to be explained in future posts. While Charity and Devon were missed, it was fabulous party - everyone showed up dressed to the nines, and we transformed Kristin's parents' house into the quinetessential 20's jazz club.

See more pics from the party at the Shell Shack Pics link to the right.

Aside from lots of schoolwork and adventures in substitute teaching, only two other significant events have occurred since August. One is that at the end of August my mom and I visited my granddad and grandma in Oklahoma, which was so much fun. I hadn't been back there since junior high, so it was great to be there and see all the Betts relatives. Highlights of the trip were exploring the family history at the cemetery (I know, it sounds morbid, but half of the cemetery are my ancestors), getting a tour of the family farm with my Granddad, and my grandma Louisa helping me get started on the huge project of turning several of my shirts and sweatshirts from high school and college into a quilt. She was also amazing enough to let me leave it with her to finish, and I can't wait to see the finished project in person!

Last, but definitely not least, my friend Rachael had a baby boy! Rachael and I have a crazy story about our friendship - we were good friends for three years before we discovered we were third cousins! That means that Elijah Cody VanDorn is my first baby cousin, and I was so blessed to meet him. He arrived safely on September 20th, at 20 inches and 8 pounds 8 ounces. I love him so much already!

Check back soon for updates on Charity and Devon's lives! Plus, our 3rd Annual Fall Fun Party is just around the corner!

Perfectly Planned Proposal...

2007-08-05T14:15:00.000-07:00

(Don't miss the quiz at the end of this post!)

Though none of the Shell Shackers can claim to be the recipient of a perfect proposal (yet)...we were thrilled to be co-conspirators in a perfect proposal last weekend! Like most great proposals, the true author of the idea came straight from the master-mind himself---some have referred to him as the "ultimate bachelor", while others prefer "Italian Stallion"...to me, he is simply and endearingly "brother."

Yep--for those who haven't heard yet, Tim PROPOSED! And Debra said YES! But like all good proposals, you gotta here the story behind the proposal. Check out their blog if you want to hear their "gah-gah" version....but read on to see how the Shell Shackers fit into the story...after all, why would you be reading our blog if you didn't want to read about US!!?

Roughly 44 hours before the day of romance was to begin, Tim let me in on the secret and his plans to have a perfectly romantic day planned out for him & Debra to enjoy in Big Sur area. He had the locations and details all in his head...and he wanted me to help set up the romantic spots in advance. Of course, I couldn't do this all alone, so I recruited my most trusted event planning partners--my roommates April, Devon and Janai (visiting Shell Shacker the past few weeks)!

So with a bit of pre-planning, we got up early Saturday morning and hit the road with a trunk full of Romantic Ingredients: Bocce Balls, candles, wine, a beach blanket, and lots of roses! We even made sure that we played only the best country love songs on our 90 minute drive--just to set the mood! Our mission: to set up the most romantic beach picnic for the afternoon proposal & a beautifully set dinner table at the restaurant where the couple would have their first celebratory dinner that night. To be sure that we were as under-cover as possible, we even removed the license plate frame from my car...so just in case we zoomed by them on the highway.

Our best attempt at being totally inconspicuous!

First stop: Sand Dollar Beach. Located in the rural Big Sur region on picturesque Highway 1. Closest major city over an hour away and no cell service to top it off! This beach was amazing! Beautiful white sand, clear blue waters, a few surfers and a few more good waves, no crowds, a warm sun, and a cool breeze!We scouted out the most romantic tucked corner of the beach and set up a picnic setting that would make any girl melt! Roses, wine on ice, glasses, Bocce ball...and of course...scattered rose petals! Check out the picture:

We finished just in time to escape before the couple arrived. While they spent the next several hours having lunch and getting ENGAGED, we took a nice little break a few miles down at another beach--where we had a little fiesta/siesta of our own--wine coolers, chips & salsa--and plenty of sun!

A few hours before Tim was expected to arrive at Ragged Point Inn for dinner, we went to set up their romantic candle-lit dinner table. We were a little too anxious and arrived WAY before dinner hour...so we killed some time just lounging, reading & sipping tea.

By the way, the grounds at Ragged Point are beautiful and such a nice place to just chill--I'll definitely be going back!...we even got to watch a wedding on their lawn. (Ironic, I know). So right before dinner, we set up the table...candles, roses, white table cloth...totally stood out as the VIP table in the restaurant! Though I was slightly tempted to hide in the bushes outside the window of the restaurant...just so I could see Tim & Debra's beaming faces...my team kept me in line and we left shortly before the couple would arrive.

Headed home, we hoped all the details fell into place. Later that night, Tim & Debra called with the exciting news of their engagement and the Shell Shackers beamed with the success of our first assisted proposal-- Not to mention the total thrill of seeing our big brother & dear friend, Debra celebrating a new season together! As soon as they got into town, we celebrated with an impromptu champagne toast!

I could not be more happy for both of them! As a little sister who adores her big brother and would have nothing but the best for him--I can earnestly say that he is fortunate to have found a truly quality woman! Debra is definitely the "real deal"and I am really looking forward to having her as a sister-in-law! It has been so neat to see how God has brought Tim & Debra together and it was such a blessing to be a part of their special day!

QUIZ: Which one of the Shell Shackers has had a lifelong dream of hosting the TV show "Perfect Proposals"--all about helping guys arrange their perfect proposals?

Click here to find out: http://youtube.com/watch?v=QacZTWjaKnM

Cheers to Coop!

2007-06-11T19:59:00.000-07:00

OK, I can't resist giving major cheers to one of my dearest friends, Jen Cooper (AKA: Coop) for coming to visit the Shell Shack this past weekend! This was her first time experiencing the Shell Beach life as we know it! The Shell Shackers LOVED having her!

A few of you "locals" got to meet Jen this weekend, which was thrilling for me--I love the "fusion" of my friends!! And she totally LOVED you guys! As matter of fact, I think ya'll were so entertaining that she barely got a word in edgewise!

Since Jr. High, Coop has been a treasured buddy and like a sister to me...so the insight she has on my life is invaluable--not to mention the embarrassing stories about me that she is always excited to share with my more "current" friends!
One of our endearing nicknames (given by our HS friends was Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum)...some things never change...here's a pix of us this weekend:

After one conversation with Jen at dinner on Saturday, I think several of my friends were re-introduced to me as the "stubborn as cumbers are bitter" girl..... Jen has a way of reminding me of my past in a way that makes me laugh and thank God for how much I've changed for the better BUT how some of the best roots have stuck with me at the same time! Thank God for friends that give us perspective on where the Lord has brought us from!

Weekend Highlights:
* Jen arrives after a 6 hour drive through the arm pit of CA.

* Saturday AM coffee at the Bean ....and bike ride tour of Shell Beach.

* Enjoying the "warm" weather at Avila on Saturday afternoon...which wasn't quite warm enough for Jen, coming from 90 degree weather (fully clothed, wondering how the rest of us girls were too "hot" for clothes in the mere 70 degree weather).

* Fun dinner & games at the Shell Shack Saturday night.

* Sunday church, then Firestone for Lunch

* Wine Tasting in the afternoon--sweet tastes at Kelsey in Sea Canyon....

then soakin' up the breath-taking views of Laeticia Vineyards (compliments of Sara)...

* Downtown stroll Sunday evening

* One last late night chat before bed on Sunday.

It was hard to see Jen go this AM, but we're already planning the next visit!

Shout-out to Coop & the Yucca girls!..Amanda, Jen & Amanda! Ya'll better come for a visit soon!!

Although the Shell Shack blog does not endorse any particular Match-Making endeavors, this is more of a public announcement:
Jen is one of the wittiest, funnest, humorous, loving, genuine, smartest, beautiful, fabulous, seriously God-fearing women out there! Guys, she's a catch and she's currently SINGLE!
...and she's gonna kill me for writing this...but I owe her after the info she divulged about me this this weekend! Plus, you can't hide the truth!

strength in a dry place...

2007-06-04T18:56:00.000-07:00

Joshua 1:9 " Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." I feel like there should be an exclamation point at the end of this verse because it is filled with so much passion and authority. This past week has been filled with a lot of disappointment and hurt...I lost my job and am feeling at a loss of words and feel numb at where I am suppose to go next. I have worked hard my whole life. I have had a job since I was sixteen and up until this point had never been fired. So to be unemployed is humbling and frustrating. Every morning I take comfort that the Lord hears my prayers and this verse has resounded in my heart each day...that the Lord commands us to be strong n HIM. It is just not a statement but a command that we must take to heart and no matter what the circumstance we stand strong in the Lord. Last night I went to Be Aroma and the Lord reminded me of how far he has brought me and that He is not going to forsake me even though my future is unclear. It was a shock to get fired but I know God's choices don't always make sense, but they are never haphazard or random. The repeated lesson I have learned over the past six months is to trust God even though it might not make sense or I might not understand why, we are called to trust in all faithful God.
" Your name is the rock I cling to.Your strength is the power that lifts my head. Your presence is the tower I run into.Your song is the light that shines in my window. After the rain has fallen and the clouds have moved away, Your sweet name is all that remains." - lyrics from Eli Stewart

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, APRIL MAE!

2007-04-24T23:04:00.000-07:00

A bsolutely fabulous
P retty in Pink
R idiculously amazing inside & out!
I ncredibly fun roommate
L oving, caring, loyal & genuine woman of God!

Happy Birthday, to a friend I treasure so MUCH!

--Love, Charity

Resurrection Sunday

2007-04-08T00:05:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to wish you all a blessed Easter!

PS I am still planning to recap my El Salvador trip, so check back!

El Salvador Update

2007-03-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

We made it to El Salvador! Getting here was a little bumpy - the flight from LA was delayed, which made our 9 hour layover closer to 12 hours, and then the hotel didn't have our rooms ready when we arrived, despite our early checkin arrangements, which meant we sat around and waited for 2 hours after traveling for over 20, but after a good night's rest we are adjusted. Today we helped at the church's children's festival, where we served breakfast to about 75 kids the church has ministry programs with, participated in a skit for them, played soccer, and had a crafts fair. It was so fun - the kids are so eager to get to meet us, even with the language barrier. After the festival we had free time and headed to the beach, and tonight we went to the Saturday night service and helped with the Sunday school classes. Tomorrow we go to the orphanage outside of town to help there. I will try to post again later this week!

Off To El Salvador

2007-03-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

We are leaving for El Salvador in just a few hours! I am so excited! God has already been working miracles with the team - as of two weeks ago 4 of the team members had been told that their passports would not arrive until after we were supoosed to be back from the trip, but last week all four arrived! I can't wait to see how God uses the team in El Salvador and what he teaches me personally. Please pray for the team, and keep checking back - I will try to update while I am there.

Seasons

2007-03-19T20:01:00.000-07:00

I like to refer to my life in seasons. The summer was fun and hopes of romance fluttered around then fall came and I couldn't help but see the changes in nature reminding me that there needs to be change in my heart and in my life..winter came and left me cold and confused with trials and uncertainity about school and where I should be. Now spring is approaching and I anxiously await to see the flowers come into bloom and a new season to start for me. Throughout the many seasons the Lord has been gracious and patient with me. " We do not know what to do, but our eyes are set upon you."- 2 Chronicles 20:12 Turning twenty four this year really forced me to reflect upon my life and decide what I am doing?! Amongst all my questions to the Lord..."when will I ever be done with school, did I choose the right major..where shall I serve.." the Lord replied simply ..my child be still and know that I am God. I start my mornings at 8:30 racing to class while eating a Cliff bar in my car, then go to work from 11 to 7 and come home to finish homework. By the end of the day my head is still spinning when I hit the bed. I admit being still is very hard for me but in these moments of quietness the Lord allows me to reflect on HIS Goodness despite what season I am in He is always faithful. So as the weather warms up and the flowers start to bloom and my drinks at Starbucks go from hot to iced, I am thoroughly enjoying what God is doing in this season of my life.

Here's a prayer from Tozer one of my favorite authors simple yet profound and much needed " Lord in today's world, stillness is so much needed. Quiet my world even for these few moments and speak to me in the stillness, I pray.Amen."

Uninvited Houseguest

2007-03-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that we love to have people visit us, but this morning I discovered that someone we did not want had moved into mine and Devon's bathroom: a black widow spider! He had stretched a web from the sink to the wall, and I almost walked into him when I stumbled into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Thankfully I noticed the suspicously black spider, peered closer and saw the tell-tell red hourglass on his belly. I ran to get my camara before I killed him, because it truly would have been a perfect shot, with him dangling upside down on his web, but as I was focusing on him, he zoomed back into his hole between the sink and the counter. I waited for him to come back out all day, and finally, as Devon was getting ready for bed, Tom (we decided he was a peeping Tom since he was hiding out in a girls' bathroom) poked a leg out of his hole! We squirted him with Windex, but we aren't sure if he drowned completely. RIP, Tommy.

Calvary Women's Retreat

2007-03-07T23:08:00.000-08:00

What an amazing weekend...women's retreat at the Mandalay Beach! I have been waiting and planning the retreat since October and now it is already over! It was a weekend of encouragement, wisdom and fun. I roomed with Kristin Wettmore, Debra Richards and two girls I just met Jessie and Melissa. Right from the start my roommates and I had fun. Friday night we stayed up late talking and laughing. Lucky for Debra…. I shared a bed with her and I kept her up late telling stories and right when she was about to fall asleep I had another one for her...your welcome Debra. There were many highlights of the weekend including me caravaning down with some of my homebuilderes friends. They went 55mph the whole way down and I went 80mph. We stopped in Santa Barbara for an authentic mexican lunch at La Costa Rica, which was really fun and I learned from Robin, April and Gwen that when you pass the age 40 apparently you carry beano in your purse with you! I met a lot of new woman at retreat and was greatly blessed to know how God is working in their lives and challenging them. Jean Mcclure was our guest speaker and she spoke of different woman in the bible and how God has made them beautiful in His timing, which was our verse for the weekend. Eccl.3:11 When we first started meeting for retreat planning, Sherry shared this verse with me I was trying to think of how we could display that visually....God simply laid the pearl upon my heart. It started with the centerpieces and the scattered pearls of all different shapes and sizes and how I wanted that to represent the woman there and how we are all fearfully and beautifully made no matter what size we are. As retreat planning went on God continually had me praying for theses woman and I wanted so badly for the woman to feel welcomed, loved and valued when they walked in. Over the past few months God continually showed me that through my trials I must continue to give Him my struggles so that He can do something beautiful in me. I was so busy with school, work, etc I didn’t see what God was doing in my own life. The last day of retreat all the woman were given a vile with sand and a single pearl in it to remind them that throughout their trials God is there refining them and making them beautiful in His time. As I looked around the room the last day I was reminded of God’s goodness and faithfulness to these woman. Some I know very well and the trials they face and others I don’t but I know God is faithful to all who call on His name.

I ♥ Central Coast Weekends!

2007-02-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

Every week I think that life here can't get any better than it is, but then God blesses me with another amazing and fabulous weekend, and I realize that I was wrong - again! The weekend started on Friday afternoon since Charity had the day off, and it was gorgeous outside - everyone was out cruising on their motorcycles or with the tops down on their cars, so we rode our bikes to a coffeehouse in Pismo to study (okay, Charity tried to study while I distracted her with hilarious Missed Connection stories). But it really started once K-baby rolled into town Friday evening. That night we went to our drinks and appetizer standby, AJ's, then met up with Nate-dawg and Matt at Mongos to see the Damon Castillo Band. After our Saturday morning usual at the Steaming Bean, we took advantage of our 80+ degree weather and packed a picnic lunch and hit the beach. The rest of the Central Coast had the same idea, but we hopped a few tide pools and voila - our very own private, secluded beach!

After a glorious beach day, Charity made an FABULOUS Asian dinner to celebrate Chinese New Year (for the second time!), then we headed over to the Nesper's for Aaron's Poker Night birthday party. Devon's money dance
Despite it being my first real poker game, I made it to the top three! Sunday morning consisted of a refreshing worship time and challenging sermon, and then Kristin, Charity, Sara and I hiked the Shell Beach ridge, where we were once again amazed at the beauty of the area we call home, even with the fog rolling in. Sunday evening everyone came over to the Shell Shack for dessert, and we played guys versus girls Loaded Questions. Between the Hosftee's disputing the musical talent of Neil Diamond, Ben's random answers, and my friends' all-round goofiness, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard and so much!
Nate, Ben, and Christion getting some romance advice!

Highlights of the weekend:

Shell Debaucheryshack - there is no debauchery going on here, just good, clean, Christ-centered fun!
Angry Charity at poker
watching the Hofstee boys argue two nights in a row
great quality time with Kristin - we love you and miss you like a fat kid on a diet misses chocolate cake when you are not here!
story time at AJ's
FABULOUS weather
Aaron losing control over "blaspheme the Holy Spirit"

See all of the weekend pics here:

Presidents Day Weekend

I realize that this blog is becoming a Shell Shack weekend recap, but between our three crazy busy schedules we barely have time to connect as roommates, much less time for blogging during the week, and we don't have much to blog about aside from our crazy fun weekends. But we do have some exciting events coming up, all in March: Calvary Women's Retreat, Beth Moore/Kay Arthur conference, and my missions trip to El Salvador. So please keep checking back!

Happy Chinese New Year (almost)!

2007-02-11T18:06:00.000-08:00

Our friend LT, who is teaching English for the year in China along with our beloved Janai-ster of Blue Seagull and the former Tassa guys of Life in Shanghai, was home this weekend for her Chinese New Year vacation. It was just like old times line dancing with her at the Grad. Saturday we hosted a pasta potluck where pretty much all of SLO-town dropped by to say hi to her. It was so fun to see pictures, get presents, and hear what is going on in her life. The only downside was we missed our Janai, but we know she is having a blast traveling around Thailand and Cambodia this week. But since we missed her so much, here is a picture of her from last's year Murder Mystery Party!

Isn't she so cute and fun?!

The other fun event of the weekend was celebrating Terilee's 25th birthday with a girls' lunch and wine tasting outing at the winery Sara works at, Laetitia .

Mama's got some mad pourin' skills!

Beyond the Ultimate

2007-02-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday our friend Nate had a bunch of people over to watch the Superbowl, play ping-pong, and soak in his hottub. While I had more fun chatting with people and watching the commercials (the Chevy Carwash one was my favorite), I did find this website really interesting. Both the Colts coach and the Bears coach are Christians and are involved in Athletes in Action, and this website shares their testimony and how their faith impacts all they do. It is really cool, and what an awesome light these guys are for Jesus. (Photo courtesy of Fuzzboard!)

Life Coach

2007-01-31T13:16:00.000-08:00

My latest "interest" (i.e. fettish, intrique, obsession) is exploring the idea of being a "Life Coach". I first heard about it in one of my counseling classes a year ago and it's been vying for my attention ever since. It's the latest rage, it's all over the news and it's definitely growing in popularity!

What's a "Life Coach"??? It's someone who coaches/advises you on anything you want--anything from which onions to buy at the grocery store... to where to take your next vacation... to how to make time for your husband...to how to be a better friend. Some life coaches have credentials/degrees/experience in counseling or psychology, but others just claim to know how to be good coaches. There is no professional requirement and apparently the population seeking life coaches doesn't necessarily want the oh-so-qualified psychologist, counselor, shrink, priest, or even best friend to tell them what to do. They just want a coach to help them along with those goals in life that seem unattainable--either because they are pushed aside, undefined, forgotten, or flat out ignored!

Get a Life Coach and you basically get to ask for advice on anything you've got on your mind. You pay a pretty penny per hour....but you get a listening ear, practical advice, intentional accountability and supposedly effective results.

So...I realize that I sound a tinge scepticle amidst all of my raving...but I actually LOVE this idea!

My big question: How do I get to BE a life coach?

Call me crazy, but I've already started thinking about my "Life Coach" philosophy of practice:
*Reflection
*Practical Goal-Setting
*Baby Steps (cliche, I know)
*More Reflection
*Accountability/Reflection on attainment of goals
*Celebration of Accomplishments
*Empowerment...who needs a life coach, anyway??? Show people how to get "free" life coaching. (i.e. GOD, Good Friends, Wise Colleagues, Family, books, etc....)

I’m so infatuated with this, I think I might do some more formal research. If YOU hear any news or see any articles on this issue, let me know!

Here’s some interesting links:
http://www.findyourcoach.com/
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-smallbiz11oct11,1,4946303.column
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_coaching

DISCLAIMER: I love my current job, so this is no indication of a career change...but perhaps a career addition somewhere down the road!

Yours till the Kitchen Sinks

2007-01-22T16:52:00.000-08:00

Our kitchen sink fell down. Actually, the garbage disposal rusted and fell and pulled all the pipes down. This happened while the dishwasher was running, which meant that our kitchen floor turned into a swimming pool, and poor Charity was the only one home and had to mop it up. While it is amazing to live in a big house instead of a tiny apartment and have amenties like dishwashers and washers and driers and backyards, one month of living in a house has also taught me that houses are work, and that things fall apart and break down and need replacing, and while I do want to own my own home some day, I am glad it is not at this stage in my life. But, my sink breaking also made me realize that I shouldn't take having a kitchen to cook in and a warm house to come home to for granted, but should be thankful for God's provision.

First Official Shell Shack Post

2007-01-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

The new Shell Shack is officially warmed up! Every morning when I see our ocean views I can't believe where I live, and again at each glorious sunset.

The last half of December, since my arrival back in the States, to now, has been a whirlwind of activity, as usual. I was met at the airport by my amazing friends, and we spent a incredible weekend in Orange catching up, chilling at the Romano pad, and a fabulous day at Disneyland, where we complained if we had to wait in line for longer than 2o minutes.

Then it was Christmas with the family, where I got a most unexpected but very fun present: my very own .22 rifle!

Other highlights included a kicked back New Years,
ice skating with friends,and celebrating Devon's 24th birthday with a trip to San Jose to visit the unofficial 4th Shell Shacker, K-Baby,
where we engaged in a ferocious game of blondes versus brunettes bocci ball.
Now that the holiday vacations are over, life is slowing down, and the Shell Shack is enjoying the time to reflect on how blessed we are by our families, friends, and to be at this stage in our lives. So, while there is no actual point to this blog, check back often for updates on our thoughts, theme parties, or whatever else we feel like posting about.