Gratitude {Day 2 and 3}

Yesterday was the Christmas concert. I was thankful for the holiday cheer and music that was shared last night! It was held at First Covenant church in downtown mpls. The sad part: last Hope Christmas concert. But this post isn't about sad things, it's about thankfulness (and I'm doing a wonderful job at that....)

Today we had a Christmas par-tay in Advisory class and at church youth group. #toomanycookies. It's great that I can stock up on artificial goodness, but after New years, things will have to change :)

Gratitude {Day 1}

Today my class had the opportunity to job shadow at the Downtown USbank plaza. It was a nice way to start the week off, and it was an enriching experience. We had a discussion with the Sr. Vice president of the Direct Lending department at US Bank. He asked us basic questions and shared his story. One question he asked was "where do you see yourself in 5 years?" I confidently answered this question. Then he moved on to ask, "Does anyone see themselves having babies?"
silence.
Then all eyes on me.
...uncomfortable giggle.
Thanks class, but 22 is too soon for me.
Other highlights from the shadow day was participating in video conference, touring the building, and talking with employees in different positions at US Bank. Oh, and Broadway pizza for lunch was a nice treat too.

With that I am thankful for:
My class
This fieldtrip

A Week of Gratitude

This is my last school-week of 2012. I'm a little stressed because there still is plenty to do, but I won't let those things bog me down! I'm grateful for them, and in order to remember how blessed I am (and for my sanity) I will be sharing things I am grateful for each day (yay, it's Thanksgiving all over again!)

Blurb.

Benji cracks open my door, and in flies (literally) a mouse. crash! Mouse on the floor. I don't care, because it's dead.

Brothers.

Wednesdays

Wednesdays are good days for me. They are also long, why? Because I wake up at 5:30 am. Why do I wake up that early? To go to a 6 a.m Bible study. But it's worth it. I get the study in the morning, and then I have a long and full day. In fact, I look forward to Wednesdays because I know I will wake up early. On other days, I simply cannot get out of bed that early just because I want to. I tell myself at night to wake up early and if you do, you can go out and buy a coffee or go to SNAP fitness to work out, and then enjoy the day- but it never happens. Thus, I look forward to going to bed on Tuesday, because I know I will get out of bed early the next day.
Thanks for reading. Enjoy your Wednesday.

A Reading

I read the The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. He wrote the book in the early 1400's. I enjoyed reading the few pages from it.  Everything written in it was solid and true. The biggest take-away I got from the reading was, "We ought not to ask who is speaking, but mark what is said. Men pass away, but the truth of the Lord remains forever." This is just soo true. I mean the words and wisdom he shared 600 years ago was all truth from God, and it is truth that is still being taught, discussed, and read today. God's word has and will remain forever! Truth doesn't pass away.
I encourage you to read, or even skim the passage. I'll definitely come back to it.

2 lessons, 2 blessings

The title of this post is a writing prompt from a book I'm reading. I'm just going to write about 2 lessons from the day and 2 blessings. Simple enough.

Lessons:

1. Don't buy a dipped ice-cream cone for a two-year old at the Uptown Art fair if it's 90+ degrees. You would think a dipped ice-cream cone would be the perfect treat for a hot day, but it's not. Within minutes the ice-cream was sprinkled all over her because of the heat and because she was 2.  I couldn't do much to clean her up because there was people everywhere. I was carrying her artwork that she just made and if I would have set it down it would have blown away.  But then it got to a point where she was sick of walking, and I wasn't super excited about carrying a sticky and sweaty 2-year old around so we walked into a big biffy and used a ton of hand sanitizer to remove the ice-cream residue. A little gross, I know, but it worked. Oh, and the ice cream cone had to be thrown away after a few minutes because it was turning into a ice cream waterfall.
2. It's good to ask for help, but sometimes you should oh, I don't know: look! I went up to an information desk person to ask where Lagoon Avenue was, and I kid you not, I was virtually standing on it, and the street signs in uptown are huge, so if I would have taken a second to look where I was before I asked where to go, I would have seen that I am right where I need to be. But hey, my ignorance (stupidity) made the guy laugh.

Blessings:

1. Aside from the ice-cream incident, the fair was fun. I enjoy taking children on little adventures, so it was a blessing that I was able to go there on this hot day instead of a playground or something generic. The young girl also had fun making a print, winning a prize, and walking around.
2. I got to babysit two young girls that I only see a few times a year. They are wonderful, and they play so well. I love their family, and it's refreshing to be around young kids who don't fight or squabble, and can do creative play with me for hours at a time. 

A taste of American Idol

While I was in Chicago I auditioned for American idol. It was fun to be apart of. I will just explain what it was like chronologically. On Tuesday morning I woke up at 5:30 am and headed to the United Center to register. I waited in line for an hour, then I got my wristband and seating ticket and was on my way. During the waiting process, people sang and yelled a lot. Auditions were not until Thursday, but it was a good idea to register early on Tuesday morning because come Thursday, those who registered early get to audition earlier. Auditioning early made a big difference, because no one wants to sit shaking in their seat for hours and hours on Thursday. We also got really great seats to wait in. They were right in front of three auditions stations, so I was able to see a bunch of people audition up-close before I went.  If I was up much higher or at a different angle, I would not have nearly as much fun watching and HEARING the singers.  One thing I should clarify is that thousands of people audition, thus the first rounds of auditions are in front of Idol producers, not the celebrity judges.

Thursday-Audition Day: On Thursday, people had to arrive at 5 am.  I didn’t come right at 5, but that wasn’t a big deal because I already registered. However, I had to wake up at 4:40 in the morning, and I wasn’t too excited to do that. When I got there, lots of people were gathered outside. I was still tired, so I just sat and people-watched. Ryan Seacrest came and we did crowd filming outside. Then at 8 o’clock, the doors opened and people were able to get in their seats. In our seats, we watched an “Inspiring” video, then we did more group-filming. Haley Reinhardt was there and she said a few words.

Finally, at 10, the audition process began. There were 11 audition stations in the middle of the stadium with 2 judges at each. A group of 4 people at a time would try out at each station. They could sing any song of their choice for 30 seconds. After they were done, he/she would step back, and the next person would go. Then the judges would give a few words of feedback and then let the group know which contestants made it, and which ones didn’t make it. Those who made it would stay back and talk with the judges for a little bit longer, and those whose didn’t make it left, had their wristbands caught off, and then went on their way. They were the "non-winners."

Now that you know that information, I will explain how it went down for me. I stood in line with my group of 4 people. The first guy was a rocker who came from Kansas City. He was in a band and was extremely confident that he would make it through. His voice was decent and he had a loud sound. The second girl was like a country version of Colbie Calliat. The third girl was like a ghetto Beyonce, if that makes sense. Then there was me. We were all under 21. The other 3 had pretty good voices. When I went up, I sang “Feel it all over” by Stevie Wonder. It was a good song choice. It fit well with my voice, and one of the judges was bobbing his head while I sang, which made me happy. Unfortunately,  no one in my group made it through. The judge told me, “I was not what they were looking for this season.” So I walked off, had my wristband cut, met my dad in the guardian pen, and left. It was fun while it lasted.

McDonald Madness

Go to Chicago, and you will find McDonalds every where. Illinois is the McDonald's birthplace, so I guess it makes sense that there are a lot of them. I felt like I saw one every time I looked out the car window. There was at LEAST one per mile. I will briefly explain.

One of the McDonalds was on a bridge over the freeway. 

One of the McDonalds had a separate dessert bar.
One of the McDonalds had a ton of Wrigley Field paraphernalia. 

One of the McDonalds had a Nebula Plasma Ball-

One of the McDonalds is giving 2.6 ounces of free fries to the first 100 customers in line tomorrow! And yes, they said 2.6 oz. on their flyer. 

One of the McDonalds has two floors WITH escalators!

One of the McDonalds had floor-to-ceiling windows as walls. 

One of the McDonalds was just a few hundred feet from our hotel.

One of the McDonalds had some snazzy green stools and fat tables.

Don't get me started on the quantity of McDonald billboards through out the city. 

No, I did not eat at all these McDonalds. After being exposed to all the Invasive yellow M's, the only thing I consumed over the 4 days was a sugar-free iced coffee (Kuddos to me).

So to those McD's fans, take a trip to Chicago!

It's Sunday Night....

I'm sitting here. I enjoyed the day. I want to write about something, but I don't know what. Process with me..... mmmmm.
Okay.
Random facts floating around in my head:

• Cleopatra was not Egyptian, she was Greek.
• People in Rembrandt's time wore ruffles around their necks. Some people called them ruffs (like the sound a dog makes).
• Minneapolis is the city with second best credit score in the United States. Wausau is #1.
• Facebook "will" be worth $100 billion dollars in 2014.
• One girl said she knows someone who shot squirrels and ate them.
• Last night my keyboard started typing numbers and not letters!

enough with that.

Not sure what to expect for this week. Oh, this week. We shall see how it goes. Today, I took a nap. Naps are rare for me, but I needed it.

My good friend is going to London. Hold on, I need to google something about laundry. Okay I'm back. Um, I'm going to be a senior this year. It' the year I thought would never come, but it did.
What is medicare tax? And why do I have to pay it?

goodnight.

wait, it's only 9:22.

So long.

Images of Independence Day



Glow Sticks.

colorful fireworks.

Nice Bike.

aqua firework.

I liked their music.



I bought a Sled.

It's summer outside, and garage sales are common. At one yard sale that I stopped at, they were selling a sled for 2 bucks. I picked it up and bought it. The person who was selling it commented on how odd it was for me to buy a sled in this sweltering heat.  If I wasn't so polite, I would say something back, because frankly isn't weirder to sell sleds in the summer opposed to buying them? Well, maybe not. I'm just that type of person who thinks ahead, and who doesn't want to pay 10 bucks for a sled in the winter. And yes, if we ever go sledding, we have to borrow or buy sleds, because Matthew has a way with breaking sleds all the time.
Well, wasn't that post worth your time? Oh well. It's summer, my brain is weak.

A New Opportunity!

I am happy about my new job at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. It's my first "real" job, or maybe I should say the first job that requires a massive folder of paperwork that needed to be signed (they are very high on security and privacy). I love art, I love families, and I like working. Put them all together and "Voila!"- the perfect job for me!
I also like the location of the MIA (about 2 miles away). Some of the other employees (I feel so old using that word) live in Eden Prairie and St. Paul, so it is a blessing that I live close. It is also like 5 1/2 blocks away from my school, so I can just walk there from school.
Secondly, I like the people. I just met them today at orientation, but we should get along just fine. The team is ethnically diverse. There is a Russian girl, an African-American boy, a boy from South America (I'm pretty sure...), a boy from Germany (well, maybe he is not from Germany, but he looks like it, and his name is Gustaf. I will ask him), and then there are two other girls I still have to meet. So I am excited to have new friends! :)
Lastly, I get little perks at the MIA. They are not that important, but they are still fun to have. I get 20% off at the gift shop, and I get free admission to the ticketed exhibitions. So I will be checking out Rembrandt when I get a chance! I also get a cool security badge with my picture on it that lets me into doors and hallways at the MIA- now that's exciting! :)
So families, I hope to see you at one of the free family days. I will give you more details and such later on. You'll like it!

Water works wonders

This is an equation of events for 90+ degree weather-
Heat = go outside = become hot = thirsty = dehydration, discomfort, fatigue, pain, hate, cruelty, anger....(okay, maybe I am being a bit dramatic, but thirst brings out the worst in people).
The solution (no equation needed)-
Give out free water bottles at Lake Calhoun for MTTC!
        Let me tell you, people were HAPPY when they saw that sign and an ice-cold cooler filled with water. In fact, most people didn't believe we were giving water away for free. They started to take out their wallets and ask how much it was, others asked what they had to do for the water, or they wondered if this was a joke (now that's cruelty right there).  I'm sure you can figure out our responses to these questions. People walked away hydrated and grateful. Actually, several people ran away- I personally cannot comprehend why someone would want to go running right when the heat was at its prime. Yet, it was such a joy to make people happy with something so simple like water.

"All the Parks a Friend"

I  babysat another high-energy boy tonight. He was a very friendly (very friendly) 5 year old child.. And friendly children only have so much fun playing with a 16 year-old girl in their backyard, so after an hour we headed to the playground. On our way he saw a young boy, and he ran up to this boy and insisted that he come with us to the park- he did. So now I have two children. Once we got to the park other boys, young and old, shouted his name and said hi. I was slightly shocked that this 5 year-old was known by such a diverse crowd. The friendliness continued, this time with food.
I managed to collect a little pile of goodies that other people wanted to share with him. Since he is five, I only let him drink the juice-box (...sugar).
Summary of the snack pile:
Spicy lollipop- from a 4-year old boy
Oatmeal Cookie- from a teenager
Juice box- from a dad

But it doesn't stop there, the little boy was friends with a nice, Hispanic family who just happened to be having a cookout in the park. They warmly invited both of us to join them. The pool was getting cold, and he was not too excited about going home, so we accepted their offer. They cooked a big pot of corn on the cob. The lady served the corn by spreading mayo all over it and then dipping it into crumbled cheese. (Side note- I pointed to the crumbled cheese and asked ¿Qué es eso? and she said "queso." I paused, then it made me laugh).  They were a sweet family, and they invited us to also stay for helado (ice cream), but I had to kindly decline, because once again, I wasn't willing to risk giving the 5-year old any more sugar.

It was a fun night. I was able to speak very broken Spanish with the family for a bit while the kids played together, and they invited me to come visit them at the park again (so sweet of them).
Well, in conclusion, babysitting is great. Kids are great; they help and inspire me to become more bold and friendly.

More than a Sentence

"The Days are Long, but the Years are Short." -a quote from my one-sentence journal

In my case, the days are long and the weeks are short. This week was fast. I still can't believe it's Friday. Every night I write in my "one-sentence journal" to remember my days, because my life moves along, and I don't want to forget things. I like writing a sentence, it's very easy. Anyways....
As I look at this practice on a deeper level, I realize that one day my life will just be sentences. Life will be done, and I won't be here any longer.  The things I did will be left as sentences in that journal. I guess what I am getting at is that I can't let the things I do on Earth just simply be "sentence-worthy." They need to be "kingdom worthy." The things I do need to not just be for me. They can't just be of this earth. I can't take earthly things to Heaven. Sadly, most of the time my sentences are earthly and no more. They are about tests, activities, what I did, who I saw, and even the weather (lame).
I hope to drift away from those things being the only things worthy for the journal that I will keep for the rest of my earthly life.
A verse- But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

My journal. My past.

Let's go up

This last week I have been nannying a high-enery 10 year-old boy every day from 6:45 to 3:30.  Thankfully the weather has been superb, so we have been outside constantly. Outdoor things are fun, but today was Day 4 of jumping on the trampoline, gardening, and walking to local parks, so we needed to do something new, but still active. I was reminded of the museum passes at the library. Our family has taken advantage of them maybe once, mainly because there are six of us, and the pass only gives 2 tickets. But today 2 was the magic number.

So where did we go? The Foshay Tower. I had never been there before, and I assumed the kid hadn't been there either, considering he only lives in Mpls for the summer and school breaks. Ironically, I was wrong, but that didn't stop his excitement. He was more than happy to go again.

The next question you may ask: How did we get there? Biked, of course! No way was I driving on this beautiful day, and we needed an enery-burning outlet, so biking was the way to go. Yes, the Foshay tower is in downtown Minneapolis, and it may seem crazy to take a 10 year old biking in downtown, but I did bring Ben along so Ty was sandwiched in between the two of us the whole time.

The tower was beautiful, and the ride up the elevator was very fast. The reason people come to the tower is to see out 32 stories high from the looking deck, and that is what we did.

We could see Richfield, St. Paul, the Twin's stadium, hawks, window washers on other skyscrapers, and people driving from below. I was glad we went, plus the outing was completely free. I didn't have to pay for admission tickets, gas money, or parking-perfect.

Here are some picture from the Foshay-

The end, or should I say the beginning?

It's the end of the 2011-2012 school year. The Summer is the start of a new chapter. My Summer plans are still not finalized yet (well some of them). I will be sharing what those plans are as the days and weeks go on, but for now they don't matter. However, I do want to talk about graduating.
Watching the seniors graduate from Hope Academy was A. different, B. exciting, C. eye-opening. It was different because it has never happened before. ever. It was exciting because it really was an exciting graduation ceremony. It wasn't a long presentation of names; it was meaningful, entertaining, and promising. It was eye-opening because adulthood is so much more real to me. I have friends who are stepping into it. I will be a grown-up in a year. That's hard to grasp.
It wasn't sad for me, because I will see them again, but I will miss them. Instead, I just feel happy for them! They are doing exciting things, and I am proud of them all.
Well, I am thankful for another year of high school. I will treasure my senior year. I will treasure this summer. Life is short. Be thankful.

one more week

I have one more week left of junior year. That's hard to believe. It really is. I thought I would stay young forever, but I guess that doesn't happen. I hope I can finish my last week well. At least I still have senior year to look forward to, right?