party party party

tonight was my going-away party.
what fun!!

kind of bitter/sweet, you know...so excited about moving and excited about my gifts and starting my new life and moving into my apartment...but at the same time sad to leave this place i've called my home for the last 11 years.

it is time for change. i am eager to embrace it!!

one of the coolest presents that i got tonight was from my mom.

yes...that is a pink vacuum!! how cool, right? so excited! the card she put with it said: "this present really sucks." i know, right?! haha. good stuff.

i got lots of kitchen things, like frying pans, and a pink strainer and knives, and measuring cups. good stuff. and lots of toilet paper, too. won't be running out of that for a bit.

the biggest joke of the night was about how i'm going to be living off of ramen noodles. supposedly i'm going to write a "pioneer cookbook" for them. all the different ways to prepare ramen noodles. so everyone was going on and on about it...and then all the sudden i opened this big wrapped box and it was a HUGE supply of noodles. oodles of noodles!! soooo funny!

it was a really nice evening. lots of laughter, a few tears, and an honest send-off for me. i feel like i've made everyone proud. they're excited for me to start my new life and expand my ministry. i had a good day! :)

picture to share...

a few weeks ago my mom took some really great shots of chris and i. i love that he's up for a photo shoot. lord knows that any guy of mine has got to be comfortable in front of a camera! :) i love him so much!

the countdown has begun....

i officially have 19 days left in omak. i can't beleive it. i'm finally getting out!!! yay! haha...everyone's dream: to leave their small little town for a big-city adventure. the cool thing is that its a spiritual adventure too. i'm getting really excited.

this saturday nanny sue is throwing a going away party for me. all the sisters from my congregation and a few from some of the surrounding ones are invited. its going to be a lot of fun. hopefullly i'll get some of the things im desperatly needing for my new appartment. i know that my mom bought me a vacuume...a pink one in fact! lol. good stuff. she says: "sorry shai, but the present i bought you really sucks..." and i guessed what it was. i am her daughter after all...20 years of getting and laughing at each others jokes. i'm going to miss that...and miss her.

over the weekend jennifer and i went to summerland for one last "good canada trip" before i move. we SO needed it. lazy days...good drinks...shopping...rice! (yay) then sunday night i got to go to a recording studio and sing a jingle for a radeo comercial that my dad needed. pretty stinkin' cool! so that was fun. it was nice to spend some real time just with jen before i leave. i am going to miss that girl like nobody's business!

service is good.
life is good.
i am a good liar! lol.
i guess its not all lies...i have so many reasons to smile.

missing chris something terrible right now. its been 2 and half weeks since i've seen him. the distance thing is really hard. harder that i thought it would be. and now i'm moving even farther away....good. jen and i are going down on sunday for band practice, so i'll get to see him then. can't wait. i miss that guy!

good night for now...good night for later. :)

thoughts on life:

"happiness at the end of the day is happiness with and because of each other."

okay folks....

there is something seriously wrong with the fact that it has been over a month and a half since i posted anything. yowza!!!

as you can imagine, a LOT has happened.

the 3 biggest things:

1. i got my hair cut and colored. nice and short and dark brown again. soooo luving it. :) i love having a cousin in beauty school! hair fun in the middle of the night in her living room. got to love it! (thx hannah)
2. katie came and stayed with me for all of the month of november. we had so much fun together. she's been gone for a week and i miss her already! i learned a lot from her and about myself during her visit. it was a special month.
3. I AM MOVING TO SPOKANE!!!! got final word on the apartment today and i start my new job at the wells fargo on the south hill on January 3rd. only a month to go. i am sooo excited. my friend lory that i met at pioneer school and i are going to be room-mates. and we are both going to become part of the American Sign Language group in spokane. this is my chance to expand my ministry and grow as a person. its just time for a change....time to move on with my life. so excited!! so thankful!!

life is going well. chris and i are doing so great. its 5 months tomorrow. i can't beleive how fast that went by. i love him so much. he makes me laugh and keeps me smiling. he is my best friend.

'till next time: may you have enough happiness each day to fall asleep smiling. love you!