LAGUNA MAIN BEACH

CRYSTAL COVE - LAGUNA

Okay, no one wants to see THIS many pictures of us ... but we arrived here at the perfect time - SUNSET. I could not stop taking pictures. It was gorgeous and I wanted to capture it ALL. That resulted in a picture OVERLOAD on our blog :-)

BALBOA ISLAND

LAGUNA BEACH

Blog Worthy

Yesterday morning I was on my way to class. I was just a few streets away from where I usually park, and I was the first car stopped at a red light.  The light then turned green and I proceeded to go.  I looked to my left (thankfully, even though NO ONE should have been coming) and see a car coming towards me. So I hesitate and look the light again, wondering if it was not green after all, surely he is NOT running a RED light STRAIGHT INTO ME! Well I was right, about the green light, and about his driving straight into me.  Thankfully he hit the left corner of my car and NOT the left door, that would have been terrible. I am so thankful that I did hesitate and check the light again! Well I am totally fine but my car may not be. I could not even drive the car out of the intersection. It was quite a scene. My car was totally blocking a busy intersection on campus at 8:30 in the morning.  The kid took all responsibility and was issued a citation right there. I had a witness who told the cops everything, and were no injuries. Though I am not sure my poor car is going to make it :-( Sad. I was just thinking the other day how much I liked my car. Nothing fancy, a Ford Focus, but I really love it.  And it's a stick which I love and they are not too common.

Well the point of this post is not really to tell you about my car, but you now know the story.  Last night Andy told me he wished we had had the camera with us, to take pictures of my car. I asked him why, and he said "For the blog"  Andy doesn't have anything to do with the blog and rarely knows what I post about, yet he even thought yesterdays incident was blog worthy :-) I am happy he is always thinking of my blog :-) If my car is  right off, I'll be sure to get some pictures!

CHOCOLATE X 3

Meet my latest addiction.  My first job in high school was working at a store that sold GELATO.  This gelato was amazing and much to my delight, we could eat as much as we wanted (and I wonder why I got so fat in Matric.) Well, as a result of eating so much gelato when I was younger, I will only eat good quality ice cream and I won't eat any generic brand.  That is, until I met Chocolate Trinity.  Publix is the local grocery store and their store brand ice cream is DELICIOUS. 

Here is a description of the ice cream - "We start with the freshest ingredients, like the rich, dark chocolate you'll taste in our Chocolate Trinity Ice Cream. Then we take thick Mackinac Fudge and swirl it right in. And if that wasn't enough, we load it all with mini cups of thick fudge." Publix

So, if you happen to be in a grocery store in the south, I hope you will meet my new friend!

You shouldn't be surprised with this post, considering how much I happen to mention CHOCOLATE on this blog!

3 About Me

dfHow to play this game of tag: Post these rules on your blog. List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/ collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. 

Tag 5 people @ the end of your post by leaving their names.

3 Joys

1) Andy and Family

2) Good Friends

3) CHOCOLATE -  It really does brighten my day 

3 Fears

1) Shots (needles in general)

2) Public Speaking 

3) The dentist

3 Goals

1) Finish school

2) Run a 1/2 marathon (Emily, you put this one to shame ;-)

3) Learn to cook (well better) 

3 Current Obsessions

1) MAC - I just got one and I LOVE it.

2) Golden Spoon - Pity don't have it here.

3) Shopping - I think I miss the city way too much

3 Random Surprising Facts About Myself

1) I have the worst eating habits EVER. I just can't stop.  I eat cookies for breakfast, chips for diner, oh the list goes on. I love healthy food, but I love junk food too.

2) I don't ever get on a scale, but if I am feeling fat, I'll try on almost every pair of pants/shorts that I have to see if it fits differently! It's odd and Andy just laughs at me. 

3)I don't like decorating. well it's not that I don't like it, I just can't do it. I have no creative ideas and can't put things together in my head. So, if you have any decorating tips, suggestions, ideas - I AM ALL EARS.  

Some people love tags, others hate them.  So, if you are one that LOVES them then I tag YOU. If you hate them then I don't tag you and HAPPY READING. 

LA Temple

Los Angeles Temple

Andy and I were married in this Temple and we don't get to go often, so it was great to be able to go while we were in Cali.  

I just love it!

Georgia Friends

A Group Picture

Of some of our GA friends.

(Andy was out of town for work, so is not in the picture)

Indiana

Pictures to be added soon.

WICKED

We were able to see WICKED while we were in CA. What an amazing show. Some people are just so incredibly talented. We had a great night with Andy's family, and missed those that weren't there.

A.R.M.Y

A Righteous Mormon Youth

Girls Camp was a blast. The Girls were AWESOME, the weather was perfect and I had a great time. It was wonderful being around so many quality girls for the week.

Andy (aka Mr. Charis :-) was asked to come up for a day, as they needed men at the camp at all times. It was great to have him there with me.

Lindsey & Me at the Waterfall on the hike.

Half way up the 425 stairs

Still looking a refreshed. The first day at camp.

Crazy Cute Girls

1st and 3rd year hike

Georgia STORMS

A few weeks ago we had the craziest THUNDER & LIGHTNING storms. I have seen quite a few storms but nothing compared to that one. Andy and I both woke up to the same lightning strike. The sky was alight for a few seconds at a time and it was the craziest/scariest thing I've seen in a while. Well after talking with my neighbor (okay, her name is Kate - so I don't have to keep calling her my neighbor) I come to find out this is not too uncommon for Georgia. Since then the weather has been pretty calm...until last night.

A crazy storm came through our area, and this is what we woke up to.

And this is ONLY a picture of the tree that fell on our property and is our responsibility.

Now this may not seem all that big but the root seriously stands about 10 feet tall and HOW ON EARTH ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET RID OF THIS THING!!!!!!! Not to mention we quite like having the trees and love our lot. Now as soon as the wind blows I get paranoid that another tree is going to fall down.

You know you ARE in the South when...

Your neighbor asks you if you want to go in on a calf with them. No more buying our meat from the friendly grocer. No, we go straight to the butcher and we (together with our neighbors) order a WHOLE cow, we tell him exactly how we want the meat cut and we go pick it up and bring it home in our own containers.

That's what we'll be doing for our meat supply next year, well when our neighbors run out of their $1500 worth of meat ;-)

Inspiring Quote

Sometimes (well often times ;-) I need a little convincing. Maybe you do too.

A quote from C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity:

God's work in our lives can be painful, but His ultimate goal is to transform us into something better. Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what he is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is he up to? The explanation is that he is building quite a different house from the one you thought of — throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself.

Blog Therapy

If you thought blogging was a time waster you can rest assured it is not. Not only is it NOT bad, but some actually believe it is a GOOD thing.

Take a look at this article.

So, BLOG AWAY

3's

Have you ever heard that things often happen in 3's?

Well this week I've received 2 pieces of good news.

1.
I got into UGA. I'll start in the Fall. You'd (well I'd) think I'd get automatic admission seeing as my husband is on faculty and well I can't really go away to school. But I don't, but I did get in all by myself. That's good news.

2.

My Green Card finally came, it only took a whole year. I assumed my ten year one would be approved but still you want the card in hand to know for sure. Well it arrived today. Yay. No more renewing and paying attorney fees and going to appointments. Next step - CITIZENSHIP. It's not that I want to give up my SA Citizenship, I just won't renew my SA Passport when it expires (in 10 years ;-) Renewing a SA Passport in the US is a hassle.

3.

I am still waiting for that one :-)

You know you are NOT from the South when...

You want to call 911 or at least the push the alarm, when you see a tiny flash outside. Nope, no burglar in our backyard turning his flashlight on and off.

Just a LIGHTNING BUG

Courage

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying "I will try again tomorrow". 

Mary Anne Radmacher

Ferndale

The world does not seem that big when you have Google Earth
But it does when you have to buy a plane ticket to visit home

Ferndale High
In all it's glory....

Stressed?

Take a look here

Happy Popping

How's your bracket?

I can't say I LOVE Basketball but Andy really does. For the past few years I've been filling out a bracket. I know nothing about the teams so I just guess who will win. It definitely makes March Madness alot more fun... for me and Andy. For the sake of our marriage I've picked UCLA to wih the championship ;-)

My Picks

HAPPY 100 POSTS

99

That's my final grade for my math class :-) That may not be a big deal to most but I barely passed Standard Grade Math in Matric, so I'm pretty happy... oh and this is my 99th post!!!

Enjoy Your Hot Chocolate

Anything with the word Chocolate grabs my attention!!!!!!!!! So of course I read this forward when it appeared in my inbox.

Thanks, Charli :-)

Enjoy Your Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortmentof cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: 'Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

And enjoy your hot chocolate.

Worth of a Soul

Here is the video footage which inspired the picture.

The Worth of a Soul

If you've read my blog over a period of time, you'll know by now that my brother and and sister-in-law have adopted a little black girl. I saw this picture on a blog and I just love it. Perhaps even more so because of Jessica.

When I first posted this picture I did not know the story behind it. Take a look here if you are interested in reading more about the picture.

New Neighbor

One of my neighbors just sent me these pictures. This otter lives in the pond in our development - I've said before that we live in the middle of nowhere :-) These kinds of neighbors remind me of that :-)

UTAH

Andy attended a conference at the U of Utah this past weekend. It was a working/skiing/snowboarding conference :-) So while he worked and played I shopped, visited with friends and got my hair done :-) It was a great weekend.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WEEK TO ME......

I turn 30 this week and I can't say I am happy about this number. This the first year I have actually cared how old I am turning... Hopefully I'll start to feel a little better about being 30.

I'm IT

ALL ABOUT ANDY......

What's his name? Andrew Crafton
How long have you been married? 3 Years on 03/19
How long did you date? We got engaged on our 1 year anniversary
How old is he? 6 months older than me - 30
Who eats more? He does
Who said, "I love you," first? He did :-)
Who is taller? He is.
Who sings better? Andy - well he can definitely keep a tune better than I can.
Who is smarter? Definitely Andy - although he does remind me that he was in college for 10 years so he should be a little more book smart :-)
Who's temper is worse? His.
Who does the laundry? Me, but he is more than happy to do it if he needs something specific and I'm not planning in doing laundry that day.
Who does the dishes? Me, unless I make a real meal (not often) then he cleans up.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Andy - but sometimes I switch sides.
Who pays the bills? He pays the mortgage and credit cards, I pay the rest.....
Who mows the lawn? Taylor-Made Lawncare - Thank you, Taylor Jenkins... :-)
Who cooks dinner? Me - but I don't cook too often. We eat out a lot!!
Who drives when you are together? He does
Who is more stubborn? I think he is :-) He thinks I am :-)
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Neither :-(
Whose parents do you see the most? His of course.
Who has more friends? I keep in touch with friends way better, so it seems like me. But his friends are loyal and they always seem to find each other again to catch up - I'll ditto Courtney on that one!!!!!!!
Who has more siblings? I do.
Who wears the pants in the family? I think I do :-) But it's pretty even.

BEAUTIFUL BALLERINA

Jessica just started ballet. Here some pictures of her looking darling. I just love these pictures - I had to post them

If you don't know - Jessica is my adopted neice in S.A

5 THINGS

I have not blogged in a while so thought I'd do this tag from Tran -

Happy reading way too much information about me :-)

TEN YEARS AGO!
1. Had been in the US almost a year
2. Au Pair for the Mele's
3. Deciding what to do next - UT
4. Having a blast with Emma & Kelly
5. Can't remember

FIVE PLACES I HAVE LIVED!
1. Cape Town, SA
2. Jo'burg, SA
3. Bellevue, WA
4. Orem, UT
5. Watkinsville, GA

FIVE THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST!
1. Study for a math test
2. Complete a theater lesson (online)
3. Find some place that will finish our deck - it needs t be stained
4. I can't think of any more which is a good thing as it is late on a Saturday night :-)
5.

I ENJOY!
1. Surfing the internet
2. Taking pictures
3. Digital Scrapbooking
4. Shopping
5. Anything crafty

TWO BAD HABITS!
1. For how organized and neat I am I am terrible at keeping the fridge organized. I open it and put something anywhere as long as it does not fall....
2. I can't think of another and neither can Andy - that's a good sign :-)

FIVE THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME!
1. I cry during any movie, or even some commercials if it's even a little sad or someone else is crying.
2. I eat so much chocolate it's embarrassing. I just can't get enough and not just any chocolate it has to be Cadbury's Dairy Milk or Toblerone
3. I have 6 sisters and 3 brothers - it's complicated
4. I HAVE to get the gas whenever I have to get work done at the dentist - no matter how much it costs (and it's not cheap) or else I am a disaster during the visit.
5. I am so afraid of shots or getting blood drawn that I usually cry while or before I am about to get it done.

FIVE JOBS THAT I HAVE HAD!
1. Worked at an ice cream store
2. Accounts Receivables
3. Receptionist
4. Asssistanct Director at Kindercare
5. Preschool Teacher

So now is the time to tag others..

WHOEVER WANTS TO :-)

Curious

It is not uncommon for some people to go to the polls undecided on who they are going to vote for. I am curious ... what MORE information do they think they are going to get AT the poles that will make one candidate seem better than the other. Surely a person would figure it our BEFORE they get there.

Credit

I have to give credit where credit is due. My header picture is a quickpage download from digitalfreebies.com. You can pick up the freebie here

The Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley

Christmas 2007

We spent the holidays in CA with Andy's family. All 4 siblings (with their families) were there which made it an extra special Christmas