adopted into His kingdom..

Maybe it's the fall weather, but I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life's purpose. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, love my husband, love life. Yet, when I look at the progression my life has taken: school, career, marriage... it looks like the next "logical" step is kids.

I've been wrestling with the idea of kids... first, really desiring to have a child. I understand what it means when people say their biological clock is ticking. People are pregnant everywhere it seems - my sister with her third on the way.

These two topics about my life purpose and the idea of children have been mingling with each other in my head as of late. I was on the phone with my mom and brought up the idea of adoption again. This time she brought up the, "What would your mother-in-law think?" card. This was not an attack on my mother-in-law, but more of my mom's way of giving me a cultural wake-up. Who will continue on our biological line? My mom asked, "There's no way you could love an adopted child the way you could love your own biological one."

Ouch, that stung. I asked her back, "Then who WILL love the abandoned orphans?" Yes.. that is the question of the day.

More questions then answers... do I have.

CHEESE!

For Dave's Film and Theology class, he watched the movie Sideways which showcased the wineries of Santa Ynez Valley. Inspired by the movie, we decided it would be fun to venture out. On this spontaneous day excursion to the quaint Danish town of Solvang, we visited the Lucas & Lewellen Wine tasting room and the humble Hans Christian Anderson museum.

Highlights of the trip included the discovery of a bank called Rabobank, which we thought was such a funny name for a bank (because of its phonetic similarity to rob-a-bank) and a light picnic of Trader Joe's salad, chips, fruit and of course Two Buck Chuck and brie cheese at a small park.

All in all, an inexpensive but out of the ordinary, autumn getaway.

U2 360 Tour

U2 @ the Rose Bowl on October 25th, 2009. This is what 96,000 people in one stadium looks like.

"See the world in green and blue
See China right in front of you
See the canyons broken by cloud
See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out
See the Bedouin fires at night
See the oil fields at first light
And see the bird with a leaf in her mouth
After the flood all the colors came out

It was a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
Beautiful day"

It didn't happen unless there's a picture of it.

At a concert last night, there were several people (probably much younger than us) taking pictures of themselves during the concert... To the point it was blinding the people behind them. I get a sense that we live in a generation where the mindset is, "If there isn't a picture of it, it didn't happen."


So, here's my contribution. This is a picture from the Jason Mraz concert at the Hollywood Bowl on October 10, 2009.

Seven hundred thirty two

Two years of marriage.

That doesn't seem like much on paper.

But that's seven hundred and thirty two days and nights together. That many days laughing, joking, singing, smiling... also that many days of talking through decisions, debating sometimes arguing. That many days wanting more time together and some times apart.

We are changing and growing with each new month -one of the joys of getting married early. My parents told us to wait until we were both done school, but here we are in school and living life - together. And all the more happier for it.

In these seven hundred and thirty two days, we have lived a year in Azusa and a year in Pasadena. I have become a registered nurse and work full-time. Dave is halfway through his program at Fuller and I'm halfway through mine at APU. Dave has written over twenty songs.

He learned a little Spanish and stopped. I learned a little guitar and stopped.

In the course of two years, we have been to five California beaches, San Francisco, Las Vegas, the Oregon Coast, the Redwoods, the Grand Canyon, Mammoth Lakes, Yosemite, and on our anniversary, the Channel Islands (which is where this picture was taken).

We have had thirteen people sleep on our IKEA sofabed over the course of two years. I have broken one plate, one side plate, and no cups! We have gone through 8 tubes of toothpaste, but are still on the same bottle of Windex (Erica would not be proud).

Seven hundred and thirty two days and counting!

Cardiovascular

Recently, I was reminded of a group science project I had in the fourth grade. Our group was assigned to present on the circulatory system. We made a colorful slide for the overhead projector distinguishing the difference between the red and blue vessels attached to the heart. We began with the basics: Arteries move blood Away from the heart. Veins move blood to the heart.

Fourteen years later, here I am working on a cardiac unit as a registered nurse. I see patients that have actual or potential problems with their circulatory system. Angina, syncope, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome, sick sinus syndrome, congestive heart failure, COPD, atrial fibrillation, AV blocks, pacemakers, AICDs, just to name a few.

And yet, when I recall the function of an artery, I still look up into the recesses of my brain and whisper to myself: Arteries move blood Away from the heart.

Mammoth, June Lake, Mono Lake & Yosemite

Dave and I tried to squeeze in a weekend camping trip before the summer ends. June Lake was gorgeous. Daytime temperatures ranged in the 70's. We were amazed by clarity of the water of the lake. June Lake is a gem of a campsite especially at the peak of summer tourism. We camped at Oh Ridge, surprised to find empty campsites left and right of us, only a short walk from the beach. Fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking... a perfect weekend getaway.

Mono Lake.

Some words to describe this lake: alkaline, tufa towers, fishless, brineshrimp, alkali flies. The Mono Lake committee works to protect this lake "nestled at the edge of the arid Great Basin and the snowy Sierra Nevada mountains in California. Mono Lake is an ancient saline lake that covers over 70 square miles and supports a unique and productive ecosystem."



We made sure to take a day to drive out to Yosemite since it relatively wasn't a far drive. From the 395, we took the Tioga Pass Highway 120 and took in some amazing views as we got to Yosemite Valley. Not having the energy to do the Half Dome, we chose the Mist Trail that took us to Vernal Falls.

As you can see, the sights were breathtaking!
You can't really tell in this picture, but the mist from the falls was soaking our backs. A definite reward after hiking moderate-to-strenuously for about an hour in the heat.

"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."
- Frank Lloyd Wright