if you're looking for ways to serve...

but have little ones at home who don't allow you to go out into the community, check this out. I love that Kelly is doing this. I think it is such a great idea. There is additional information about it here. Be a part of something great.

And by the way, if you have never visited Kelly's blog, you are in for a treat. She is a great writer and is super creative in so many ways. One of my favorite blogs ever. Also, check out her cute little etsy shop here (she updates it frequently). I already have things from her shop on my "must-have" list for someday when I have a little one of my own.

*cute*

If you need something to make you smile, check out this cute little girl and her sister here.

the giving garden and a few other things

In light of catching up, here are some pictures from The Giving Garden / MLK Service Day this past week that I attended with other members of the Student Social Work Organization on campus. This was a really cool thing to be a part of. We helped beautify a place that was not being used on campus, and then built raised garden beds that will grow fresh produce. We also helped out at the kids' station, where they planted tomatoes, chard, and peas, and made signs to label them. Once harvested, the produce from these gardens will be donated to Tacoma's Good Neighbor Café, a facility providing breakfast and dinner to homeless and low-income individuals. How resourceful is that? I love this concept.

While I am here, I want to tell you about a really great deal going on over at Clean Play DVDs. They are having a liquidation sale - 70% off and free shipping tomorrow. Just thought I would pass it on.

Today I burned my right pointer finger on the cigarette burner in our car. I was trying to put the part in that comes out (because we recently had an ipod charger plugged into it) and it popped back out, hit me in the finger, burned a hole in my mitten and burned my finger (luckily I had mittens on). My finger still smells burnt. It left this charred circle. Not fun.

Tonight W is working late and I'm busy editing pictures. I am three shoots behind. Trying to catch up. Thanks for your patience if you are one of these three.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

must-see movie

Have you seen this movie? I am rarely one to see movies in the real theater and instead usually wait until they hit the dollar theater or video store, so I didn't see this movie until recently. It really was so touching. I cried through a lot of it. Dakota Fanning does such a fabulous job. It's not just a girly movie - I think guys might like it too. (Admittedly, I haven't read the book, so I don't have that to compare it to, but on its own it was excellent.) Go see it at your local dollar theater or rent it when it hits the video stores. You'll be glad that you did.

confession

There's something you should know about me. Are you ready? I really cannot draw. There, I said it. I consider myself to be a fairly creative person, but when it comes to drawing, it's just not happening. To demonstrate, I will share with you a picture I attempted to draw this weekend while playing Pictionary with some friends. It says "homebodies" at the top because that is what I was supposed to be drawing, but there was a mix up, and consequently I thought I was supposed to be drawing something else. Can you guess what it is?

Do I hear a mangled Beagle anyone? Because I wouldn't blame you if you thought so. But no, this is my attempt to draw a unicorn. Seriously. This is what I'm saying about not being able to draw. (Aleisa, I bet you didn't think I would really post this on my blog, right?) I was laughing so hard about this, I started to cry. I really got a work out from all of the laughing. It was great.

Other weekend note-worthy events:

1. We chaperoned a youth dance. I was surprised by how much fun it ended up being. We danced right along with them. We haven't danced together since our wedding, and even then it wasn't really dancing (how much can you dance in a big, heavy dress?) But before that, we both loved dancing. It was nice to re-visit that love.

2. I finally had time to give our house some much-needed attention. I cleaned the guest bathroom, tidied up my office a bit, did laundry, and lots of other things around the house. I am starting to feel a bit more in control of my life, which is a good thing.

3. I finally finished up these senior pictures.

Overall, it was a great weekend. Tomorrow is the start of another busy week. Bring it on!

applying to graduate school aka what has been sucking every minute of my time lately

Throughout my BASW program I have considered going to graduate school. We have gone back and forth with the idea, always leaning towards going. As the application deadline got closer, the feeling that I should apply got stronger, so the past couple of months I have been working on my application stuff a little here and there as I had time (which, let's be honest, was not very often). After Christmas, I was really down to the wire (the deadline was January 15th), so I made it my top priority and everything else in my life pretty much fell apart. Seriously. (Our Christmas decorations are still not put away, for example) The program I'm applying to is extremely competitive. I have been told that only between 1-5 people from my current program get accepted. At the orientation meeting, I was told that my application must be flawless (no pressure). Keeping my essay in the perameters they required was the most difficult part (four pages for a two-part essay, 12 pt. font, double spaced. Not an easy thing to do). I also had to have a current resume, reference letters, a GPA worksheet, transcripts (when you've attended seven schools, this is not an easy - or cheap - task), applications to the school and to the program, and then I had to sign a bunch of documents. It was mostly the essay and resume that took so long, as well as the presentation. Anyway, I am so glad it is done. Words cannot express the relief I felt as I handed it in last Monday (Julie and I drove our applications up together. My hands, arms and lips were tingly the whole way up there. I was super nervous.) I find out in March. I'm trying not to think about it until then (other than documenting the experience here).

I finished putting all of the application materials together early Sunday morning at 4:00am (I was trying to finish before Sunday because I didn't want to work on it on the Sabbath). The night before that I had stayed up until 3:00am (and kept W and Josh up that early, too, helping me. Thanks guys.). After church on Sunday I laid down to take a nap at 3:00pm and when I woke up it was 12:30am! I was really surprised. I guess I needed the sleep.

Here is some visual documentation of this painful process.
[Click on the group of pictures to see them bigger]

1. The reject pile. Rough drafts, papers with mistakes, etc. 2. W helping me fix the formatting on one of my documents. (He was such a huge help to me with this whole thing) 3. This is how I felt at 3:00am last Saturday night / Sunday morning. I was so ready to be done. 4. The application packet in progress. 5. A smile. Putting my application packet together. Finally! 6. Getting closer... 7. Sitting back to take a break for a minute. 8. The folder I put everything into. I labeled each pocket and put the materials inside (the application packet, transcripts, reference letters, etc.) 9. Another shot of the application materials. 10. The pretty Peace Lilies W surprised me with on Monday after I turned everything in. I love them. And him.

It might seem silly to document something like this and make such a big deal out of it but to us, it felt like one of those huge things in your life...one of those defining moments. Like my mission. Like getting married. This really feels that big to us. I have worked so hard to get to the point where I could actually be considered for this program. I guess that's why I put so much into it and was so nervous about the whole thing. I am feeling a lot of peace about it now though, for which I am grateful. Even if I don't get in, I am really okay with it because I know I put a lot of effort into it and represented myself the best I could.

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I have a list of things I want to blog about. Hoping to get to that soon.

Today I had the opportunity to be a part of something beautiful. I reunited two people who have thought about each other every day for over 30 years. I followed this case from beginning to end; I spent hours researching, I reached many dead ends, I did a couple of things I was a little nervous about...but in the end, I spoke with the birth mother and then with her daughter, and both cried as I told them I was in touch with the other. It was such a touching experience, tears came to my eyes as well. After I left my internship, I drove to class with tears in my eyes the whole way. Family connections are so special and I'm grateful I get to spend three days a week making them happen.

yum

Wendel, my brother, and I took advantage of the great deal they were having at The Old Spaghetti Factory tonight. It was their 40th Anniversary so they had really good deals to celebrate. Meals were only $2-$3! That included pasta, a salad, bread, and dessert. It was a pain to drive up to Seattle in rain and traffic, but so worth it. We thought the restaurant would be packed but I guess no one knew about it because we got seated right away. It's nice to catch a good deal like this every once in a while, especially at such a yummy place. (If you missed this deal, they are having 40% off on Monday and Tuesday nights through January, which is still a really great deal.)

Can't wait until after the 15th (hopefully sooner)...my life will be a bit less stressful after I get my grad school application in. Until then, signing off.

See more of this cute couple here.