Storms.
It's 12:25am and so past my bedtime. Lately the Midwest has been the victim of some AWE-mazing thunderstorms! Humidity has been deadly during the day and the temperatures have been high 80's. Now, if you know me at all, you know I love a good thunder storm (with the lightning and rain too, of course)! They're probably my fav. Tonight was the second of these thunderstorms this week. And these weren't just mild, a little lightning here, a little thunder there, oh no no no...massive, high winds, and flood people's basements amount of rain! One of the coolest, indescribable things happened tonight though...I will try my best to depict it for you...

My parents and I went outside to watch the storm coming. There was no sound, just lightning. No wind or even a breeze. The lighting that flashed lit up the whole sky...the kind that if there would have been no clouds, it would have made the sky look like it was still daytime...we walked into the middle of our cul-de-sac to see over the houses. It was lightning like crazy. It lit up the edge of a dark big cloud that looked like it was low enough to touch. We continued to watch the storm heading our way for another two minutes roughly. All of a sudden I thought the edge of this big cloud seemed nearer than it had just 30 seconds ago. As soon I said, "Dad look at that cloud!" we started to feel a breeze. Soon this breeze picked up to a wind and then gusts that made you lose your stance. This whole time we were watching this cloud move with this wind right past our eyes. It was the wierdest thing...I have seen clouds move through the sky before, but this was different. As the cloud started to float over our heads the wind picked up and the thunder instantly started along with some big rain drops. I had never seen anything like it before. It all happened within one minute. This cloud carried behind it a massive storm that caught everyone and everything off guard. It took a minute to come but it was mighty.

God knows when I need to be reminded of his magnificent power and might. And He knows just the way to do it.

Psalm 18

1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.

2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.

12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning.

13 The LORD thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them.

49 Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O LORD; I will sing praises to your name.

It's my Father's Day!

Happy Father's Daddio! Here's a few things I love most about you!

I love...
...your sense of humor
...the way you make me laugh
...when you say "Goodie" and "Hot Dog"
...how you always try to make me laugh when I'm mad, which makes me more mad
...your stretching routine every morning
...when you heed my expert fashion advice
...when you text me while I'm at work
...your occupation
...how you constantly move your feet while watching tv or movies
...when you try to cut your own hair
...that you're a perfectionist
...that your initials spell your name
...the dirty mustache and ginorm glasses you had before I was born
...when you highlight misspelled words and grammar errors in manuals
...when you choose which of my outfita you like best when I ask your opinion
...how you always touch my injuries when I show them to you
...when you were Sonny and Cher
But most of all, I love...
...that you live for the Lord and instilled that in your daughters
...how you cry at movies
...that you love having daughters
...your tender heart
...that the Lord chose you to be my Daddy
...when you call me Panda
...how much little kids love you
...that we can't sit by each other without holding hands or touching
...how you are always caring and wanting to know where I am
...how you treat my Mother
...that I want to marry someone just like you
...that you fell in love with my Mom!

I love you Dad and thank you for being the only Father I could ever want!

Happy Easter!
http://vimeo.com/9481715 - Watch this!
"Hallelujah for the Blood, the Precious Blood which flowed from Him, to cleanse the deepest stain of sin!"
"Hallelujah for the Crown, the Crown of thorns that pierced and shed, the drops of Mercy from His head!"
"Hallelujah my soul sings, on Calvary's cross there hung the King, and for MY sin, He suffered loss...I will in rejoice in Jesus' Cross! Hallelujah for the Cross!"
http://vimeo.com/9600625 - Watch this!

Oh, for the first time, it feels like Spring! I wore a scarf to work this morning and after my lunch break, I left it at home...on purpose! No scarf, no gloves, no hat...just a light jacket, the breeze in my hair, and some stylish sun glasses. The snow is melting, the sun is shining, I started to sweat in my car so I had to open my window! There was a high of 52 degrees today: BRILLIANT! Summer is coming! I am beyond excited, anticipating the feeling of cutie summer dresses, and flips, and open toed heels! OH I'm getting gitty! I can't wait to begin my *"Ooooo, Ooooo, Hot Summer Nights" in my hometown Phoenix, Arizona! It will be quite warm here at the end of May, but hotter in Phoenix! And that's when I'm going. 

Can. Not. Wait.

In the summer days ahead, I'm looking forward to...

1. going to Phoenix

2. eating lots of fruit

3. read books

4. make a video (or a few) for Sermon Spice

5. watching the new season of White Collar

6. try something new

7. getting a tan

8. driving with my windows down

9. go on photo excursions with my dad's Canon 20D

10. play softball

11. go swimming...outside

12. invent my new favorite drink with the juicer

13. go on evening walks around the neighborhood. listening to birds, breeze, trees, bugs.

Let's anticipate summer together! Its coming!

*Inside joke (with siblings)

Just to clarify, this is a "worried"/"hmmm, I wonder" expression... not a wanna-be smile. 

I have some goals; most seem unattainable, but my goals none-the-less.
Some are more aspirations than goals rather. But these are the things I think about and ponder on, on a daily basis. Whether I will conquer the chance to accomplish one of these soon or if I will continue to dream about them and never attain them? When can I begin one of these journeys so my list can obtain a beautiful check mark in front of one of these ambitions; and my blog can be filled with stories of the unimaginable adventures?! Will any of these ever happen? I pray so.
I desire to...
1. backpack overseas
2. go to Bodenseehof (or somewhere alike)
3. work on a real ranch (with a horse of my own) for at least one year
4. attempt to make a living out of singing
5. get a minuscule tattoo of "1 Corinthians 1:18" with a cross somewhere on my physical structure
6. go bungee jumping
7. fly a small airplane
8. learn how to play the guitar
9. write a series of children's story books and get them published
10. write a song and sell it on itunes
11. get a new vehicle
12. move to a different part of the country, preferably with a year round warm climate
13. be on The Amazing Race
14. lose 10 lbs.
15. do Missions for at least one year in any overseas country
16. grow my hair past my collar bone
17. get my very own puppy
18. get married
19. travel with my hunk of a husband
20. have children

This is...#1: for my Aunt, who has been requesting it of me for far too long, and now I'm Finally getting around to it!...and #2: just for some fun!
I LOVE to accessorize my outfit with a scarf... tonight, I am showing you two to three different ways to tie your scarf and give you the classy, yet comfy, look. Oh I love it!
So....
Scarf Tie Numero Uno:

This is probably my favorite way to tie a scarf. This Tie is easiest if you are using a thick, long scarf...a thin, short scarf would not give you the full, comfy look this scarf does. Now...how do you do it?

Step 1: Put the scarf around your neck...from there do the action you see in the photo. The part of the scarf you see hanging in the photo, should be shorter than the end that is going around your head. Next...

Step 2: you should have two hanging pieces of scarf...this can be a cute way to wear the scarf as well, just relax the "noose" around the neck for a more comfortable fit (so another optional Tie style). Moving forward...

Step 3: is to tie the hanging pieces into a "knot". (Please ignore the big chubby face at the top of the photo....) You will want to pull the peices vertical, like so, not horizontal as if you would be tying a normal knot. And from here...

COMPLETE! Mission Accomplished! Well done...pretty soon you can tie this in your sleep.

The next Tie is much easier, and faster...finished product looks like this...

Scarf Tie Numero Dos:

So...

Step 1: form a "lasso"with your hand....

Step 2: put it around your neck, like so...

Step 3: pull the loose ends through the lasso...

COMPLETE! And there you have it! Take note, one end is shorter than the other to give a nice effect. If they were both the same length it wouldn't look as sweet! Take note, you could even stagger the lengths more than I have in this photo...I usually have one shorter still than what you see here!

And last but not least...the easiest of all Ties...

Scarf Tie Numero Tres:

I suggest doing this tie with a thinner, shorter scarf. Doesn't look right with a thick one...

Step 1: just knot...and..

Step 2: adjust...

Wallah! El Fin!

And an alternate way is one end in front of the shoulder and the other behind!

I hope these Step-by-step photos help you learn how to do it on your own! Have fun with your style! Remember..."Style is nothing if you don't have the posture to show it off with"

Is this not the most delightful room you have ever seen? I dream to have a reading loft like this some day! I love everything about it....from the sunlight, to the solid wood frame. Just makes my mouth water.

Picture property of House Beautiful Magazine