Bambi, I'm sorry about the suburbs we built in your home

This is crazy, listen to what I just saw in my back yard!

I was innocently typing on my computer in the den, when I heard a strange, unfamiliar thump outside the house behind me. Just before I heard the noise, the neighbors had been kind of mingling in our yard, some kids and the guy on the other side of our court- I didn't think much of it, I thought they were retrieving a mistossed ball or frisbee or just doing their usual in everyone's business lurking thing. Ok, back to the thump- Ari heard it too who was chilling on the couch next to me. She perked up and we both turned around to look out the double glass doors leading out to the deck. There she was, a lost, very afraid, very shaky, deer on my deck (I live in the suburbs too, far from any major wildlife area)! It scared the tar out of me! I had a moment of panic- panic for the poor deer, panic like "oh my gosh, what should I do!" repeated over and over very fast with my hands waving in the air!

The deer stumbled over a swing on our deck and continued to run behind the house. Now I understood why the neighbors where in the yard gathering. I ran outside and shared my shock and wonder with everyone else. The neighbor boy (the same one who thank God, removed the mouse I caught the other day from the laundry closet) was giving me a play by play of how he believes the deer got here and how she is probably lying down to rest in someone else's yard by now. Then all of the court went over to the next street to see if the poor thing- by this point we had gotten several other neighbors all riled up just like us. Just think, we could have made the whole thing up since none of them hadn't see the deer. It's not made up though I promise.

I must rest now and wait for the deer to appear on the news. Oh! I should call the Action News Hotline! Bambi is probably galloping down Woodward now. If I were that deer I would head towards Cranbrook and live there in the woods.

I later found out that the police and animal control were called, although I heard my other neighbor say that the animal control lady is out of town so we'll just have to wait. I feel for this deer. Breaks my animal loving heart.

Lazy blogger

So look how great this is-- I don't even have to blog now, you can just read about things that are going down from other people who blog who were there! Ha!

Read about "The Undercover Baby Shower":

http://stalicious.typepad.com/stalicious/2007/06/the_undercover_.html

(I will still blog though :)

Can You Believe It?

I can't believe what great friends I have. I can remember my first days and months in Los Angeles feeling pretty alone, but working my butt off to meet people and establish myself there. That gradually started to happen as I settled into my teaching job and got involved at Mosaic. I was missing deep friendships though. So I prayed. And prayed. And kept asking God to provide me with some great women in my life. He responded in a major way and I started to notice this in the summer of 2005. I stepped back and realized I had some great deep friendships and little did I know many more were on their way- Andrea, Sarah, Cindy, Jess, Rosa, Cheryl, and more. SIX? What? One would have been great, but I received at least six!! These women have been such an important part of my life, blessing me in so many ways- putting with me, encouraging me, listening to me, laughing with (and sometimes at) me, picking me up when I'm down, and just being enormous sources of love, inspiration, and most importantly models of Christ's love. I hope that I have given even a small fraction to them what they have given me.

My LA ladies...from left...Cheryl, Andrea, me, and Sarah

Many of the original "Holy Hotties" in LA...such hotties.

Part of my ability to leave Los Angeles, to leave the best friends I've ever had, was believing that if God could provide me with as many as six deep, meaningful, life-giving friendships, then why wouldn't he do the same thing in another place? Well, by golly, he's in the process of doing it again! I'm now getting to the point of writing this little entry- my inspiration today- I wanted to show off one my newest, yet bestest friends, Nishba. She has been another answer to that same prayer I started praying in 2004 and again in the summer of 2006. I love Nishba because she gets me and I think I'm starting to get her! I'm excited to see what else is in store for our friendship. Ok, so really here's the part I wanted to share- (also more reasons why I love her!) Nishba has a fantistically huge heart for God and God's people and invested a year of her life serving for an organization called Mission Year. She lived in a rough part of Chicago, but was able to pour out the love of Christ that she radiates with ease on the folks there. Check out this video of my dear friend Nishba- you can spot her in it- she's the cute girl in one of the photos holding a baby with a big happy face on- she's wearing glasses in the picture...

http://www.missionyear.org/banquet_video/

Nishba!

Petunia filled Italian Love Affair

That is name of the color of the bridesmaid dress I wore this past weekend (petunia) and the name of the color of nail polish I have on my nails due to a wedding day manicure (Italian Love Affair)! My good friend from college, Cassie, got married this weekend up at MSU in the horticulture gardens and conservatory. It was a beeeeeeeeeuatiful day and a beautiful garden to have a wedding. I was one of 4 bridesmaids. Cassie looked fabulous of course.



The day was filled with lots of pampering and a few blips here and there too, including a 'bridal hair emergency' (Cassie hated her hair, so one of the girls fixed it for her in a closed door bobby pin/hair spray intervention).

The hair-do she hated, but had enough in her to laugh at it in Target as we picked up a few things before dealing with the emergency...

Fixed and feeling MUCH better!!

The dress is on and we're ready to go...mom by her side, sis in the background

It was great to be back on campus in such great weather- I was flooded with memories as Cassie and I weaved through MSU dodging all the closed off streets (narly construction all over the place)- mostly great memories- many were of me flying through campus on my bike to get to class- it's a HUGE campus.

Sparty's stand-in

I was reminded once again that weddings, even smaller ones, are a lot of work- especially when you're on a tight budget. Cassie and Ryan were very resourceful and had lots of cute, cleaver ideas.

Those are clementine candle holders! Yum.

A brick in the garden at MSU to remember their day...

Many blessings to Ryan and Cassie...