Dobbing for Apples

my dog is awesome

2010-11-16T13:47:00.000-08:00

2010 keeps chugging on....

2010-07-15T04:02:00.001-07:00

traveled...
graduated...
skiied...
...and brought in the year 2010 the best way I knew how; witnessing Travis Pastrana jump his rally car onto a barge in long beach.

Tahoe

2009-10-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Lake Tahoe!

Spawning salmon

The versa roughin it!

Fallen Leaf Lake

Alpine Water Falls. Climbed all over that thing!

River connecting to Lake Tahoe with spawning salmon

So long, farwell......

2009-08-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Kitale,

Today is the dreadful day we must part ways. I made so many memories with you and I feel as though my heart will burst when I think about all of the wonderful people I have come to love this summer. I cannot imagine any better way to spend my summer. Kitale- thank you for your people. Thank you for their generous hearts. Thank you for all of the lessons and skills you taught me, like how to make ugali and suma wiki. I will miss you. I will miss many of the people that live in your borders. They are wonderful people; take care of them.

Adorable Elea on our last swimming playdate. This kid LOVES Ashley(Aleeti, as he calls her)

Could anything in the world get any cuter? I love you, Adoti.

All of the kids making their mark at Oasis

Finished product!

Kitale, I will miss you. Your people will always be in heart. Forever.

Love,

Ky

The last weeks are full!

2009-08-15T04:31:00.000-07:00

This was taken at a crusade in Shimo La Tewa. Chris organized a youth activities in the morning and adult festivities at night. These children had the worst jigger infestation I have ever seen. The oldest seen holding her young sister is now at Sister Freda's being treated thanks to Torie Fields' big heart. Thank you Torie! Lucy loves you!

We also did our last craft day at Oasis of Hope. Each child and staff member had their left hand painted and placed in a hallway with their name written next to it. We made Oasis a little bluer that day!

On a sad note, we also had to say goodbye to Pat, Steve, Torie, Delia, and Sammy. We miss them all very much.

Swimming with Discover to Recover Boys

2009-08-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

These boys had never been swimming and we convinced them all to jump off the diving board into the deep end. Very brave boys!

Meeshack was first to jump! Can you see his hernia? Poor kid.

Good thing they loved being in the baby pool or this could have been a lifeguards nightmare! They were great kids!

Episode 3: Introducing you to some great kids that I have been spending some time with

2009-08-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

Meet Calvin, also known as Calvo. He is 6 years old and knows he's cute. You know he is really laughing when he crinkles his nose, like like baby Ann! Calvo goes to school at Purpose Driven Academy. He lives with Pastor Joel and his wife Margaret. They have a 3 bedroom house that is very tiny.....and they have 19 children living with them. No, that isn't a typo-19 children plus 2 adults in a 3 bedroom house. Needless to say, the living areas are very cramped and they don't have much. The 19 children are not genetically Pastor Joel and Margaret's but they have taken many of the young orphaned children that attend Purpose Driven Academy into their home to provide them with some sort of a family life.

Calvo is a great kid and loves to be swung around and tickled. I hope you enjoyed meeting this adorable little boy!

Sorry the pictures are small. They take a very long time to upload on kenyan internet. You may be able to click on them to enlarge them....?

We love bath time!

2009-08-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

We weighed Adoti the other day AFTER she ate lunch and she weighs 7kgs. That's about 15 lbs. She about 4 years old and 15lbs. I love those 15lbs of little girl more than you'll ever know.

Look who is now a chunker! Yay for Anna!

2009-08-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Life on the Compound

2009-07-26T01:04:00.001-07:00

We welcomed many new babies onto our compound this summer. And enjoyed an awesome hailstorm!

Lamb #1
Calf #1
Kid
Lamb #2
Calf #2
Trying to fill up a mug of hail
Torie and Delia in the hailstorm!

Pokot Clinic

2009-07-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

We did the 3 hour drive to Pokot in the Land Cruiser and ended up driving in a "direction" for about an hour to reach our destination. Rugged, right? No road or landmarks, just a general direction with no compass. Needless to say it was a beautiful drive...Don't take my word for it. Check out these pictures!

We were able to treat over 500 patients in this little church.

We treated mainly women and children.
One of those "I am in the middle of no where" moments
There are so many moments here that I am reminded I am so blessed to be here and doing all that I am. God is here in Kenya and working through His servants. It is incredible to be able to witness Him at work in so many areas. We cannot escape God, He is everywhere, even in the middle of nowhere in the desert!

gauze and tape

2009-07-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

Adoti is getting her eye corrected with a piece of gauze and tape. Just a few hours a day and her eye will be as good as new. Praise God!

Episode 2: Introducing you to some great kids that I have been spending some time with

2009-07-07T05:31:00.000-07:00

Meet little Ann-

She is about 9 months old and still getting over tuberculosis. The past 3 weeks she improved immensely and it has been so exciting seeing her learn to hold her head up and develop the muscles to sit up on her own. I love caring for little Ann and she is the sweetest thing! She loves to laugh! Please pray she continues to improve and for her family.

Mount Elgon Medical Clinic and Relief Distribution

2009-07-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

People impacted by the tribal clashes last year...they were very happy to see us and very welcoming!

Medical clinic in full swing!

Beautiful view! It was incredible up there.
Can you imagine trying to produce a harvest on these steep hills? They use every square foot.Back:Anne Baxter and Steve Rutenbar
Front: Page Price, Ashley Campos, and Matt Gillen
It has rained a bunch this week so we kept getting stuck in the mud. Thankfully, we are all buff and we pushed our van numerous times up the hills...Good thing we don't mind getting sweaty and dirty! God protected us!

Kipsongo Round 3!

2009-07-01T07:45:00.001-07:00

If you haven't read any of my previous posts(I'm not offended) then you don't know what or where Kipsongo is. Kipsongo is a slum in Kitale where living circumstances are very grim and horrendous. We did a medical clinic with Sister Freda in Kipsongo today. First, we were given a tour of the area of Kipsongo. We were escorted by a few young men that live in Kipsongo and Sister Freda trusts. Ashley and I were accompanied by Candice, a med school student who is from Village Volunteers, and Sara a woman from the UK. All four of us stuck together while children pulled at our hands and we witnessed Kipsongo. Many people live in huts constructed of twigs and plastic bags. More and more homes made of wood and cow dung are being made, but the majority of the people live in the poorly constructed huts. We saw numerous people making the local brew, a form of moonshine. The tour lasted about an hour and then we headed back to the church where Freda and her staff were already operating the clinic. I was able to assist Freda with injections for the first time today. I feel so blessed that she trusted me to be gentle and efficient. I guess I learned from the best! I was able to give shots to a young baby and an older man. I was also able to give an intravenous injection to a young mama. Despite what you might think, I didn't miss the vein and I very slowly pushed the fluid out of the syringe. I feel so greatful to be able to do something that most medical students never have the chance to do. I was also able to assist with bandaging and cleaning numerous wounds. I'll shut up and show you the pictures, which I'm sure is what you really want to see!

Episode 1: Introducing you to some great kids that I have been spending some time with

2009-06-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

Meet Jacquline Adoti!

Affectionately known as "Adoti" or "Dot" this little girl lives at Sister Freda's Cottage Hospital. She has the sweetest smile that lights up her face and she is the most gorgeous little girl. She doesn't speak much, but as she feels accepted and comfortable she opens up.

The exact details of her life story before living at the hospital aren't known but we do know that she lived in Kipsongo with her mother. Her mother is an alcoholic and severely neglected Adoti. She is smaller than a 2-year old child but in reality she is around the age of 4. Sister Freda first saw Adoti when she was doing a medical clinic at Kipsongo. Many times Sister Freda had to take Adoti to the hospital to treat her for numerous illnesses. About a year ago Sister Freda found Adoti laying in the mud, abandoned by her mother. Freda did not think that Adoti would survive the 15 minute drive to the hospital. By the grace of God, Adoti has been recovering for the past year and getting healthier. She is very far behind developmentally but she is making so much progress.

I alsolutely love this little girl and you will be seeing many pictures of her and I in future posts!

1 month down and 2 more to savor!

2009-06-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

The past month that I have been in Kitale has been quite an experience! I have seen some of the most beautiful landscape and not 10 minutes later witnessed some of the most terrible living circumstances.

As I look back at the past month, I am overjoyed at the experiences that God has blessed me with. Day to day, we go out and serve at our chosen places of ministry but at night we come back to Pastor Steve’s compound and eat dinner and share about events that happened throughout the day and enjoy each others company! We have a great group out here that seems like it is constantly adding and subtracting members but still seems to get along great!

As most of you know I love medical missions! Last week we were able to conduct 4 medical clinics in Kitale and the surrounding areas. It’s incredible to see Sister Freda work- she inspires me to be a kind and caring medical professional. The other day Sister Freda and I spent some time together with a little baby named Anna. I met little 9-month old Anna my first day at the hospital. Then she was suffering from severe tuberculosis. Anna was incredibly emaciated and about the size of a newborn baby. My heart broke watching this little baby struggling to breathe. A month and a half later she is recovering and finally putting on some weight. Its been incredible seeing the changes in her personality and body. She has no teeth but her huge smile of just gums is contagious! Sister Freda and I worked with her on holding her head up and sitting up. Yes, she is 9-months old and cannot hold up her own head. Developmentally she is very behind but already Freda can tell that she has a very high IQ.

Many of the things I see here are very hard to rationalize and process. Sometimes it’s the medical emergencies at the clinics that impact me but overall it’s the tragedies that are the realities of these people’s lives. My worldview is changing and I hope that I don’t lose any of the insight that I have gained thus far.

You can also check out kitaleleadershipinstitute.blogspot.com to follow some of us crazy kids out here!

Day 21 (Already?)

2009-06-11T04:55:00.000-07:00

I have been in Kitale for 3 weekes as of today! I can't believe it. Where has the time gone? I feel as if I have only been here a few days, but when I think back to the flight from LAX it seems like ages ago. My week currently consists of working at Sister Freda's Medical center Monday-Wednesday. I help out in the pharmacy, caring for patients, and when there is nothing to do at the hospital I hang out with the children that live there full time under the care of 2 women that were hired by Sister Freda. Those children light up my day and I care for all of them so much already! On thursday, Ashley and I conduct art classes for the Street kid drop-in center where they have 3 levels of classes. We love spending time with those kids, they are all so sweet! Fridays are pool days! Richard(Freda's husband) picks up the 6 kids that stay at Freda's Center and we teach swim lessons and play in the pool for hours with the kids. We enjoy that so much and the kids do as well!
I am having the time of my life here and I am so glad that I can share it with you! More posts will be coming soon-hopefully!

AFRICAN SUMMER!

2009-06-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

Kenya is awesome! I love Kitale and I am having a great time serving here. I can't wait until I can post some pictures and more stories(This will happen once we get internet at the compound)

A love affair with a mystery dirt bike

2009-04-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

My recent obsession has been dirtbiking. Sadly, I have never been dirtbiking, let alone sat on one. This obsession was fueled by a new show on MTV called Nitro Circus. It is a show about a group of crazy people, such as Travis Pastrana, that do amazing things...All of which, I really want to do! Skydiving, B.A.S.E. jumping, dirtbiking in the desert, jumping tricycles...you get the picture. All in all, if you have a dirtbike, can I sit on it? Or maybe a ride around the block? I have a thirst for some extreme sports, and it won't be quenched until I get myself on a dirtbike.

Please don't make me beg.....but I will if I have to.

Butt Heat

2009-04-07T15:09:00.000-07:00

I hate it when people write about pointless things about their day, but I am lowering myself.
My pointless topic is to raise awareness about butt-heat. My definition of butt-heat is the warmth that is left by a previous person from sitting in a particular area for an extended period of time. urbandictionary.com defined butt-heat as "the act of giving off heat with your butt" which supports my definition. In my opinion, butt-heat is disgusting and I do not enjoy the sensation. I will avoid butt-heat at all costs, even if it means that I stand by my chair at work for an extra 30-45 seconds. Unfortunately, there is no cure for butt-heat. Thankfully, if you wait the heat will dissipate from most surfaces. Toilets tend to keep butt-heat longer than fabric, metal, or wood chairs so take that extra minute in the bathroom if you have been seated for an extended period of time on the toilet seat.(I will give no further details on that situation!)

I guess there is a point to this post. To raise awareness about butt-heat so that the number of people that are affected by the inpleasant sensation of butt-heat will be reduced. No one should have to feel someone else's butt-heat. Heck, I don't even like my own.

It's official!

2009-03-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

We are leaving in 49 days for Kenya! We will be there for 3 months! --Insert excited scream here--

I will be blogging my travels this summer (also heading to seattle and canada right before) on a new blog-
www.kylee-global.blogspot.com

I hope you enjoy following my journey! I know I will!

Ky

German Coast Guard

2009-02-19T14:11:00.000-08:00

This is why I love accents!

Thank You Rain...

2009-02-16T16:27:00.000-08:00

Thank you rain...

for washing my car
for watering my tulips
for cleaning my bike
for making us silly californians realize what winter could be like
for letting me bundle up and wear my favorite scarf
for clearing the air ( Sorry ocean, you're now polluted)
for making fun puddles to jump in
for making it a perfect day for hot tea or cocoa
for freezing and in turn snowing in my Health Promotion and Disease Prevention professor so that class was cancelled
for drowning all the worms (Poor guys)
for helping California's drought situation
for creating that wonderful pitter patter noise on the roof
for making the delicious smell of asphalt and first rain
for a cheerful rainy day.

Stay as long as you would like. I will never turn you away!

2009-01-18T22:38:00.000-08:00

My past week has included:

Hanging out with international students(2 from Africa and 1 from China)
Painting a small fish figurine
Hiking Mount Rubioux with Becca
Jogging with Becca every night
Learning fun facts about friends
Getting ANOTHER KYLEE(well, she spells it Kylie) in the cottage
Starting my new classes(General Chemistry II with Lab, Anatomy/Physiology II with Lab, Mathematical Methods of Natural Sciences with Lab, History of Baptist Thought, and Health Promotion/ Disease Prevention)
Started my new job!
Going to Fuse
Having the Dobbs christmas 3 weeks late
Reading lots of books
And having a blast!

May I have some more sunshine, please?

2008-10-08T22:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you God for southern California! I am so blessed by the constant sunshine and squelching heat of Riverside. I really am! Weather.com offers very little variations for the day-to-day weather and I love that! Don't get me wrong, I love crazy weather too like rain, thunder, and lightning but because Southern California weather is consistantly so wonderful, I welcome the change!

I just love the sun, even though my skin doesn't love the sun!

Keep that sun screen on!!!!

God is Good!

2008-09-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

God works in amazing ways. I love that out of a bad situation, I found the perfect school for me and I love the fact that I have the opportunity to attend a church like Saddleback with a pastor like Rick Warren. What I love even more is that my church AND my school are teaming up together to conquer the world. I pray that with this incredible chance to make a difference in this world and on my campus I will step up to the plate and try my best.

Thank you God for all of your blessings in my life. I have so many and I am so happy with this opportunity you have given me!

Cottage Nueve!

2008-09-09T16:52:00.000-07:00

Living in a small little house on a make-shift wisteria lane on calbaptist campus! Love it and love the girls I live with!

So cute!

2008-04-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

My aunt forwarded this to me:

So there I was ... just relaxing in front of the TV when the kids yelled, "Hey Dad, come see the kittens."

College is a Learning Experience!

2008-04-14T19:27:00.001-07:00

I've come to notice that I like a lot of weird things. And since this school year is coming to a close, I believe it is an appropriate time to look back my two years of college experience and reflect on the things I have learned about myself!

I love packing. Whether its for a trip or to move, I really love packing!
I love warm laundry. I love pulling clothes out of the dryer and holding them close to me!
I really enjoy making To-Do lists!
I love writing down my thoughts where ever I may be.
I love day dreaming!
I hate light and noises when I am trying to sleep.
I get very grumpy if I am unable to sleep.
I love sleep.
I twitch went I don't get enough sleep....very embarrassing!
I love diet sodas!
I don't enjoy writing essays.
I love being in water! I could shower all day!
When I'm excited about something, I day dream about what it is going to be like!
I hate gas prices!
I do pretty well living on my own!
I can concentrate if I put my mind to it, but more often than not I don't!
I love spending time with my roommates.
I love having a family away from my family!
I don't care if my roommates see me naked!
I love college!!!!!!!

I know there are so many more things that I have learned about myself, but this is all that I came up with while I procrastinated writing a research paper!

I love you all!

I'm a swimmer for a reason!

2008-04-06T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today, I ran a mile straight. I don't know what got into me, but somehow I have been able to run two days in a row, and on the second day I was able to run farther and faster than the day before.

I don't know if you understand how much I hate running. Running is painful, sweating, and a terrible way to workout. Swimming is the most wonderful thing ever. You don't know that you're sweating in water...its a perfect alternative!

I am positive that the last time I ran a mile straight was freshman year...................OF HIGH SCHOOL! I'm not kidding.

So kids, what have we learned today? Running sucks. Getting into shape sucks. And swimming rocks! There will be a quiz on this next friday.

Happy March Everyone!

2008-03-09T22:07:00.000-07:00

My roommate and I are heading up to Auberry next week! It's near Fresno so we have a wonderful 6 hour trip ahead of us! If you have any fun ideas for our trip or any interesting places to visit up on the way, let us know!
If you could go on a road trip to anywhere, with anyone, with a unlimited budget, where would you go?

To My Main Man, Jack Sheperd

2008-02-28T22:48:00.000-08:00

I wrote you this love poem because you brighten all of my Thursdays, and because I get LOST in your eyes.

Jack, Oh Jack
You have a great six pack.
And don't get me started on your muscle-y back.
Clearly, there isn't anything that you lack.
You kissed a girl named Kate,
but she is a player you will grow to hate.
So come on over to my side of the hatch,
because you and me, baby, are a perfect match!!!!

I love LOST. The End.

Give hope - Give life - Give blood!

2008-01-29T17:20:00.001-08:00

Today I gave blood for the first time! It was amazing! I have always wanted to give blood and I finally did it! I know some people get queasy about blood and needles, but if you have no medical issues or fears I strongly recommend you donate your blood. Not only are you helping those in need, its really fun having a stranger ask you uncomfortable questions like if you have had sex with a prostitute only seconds after meeting. When else will that ever happen? I hope not very often for your sake. And don't worry, I've got pictures(They wouldn't let me take pictures inside so I just have pictures after the fun event! Oh, and you get free water, juice, cheez-its, cookies, a sticker, and...............A FREE LARGE T-SHIRT that looks like a dress! How cool is that????

Good deeds

2008-01-28T15:48:00.000-08:00

Have you ever done something that just made you feel great? Have you ever helped someone in need, and in return you felt very accomplished? Well last Wednesday the storm had just hit Riverside(the 951--not 909) and a wet, starving, skinny, miserable little cat wondered onto out doorstep. I have a soft spot for animals so we took her in. After a short run to the 99cents store we were armed with shampoo, litter, a litter box, food bowls, food, and a pooper scooper. The little one did not enjoy the bath, but after 5 minutes of pouting she came around. This little cat was so sweet and all of us fell in love with her. So I got the great idea that I would bring her home. And in short, now my aunt is the proud owner of a gorgeous, loving cat named Stormi(We found her on a stormy day).
Here's a picture of our little rescuee!

Winter Sports

2008-01-10T17:08:00.000-08:00

Recently, I went up to the mountains and snowboarded and skied. And I realized I am terrible at snowboarding. I don't know what it is about having both of my feet strapped onto a board but I was awful. There is not doubt about it. For a while snowboarding was the cool thing to do, but I think skiing is making a comeback. What do you think? Which one are you better at?

19 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity

2007-12-06T12:26:00.000-08:00

My mom sent this to me in an email. I'm usually against forwards, but considering finals are coming up I wanted to spread the giggles to all the world!

Ways to Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity .

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It 'In.'

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Smuggling Diamonds'

7. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.'

8. Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won!, I Won!'

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling
'Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!'

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

If any of you have done any of these things or plan to, I'd love to hear about it!

What a difference a year makes!

2007-11-18T18:35:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time I was in New York and miserable! I was counting down the days until my parents, brother, and best friend would arrive in NYC. I took the train down on Tuesday from Albany to the city. Once I arrived, I had to walk around Manhattan trying to find our hotel, the Double Tree. I walked around the city for two hours with my luggage (I got directions from mapquest and in NY some streets are one way so I tried to make a short cut, and I got lost....) Once I finally arrived at the hotel, my family hadn't arrived yet. In fact, their flight was delayed so I had to wait in the hotel room for a couple hours. As I sat on the hotel bed, I did everything I could to not scream and cry. I hadn't seen my family in over 4 months and I missed them so badly. It hurt most to know that they were closer to me than they had in months, but I still couldn't see them or hug them. Finally, I got the call from my mom that they had just gotten off the subway which was about 1/2 mile away from the hotel. I couldn't restrain myself anymore. I ran out of the hotel room, did my impatient dance in the elevator and burst out of the Double Tree doors onto the street. I kept looking up the street hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar face. Then, I saw them. They were waving like crazy from across the street. I'm not a crier, but the tears were pouring down my face. I was soooooo excited to see them. I ran across the street(almost got killed by a taxi) and ran into the arms of my loved ones.

There were so many happy moments throughout the trip, but this one is sticks out in my mind as a major highlight. I had never been so happy to see my family. And what is stopping me from feeling this way every time I see my family. I realize looking back on this event that I take my family for granted now. They are so good to me. And love me so much.

I encourage all of you to greet your family and friends this Thanksgiving to greet them like you haven't seen them in 4 months. Think about how happy you would be to see the people you hold dearest in your heart. Not only will you appreciate them so much more, but they will feel so loved by your affection!

Diet Coke-The Nectur of Heaven

2007-11-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Diet Coke,

I love you. I cannot live without you. A day that you are not in my life, is a day I don't want to experience. I know you aren't good for me, but we have a past. The memories we have made throughout the years have been some of my fondest. If I was ever to leave you, I don't know what I would do. You are everywhere; The cafeteria, the fridge, the grocery store, the vending machines...the list goes on. Everywhere I look I see you. I could never live without you. Each day when I drink in your sweet nectar, I am immediately overjoyed. Basically, I love you and I will never stop loving you. You are perfect and I hope you never change.

Your faithful consumer,
Kylee

Fires in Foothill Ranch

2007-10-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

Today the fire came right up to my backyard and burned all of our bushes that border the fence. Thankfully, the AMAZING firefighters saved our backyard and our house. Thank you!!! Being in Riverside while all of these events took place was very nerve racking, but God kept my family safe and I have no complaints!
Its time like these when you realize what matters most. As my father was packing up all of our stuff he called me to ask what I wanted him to grab. I couldn't think of anything except for my pictures. I realized that I didn't care about any of my possessions. All I cared about was if my family was safe. Though I never considered myself materialistic, I was shocked that I couldn't think of anything that I was attached to in my house. It was such a relieving feeling because I knew that my family would be okay because they could evacuate if they needed to(and they almost did).
I can't wait to go home and see my family, pets, and house again and I am so glad that none of them were harmed.
One thing I love about Facebook is that my cousin was able to post pictures of the fire and now I can see them all the way out in Riverside.

Sophomore Year So Far

2007-09-25T20:15:00.000-07:00

My year is going awesome so far.

I've got some amazing roomies. Shout out to Ashley and Brittany! They put up with all of my craziness and quirks.

Polo is also going great! I'm out of shape but our new coach is whipping our butts into shape which is a good thing. Morning practices make me want to kill myself, but I know they are paying off.

I had my first powder-puff football game today and we won!!!! I love being aggressive and charging people, so I have a new hobby. (Like I wasn't busy enough.)

And last but not least, classes are going great. My art class is amazing and I am completely in love with the tattooed, bleach blond, plug-eared, punk in our class who is an absolute genius when it comes to art.

Not much else to report! I miss all of you back at home!

All Grown Up

2007-08-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

Have you even had those moments when you finally feel like you have reached a new level of adulthood?

Today when I was packing up my room to move into my on-campus apartment I used a whole suitcase just for shoes. I don't think I have ever felt more like a woman in my entire life. I think I officially became a woman today!

I am moving in on sunday and I can't wait to be back at CBU! My schedule will allow me to have a ton of free time from the afternoon on and my classes seem like they aren't going to be impossible to ace.

And I can't lie, I am excited about meeting new boys!

Hawaii!

2007-08-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

I just got home from an incredible week in Waikiki, O'ahu.

While I was there, I turned the big 19!!! In one way I feel old for only having one more year as a teenager, but I am also optimistic for the future.

For my birthday we rented mopeds and we drove the Hawaiian coast for 5 hours!!! Thankfully, none of us crashed!

Another day we rented surf boards for a couple hours. It was so fun! I even have a pretty bruise on my knee from the 9-inch fin digging into my leg...that part wasn't so fun.

We also went snorkeling in a few beautiful places. The first time we went snorkeling we went to the beach RIGHT outside of our hotel. We saw millions of fish and we even saw 2 HUGE eels!!! When we snorkeled on the North side of the island(North shore) there was a gigantic rock on the beach that was about 30 feet high which the locals used as a jumping rock. There also was a tunnel that went through the base of the rock, and I swam through it! It was sooooo creepy, but I loved it!

The last place we snorkeled at was Hanama Bay which is a crater on the side of the island that was transformed into a bay over time. It was amazing how many fish I saw! And we also saw 2 sea turtles!

We also visited Pearl Harbor which was a very sobering experience. Seeing the USS Arizona, and witnessing the oil bubbles come to the surface made December 7th of 1941 very real. I will never forget the day I visited the memorial.

We did so many other fun things(I won't bore you with my excitement) and I can't summarize my trip any other way, except that I HAD AN AMAZING TIME!!!!!
And of course I have pictures!!!

daggingsnorklingsnorklingNorthsideNorthshoresoooooHanamaexcitmentsummurize

The Summer of Impact

2007-07-14T22:04:00.000-07:00

Has God ever surprised you? Has He ever revealed himself to you in an incredible way?

This summer has become one of my favorites of all time. The past two months have impacted me in such a positive way.

When God takes your heart and shocks it with a thousand volts of compassion, joy, and overwhelming love there is no turning back.

Last week was the Student Leadership Conference at Saddleback Church and in those four days I met some extraordinary kids. I will never forget their smiling faces and their warm caring hearts. I will also never forget the way that everyone of them made me giggle all week!

Though my plans are to become a social worker, I am confident that God is working on my heart this summer and that if He wishes for me to change my focus then I will obey Him.

There is no greater satisfaction than doing exactly what God wants you to do with your life! I fully encourage everyone to pursue His purpose for you.

*This blog was brought to you by the deep sentimental thoughts of Kylee!*

2007-06-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

I know my brother is probably going to hate me for life....but what are big sisters for right?

Isn't he just so precious!!!

First Post EVER!

2007-06-29T14:24:00.001-07:00

Allison Hibbard is basically the coolest person ever for setting me up with a bloggggggggggggg!

Honk if you love new blogs!