Kimono Love...

Aunt Say-Say sent us a precious Kimono from Japan... Doesn't she just look perfect in it??

My favorite place in the whole world

Adam, Tori, and I went to Brevard, NC for a week long stay at my parent's mountain house. As always it was a perfect time to just relax, and do a little hiking. :) Adam's mom and his brother Brandon's girlfriend and her brother from Peru came with us. 

We had a wonderful time. 

We got to go to Pretty Place where we were married. It just tugs at my heartstrings to watch my baby girl walk down the isle of the chapel where her daddy and I got married... 

God is so so good! The reason that I love NC so much is because God's creation is all around me, and I'm sure you will agree, He is quite an artist!!

What a beautiful, wonderful, amazing place

Oil Spill Clean up here in Fort Walton

Nearly 1,500 jobless workers had been hired to help cleaning up the beaches here in Florida. I've been doing so research on these workers and it's intreresting to read!! Here's a few inserts from the article I read...

-"The work is grueling and physical. Cleanup workers take on 12-hour shifts, either in the oppressively hot days or the cooler nights, clad in long pants and sneakers or steel-toed boots covered in yellow plastic that workers call ``chicken feet.''

-Some beachgoers have complained that workers spend too much time resting under blue tents along the beach and not enough time clearing the shoreline, but BP contractors say they follow federal regulations on how long workers can be exposed to the sun.

During the day, the heat index regularly climbs over 100 degrees, sometimes forcing workers to ``go black'' and only work for, say, 15 minutes at a time before taking a longer break to avoid overheating." 

We were wondering why they sat under tents more than they worked!! Turns out there was a good reason!! Also they can't work as well at night because they can't see the tarballs as well.

"A spotter looks for turtles and monitors worker safety. The crews wear fluorescent vests over T-shirts of different colors that mark their position and how many hours of training they've had: green for 8 hours, orange for 24 and white for 40."

We have seen all 3 colors out here working this week!

"Workers have to be careful not to scoop too much sand into six-millimeter-thick plastic bags known as drum liners that they fill up to 20 pounds and then seal off with duct tape. Inside the plastic bags, the mix of sand and oil resembles chocolate-chip cookie dough.

The bags are put in neat piles on the beach and eventually make it into a heavy-duty bin or rolloff truck. Some are carted to Alabama to be incinerated. Other waste is sent to the Springhill landfill in Campbellton, Fla., about 85 miles northwest of Tallahassee."

I was glad to see this because I had wondered where they were taking it.

Also BP is the one hiring all of these people to do this work. (At least they are doing something??) They have also hired many of the fishermen who are out of a job this year to take their boats back and forth across the water looking for oil. 

During our few days here we have seen clean-up crews working round-the-clock, and boats moving back and forth across the ocean... It's a beautiful effort, though it's sad that it is needed. The oil here is not devastating, it's just these tiny rock looking balls that feel like play-dough and stain your fingers and clothes if you touch them. They wash up on the shore with the sea-weed, and sea-shells and the workers are out cleaning it up as early as they can get out there. They have 2 buckets at the exit of the beach to wash off your feet in case you got oil on them. 

2 days ago my daddy got out there and helped the cleaners a bit. (No training necessary for Randy Pierson, haha) I got a couple of pictures, and educated myself on this little bit of history I am living through... Praying for the officials, our president, and everyone involved in making the important decisions surrounding this oil spill. We don't want this to happen again!!!

Daddy, and the clean-up crew he was working with, they weren't wearing their vests, but they had those yellow "chicken feet"

Net full of Tarballs

He was working so hard :)

Close up on the pieces we have been finding here on the beach

It's just a feeling....

Tonight is one of those nights where I can't sleep and I know God wants me to pray. Maybe it's for the Bomar family who lost their son tonight, or maybe for the Huggins who lost their baby 2 days ago... maybe it is all these things and more, whatever it is I will obey! It's so strange to me how I can just know that this is God pushing me to pray and pray harder... I know he's using this prayer somehow... I selfishly wish I knew how or whom I was affecting lol. I just can't sleep and I stand at my kitchen sink, cleaning, praying, and sometime singing(shh don't tell!!) until I get tired. I'm thankful for this feeling, because if nothing else it gives me a peace I cannot explain, and a long conversation with my best friend that I wouldn't trade for all the sleep in the world...To anyone and everyone that needs prayer tonight.... I'm praying for YOU!

My verse for tonight:

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

San Francisco...

Never have I ever been anywhere even remotely like San Francisco. There are almost no left turns, so you have to make 3 right turns if you want to go left. We tried desperately to find a place close to China Town to park, but after an hour of right turns, we gave up and were content to just drive down and look at China Town. Then we drove to a Park overlooking the city, it was beautiful!! We also ran over to Fisherman's Wharf and got some yummy Calamari. It was raining the first 2 hours we were there, so I don't have any pictures of those first few places. After that we went to Haight and Ashbury. The Artsy look of the buildings and shops was amazing! Very Victorian styled, and really fun to look at. We stopped at a little cafe and had late lunch/early dinner and then drove down Lumbard St. (Crookedest street in the world), on to the beach to see the Pacific Ocean! I love the rocks, and the roughness of the ocean, it's beautiful to look at... just don't get too close!! After that Brandon took us through a cave, and over a rope with sign on it that said "Enter at your own risk."  The tide was just starting to come in, but after being assured that we could go back through the park, Adam and I followed. We walked about 1/2 a mile on this teeny tiny trail on the edge of a cliff. This is the second time Brandon has led me into danger, and for the second time... It was totally worth it!!! We got to the top and only once we were there did we see the Golden Gate Bridge, this was the first time we had seen it since we had gotten there and it was beautiful!!! San Francisco was Amazing!!! I am so glad we got to take a day to go there, even if it was a little cold and wet.  :)

Lombard Street and the Beautiful Pacific

The Cave

The "Treacherous" path Brandon took us on to see Golden Gate

Golden Gate Bridge, The boys, and Adam and I at the Cafe

A few of my favorite things...

Snow, Mountains, Lakes, skiing, hot tubs, saunas... and this place has it all!! Adam and I got home late last night from Lake Tahoe. The beauty of that place is hard to put into words. On our way into Tahoe from the Reno airport we saw rolling hills, and desert! And all the sudden a huge mountain covered in snow. We went straight from the airport to this peak that Brandon wanted us to climb to see the view... I was reluctant at first, but it was soo worth it! When we got to the top this is what we saw...

South Lake Tahoe

Totally worth the climb!!! The next day we went snowboarding, and I ate snow for a good 3 hours before giving up and deciding skis were the best route for me... Adam is awesome at snowboarding! This is only his second time ever and he was jumping boxes, and doing tricks... I'm so impressed with him haha. There is so much to write about this trip that it's not all going to fit into one blog... So just read when you can!!

Me and Adam right after we got done for the first day

Me walking down the mountain, giving up on the snowboard lol

Adam and Brandon on the slopes

Adam and Rob... silly boys

Adam jumping onto a box, he landed it too :)

Adam and I on the lift, just had to prove I was there :) I was usually taking the pictures not being in them haha

California Bound...

Adam and I are leaving Friday for our first ever long trip away from Tori!!!! We are going to Lake Tahoe, California to see Adam's brother, Brandon, and to snowboard!!!! I can't believe we are doing this! My heart is pounding at the thought of leaving Tori for 6 days, but I am super excited to get this time with my husband, and no responsibility for a few days... We need this for sure! Tori will be staying with Gigi and Papa and I'm sure she will barely miss me!! Hope I don't make myself to crazy missing her!!!

Haiti Earthquake Relief

For those of you who didn't get to see the Olympic's Opening ceremony you have to watch this video!! For the second time the song "We Are the World" has been re-made. This time is was re-made for Haiti and to encourage the Haitian people during their time of need. It's been 25 years since the first re-make and it is so amazing to see all of these amazing artists recording together!! If you didn't see it WATCH IT!!!

We Are the World

Haiti Earthquake Relief