Alot to say...

Life has been very busy lately so I feel like I haven't posted in a long, long time. Anyway...life has been going on as usual. School is almost done for this semester and we are finishing up papers, speeches, projects and tests (OH MY!) Braden and I both have been looking for internships/jobs and thinking alot about life (more on that later). Ranae came to visit last week for a couple of days on her way down to San Diego for a CCC trip and we had a blast showing her around. Mom and Dad Maddox have been here the past couple of days and we so enjoy spending time with them. We have missed family tremendously and it has been so great to have them here. Keeping the house together is a constant chore with our busy schedule and on top of it we are trying to exercise more and eat better. We are not pulling our hair out yet, but life has been crazy. However, I wouldn't have it any other way. I have nothing to complain about.

Other notes: Since we have been in Cali, my Fibromylgia has been doing much better. My doctors told me that Fibro patients usually do better when they have more Vitamin D (aka sun).
Braden went in for 2 interviews for internships and has decided to stay at Claim Jumper for now.
I got a job (Praise the Lord) at a Pet Boutique at Fashion Island in Newport, Beach. Sounds all frilly and fluff but I really like the owner and I will get my fix on little dogs so I will stop bugging Braden to get me one :). It is a really nice area and the hours are perfect for school, it is a big blessing. My best friend Shana was accepted to nursing school at Linfield College and I am so proud of her and excited for the next couple of years for her. My little sister Emilie was accepted to Internation Beauty School in Downtown Portland and will be starting in 2 weeks! So proud of her as well, she has an amazing talent (see my wedding photos and Ranae's as well). Tyler (our brother in-law) graduates from boot camp (National Guard) this next Thursday and will return home after being gone for 4 months. He has very well at training and we are really proud of him. Mom and Dad continue to speak for Family Life and are doing great as well. After finals we are flying to Maryland to spend some time with Mom and Mark (Bradens mom and her husband). We will spend 2 days in New York and then the rest of the time in Maryland with them. I am so excited since I have hardly spent any time on the East Coast.

So there is an update, wow there is alot going on. So about life...with college and career choices coming up and meeting new people and groups down here, Braden and I have been pondering life and about our influences. You know: how do we live in this world and not of it? It is really difficult to succeed by societal terms but flourish in our Christian walk as well. We want to live where God wants us to, to work where we will have the most influence and also associate with people who will not bring us down. We want to live our lives pleasing to God without material things and for people to see Christ shining through us. So the question on our minds is: how do we live a comfortable life (give to the church, provide for ourselves and future children) without going overboard. And how should our attitudes be toward to sinful things of this culture when it is so easy to be entrapped by them (i.e. television shows, clothes, cars). It is something we talk about alot as we are making many big decisions in life and it is something that we don't have any concrete answers to. All we have come with is: live for today and stop stressing about tomorrow, glorify the Lord in each moment and don't look to others to confirm your success.

Angry...

So there I am sitting in my criminology class tonight when I became very angry. We are going over Violent Crime right now (murder, rape, robbery, assault). So my prof is going through the power point and giving definitions with statistics when he comes to Infanticide (the killing of infants) and this is when I got really angry. The number he has on the screen was 500 each year. Now if you know me and you share my passions then you are angry right now too. 500?!?!? What about the other 1.5 million babies that killed each year through abortion?! Where are they on this violent crime graph? First of all abortion is not seen as violent or a crime (which it should be), that is a big problem I have with this. What will it take for everyone to realize this? It just gets me so heated that our country can research every little thing to death and put the numbers out there for everyone to see but when it comes to abortion, no one talks about how these children are being killed and their statistics are taboo. How do you feel?

I love my nieces! (And Braden and Brandy...also here)

You know you are from the NW if....

** Feel guilty about throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash
** Use the expression "sun break" and know what it means
** Know more than 10 ways to order coffee
** Know more people who own more boats than air conditioners
** Feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant
** Stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "WALK" signal
** Are amazed by accurate forecasts
** Consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it's not a real mountain
** Complain about Californians, as you sell your house for twice its value to one
** Know the difference between Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye Salmon
** Know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, and Oregon
** Consider swimming an indoor sport
** See your golf ball bounce, you know immediately that you've hit the cart path and not the fairway
** Can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food
** In winter, go to work in the dark and come home in the dark -- while only working an eight hour day
** Obey all traffic laws except "Keep right except to pass"
** Never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho
** Are not fazed by "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain" or "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers"
** Can't wait for a day with "Showers and sun-breaks"
** Have no concept of humidity without precipitation
** Can taste the difference between Starbuck's, Seattle's Best Coffee and Veneto's
** Know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind
** Can point to atleast two volcanoes, even if you can't see through the cloud cover
** Say "The mountain is out" when it's a pretty day and can actually see it
** Have more rain gear in your golf bag than golf balls
** Put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka
** Switch to your sandals when it gets above 60, but keep the socks on
** Have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain
** Have a heater in your golf cart
** Think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists
** Knew immediately that the view outside of Frasier's window was fake
** You know you're from the NW if you buy new sunglasses every year because you can't find the old ones after not needing them for such a long time...