I'll Be Home For Christmas, If Only In My Dreams

(picture)

I just finished with my usual Christmas Eve. Goodness, that sounds so dull! Sigh and hooray: I just finished with my usual Christmas Eve!!! Christmas is definitely a time for remembering and appreciating traditions and Christmas Eve has always been a tradition for my family and I.

The day begins with much excitement, knowing that tomorrow is Christmas (it's practically here!). As I get older, the excitement becomes displaced with the feeling of disbelief: How is it already Christmas so soon? I felt like last years Christmas was yesterday, the memories of the past practically coinciding with the memories I am in the process of making. Weird.

On this day, my siblings and I watched "I'll Be Home for Christmas," starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas ♥♥♥♥♥ :) I dressed for the day and began working on my Christmas gifts. Two factors have been confounding with my gift-giving this year: (1) I have been entertaining people since the day I got home for break, and I have not had very much time to put gifts together, and (2) I have $46 in the bank...uhhhh....

We usually go to church, but since my dad and brother did not make it back in time, we did not go. So I helped my mom get ready for company and prep all sorts of wonderful food.


Every year, there is a family that spends Christmas Eve with us. This year, their father and husband passed away and this is the first season spent without him :( We took time to remember thing we will miss about him. But the evening was spent in good company, laughing at many stories and looking back on the year.

Near the end of the night we watch "It's A Wonderful Life." We watch it once a year on Christmas Eve, and I know most of the movie by heart. I love that movie :) I would love the opportunity to see what life would have been like had I not been here.

And now, mom and dad stay up ridiculously late doing all of the wrapping last minute. I am tired, but so excited to know that when I wake up in the morning, presents will be under our tree and we will spend a quiet morning together opening gifts as tokens of love in remembrance of what this season is all about. Let's not forget that.


Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a goodnight.

WAIT!! Can't forget my song of the day! Let's go with an excellent version of one of my favorites: "Grown-Up Christmas List" by Michael Bublé. Beautiful. Let's all have God's heart for the world.

Tonight, Yes Tonight...

I'm going to The Way at 7:30 with Annie.

I ate toast with butter and jelly for dinner.

I have a phone again.

I will be HOME IN ONE WEEK!!

It is freezing.

It is supposed to start snowing tonight and through the weekend.

I am missing my little brother's basketball game :(

I am done with my retail rotation.

I am contemplating how intimidating my height REALLY is to the opposite sex.

I am exhausted.

I tied up some loose ends with the car accident and the insurance.

I am feeling mildly productive, despite my exhaustion.

I want hot tea.

I LOVE UGG BOOTS.

I was watching Serendipity.

I have no idea what I am going to do with leftover prime rib in my refrigerator.

I planning on a fun-filled tomorrow--Cookie Swap Party!!

I think I have lost 6 pounds since Thanksgiving (so much for yesterday's vent, haha).

I am falling in love with this guy Jesus.

I got to talk to my daddy :)

I am listening to the song of the day, "Fallin' for You" by Colbie Caillat.

I wish more people would read my blog!!

I am thinking that three layers may not be warm enough.

♥

(picture)

Japanese Woodblocks and Freedom, Sweet Freedom

(picture)

Did you know that Wikipedia features a "Picture of the Day" ?? Today's picture is "a detail from a Japanese woodblock print of Zhong Kui, a Chinese mythological figure traditionally regarded as vanquisher of ghosts and demons. His image is often painted on household gates as a guardian spirit, as well as in places of business where high-value goods are involved. According to folklore, Zhong Kui was a man who committed suicide after he was stripped of the title "zhuangyuan" (having achieved top honors in the imperial examinations) by the emperor of China because of his disfigured appearance, after which he became king of ghosts in Hell" (wikipedia.org).

There's your history lesson for the day...

In other news...if I could, I would strangle myself. No, not literally...geez...

But seriously, what is it about my self-control that empowers me to wake up Monday through Friday at 5:30 and get to the gym (as I have been for the last 4 weeks) to be working my BUTT off (quite literally, thank you) and yet caves when it comes to controlling what I eat?? Is that the most RIDICULOUS thing ever!!?? I feel like I can sympathize with Paul from the Bible. Check this out!! It's TOTALLY how I feel:

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I deligt in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Romans 7:15-25 (under the heading Struggling With Sin, which is perfect)

Allow me to expose myself and paraphrase, as this verse is relevant to my life (the Bible is relevant and applicable today!!):

I do not understand myself (haha, no difference there!). I want to lose weight--30-ish pounds, to be inexact--but I do not discipline myself to do it; instead, I eat too much food, indluge myself unnecessarily, and effectively negate my hard morning's workout. My unhappiness because of this defeat within myself is proof that this is absolutely NOT the life God planned for me. But I am overcome by my sin nature, which is my desire and belief that I am entitled to have what I want, when I want it, immediately; to be a slave to temporary pleasure so petty "it tastes good" or "feed my hunger" urges consume me. There is NOTHING GOOD in this thinking because I have the DESIRE to lose this weight, but I cannot do it. I do not practice self-control, which is what I want to do, but don't. It is my sin nature that overcomes my own desire to be done with this battle; the person that I am created to be becomes lost in sin's ugly shadows.

So here is how the battle will go down: when I want to lose weight (practice self-control), evil will be RIGHT THERE WITH ME. In the quietest places of my heart, I delight myself in God's laws, which are filled with promises of love, life, and joy! But there are other laws at work within my body, that wage war on my MIND (lauging at my effort, reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed, telling me I'll never win) and these lies make me a prisoner of these habits. What a wretched woman I am (no change there either)! Who will rescue me from this body, from this endless circle I have run myself into, from the lies that so easily trip me up?

THANKS BE TO GOD--THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD! (There is definitely no change there).

(picture)

Disclaimer: I am absolutely, 100% NOT saying that eating food is bad, or that enjoying the pleasures of eating is bad (God MADE it to be a pleasure-FULL experience). BUT, when we are jeopardizing our health by eating too much leading to weight gain, we are no longer living the life God intended. When we go to bed DREAMING of all the ways in which we will lose weight; when we spend our waking hours IDOLIZING the figure we want to have and the attention we want to receive; when we truly come to believe that THIS will be our key to happiness...



THEN, we have a problem.



This, dear friends, is the broken ground on which you have found me. So I really do need your prayers and your support. May I place my desires for beauty on God's altar, that he may mold my character into who he created me to be. May I repent of my sin at the cross, where he died TO SET ME FREE ("For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" --John 3:17). Did you catch that? FREEDOM. Yes Jesus! I ask for your forgiveness and your FREEDOM!


So here goes nothing...still working out. Time to put the kibosh on eating for my own pleasure (just in time for the holidays...grreeeeeaaaaatttt). Remember, when I want to do good, evil is right there with me. So I will call on the one who came to help me--my freedom-giver, MY SAVIOR...



Jesus.


I changed my song of the day. I am going to recommend that you listen to "Captivated" by Shawn McDonald. WOW! When I hear this song, I want NOTHING MORE than to be forever captivated by the God who adores ME. Now THAT is something...

This post was partially inspired by Carly over at Random Nuggets, for now. Here beautiful, honest look at life is moving and fantastic :) I invite you ALL over to her little blog!

It's Monday Folks!

(picture)


No class today means that I had a 3 day weekend...lovely :) Now there are some things we need to discuss!

Like how I am presently sitting in one of my favorite food establishments, Starbucks, and catching up on life! It's not the food PER SAY that makes this place a favorite, but it is more of the atmosphere--the blusey/jazzy/soft rock-y music that flows out of the speakers; the soft lighting and the tables and couches; the smorgasbord of people sipping hot, overpriced drinks and reading or studying. I find the white noise very relaxing and enjoyable. In college, the Starbucks on Malibu Road was my haven for studying and meeting the most interesting people--Like British brothers Thom and Phil who were in the States training to be kickers in the NFL!!

We also need to discuss my love affair with music. This is something I am going to add to my blog, thanks to the beautiful Carly over at Random Nuggest, for now. She adds a "Song of the Day" to the bottom of each of her posts. I intend to do the same, because music threads the pieces of my soul together. Wouldn't you like to know what is making me tick??

Lastly, I am going to add another kind of series to my blog about what I learn in church on Sundays. I am going to call it SoulFood Sundays. Why, you ask? Well, I am currently attending this AWESOME church in Beaverton called Solid Rock (church life has been one of the best parts of my move up here--people are so PASSIONATE about their relationship with Jesus!) Everytime I go, God moves so much in my soul that I have cried most times that I have gone (good crying, I promise). I always think of my friends, and how so many of them would be REFRESHED by hearing what I hear. But wait, you can! I am going to add this to my Sunday blogs--may your souls be refreshed my friends. Our God is good!

O, so my song of the day!! Can't forget, haha :) I think for today, I will direct you all to "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" by Snow Patrol and Martha Wainwright. I first heard this song on the trailer for a new Nicholas Sparks movie coming out in February called Dear John. Check it out--it looks SO GOOD!

Engagement!!!

Well friends, I cannot believe how much has happened in my life in the last couple of weeks. See? This is why one should always be blogging!! So much has happened, it would be ridiculous to try and squeeze it all into one little blog. So I'll skip to the most important one, which happened today (or yesterday, technically).

MY BEST BUD, TREVOR, GOT ENGAGED TO HIS BEAUTIFUL GIRLFRIEND, ALI!!!!!!!

I am so elated for both of them! I remember the day that Trevor called me, sophomore year of college, and said, "Brittany, guess what? I met a girl...." And the rest, as they say, is history :)

More details to come, but for now, I am back online, and so ecstatic for my best friend. Congratulations buddy!!

Roses and Thorns

At camp, we do this thing where you list your rose and thorn of the day. I feel like the last 2 days have had both and so I will share them:

Roses~

• Debra got the mail Wednesday morning and to start my day off right, I got a card in the mail from one of my best friends, whose name is also Brittany! I don't usually get mail from her and it was the most thoughtful, wonderful gift I could have ever expected. Here is my beautiful girl...

• The Country Music Awards were on and I was reminded of the MANY reasons why I adore this music. I had goosebumps all night, was singing with my TV, and teared up when Brad Paisley got on stage and did his thing (he is my absolute favorite!!) This is the only awards show I watch and every year, I make a CD of all of the songs performed. Every year, the CD is exceptionally good; this year is no different :)
  
  

(Brad and Carrie)

• Got to talk to another one of my best friends over at Just a Girl in a City. Thanks for letting me vent. Thank you for supporting me. I don't deserve a friend like you, but I am so grateful for you ♥


• I am reading a new book, "The Practice of the Presence of God" by Brother Lawrence. It is phenomenal. I love that it was written in the 17th century too! I am basically highlighting the whole thing, which completely negates the point of highlighting...


• Got to talk to one of my Young Life kids on the phone this morning before she went to school!! Everybody, this is Shannon, and I love her:

• Have some wonderful text messages from my sister and some friends :)
  

Thorns*

• The weather is quickly turning abismal, and I hate it.


• I have to be pressed, dressed, and at school at 6:15 AM tomorrow :(


• Today, a guy I work with made the following comment: "You like to snowboard, huh? Boy that must be a f***in big snowboard...probably more like a boogie board, huh?"


• It's too wet and dark to run. Therefore, I have not exercised in the last couple of days.


• I gained weight this week. I can't believe I do this to myself...


• I am feeling lonely, because I am.


• My parents ignore my phone calls to watch The Office. FML.

But I need to go to bed. How is everyone else doing?

"Quality Without Compromise®"

(picture)

The other day, I was offered a piece of See's Candy from an assortment, and sweet tooth inside me smiled. Someone might look at the choices and say, "O, the humanity! How to choose!?"

Not me.

You see, even though there are MANY delicious morsels that would be sufficient, there is one, and only one, that wins my heart: the MILK CHOCOLATE BORDEAU. Milk chocolate, butter, brown sugar, chocolate sprinkles...seriously, what else can you ask for in a chocolate?

So what is your favorite See's Candy?

A Good Weekend to Spend with Friends

Me, oh, my what a busy weekend it has been for me! I'll tell you, I have been SO looking forward to sitting down and catching up on blog's and updating my own--it's just my new favorite thing to do :)


Ok, so, let's start with Friday: last day at ODE :( I am definitely going to miss the people that I met there. They are wonderful, professional ladies who took me under their wing and let me ask them endless questions and follow them around. And I just might end up in the community nutrition area of dietetics--you might not think it, but school foodservice is actually a lot more interesting than it sounds!


After work, I drove to Annie's house in Salem and we jetted off to Oregon State University in Corvallis to hang out with her brothers, Zach and Taylor, and their friends. We had really yummy homemade Thai food and then went to a game night. I was successful in getting a game of Signs started--seriously, the best game ever if you play with the right people.


I got back from Salem on Saturday morning and had barely set down my things before heading off to Vancouver, Washington to see my friend Daviyonne (Day). She is coaching at a community college in east Oregon and her team had their first scrimmage. She is the only friend that I have seen since August and it was AMAZING to spend the day with her! We had dinner at one of her player's house--real ceviche. It was amazing! We came home, watched Fired Up and went to bed.

(Day and our friend Cassie)

This morning, I made us breakfast burritos (note: corn tortillas break easily) and drove her back to her player's house. Came home, read a chapter out of twentysomething girl, did some homework, and now here I am!


What did you do this weekend?

I Love Making Lists!

Happy Wednesday all! I am down to the final days of my rotation at the Department of Ed. and I'm not gonna lie, I'm really going to miss it. I don't think I would QUITE want to do the job they do (review all Federally funded school and childcare nutrition programs in the state...), but I have seriously learned so much! I'm telling you, there is a wealth of nutrition information at your fingertips and I have found so much of it! That is what I plan on using my nutrition blog for--which reminds me...

I need some ideas for a nutrition blog title. I want it to be catchy and creative--c'mon world, what do ya got!?

In the meantime, do you find it odd that I...
...shop by counting--if there is a selection in front of me, I count to the {32nd} item and buy it.
...think Seinfeld is the GREATEST TV show of all time
...am tongue-tied, and therefore cannot stick my tongue out more than a 1/2-inch
...am a dietitian-in-training who did not eat green vegetables until my senior year in high school
...would still rather buy albums than just songs
...am borderline obsessive compulsive. Seriously.
...have a newfound LOVE of Sex and the City!
...discovered a year ago how much I ♥ running
...am a HORRIBLE multi-tasker. Like woah.
...not-so-secretly want to be a punk rocker? It's my alter-ego.
...hate being cold, but love the snow :)
...am Californian born, Californian bred, and when I die, I'll be a Californian dead!
...think God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy.
...MUST EAT BREAKFAST. No matter what time of day, that is always my first meal.
...am saddened by the fact that society has decided marriage is something "old-fashioned"
...still love Runaway Bride the best, 11 years after its release
...doodle by practicing my cursive and writing out song lyrics. My journal is full of them.

Did I ever mention to you how much I love lists?? A wHoLe LoT!

Halloween--I K.O.'d Barbie

Hello friends! Goodness gracious, it has been an INSANELY busy weekend leading into another busy week. I have a confession to make though: I got back on facebook today (:/) In my defense, my fellow interns were asking me to post Halloween pictures. O, do you want to see!? Have a looksie:

Shoes = $40. Sweatshirt = $50. Boxing gloves = $40. Not paying a dime for your costume because you already owned everything/borrowed everything = PRICELESS.

Boxing champ takes on the Queeen of Hearts (my beautiful roomie Debra!)

These are some of the other dietetic interns! They are so down-to-earth and just plain awesome.

The vampiress from Arkansas

Anna and Lucy (see Risky Business outfits) hosted a party at their house. I have not been to a house party since April and I had a lot of {fun!} It was really chill to spend time with the girls and get to know them. I also met some of the other boyfriends/husbands, all of whom were SUPER chill.

Long story short? My Halloween was awesome this year :) I really haven't had a good one in many, many years. Usually, it falls right around the time when I have some major test/project that I feel panicked to study for. Not that this was necessarily different--I spent {14 hours} on multiple projects on Sunday--but I am glad I did not miss our fun-filled night. Word to the wise: work/test/projects/studying/stress will always be there--as much as you can, take advantage of fun social opportunities. You won't regret it!

Also, this won't surprise you, but I listened to the Twilight soundtrack for mood music. Perfect.

Mmmm, Friday :)

(picture)

I have completed 5 weeks at ODE, which means that next week is my last week! I have to admit, I am going to miss this rotation a little bit. It has inspired me to begin a nutrition blog, which is soon to follow :)

I was at the Oregon School Nutrition Association Administrators meeting today and guess what we did? We got a tour of Truitt Bros., Inc, an Oregon food processor of shelf stable products. We got a tour of their canning and production facilities, as well as an amazing lunch compliments of the company! That is the great thing about this profession--lots of opportunities for free, delicious food. ANYWAYS, we got to watch how fresh pears get canned! Have you ever seen those TV shows about how they make candy? I LOVE THOSE SHOWS! So this ended up being a lot of fun because I love watching the machines.

The weather ended up being nice enough for me to go for a run today--yay! I got a solid {30} minutes in--GO ME! Running is absolutely my preferred daily exercise regimine; I really hope that I am able to go during the winter.

When I got home, I made a yummy PEAR AND WALNUT SALAD:

• Spring mix lettuce
• Sliced pear
• Grilled chicken
• Toasted walnuts
• Goat cheese
• Raspberry vinegarette

~Toss, and enjoy!~

As for the rest of the night, I have been busy trying to relax: watching Just Friends, reading SELF, blogging, contemplating working on a project, texting my friend Mikey, iTunes shopping, and now watching That 70's Show. I'm feeling pretty tired and should go to bed. But I did want to share :) If you haven't, you should check out Taylor Swift's new music--SO GOOD!

My Walk to Work is Lovely, Thank You

Do you see the gradient of color?

What I always envisioned real "Back-to-School" looked like.

Look at these COLORS!


~So many *leaves* on the ground~

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to fall in the Pacific Northwest! For this soCal girl, this kind of fall is a welcome treat to the normal Santa Ana winds and blistering heat. I love it so much more than I ever thought I would! The pictures are taken in Salem, Oregon on my way to work at the Oregon Department of Education.

But as we transition out of this season, we head into cold, wet, cloudy, and dark--THAT I am NOT excited about :( Boo. It is going to make my running endeavors very, very challenging. My short exercise history is this: I have played basketball competitively since I was 7, stopped when I graduated high school, experimented with some different kinds of exercising, and fell in love with running my senior year of college. Who knew that I would be a distance runner?? Not me. Now, when I say distance, don't get crazy--right now I'm running between 2 to 3 miles. But if there is one thing I have learned about exercising on your own, it is this--it is FOR YOU. Therefore, go at your OWN PACE. If you can only run for {5} minutes, just do it for {5} minutes! If you STAY AT IT, your endurance and stamina will improve, and you will go farther faster, without burning yourself out. I love running the neighborhoods and watching kids play in their front yards and grandfathers out raking leaves. Plus, I get a solid {30-60} minutes of ME time where I feel fresh air fill my lungs and my feel my feet pound the pavement. I could not do it without my iPod--I put it on shuffle and let my mood pick what moves and shakes me.

If I want to maintain my sanity, I will need to become less of a weather wimp--living in Malibu for the last 4 years has TOTALLY spoiled me. Mission: buy shoes that can get wet, gloves that don't shed, and a rain/windproof jacket.

The great news is that tomorrow is Friday! That yeilds more good and bad news--good news is that Halloween is Saturday, and we interns are having a party! This will be the first that I have been too since April and it should be fun! Bad news is that I have A TON of homework due Monday, and I am going to be buried in it for the rest of my weekend. Yay and nay?

Procrastination = Stress = Procrastination = Blogging?

Yup. It's true. In a very weird and quirky way, this is what I do. Procrastinate, then STRESS, then procrastinate, then STRESS, then blog. Or at least, this is what I am doing now. I have so much work due on Monday! UGH. On a much lighter note...

Look what has come in the mail for me! Halloween cards and treats to remind me that there is a life of holidays and happiness somewhere I am not. The ghost card on the left and the candy is from my mommy :) The pumpkin card on the right is from my dear friend Marissa! Cue happy feelings :)

I also came to a sort of revelation tonight: I think I need to stay off Facebook for awhile. There are a couple of reasons why:

1. I waste a lot of time on it. Time that I need to redirect to better places in my life--studying, working on projects, calling friends, working out, making care packages, and most importantly, spending more time with my Jesus. If I want to know the the fullness of a relationship with him, I need to give him much more of my time.

2. Living on Facebook causes me to live everywhere but HERE! I browse through profile after profile, endlessly wishing that I was in southern California, Arizona, Texas, or Colorado! I expend energy and worry over whether or not my friendships are still alive and well. I long for what I don't have--warm weather, beaches, and Young Life. But how can I live life to the fullest when I am not living in the moment? Answer: I can't. Therefore, until I get some better control, I am fasting from Facebook, so to speak.

Since I love music, I am going to frequently post lyrics. This is the song that came to mind while I was typing; I hope you like it!

You put me here for a reason,
You have a mission for me.
You knew my name and you called it
Long before I learned to breathe.
Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time.
How can I further your kingdom
When I'm so wrapped up in mine?

In the blink of an eye
That is when I'll be closer to you than I've ever been
Time will fly
But until then, I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive
For a blink of an eye.

"In the Blink of an Eye," MercyMe

HELLLLLLOOOOO!!!

Well hello blogging world!!!!!! I am back in business. SO, what do you think of my new blog? I absolutely love it! I owe quite a round of thanks my darling Kelly for taking the time to make my beautiful format! I am super excited about having a wonderful blog to update!

I am currently sitting in my chilly living room watching the Los Angeles Lakers play the Los Angeles Clippers. Tonight was "ring night" and the Lakers were given their NBA championship rings and trophy. Watching Kobe's smile light up when the championship banner was unfurled was amazing--he looked so proud to be apart of this franchise. And I, have never been more proud to be a Laker fan!

Tonight I got to talk to my dear friend Jenna! She is in the nursing program at the University of Rochester--she started the program 2 weeks after graduation! She is a very inspirational person because she is a talented multitasker and accomplishes A LOT in her day. I want to be more efficient like she is! It is quite lovely to talk to her, since we do not have a lot of time in our schedules because of our rotations and the time change.

And finally, I should like to inform you all of the fantastic event coming to a theater near you in 24 days: THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON. If you haven't yet, read the books. Go check out Stephenie Meyer's website. Then, go watch the trailer for New Moon. Seriously, I never thought I would get addicted to a vampire's love story, but low and behold, here I am.

Ok, time to go play with my blog! Love to all.

I started this an hour ago...

I had every intention of writing a great update before I went to bed, but instead, spent all of my time trying to make this dang page look cute! Ugh! Now I am tired and going to bed. KELLY--help me make this cute!

Letter To Me

"Oh, you've got so much going for you going right, but I know, at seventeen, it's hard to see past Friday night. She wasn't right for you and still you feel like there's a knife sticking out of your back and you're wondering if you'll survive. But you'll make it through this and you'll see--you're still around to write this letter to me."

I'm back! My blog is hereby undergoing complete revision to be a lot less emo than it was before, haha. As I work on revising it, stay with me if you're at all interested in the life of me! It is interesting, indeed :)

The song above is by Brad Paisley, my absolutely favorite country artist (and tied for favorite music artist with Steven Curtis Chapman). These are songs that I am going to recommend, so you should listen to them! That's all for now, while I go get my blog set up.

Love, Britty Lynn