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.