Talk Thursday // Reasons Why Summer Rocks

Today, I was once again ghetto fabulous and grabbed my lawn chair from my car and kicked it in the GHC parking lot for a solid 30 minutes soaking up the rays (since it is 90 degrees here in the PNW!!!!!!!!!!).

As I was reflecting over the awesomeness that is, in fact, sunshine, it hit me that I have not always been a summer girl. Years ago, I was a mild weather person, often cold weather suited me just fine. I loved wearing scarves and hats and mittens and drinking cocoa and bundling/cuddling under layers of blankets. In the last 3 years, a shift has occurred...I am a summer gal. I want to be WARM! Possibly, this happened because warm weather is so infrequent here in the temperate climate of the Northwest. Maybe it's just because I miss Missouri and their abundance of warm. Likely, its a both/and. And granted, Washington hot is no where NEAR Missouri hot (in MO the lakes get warm enough to swim in! Shocking!!)

Whatever the reason for the switch and in the midst of the difference between WA hot and other places hot, I have compiled a list of reasons why summer is awesome. But this is Talk Thursday so add your own:

Why do you love summer too?

1) Country music can be played at much louder decibles considering the windows will be down and the wind will be whipping through the car
2) There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for why I am eating 2 popsicles for breakfast and will enjoy probably 2 or more throughout the day
3) It necessitates a reason to go to the lake or river
4) Nobody else wants to sit inside so we can all go play
5) I often NEED a reason to shave my legs...summer gives me that reason
6) Two conjunctions: Flip-flop tan-lines
7) Walking away with that "summer glow" (which is funny because it sounds like "Summer Glau"...non-nerds, you won't understand)
8) There is no reason to turn on the heat so I save on electric
9) Warm night driving
10) The smell of sunshine

Let's hear your reasons why you love summer. =)

Summer Goals: UPDATE!

It has officially been summer in the Lewis/Halpin house for 2 full weeks. And I have added and completed several goals for myself and my summer.

So without further ado:

Sarah's Super Spectacular Summer Schema!

Veritas:
* Write training materials for the Orchard
(outline accomplished)
* Pre-write one month's worth of lessons for Orchard
(accomplished with 3 months to go because of her super awesome BFF Adina and the generosity of Central Baptist Church!)
* Inventory Orchard materials
* Create Orchard budget

Multnomah:
* Start Comprehensive Written Report for internship class
* Review Hebrew & Greek (likely closer to August)
* Read Genesis-Song of Solomon
* Translate Galatians
* Read ahead in textbooks (if possible)

Personal:
* Reorganize bookshelves (they are not in alpha order and it's driving me NUTS) (accomplished)* Finish The Coffeehouse Gospel, All-Star Missions Churches, Crazy Love and all the Dean Koontz books that have been sitting on my bookshelf for the last 3 months
* Go on a road trip (or several)
- Cannon Beach #1!!: 5/18-5/20
- Cannon Beach #2!!: 6/4-6/7
- Wyoming!!!: 7/21-7/25
* Go to the drive-in movie (accomplished: Iron Man 2)
* Go on a date (but not like the two blind dates from last summer...those were BAD!))
* Ride bike to Flaming Geyser & back (14 miles)
- Ride bike to SR-18/Auburn-Black Diamond by end of May (4 miles)
(accomplished 5/15)
- Ride bike to Mosby farms by end of May (6 miles)
* Get a tan
* Upload all pictures to Facebook
* Make Rachael’s graduation present
* Lose weight (it's an every summer ordeal)



You guys are keeping me accountable. And I appreciate that. =)

Talk Thursday // Summer Planning

Since Monday I've been contemplating what my summer will look like and how I will try and spend almost four months of not being in class (wooooohooooooo!)

Well, I've devised myself a little "to-do" list for the summer and I'm going to share it with you. =)

1. Ride bike to Flaming Geyser & back (this will require building up stamina)

2. Reorganize bookshelves (they are not in alpha order and it's driving me NUTS)

3. Finish The Coffeehouse Gospel & All-Star Missions Churches

4. Go on a road trip (or several)

5. Start Comprehensive Written Report for internship class

6. Write training materials for the Orchard

7. Pre-write one month's worth of lessons for Orchard

8. Go to the drive-in movie

9. Review Hebrew & Greek (likely closer to August)

10. Get a tan

(Bonus #11: Go on a date (but not like the two blind dates from last summer...those were BAD!))

I'm excited about this summer.

So I'm asking: what are your plans for the summer? What do you normally do? What do you want to do? And when are you going to come visit me? =)

School is out and there's kind of a buzz....

Oh Fresh Prince, truer words have never been spoken.

As of 12.05 pm today, I am officially on summer break. No classes, no homework, no weekly commute to Portland - I'm free!!

What will I do with all my free time?! And by free time, I mean those few hours in my day that will no longer be property of Multnomah professors, but are disconnected from GroupHealth and Veritas Church children's ministry.

For now, I'm going to stay up late, watch TV and not read anything that isn't strictly fiction or someone else's blog.

And can anyone tell me how to get the weather to cooperate with the current season? This is more than a little ridiculous up in WA.

Summa' summa' summa' time....time to sit back and unwind...

Talk Thursday // A Summer Recap

My blogging friends, I feel like we've been apart for so long! But rest assured, we're back in full swing!

To get us jump-started, let's have a summer re-cap. I know that a lot of you went on trips, had awesome experiences or did nothing at all.

Share with your fellow bloggers how your summer was. Pictures will always be welcome. =)

Huzzah!

Talk Thursday // Happiness Is...

Sunshine...

Dr. Pepper...

Being outside....

What is happiness to you today?

Summer

It's my first day of summer. At least, according the Multnomah calendar. What am I doing? - laying in bed blogging. And it's raining. 

All of these things are not what I expected summer to be like. I expected SUNSHINE (is that too much to ask for? It IS summer...); I expected to have a job (still none on the horizon); I expected to have more of life together (nope - life is falling apart). 

But God quietly whispered, "AM I not still in control? Do I not have your best interests in mind? Don't you know I love you?" 

And to be honest, I don't remember. When things are falling apart around me and I just want to hide out, I fail to think of the promises of the Lord. 

Lord, help me to remember that You DO have my best interests in mind and that You ARE still in control. Cause I won't remember it if you don't help. 

In other news, I'll be in  Missouri next week. And Tennessee the week after. Praise Yah!