easter week

if you're in Erie and looking for somewhere to go this Easter...

and don't forget about the Good Friday Service, April 22 6:30pm @ Grace McKean.

 prayer | worship | communion

 

 

http://whoisgrace.com/

crazy weekend

this weekend i spent a lot of time with my roomie (seeing "It's Complicated" - hilarious - and out with her and stace to the casino, then dinner with nikkie too in downtown erie). also, let me point out, that the Plymouth's fried giant soft pretzels with cheese and honey mustard are the most amazing things ever created. just wanted to throw that out there.

on Sunday, our church had the awesome opportunity to lead worship after the Erie Otters hockey game, for a "faith and family night." we went straight after church Sunday to loading up our cars, then down the Civic Center where we set up all our equipment on the back of a flat bed truck. after the game and a short word from the pastor of Erie First Assembly, the semi backed us out onto the ice where AJ, our "tech-sound guy" from church (he probably has a better more technical name, but whatever :) ) plugged us into the main system and mixed from the ice. it was a pretty awesome and totally fun experience. i'm sure i'll never get to sing at the Civic Center...on the back of a truck...on the ice...again! here's some pics from the evening...

pic by me, before we went on the ice.

pic by Aaron - on "stage" sound guy. we were probably waiting for AJ - off "stage" sound guy - to hook us up with power and into the system.

pic by AJ - off "stage" sound guy - while we were jamming.

"funk"

i've been in a major funk lately. i'm not sure when it started, but for the past couple months i've just felt very unsatisfied when it comes to my career and hobbies. i feel like i should be doing MORE with the skills that i have, even if that doesn't reach to "career" (at the moment) and is fulfilled through "hobbies." i need to do more that involves interior design, but i don't know how. blah, anyway, that's what's been going on with me lately.

yesterday night i was able to fandangle my way into singing at church on one of my off weeks (i'm not able to sing on my normal 4th and 5th weeks...so...). also, Josh is playing electric guitar, so that was another reason i wanted to get on this week. this is the first time we've been in the same worship band at church, so i'm pretty excited. also, Bri moved Josh to be in a different spot...placing him right next to me. during our sound check i think i got a little giddy, messed up some words, and maybe frustrated Brian a little...but i think i got over it pretty quick. i love watching Josh play because he's SO TALENTED! i'm really looking forward to Sunday.

my parents have had some friends from England and their two kids staying with them all week. tonight we're having a little get together at my parent's house with some family and friends that know the family.

but really, i'm just glad it's FRIDAY! co-worker Bethany is off today, hopefully i won't be too bored or lonely without her!

tomorrow: kayaking with some of my skank's: KC and Stace!

Extreme Events

ok, this is kinda long overdue...

a few weeks ago i was able to help out with Erie's Extreme Makeover home. i was scheduled by the Maleno team to work a 6 hour shift on Monday June 29 (630pm-1230am), and scheduled with Grace to work four hour shifts Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

Most of my time Sunday was spent at the registration tent helping Danielle & Dave. Then i went around with them figuring out which houses we were going to work on for the side project (landscaping). i also followed them around at the end of the night (with Aaron & Derek), talking about which houses needed what next.

Monday night was awesome. Co-worker Bethany and i waited for almost an hour before we were able to go down to the house, but once we went down we didn't stop working! We helping in the house in the basement, laying down tarp, sanding walls, and sweeping/cleaning. We spent time outside the house carrying stupid things (i think it was all busy work), and moving drywall, blocks, foamy stuff, and various other things to different locations. We were pretty exhausted Monday night, but excited that we got to be in the house and work closely with the contractors in
there.

bethany and i before our attempt at sanding drywall.
we did anything they asked us to, haha!

Tuesday night i didn't go down. i was stuck at work finishing up a bid that was due on Wednesday.

Wednesday night was almost the best. Co-worker Bethany met Tony, the assistant in the Art Tent, and was asked to help with some "projects" for the house, so i worked with them when i arrived. We spent the night threading plastic silverware with paperclips (secret project) and helping move stuff into the house. We ended up staying until 1230am again. Also, we got to see Ty and get a picture with him! It was pretty crazy.

i've never met anyone really famous before...so seeing Ty and the rest of the crew from Extreme Makeover was super exciting. Ty was the only one i saw on a day we could get a picture, though.

late, late, late Wednesday night. waiting to do something with the silverware.

Thursday was the absolute best. Bethany and i left work at 9am and went straight to the art tent to finish the projects. We worked in the house pretty much all day, got to meet Mary J. Blidge, and be on camera! We worked in and around the house until 20 minutes before the family came home, then watched from the upstairs porch of a family that Bethany helped with landscaping. it was an awesome view, so exciting!!

right after they MOVED THAT BUS!!! so exciting!

the "Art Tent Crew" with Tony

That week was such an amazing experience. Working with such incredible and talented people, seeing "famous" people (who didn't do nearly as much of the awesome stuff as you'd think...), helping such an honorable and deserving woman, and being a part of such an awesome side project thanks to Grace was all so awesome.

it's coming...

i swear i'm going to post about my trip to Florida, but this week is insanely busy [i'm helping with Good Friday / Easter services at church], and seeing as this is my last day at work before a 3-day weekend i should focus on that...


if you're in Erie you should definitely check out Grace Church's Good Friday & Easter Services. you can find all the info on the website - whoisgrace.com.

5 days of 5 / Day 5

5 days of 5i have 5 days before my 25th birthday. i thought i would dedicate each day on my blog to a list of 5 things. this will be a different list each day. each list is going to incorporate things that have shaped me or had an impact in my 25 years.


today i'm going to write about 5 things i'm thankful for.

1. my church
   • where would i be without Grace? it has been a place that has helped me learn, grown, participate and use my spiritual gifts. i have been blessed to be led by Grace leaders for almost all of my life. Grace has a church experience like non-other. you will meet the Holy Spirit there if you attend. the people of the church are amazing, and the church itself is reaching out to the community in awesome ways.
     
     
     
     
2. my friends
   
   • i've already spoken about Alicia. we've been friends for so long, she knows more about me than anyone i think. i'm in the middle with the pink polka dot dress. alicia's on the far right w/ the BRIGHT BLUE SHINY stretch pants :)
     
   • my SKANK's - Staci, Kristen, Nicole & Katie. they are the best friends anyone could ask for. we can always be ourselves, talk about anything, always supportive and helping each other. i am blessed to have them in my life.
     
   • Bethanys - i have two Bethanys in my life that are amazing. they are both "Bethany K's"
   • Bethany that i met when working at Wal-mart about 7 years ago. we may not see each other as much as we used to, but we still can have so much fun together.
     
   • Bethany from work. we've been working together for almost two years now, and it's such a blessing to see her 5 days a week! she is so supportive, awesome to talk to, always giving me godly advice, encouraging and loving me. you are a blessing!!
     
   • i have so many other friends that are amazing to me. friends from church providing me with constant guidance and love, friends from college that went through the most trying times with me, friends from high school that share special bonds, friends i've met through blogging that have been amazing to get to know. you are all important to me.
     
3. my family
   • my parents are the most amazing, loving, supportive parents in the world. i couldn't ask for a better pair. they are also absolutely nuts and hilarious. but i love that about them :)
     
   • my sister is the BEST sister in the world. i can honestly say she's my best friend and i can have more fun with her than anyone. my brother-in-law is amazing and my family is so blessed in having him join our family.
     
   • my cousin Bekah is like a second sister to me. her mother/my aunt is like a second mother. they are so supportive, so fun, and so loving. Bekah is one of the funniest people i know. she is hilarious, will never be embarrassed and loves Jesus and is so inspiring to me.
     
   • my grandparents are amazing. so supportive, always praying, always thinking of others and trusting Jesus.
   • my other cousins, aunts, uncles and extended family are wonderful too.
     
4. Josh
   
   • he's shown up at my door with flowers many times
   • he hides cards for me to find, and gives them to me for no reason
   • he is open about trying new things, and willing to do anything for me
   • he loves me. no matter what i may have done. he forgives me, understands me and cherishes me.
   • he makes me a better person
   • he's insanely talented
   • i am truly blessed God brought him into my life
     
     
     
     
5. God's Love
   
   • But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

also - today is jamie lovely's birthday! go wish her happy 25th at ohhowlovely.net

cruise post...FAIL.

whoops. i have no idea when i'm going to post ANYTHING about the cruise.

i will post a little about christmas.

our christmas eve services at church seemed to be a success [other than my singing "light and LIME to all he brings" instead of "late in time behold him come". whoops. oh well.

christmas day was mostly a success...though i believe it was quite a shambles. i woke up on time and arrived at my parents an hour later than i'd hoped. my veggie casserole "sauce" was too thick, amount of veggies was too much, carrots undercooked, then everything overcooked. we planned for 14 people in our small room and packed them in two tables, but only ate with 10 people since 4 got stuck in traffic [or something of that nature] and ate 1/2 hour after the first batch did. we had our "christmas crackers" as usual - but they failed to have HATS and JOKES [just had stupid toys]. we did have a great day and though i didn't ask for much specifically when it came to gifts, i still got a BUNCH of awesome things [cause my fam just knows me so well!].

boxing day was also fun, with the annual trip to the Holmes' where we had lots of cold meat and rolls [and desserts]. personally, i could have done with some potatoes or veggies...buuuut all in all, another good day, ended by our annual Neighborhood party at kt's parents house. also, lots of fun.

anyway, here's a few pics of the holiday, courtsey of rach [and some taken by myself as well].

[christmas eve]

[christmas morning]

[i got a few...weird...gifts...]






[christmas with the cousins...and mum]

hope your holidays were great and new years is even better!

V.v.V

this week has been entirely too crazy. tuesday i was out all night right after work at church. our youth pastor and volunteers hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner for the boarding school students who go to the school where i coach volleyball. i knew several of these students from bus trips back and forth to the volleyball and soccer games this past fall. it was a really great idea, as it didn't seem that the boarding school was doing anything special for the kids for Thanksgiving Day. we helped cook, serve and hung out with the students [playing wii, rockband and volleyball]. i also took some pictures. i think they had a lot of fun, and hope they can come back out for the youth events on Sunday nights.

i was asked this year to be "officially" invovled in the holiday decorating at the church. last year i was pulled in last minute to put ornaments on the massive trees on the stage. i'm enjoying it so far. everyone seems to have the same idea of how we want the church to look - classy, contemporary and in no way cheesey! i'm excited to spend a couple nights & a saturday putting it all together and hanging out with the ladies [and aaron] on the team.

i was planning on a night at home today and tomorrow...but it looks like all that has been jumbled around as well. tomorrow i'm going to see TWILIGHT with my cousin right after work and Saturday kc and i [and maybe kt] are going to Edinboro to visit Stace! i got to see her at GE today, that was fun.

anyway...it's still kinda snowy. rumor is we'll get 2-3 FEET this weekend. YIKES.

happy thursday everyone!

if you're in Erie tomorrow...

you should probably come to docksider's to check out iNSPiRAL!!!
and if you aren't in erie [like, going to see some football game or something] you should come back in time for the show! ;) [that is if you aren't too tired and can make it]

and if you're in erie tonight...

META CAFE!!

[i hear piper having doggie dreams in the room next to mine...awe cute :)]

"go up 5 beaches"

yesterday we had our youth group's end-of-the-year summer bash at Erie's beautiful Presque Isle. we had yummy food [mum's awesome fruit pizza!] and an absolutely gorgeous day. it was truly a blessing with the morning being dark and stormy for it to turn out as amazing as it did!

yesterday's event marked my last youth group event as a youth leader - at least for a while. no one knows what the future holds, but after continuously being involved as a youth leader/mentor/creative team member etc since...oh, 8th grade...it's time for a break for me. volleyball [coaching] is coming up in a few weeks and i've been more involved in the music/tech ministries, so i figured a break and reevaluation was in order. i'm definitely going to miss it, but it's going to be nice to have a little more time to myself and all the other things [and people] going on in my life.


and happy wednesday!! josh and i might catch a movie later. and tomorrow i have a dentist appointment. they are going to yell at me for not doing anything about my wisdom teeth yet [i have two only - on top - and they told me last year to look on getting them taken out...yeah, i haven't].

[title quote from student Joel, in reference to a friend who had gone to beach 6 instead of beach 11. it was funny...at the time]

colors &....that's all.

i got my hair cut & colored yesterday!!! yeah, it looks almost black and i love it!!!



Also, tonight is Meta Café! So all you Erieites who love games and fun - come out!

Yay for Friday and Four-Day Weekend for me!!!!!!!!

oh and here are some pictures thanks to the awesome lilies sitting on my boss's desk [but taken outside]:

baby shower cupcakes!

Tuesday we [girls in my church youth group] were supposed to have a surprise baby shower for Jen - a youth leader at our church. Unfortunately, she ended up finding out, but we still had a fun time.

The cupcakes were well received all around...presentation-wise. Other reactions were varied. Some people loved the cupcakes in their entirety. Some people hated them top, bottom and center. Other's just liked the cake part [lemon with raspberry jam filling]. And still some only liked the frosting [lemon-cream cheese frosting]. Personally, i thought they were great, as did most people, so I'm mostly happy about the results.

For the frosting, I pretty much went off the top of my head, and looking back - should have used less butter and cream cheese and more confectioner's sugar. I also threw in both vanilla AND lemon juice - you may think this is gross, but really, you couldn't tell, it just didn't allow for a very lemony taste [the cake was lemony enough though, so this didn't really matter]. The frosting was QUITE cream-cheesey...as for me, I like that.

Oh, and thanks for reminding me, Martina! The baby on the top idea came from Big Red Kitchen's baby shower cupcakes. I melted white chocolate and added pink & blue food coloring [separate, because she hasn't told ANYONE - including her husband - what gender the baby is]. I was going to do plain white baby's on top as well, but then I burned it...anyway, I melted it and for the pink chocolate I used this handy thing my sister got me...but it involved "sucking" up the chocolate which became too difficult and annoying. The blue chocolate I used a piping bag and small tip, and squeezed out the cursive baby! It was slightly difficult...then I stuck them in the freezer to harden right away to make sure it was going to work.

Also - thank you mother! for emailing me a link to this section of RecipeZaar. 788 cupcake recipes?! also, you can post your own cuppie pictures HERE!

Tonight I'm getting my hair done, tomorrow is META CAFE, Saturday I have a bridal shower, and Sunday we leave for CHICAGO!!

excited!!!

i am excited to post today. not that i have anything really great to say, but i think i have some good pictures...

sissy Rachel and brother-in-law Brian came over for dinner & dessert Monday night. we made strawberry shortcake [ok, we really didn't "make" it] and of course i made chocolate peanut butter brownies as well...

my youth group small group went to Sara's last night and then to the beach to hang out and chat. we had a lot of fun and got some cute pictures.

[i especially enjoy this picture, cause i was taking it, so they left a "spot" for me on the far right side...]