As the Advent season begins, I'm excited. I'm excited to take these next few weeks to intentionally focus on Christ in a new and more purposeful way. I'm excited to share this experience not only with my church community but with millions of Christians worldwide. I'm excited to draw upon the history of this time of year and the power of the very first Christmas. I'm excited to look forward to the time when I myself will see Jesus with my own eyes. I'm excited for an eternity of Christmas.

Life is good.

I haven't had a chance to read a lot about Kiva, but what I have read and know is absolutely amazing. You can check them out here and you should, you must in fact!

I've signed up but haven't loaned money yet. Dustin and I get "allowances" each month and we are going to use part of it to loan through Kiva. We each get to choose who we want to loan to. It's really fun, actually, getting to read people's stories who live thousands of miles away and who live a life so different than mine. I am fascinated and impressed by their resiliency, tenancity, commitment, strength, and creativity. I could never do this kind of thing in this country, it just takes too much that I don't have. But it's amazing how "little" to me goes so far somewhere else. And I am honored to get to help in some small way. I wish I could so much more.

Everyone should sign up and participate. So sign up now...now...NOW!!

I'm in McCall, Idaho for a few days this week attending an Emergency Disaster conference. We are staying at Ida Haven, an Adventist camp on a lake. This is a picture from the lodge. Ahhh...peace.

Life has been full of little surprises of which I am overwhelmingly thankful.

I attened training in Orlando, FL last week for my Emergency Disaster duties with The Salvation Army. Ironically, when Jaime and Phil were dropping me off in Orlando I said something along the lines of, "What's so weird about these kinds of conferences is I feel pressure to be social and talk to people, but really why? I'm never going to see these people again, so it's hard for me to be all chatty and nice. I just want to keep to myself and relax. So, I don't think I'm going to make any friends this week." Well, I was very wrong! God chose to cross my path with 5 police officers from Fischer, Indiana who completely welcomed me into their group. I do believe if I lived in Fischer we would all be friends. From the short amount of time that I spent with them, this is what I learned:

Mark is quite the social butterfly and has a sweet heart. However, he's still learning how to run in flip-flops without crash and burning.
Shawn is a funny, funny man. He reminded me of friends from college that use to crack me up all the time. We learned that his wife actually went to Lincoln Christian College, my alma mater. Go Preachers! I learned Shawn needs to not pursue his singing career.
Brad is a passionate and faithful evangelist, ready to talk/debate just about any topic. He may have been a theologian in another life.
Reggie is an incredibly courageous man. He's a loyal friend and all around great guy. His favorite song is Ebony and Ivory.
Angela is an amazing woman for putting up with not only these guys on this trip, but the predominantly male dominated department she works in. She has thick skin and a great sense of humor.

Thank you to Fischer Police Department for sending these guys to Orlando. You guys made my time there a lot of fun and set the bar really high for future trainings. I guess you'll just have to go wherever I go!!

Sincerely,
2-slash Kelli

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband!!

Three years ago today Dustin and I got married. I would love to look back on the morning and hear our breakfast conversation. Dustin and I snuck out in the wee hours of the morning (around 8am) and had breakfast together. It was a great time of de-stressing from the wedding activities and helped us both prepare for seeing each other later in the day. I can't remember what we talked about. I assume we were both just ready to get to St. Lucia and start the honeymoon!!

What I do know is we were both so excited to start our lives together. And we still are! Praise God!

Dustin, I love you and I'm still excited to spend the rest of my life with you. In a group of people, you're still the one I want to be standing by and talking to. At night, you're still the one I want on the couch next to me. When I'm upset, you're still the one I want telling me funny stories to make me feel better. When I think about starting a family, you're still the one I want by my side, figuring it out together. For me, you are the perfect companion. I love you.

Evergreen met together at the Goff house this past Sunday. We got kicked out of the Lucky Lab for "Hottest Day of the Year" Ride. Ironically, it was FREEZING all morning long. It was, however, one of the best days ever. It was tiresome with setting up, tearing down, and talking to so many people. An introvert like myself gets worn down by too many amazing people to talk to. Nevertheless, it was a great day. Here are a few pics that captured the day.

The band sounded AMAZING on Sunday. Joelle on the cello is nothing short of heavenly, Devin is meant to be a worship leader, and Chris on those drums makes me want to be a drummer. I loved seeing them all up there, just using the gifts God's given them. They looked like a traveling family band. Chris in the middle is wanting some attention and Dan is the troublemaker in the back. I love you guys!



My people.




Poor Beth couldn't stop shivering in the creek. But it was all worth it! Praise God for new life! Congrats Beth! (I'm sitting in the back with the red crocs on)




And now for Kevin, Beth's husband. He "looked" not quite as cold, but I bet inside he was screaming from the cold water! Congrats Kevin! (That's Dustin in the background looking down and thinking, "Sucks to be you Bob!")




The divine moment.

I'm so thankful Dustin was able to come with me this week as I travel for work. It has made all the difference having him to keep me company and pass the long hours in the car. We've had a great time each night eating good food and enjoying each other's company. I mean, you just can't go wrong when you're on the coast. What I love so much about the coast is:
1. Soft sand between my toes, reminding me to slow down and enjoy.
2. The evening sun glistening on the water.
3. Couples taking romantic strolls hand-in-hand. Birds and children playing in the water, laughing and chasing one another.
4. Good seafood and a great glass of wine after a relaxing day in the warm sun.
6. The sound of the ocean tide coming and going endlessly.
5. My hubby taking it all in with me.

I have often been referred to as a fish, especially when I was young and in the water all summer long. I just love water. Some of my favorite memories involve water- whether it be learning how to swim in my aunt Carol Ann's pool and spending summers at that pool with family, or family vacations to Florida where we splashed and played in the ocean. So many fond memories. The ocean makes me feel at peace and comforted in my soul. There's no faster way for me to relax than to sit looking out at the ocean. It's a place I hope to have in my life regularly and forever. The pacific coast has impressed me even more with it's rugged beaches lined with mountains of huge green trees. I wouldn't want to be any where else.

We’ve been reading through 1 Corinthians at church and have just recently talked about Paul’s example of giving up his rights for the sake of the gospel. I’m learning this in my own life.

I’ve been learning recently how the way I respond to situations truly affects those around me and the situation in general. I find when I confront someone in an angry, emotional-filled way, I rarely get a good response. They are defensive, uncooperative, and I just end up looking like a fool. I hate looking like a fool, I hate acting like a fool. However, if I confront someone in a gentle, heart-filled way I get a much better response. They are more apt to really hear me, to cooperate, and the outcome is positive. I see people all the time, and I have been one of them often, that think if they speak louder and cause a bigger scene then their point is made in a more dramatic way. I’ve learned…it’s not. Why do we do that? Why do we continue to use the same responses to situations hoping for a certain outcome, knowing all the while what the consequences will be- namely, us looking like a fool- but we forget those consequences. We think THIS time I will come out on top, I will be the winner of this situation, the battle is all mine.

I think there’s a difference between passion based on emotions vs. passion based on the heart. I think I have always thought that when you’re frustrated, you have to be angry to be honest. And that’s just not the case. Being honest is what’s important and so is the way in which you deliver that honesty. I want to be someone who is gentle, kind, loving, passionate, and truthful in all situations, but that doesn’t mean in order to be that way that I am expressing my emotions, but rather that I am expressing my heart. When I think about emotions, I think of extremes. When I think about the heart, I think of humility.

This happens all the time in marriages, at work, with friends and family. How do we speak honestly in every situation? What does it mean to even give up our rights in order for the truth to be known? How can I help everyone to leave a tense situation feeling good? How can I care about the way situations affect other people and not just myself?

I dealt with this very thing last month at work. I was in a debate with another department about an invoice we were to pay them. There were 3 or 4 different things on the invoice that bothered me, but one major one in particular. Someone else working on it with me was extremely aggravated and very huffy-puffy about the whole thing, mumbling under the breath, bad-mouthing, etc. I realized instantly this aggression rising up in me. “Was I being taken advantage of because I am new to the position? Did they think they could pull one over on me without me knowing? I must put my foot down, this is an injustice! How dare they do this to me! I will take a stand for all departments worldwide with inaccurate invoices! I will prevail!” This is how I felt at the beginning of the week. I emailed with the person in charge of this other department, we sent some explanations/frustrations back and forth. My Monday emails stated I wouldn’t pay the invoice. My Tuesday emails asked for an explanation. All the time wanting to go off about this department, wanting to take it the higher-ups, wanting to protect my rights. By the time Wednesday came my emails simply stated I would pay the invoice based on a compromise and appreciated her willingness to talk about how we could change things for next year. On Thursday the invoice was paid, all was well. And on Friday I went to work feeling so thankful that I hadn’t made a complete fool of myself my 4th week on the job. So thankful that I didn’t run my mouth like I normally do, so thankful I didn’t act like a fool, so thankful that God has done this in my life, knowing all the while it wasn’t me but him living in me.

How different I am. I have acted so different in similar situations, foolishly unfortunately. How can something seemingly so small in a person begin to completely change who they are? This seems like a simple lesson to learn, and yet I really feel like it’s changing the person I am. And I’m loving it.

I was overcome on Sunday by the goodness of God. I sat back, listening to the worship band practicing and was overcome with emotions- overcome with thankfulness and humility, awe and praise for our amazing God. I just wanted to listen and worship and revel in God's glory forever.

i am a cut the corners kind of girl. i always try to find the easy way out of something and then go that route. i was a good student in school. i enjoy school and learning, but i cut corners any way i could. my husband, on the other hand, is not a cut the corners kind of guy. he's more of a....long road in the right direction kind of guy. it cracks me up every time i see him reading a book for school that is on the RECOMMENDED reading list, not even REQUIRED!!! this happened again today and i was busting up b/c he's just so honest and sincere in his desire to learn. the conversation went something like this

dustin: so today in class we're reading the exact same article he had us read for homework last night.
kelli: you're just reading an article in class?
dustin: yeah, just reading it. it's pointless to read them at night since we're reading them in class.
kelli: so does that mean you're not going to read tonight?
dustin: oh no, i'll still read.
kelli: hahahahaha, but if it's pointless, then why?
dustin: b/c it's required
kelli: even though it's pointless, you're still going to read b/c it's required?
dustin: yeah, it's required, i have to.

my A+ student.

I hate when I get songs stuck in my head. Well, I don't always hate it, only when they are really bad or really dumb songs. Like the one that's stuck in there right now. "I kissed a girl a i liked it" Yes, that song is now playing regularly on the radio. Very disturbing. Even more disturbing is it has a catchy tune and now it's in my head. So dumb, get out dumb song, GET OUT!!!

I can't believe this is the song that every junior high girl will be singing all summer long. Get out of all our heads, dumb song, get out!!!

Not believing- that it's already the end of June. Where does time go? I know not. I feel overwhelmed that the weeks fly by and I don't get things done or do things that I want to do, such as blogging more, emailing friends and family more, calling friends and family, working out more, etc. Time, I shake my fist at you!!

Cooling down- after picking strawberries this morning at Kruger Farms. I must say I like Sauvie Island Farms better, but their strawberry fields were eaten by root weavel, so we've been forced to pick at Kruger. Kruger is more about the experience I think of being on a farm. And Sauvie is really just about picking. We felt like we got better strawberries from Sauvie as well. We miss you Sauvie!

Loving- the fresh produce markets. In my completely uninformed opinion, I think Portland has the best summer markets anywhere. I do like Kruger's market and always feel like I get so many vegetables for little money. Delicious, healthy, and cheap!!

Excited- about my new job. I had a couple of moments this past week where I was driving in my car and was overcome by thankfulness and amazement at my new job. I have one of those jobs that deserves a "that's a sweet gig!" response. I have said that to so many people and have waited for the day that I would have a sweet gig as well. The day has come and I'm lovin' it!

Weirded out- i had the exact same conversation with 2 of my friends this week. The both said to me at separate times, "I feel like I should be acting and feeling like more of an adult and I just don't." It was crazy because I have been having those same thoughts. It's weird to think that I'm going to be 30 next year and yet I still feel like a kid. Sometimes I feel like I "play" an adult that knows what they're doing at work, and then I come home and can be my kid-self with Dustin. It's bizarre. And I wonder if everyone goes through that feeling at this age. When do you start to feel like an adult? I still feel like i'm 22 or 25, just trying to figure things out in this crazy mixed up world.

Reading- I just finished The Shack by William Young. I had no idea it was on the New York Times Bestseller list. Dustin just told me about it, I thought it sounded cool, so I read it. Wow! I now know why it's on the bestseller list and why there's so much controversy surrounding it. It's set in the Portland, Oregon area, so that made me love it even more. All I can say is you don't have to believe the story to be true and real and still love it. I love it for making me think more about my relationship with God and God's character in my life and in the world. I think it's a must read for everyone, no matter your beliefs and I highly recommend it.

Reading #2- I started reading "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" because Dustin and I want to have a baby next year. I'm learning a lot and so glad that other friends are also reading it at the same time. I'm excited to be pregnant with a group of women that I love dearly and so thankful we can share this experience together, especially because so many of us are far away from family and friends. Thank you God for orchestrating this for us.

Preparing- for lots of travel at the end of July- August. I'll be taking week long trips for 4 weeks in a row which will be quite an adjustment to our schedule. Super excited about Dustin coming with me to southern Oregon coastal area. I feel like we need some time away just the two of us and this will be the perfect opportunity for very little money, always a great thing!

A few pictures of my trip to Illinois.



This is Savannah and Gabi swimming at my Aunt and Uncle's pool. They are sporting the fake vampire teeth which they won with tickets from video games. Very scary!



















Gabi giving me lovins at the pool. And saying goodbye to Savannah at church. I hate that part every time.




















Watching TV with Gabi. She likes to dance when music is on, so cute! And me, my mom, and grandma. Love those ladies!!

So I started my new job with The Salvation Army this past Monday at the Divisional Headquarters in Portland. My official title is Service Extension and Emergency Disaster Director (two jobs in one = standard non-profit policy). Here's a summary of what I do:

1. Service Extension Director - Service Extensions basically give assistance through vouchers in smaller communities and are administered by volunteers. So, my job is to raise money throughout Oregon to give to those in need, visit our volunteers in these communities, make sure they are following Salvation Army policies when writing vouchers, build relationships with them to make sure they feel equiped to perform their job, and network with other organizations who also provide services to make sure we're not duplicating services and really are serving a need. I oversee 120 of these extensions and have 3 staff that help to monitor them. I will be traveling quite a bit to visit these extensions all over Oregon and a few in southern Idaho.
2. Emergency Disaster Director - I'm responsible for making sure our division which includes all of Oregon and Southern Idaho is prepared to respond in the event of a disaster. This includes ensuring Salvation Army officers, staff, and volunteers are trained to handle all different types of disasters, creating policies for communication in the midst of disasters, and building relationships with other emergency management organizations such as the local cities, Red Cross, etc. So for anyone that lives in Oregon and wants to respond with The Salvation Army during a disaster, let me know and we'll get you trained!

This job is pretty overwhelming. I don't have any disaster experience to speak of, so I'll be traveling a lot this next year in order to get trained and become a trainer myself. They might even send me to a real life disaster!!

I'm loving the change so far. I love that my commute is only 15 minutes. I love that we're in a new building. I even don't mind my cubicle. I love that I get to travel all over Oregon and discover its amazing beauty over and over again. I love the flexibility and responsibility I have with this job. I love that my assistant is so encouraging and empowering. In fact, I have been warmly welcomed and enthusiastly accepted into my new position. In spite of my lack of experience in this specific area, the higher ups seem to be confident in me for which I'm incredibly grateful. Thank you God for answered prayer.

The added bonus is that Dustin gets to travel with me this summer while he isn't in class regularly. While I'm working he'll be preparing sermons, doing homework, reading etc. At night we can venture out to new places and discover Oregon together. This is probably the last summer that we won't be pregnant/ have a kid, so we're excited to "live it up" so to speak!

I will try to post about our adventures, but we all know what an inconsistent poster I am.

1. Illinois summers (in June when humidity is low!) They are random and intense and refreshing. One day it's 90 degrees with blue skies and a scorching sun and the next day it's overcast and rainy with high winds and deep blue/gray skies. My parent's house has trees all around it and when it downpours it sounds like the rainforest. So cool.

2. Swimming. I was at my aunt and uncle's pool today sunbathing and swimming. As I watched my cousins play and splash, I just felt so...at home. Listening to the birds chirping, the lawnmower running in the distance- Feeling the sun shining and a strong breeze- Seeing perfect colors of blues and greens and smiles...absolutely superb. That is what I have grown up with, that is what I think of when I hear summer break, that is what I want my kids to experience, and that is what I want to come home to every summer for the rest of my life.

3. Marshall First Christian Church. I consider my home church part of my heritage. FCC isn't a perfect church, but it's healthy and growing and full of people that just want to be more like Jesus. I love coming back. I always feel welcomed and supported and priviledged to come from such great stock. The people have made such an impact on my life. I love that I can come back to people who have seen God working in my life, people who have prayed for me for so many years, who stuck by me during my rebellious high school years, and people that remind me of what family truly is.

4. My family. I only get to be in Marshall with my family 2 weeks out of the year. That sucks. So when I'm here, I just want to be with them every moment of every day. It's not that I don't want to be with friends or go somewhere else, I just don't want to leave my family. My nieces are the best girls ever. I have so much fun with them. They are beautiful and sweet and smart and funny. I feel so blessed to be their aunt. I look forward to seeing them grow up and being a part of their lives. I look forward to my kids playing with them and probably being bossed around by them!

5. Sitting on grandma's front porch. My grandma lives right in the center of town. She has a great old porch swing that I have been swinging on since I was able to walk. I love sitting on her porch, chatting with family, waving at anyone and everyone that walks or drives by, and just relaxing.

6. Life's slow pace. Life is slower in small towns. It's not less busy, it's just...calmer, maybe. I don't know the word, it's different. I think small towns allow people to be slower. There's less people, less travel for what you need, more acquaintenances and opportunities for "pop-ins". Pop-ins are very popular in small towns, I love it, and I am incredibly bad at it. I am use to the call ahead. I call ahead to make sure friends are home, that it's ok to stop by, that I have a reason to come over. But in small towns, those rules don't apply. You are allowed and encouraged to pop in just because. And it's expected. People get offended if you don't pop in. I'm working on my pop in.

Just a few more days and my relaxing vacation will be over. I'm praying for a sunny day tomorrow so I can get some more pool time. If not, that's ok, I know of a nice porch swing to pass the time.

Lindsay Jordan, this blog post is for you. I know it's been quite some time since my last post. I keep thinking of things I'd like to post about but haven't taken the time to sit down and do them. But I will soon, very soon.

I love you girl.

I'M GOING TO FLORIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to my awesome parents, I will be joining them for a week of sand, sun, and seafood at Daytona Beach, Florida. The added bonus is that I get to see my best friend Jaime and meet her boyfriend Phil. YEAH!!!!! I'm am so excited, I'm giddy!

The only downfall is that I will be away from Dustin for 2 weeks. Yuck. But if you know me at all you know that Kelli with a tan is a happier, healthier Kelli. =)

As of today, I've been alive for 29 years. Twenty...nine....2....9.... I don't feel any different really. I do feel myself getting a little older- physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I look back on 5 years ago and see growth, which is always an exciting thing. I hope this is how I feel with each new birthday, a feeling of growth, a thankfulness for change within myself, gratefulness for all of God's blessings over the years, and a hopefulness that life will just keep getting better and growth will continue with each new day.

Over coffee this morning, Dustin and I reflected on the big 3-0 which is right around the corner. We both feel like we're going to embrace our thirties, knowing that new adventures await us- having kids, possibly buying a home, paying off debt, being in ministry full time and living life with amazing friends and family. I never though I'd be 30 before I had my first child. I don't know yet how to feel about that, if I should in fact feel anything at all, but I wouldn't change how my life has played out for anything in the world.

We also talked about what our life would be like if we had started dating in college. We probably would have lived in married student housing (oh no!!), I would have moved to NYC with him (Yeah!!), I might not have got an MBA (booh!), I have no idea what kind of job I would have worked, maybe Starbucks (cool!) maybe Administrative Assistant for the church (uh...). We both would have missed out on amazing friendships and experiences. Our time living alone has prepared us so well for marriage. We have an appreciation for one another that would not have been there otherwise. So, I am reminded, once again, that God's plans are divine and mine are not. I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason.

I'm thankful that on my 29th birthday I'm living in Portland, I'm working for The Salvation Army, we are a part of Evergreen, I have great friends in Portland and around the world, my family is faithful through the long distance, and I am married to the most amazing man on earth. I can say with full confidence that life truly is so good.

1 Corinthians 4:20

“For the Kingdom of God I not just a lot of words; it is living by God’s power.”

I read the Golden Compass series a few months ago. It’s written by an atheist so I know some Christians have issues with reading it. It was an entertaining story and it definitely didn’t persuade me to think that God doesn’t exist. In fact, it had the opposite affect. It reminded me of how powerful God really is. In the story, humans are attempting and eventually succeed at dethroning and killing God. God is portrayed as a old, decrepit, dying man that relies on angels to help him get around. He eventually dies of old age. It was humorous to me as I read the story about how God was portrayed, it was just so….wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. By very definition, it was wrong. It would be like describing a dog by the way they chirp and fly around. That’s just wrong. That’s not the definition of a dog at all. That is something completely different (namely, a bird).

That’s how God was portrayed, by using the complete opposite definition. God by very definition can’t be thwarted by human kind. That’s why he is a god, because he is greater than humans. It was ridiculous and foolish to read about a mere man with armies of other mere men, with animals, and technology and whatever else battling to take down God. The true God, the God that I have grown up knowing and loving and trusting, could destroy them all with a blink of his eye. But the God I know wouldn’t. Instead of showing his power through brute force, he chose to show it through humility and submission. Instead of commanding from high above, he chose to come down, to squat down next to us at our level and talk with us.

God’s power is so much more than these simple words and yet I see it in simple ways all the time. God’s power is seen in the miracle of a baby being born, in the seasons changing, in the tides of the ocean, in the healing of destructive behavior, in the forgiveness of his people, in the unconditional love of the absolutely unlovable, namely us…me.

God’s power is someone like me serving him, believing in him, living in that power, all the days of my life, never giving up on it, never swaying from it, but relying on it more and more every day. I see living in God’s power in my grandmother. She began following Jesus in her early thirties. She’s turning 80 this year. 50 years!! 50 years of believing that the God who has given and taken away is alive and real and loving and powerful, that a relationship with him is worthy of 50 years. I am amazed by her faithfulness, by her honest love of Jesus and his people, and by her heartfelt desire to continue to live in God’s power every moment of every day.

I want so much to live in God’s power everyday, but I don’t know exactly how to do that. I’m still learning what that looks like day in and day out for the rest of my life. I don’t want my faith to just be words, I want it to be lived out in God’s power through me. I’m thankful to my grandma for showing me what that looks like for the last almost 29 years of my life. I look forward to my 50 years of faithfulness.

You can go to this link to see a short video of our new place. Click on "Download link" at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!!

Dustin and I watched this movie on Friday night. I'm still a little baffled by it. I went into it with a lot of expectations because Dustin LOVED it and it won awards and all that hype. These were my thoughts (WARNING!! Don't read any further if you haven't seen the movie and don't want it ruined for you):
1. I hate when the bad guys don't get caught at the end of movies. I know that real life doesn't have happy endings, I know that the reality of our world today is that psycho people are walking around with free reign, I know all of that stuff. But I'm a "romantic" (is that the word for wanting mass murders caught?) and I want to see good prevail over evil. Because I also know that is the ultimate reality.
2. The majority of the movie was about the bad guy and the guy with his money. A small portion was about the sheriff and yet the movie ended with no resolution with the bad guy and a "profound" dream of the sheriff. I felt like if they wanted the movie to be about the sheriff they should have focused more on his character instead of the psycho.
3. Dustin says the point of the movie was about the sheriff coming to terms with his own mortality. I can see that, but surely that wasn't the WHOLE point of the movie, especially when 80% of the movie is about something different, namely the psychotic antics of the mass murderer.
4. I was so mad when the sheriff pulled up to find the guy that stole the money was dead. Talk about a let down. The whole movie you're rooting for him to live and then the next scene he's dead. Dumb.
5. I guess I just felt a little...unsettled. I mean, obviously, right? The movie is about a psychotic murderer, I hope I wouldn't feel really good at the end of it. I guess I wanted some kind of redemption in the end, and I just didn't feel it. The sheriff's dream was cool and all, but I didn't feel like there was enough story about the sheriff throughout the whole movie to make me bond with him.
6. It was incredibly suspenseful so that was entertaining. And the bad guy was the ultimate in creepy bad guy. It was pretty funny in parts too which was unexpected, comic relief was definitely needed in parts.

Overall I liked the movie alright, but I didn't love it. I definitely don't want to watch it again, too much killing.

On a lighter note, we watched "Dan in Real Life" afterwards. It was a cute chick flick. Dustin fell asleep half way into it, go figure.

I hope to post pics of our new place this weekend once we're settled in. We moved last Friday with the help of three friends. Thanks to Andy, Chris, and Karli for pitching in. They arrived at 9:30am and we were completely finished - U-Haul loaded and unloaded, old apartment cleaned- by 11:30am. Not too shabby! Moving is probably the only thing I can say I'm an expert in. I don't mess around.

However, when Dustin and Chris were returning the U-Haul it broke down at the gas station just a few blocks from the U-haul office, they had to wait for over an hour for the repairman to come those few blocks, he couldn't fix it so they had to walk the few blocks in the hail. I expected them to return pretty peeved, but they weren't. Apparently they enjoyed each other's company. Who would have thought? Way to go guys!

Karli and I spent 7 hours at IKEA on Saturday. I can confidently say that was the most intense shopping experience I've had in many, many years. Had my feet not been killing me from shoes that were not meant to shop 7 hours in, I would have stayed longer! I had such a great time. IKEA and Karli, two of my favorite things!

The Good Friday service went well on Friday night. Scott and Glad read my writing and did an amazing job. It happened exactly as I pictured it in my head. Thanks guys for sharing your thespian sides. Easter Sunday was very dreary outside, kind of weird. We had a good time at church and at our home group cook out. Good food, great friends, Jesus conquering death...who could ask for more?

We really like our new apartment. Some highlights and lowlights:
- we have a dishwasher!!
- the washer/ dryer combo is more of a washer combo. the repairman is coming tomorrow to fix that.
- Dustin keeps saying to me, "It's weird not knowing what you're doing at all times. Now that there are walls, I can't just look up and know." and "It's so fun to have different rooms!"
- one of the two electrical outlets in our kitchen doesn't work.
- we have the largest bathroom cabinet i've ever seen. it's so large we're storing Chris and Karli's 2 room tent on the top shelf!
- i tried to take a bath on Friday afternoon and the water was lukewarm when i went to get in. i'm hoping it was a fluke thing.
- we still don't have a key to our storage unit.
- no more stealing free internet from our neighbors. we might have to break down and buy our own. suckfest! it's hard not having internet at home. i've felt lost the last few evenings.
- i called the apartment manager on Saturday and instead of calling her Linda, which is her name, i called her Apartment! Yup, I actually said, "Hi Apartment". So embarrassing! Dustin is still laughing about that.
- the new place only adds 10 minutes to my travel time, very thankful for that.
- it takes Dustin 3 minutes to get to school.
- we have a Thai/ Vietnamese Restaurant right across the street from our complex. i hope it's good food b/c i plan on take out once a week.
- we have a grocery store 1 block away from us, but it's a QFC which tends to be expensive, bummer.
- right next to the QFC is a Blockbuster. yes!
- our apartment complex reminds Karli of the beach. i love the beach.

With all of the ups and downs that our new place has brought, Dustin and I are super psyched to be in a one bedroom apartment. And it's cheaper than our studio! Crazy!

I just finished this book last night. I started it on Saturday. It's one of those types of books, the type that you can't put down, the type that you choose above all else- eating, sleeping, going to the gym, watching a movie, hanging out with others, etc. I have been wanting to read this book for so long so my expectations were pretty high. I can confidently say that it didn't disappoint.

Khaled Hosseini is a magnificent storyteller. In fact, the story was so well written that I actually thought this was his life story, I thought he was the narrator. That's how convincing and emotional and real the events and characters and setting are in this book. I enjoyed reading about the Afghanistan of "the good ole' days" before political turmoil and the Taliban. I enjoyed reading about the life of Muslims, those that are devout and those whose claim is merely cultural. This story, like so many others that I love, is impactful because of the hard issues it confronts- friendship, betrayal, family, status, becoming an adult, life choices, redemption, right and wrong, etc. Good books to me are those that at the end I feel heavy over. Do you know what I mean? Like I've just taken in so much meaty stuff, both in my head and my heart, that I feel heavy. Heavy, in this case, is good. It means there's stuff to sort through. So for the next few days or weeks or months, I will be sorting through this heaviness. And I love that! I love when characters from books stay with me long after I've put down their pages. I love the images my mind creates of good stories and how they linger day in and day out.

I look forward to Hosseini's next book, A Thousand Spendid Suns, with as much expectation as the first. But for now, I'll dream of kites.

Listen to the prayers of our hearts,

Open our eyes that we may see you in everything and everyone,

Vacate the darkness with your eternal light,

Enter into us so that we may love as you do.

We are listening Lord. We know that you always hear our prayers even when you are silent. We believe in your love if in nothing else all the days of our lives. We know in our minds and hearts and very souls that no matter what life may bring, whether good or bad, you love us…you love us….you love us…I love to say that and I love to hear it said that the God of the universe, in all his glory, loves me.

As we look around this world and see pain and suffering, we know with all that we are that your love reigns. Your love has won, is winning, and will win in the end. All we ask is for more of your love while we wait for you Jesus. This world needs more of your love. I need more of your love. This church needs more of your love. Teach us your love.

May we never forget your loving acts of kindness. May we never forget how your love conquered all, even death. May we feel every day a love so powerful that demons recoil, mountains crumble and the seas recede. A love as gentle as a baby’s touch, a love that breaks the hardest of hearts. And we anxiously await the day that we are truly made new by your powerful love. We anticipate an eternity of your undiluted love. Change us Lord, may our community reflect your love. May your love be tattooed on our hearts, an image that will never leave us.

Come Lord Jesus Come

We have experienced your love. We can't imagine a world without it,

Come Lord Jesus Come

You can read all about me as the treasurer of Evergreen here and see Dustin's silly picture here. I'm still laughing to myself about Dustin's picture. He just looks so grumpy!! Not really what you're looking for in an elder, huh? =)

I love Dustin's faces. People often accuse him of being straight-faced, of showing no expression, of not knowing what he's thinking or feeling. I understand, that can be true. And yet, at the same time he can make the funniest and weirdest expressions ever. They always make me laugh, especially his mean ones, hahahahaha. I'm laughing outloud at work just thinking about it. Good times, good times.

I love that I have so many friends that are artists. I am no where close, but I love being surrounded by creative folks. Kobie is a new friend upon moving to Portland, and she is incredibly creative and talented and I love that she's my friend. She's taken the leap and started her own card business, Edna Mae Originals. So check it out and order cards!! You won't be disappointed.

It's pretty funny to be reading all the blogs about the guys being in San Diego and the ladies not. Thanks Deb for your daily updates (Karli, where you at?). I really like them. And thanks Dustin, Bob, Chris, and Chip for yours. I think between the four of you I get a good idea of what's going on down there. All I ask is for more pictures Bob!!

My second day without hubby has been full and satisfying. I had an interview this morning which went amazingly well, a great day at work where I got a lot done, a good conversation with my boss, a well balanced dinner (rice and veggies), a look at an apartment that's remodeled and cheap and in a great location, a 1.5 hour workout, and time to catch up on blogs. A great day indeed!

Something that's always bothered me about the gym is the locker rooms. I've never been a big locker room person, so upon joining said gym I was VERY surprised to find women standing around completely naked, talking, laughing, and changing. What? It's taken me a while to get use to this type of...shall we say...freedom, but I'm getting there. However, what has always baffled me is the showers at the gym. Why do people shower there? Why not just go home and shower? For example, tonight as I was getting ready to go to the pool and a girl walked in to the locker room. She looked like she had just got done with soccer practice or something. She goes upstairs to the gym at the same time that I go to the pool. Thirty minutes later I came back from the pool and she comes back from the gym, she grabs her towel and goes to the shower. Why didn't she just go home and shower? I don't understand. Can someone explain it to me?

On a different note, Dustin and I are still apartment hunting. We didn't get the one bedroom that Dustin applied for on Saturday and we have no idea why. He was the first one there to put in an application, we have good credit (atleast as far as we know, maybe we should look at our scores to make sure everything is accurate???), so what gives people??? What an injustice, right? I looked at a place tonight and I'm excited to apply there too. In fact, I need to stop blogging so I can start filling out the applications because we already gave our 30 days so we gots to get movin' or we's be homeless. (I don't know what kind of accent that is, but it's fun to right poorly sometimes.) Outtie.

Dustin is in San Diego for the week so I've got our small space to myself. I miss Dustin a lot, but I'm very thankful for the alone time. My soul is in need of something and I hope to find it this week. My goals this week:
1. No TV!!
2. Work out daily for 1.5-2 hours. (yikes!)
3. Write and blog daily.
4. Read something inspiring.

This past weekend I attended the Convergence event for women. It was perfect timing to say the least. Not only was it what my heart needed, but it was a great introduction to the time of solice that I will have over the next few days. Five women from Evergreen attended the event which proved to have not a stranger in the place. I immediately felt connected to every woman in there and completely comfortable sharing myself, blemishes and all with them. At the very least, these women's lives inspired me to make the most of mine. However, the greatest aspect of all was seeing how God is working all over this world, how hope that is deep can sustain us through even the most horrible circumstances, how the love of Christ actually changes the world, and no matter how small and insignificant I might feel God will use me if I let Him.

I came home Saturday night after 12 hours of true community completely exhausted. Sunday morning ended the weekend perfectly with beautiful worship music and stories of women who are changing the world by just being themselves. My favorite part of the weekend was the Native American dance that one woman performed for us. It was...full of grace and beauty and longing for God. I had tears watching as she moved across the floor. Afterward, she taught us a bit of a dance and we snaked around the room in a line, 50 women dancing in step together. I will never forget it.

I don't feel like my descriptions are really doing the weekend justice, so you'll just have to attend the event next year (women only, sorry guys)!! To all my Portland Convergence women, let's get together!!

Ok, so I have a confession. One of my guilty pleasures is the show "The Pussycat Dolls presents: Girlicious". I know, I know, so dumb and extremely trashy. But I think it's entertaining, so there. But my favorite part about watching shows like this is watching them with Dustin. He pretends not to watch, but I'll catch him looking up from his computer or book enthralled in the drama. My absolute favorite is hearing his comments and tonight I received an even greater treat...Dustin imitating the trashy dancing!!! Oh yes, it's true. I wish I had a picture to show the world, but I don't. I'm sure you can use your imagination for "The Pussycat Dolls presents: Girlicious Dusty." Fortunately, he's all mine!!

Wow, I can't believe my last blog was about New Year's Resolutions and one of them was blogging more!! I'm failing in that area to say the least!! But, I press on.

I have lost 5 pounds though!!! And I keep keepin' on.

I went to the dentist a few weeks ago, the first time in 8 years. Surprisingly I didn't have any cavities and the dentist was amazed at how great my teeth looked. I say, "Who needs to see the dentist regularly?" He says I got lucky...to each his own. They did, however, use this strange machine in order to break up some of the plague built up on my teeth and, let me just say, it was the most awful, horrifying, painful, evil machine EVER!! The dental hygienist said it would send sound waves into my mouth in order to break up the plague. What it actually did was feel like nails scraping on a chalkboard IN MY MOUTH!! Or biting down on a copper coin. Not fun, not fun at all!! I was assured that if I flossed every day I would never have to see or hear the machine again and so I am now an avid flosser. And so I plead with all of humanity, do whatever it takes to never encounter this machine, not even once. Floss people, floss!! It's the only way to save yourselves, and you must...save..yourself...from...this...machine. Floss!

On a lighter note...the weather has been AMAZINGLY beautiful in the northwest and at just the right time. I have been feeling extremely down lately. I think it's a combination of job hunting and dreary weather and not knowing what I want to do with my life that has kept me in a perpetual funk for a month. But with the emerging sun and bright blue skies, my spirits have lifted. I've been my lighthearted and silly self again to which Dustin is very thankful, and so am I.

I suppose this is a typical post for any blogger. I don't really know why I'm posting about my resolutions because in the back of my mind I'm thinking "what if I completely fail and don't follow through with any of these and here I am posting for the whole world to know of my failings!!" I have issues with failure which I'm trying to work through, but that's for another post.

My 2008 resolutions are:
1. Lose weight!!! And live a healthy lifestye. I have been trying to lose weight for years and years, but this year I honestly have NO excuse...I have a gym membership with many convenient locations and hours, the body bugg to track my calories and the Alli pills to kick start it all. No excuses Kelli!!!
2. Blog more...enough said.
3. Spend more time with God. I'm hoping a bigger living space come March/ April will help that.
4. Write more. I'm hoping that having my own computer will help this (Dustin got a new one and I get his old one, woohoo!!!)
5. Keep in touch with people more- more emails, more phone calls, more cups of coffee and girl times.

I really am hoping for a great 2008. We are expecting lots of changes and I am just trusting God to get us through them all. He has been so faithful in 2007. When I think about 2007, I immediately think of God's faithfulness. It wasn't the easiest of years, but I'm glad to be able to see God in it all. Patience, trust, compassion, self-control, obedience, all lessons that will carry over to 2008.

As is typical with me, here's a whole lot of events rolled into one post. (More pictures to come when I receive them from my mom and dad's new digital camera, hint, hint!!)

We had a great time playing with our nieces and nephew on our visit to the midwest. Here's Dustin coloring with the twins, Ava and Aiden. So cute! Dustin has decided he's wants our first child to be a boy after playing with Aiden. I guess Ava was a little too much drama for him!





While at home I was able to see my long time friend Sammie and her two kids Ava and Beckett. I get to see Sammie about once every 3 years and it's always a good time. Sammie's mom and my mom were best friends in high school, so our friendship was meant to be. Thanks moms!



















While visiting Dustin's mom in Nashville, we visited the Parthenon, atleast Nashville's rendition of it. Apparently Nashville is known as "The Athens of the South", who knew? At the park, Dustin and I played Jack and Rose from The Titanic. (notice Dustin's face, I told him to look like he was full of glee and this is what I got, so funny!!)


















We helped Chris and Karli pick out their Christmas tree and Ania got one of her own, so cute!!






















Dustin and I's first Thanksgiving just the two of us. Notice the good looking food, the crazy dishes, and Dustin fast asleep. Ah...gotta love the holidays