Crashing California

Here are some fun photos from my weekend. As I mentioned in the below entry, we spent Saturday celebrating Laura's Birthday. We went to Coronado Island to a cute cafe for lunch and Andy brought along his amazing camera and snapped the shots. We then drove to the Point Loma Nazarene University grounds (which are CRAZY nice, the university campus is literally right on the edge of the ocean) Coronado Island, Bay front Charlie's Angels? ... oh yes! This is by Far my FAVORITE! I think we all look fAB! you know who i am, Laura has the jean jacket on (you should know her too) and her friend Sara (hope I spelled her name right) was down from texas -- the third beauty.

So, this week has been, insane (Tues.), stressful (Wed.), burnt-out (Thurs.), finally playing catchup (Fri), then, totally relaxing (yes, the weekend). -------- I am flying to Montreal on the 17th of May (that's a Thursday), my flight leaves at 6:45 in the morning, I should arrive in the BIG "Mnt" around supper time. I do have a family to stay with, which is SUCH and incredible God send. Friends we met when we were first here in San Diego. My actual VISA interview is on the 24th (9:30 am). I need to arrive there early because I need the immigrant medical at least 3 days before the interview. So, the whole ordeal has turned into a 10 day adventure. Which I am ALMOST starting to look forward to. if things go as planned I'll be flying home on the 26th. So please, please pray for me, and the whole trip. I am nervous, scared and excited and thankful all at the same time, and I know your prayers make a difference! I'll be blogging like crazy I'm sure too, as I'v...

So, I recieved a package in the mail yesterday from the U.S. Consulate, they have booked my Visa interview, in Montreal for the 24th of May. I am excited and scrared alittle, I'll have to fly there solo and stay prob. two or three days. But the timing for this couldn't be more of a God's blessing as I had made an appointment this morning to go get my immigration physical here and send the second set of paperwork, and $$ off to Chicago...now I don't have to worry so much about that. But there are many details, so for those who pray, please remember me. I'll need to find a decently priced flight and hoping for somewhere to stay while I'm there. Did I mention I have to fly (ugh) I was checking out airline tickets already and got queazy in my tummy... anyways, quick brief for you...by the way this is me DRIVING on I-8, California Freeway -- it's a big deal, believe me =) Love you all! a.

Today (well, at this point, yesterday) Jay and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary. Some would wonder how we made it this long -- which really isn't long at all -- and to that, I have no answer. No special formula to say, "Hey -- you can make your marriage work, this way!" There simply is none, I think that by the grace and goodness of God, we were placed together, to do, immeasurably more together, than we could ever achieve apart. I believe we have divine purpose and that is why we are together, here (instead of 'there') I feel fortunate enough to say that I still 'love' my husband, and I'm actually still 'in love' with him, as well as feeling comfortable enough in my own skin to feel, unexplainable comfort around him. It's strange too, I think when you've hung out with someone for so long ... years...that there comes a point you realize that things that you've accomplished, the direction your life has taken, has turned so much, that...

So, it is a Wednesday; I have some chocolate chip cookies in the oven, the weather was warm and totally sunny all day. It was a pretty decent San Diego day. Jay got to spend the day at the Buffalo Bros. shop with the guy who hired him -- a 55 year old surfer dude who founded a Magazine and is now a freelance photographer and contributor, not to mention he's the general manager of the store. He has an amazing camera, (which I am jealous of ... but whatever). perhaps I'll get to meet him one day. Jay had a good day. Jay gave me my "anniversary present" today, because it came in the mail through amazon, and when I first saw the box I was getting ready to be mad, cause I though Jay had bought a game. But it was for me -- my very own little iPod shuffle. This crazy little small green thing that holds 215 of my favorite (or randomly selected) songs. Pretty cool. I'm still trying to get over how incredibly tiny it is! And I totally want to go down to our exercise room to...

It is impossible for me to describe, adequately, the beauty, the power, the absolute magnetism that the ocean holds in it's hand. To me, it is Liquid Power stretched out for the world to see. It is God's magnificence, peace and wrath all at once. To stand at the edge of a cliff and stare out into the depth of miles of miles of dancing waves and water, is like standing at the edge of everything and nothing at the same time. It is God's glory and majesty, in a form that we can see and feel and touch, and dive into. It makes me never want to leave it. And think of it until I can return and stare into it's shining acres of aqueous diamonds. Further in and Further up....

The city sky line is pretty visible when you're posed on the roof of a building. We spent Sunday evening at Andy and Laura's new place, they have a dramatic roof top deck that we all trekked up to after dinner to check out the skyline. Their new apartment is pretty cool, it's located in the East Village of downtown S.D. It's in an area of the city that is in the middle of being 'revitalized' from basically Inner city to Yuppie/Metro sexual ville. I think it's a common thing that's been going on in the states and big cities for awhile and Canada is trying to catch up. I find San Diego really familiar to Edmonton in some of those ways, San Diego, although it's located in Southern California, in alot of ways has remained sort of 'innocent' of alot of Urban-Americanization in some ways, don't get me wrong, it's a huge city, with all the craze and haze of urban America, but there is alot of peace, silence and bits of strange paradise amid ...