ending well.

can you believe it? it's almost a new year! another year wrapped up in MUCH growing, in laughter, heartaches, great adventure, new life, sharing, falling, nurturing; a year of much. it is always amazing to look back and see where i went physically and spiritually.

i've been thinking about the end of this year and how to end well and start well. five days to be intentional. not sure what it will look like, but it will be time for rest and reconnecting with my heart in order to start well. there has certainly been a disconnect.

2009 highlights
1) Visiting Jess in Scotland
2) Tennessee
3) Holding Emma
4) New Tunes
5) ... You fill in.

2010 - I hope to blog more, laugh more, cry more, take pictures more, hike more, read more, sing more, live life more. See you then.

Cheers.

praying you sense Emmanuel's sweet peace today.

Oh Me. Oh My.

I have not blogged in ages. This seems to always be the start of blogs though. I can't catch you up so lets move forward and go see my sweet Emma. She's a keeper.

Winter is here. There was a week or two where it felt like the sun would never return! Thankfully it did this week. My spirit seems to be influenced by the weather.

I'm not in the typing mood so I'll end here, but wanted to share photos with you. I'll return soon. Surely we can have a conversation on here.

Monday-Saturday's I am up until midnight listening to IHOP . (International House of Prayer) IHOP is located in Kansas City. Right now revival is going on there. Healings that are pretty amazing. If you click on that link, click play in the large black square. I pray your heart is encouraged and challenged as mine has been. It's from 6 PM - 12 AM.

Blessings to you and yours.

Fotos.

I posted some pics of Anna on my photo blog. Go LOOK!

November 2nd?!?

Goodness gracious, where do the days go?! Where has the year gone? Pretty soon, if not already, we will be listening to the annoying Christmas songs over and over again in retail stores. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas music - I am known for singing jingle bells year round amongst others - but come December I am sick of it all. Then I withdraw from singing for a month or so and pick up jingle bells again.

I wish I could tell you fascinating stories, but all I have is dirty diaper stories. Perhaps other things will come to mind.

Bananas change everything!!! Nathan is now 4 months and has started eating some solids. He wasn't having this whole rice cereal business, so one night for some excitement sake, we tested out bananas. The faces he made were pretty funny. It was like he was eating sour patch kids. So diapers. Since he's been eating bananas and sweet potatoes, I have been majorly pooped on and have had 3 other close calls!! Solids change everything; my clothes included.

Last week I took evening duty with both kiddos while Deb went to a work dinner. My predictions on how the night would go were completely altered as predicted. (ha) Anna did so well. She tried to test me on boundaries, but I was prepared and she was impressed. So while Nathan slept, we ate and then had a dance party. It's funny because when it's just me and Anna, I can totally get my groove on (jumping really), but if others are around, my legs go white. ha! Dance parties are pretty fun. I learn new dance moves from Anna and Deb all the time. The rest of the night went well with bath, books, rocking, praying and bed. Anna really is a joy to be around. Somewhere in between our routine Nathan demanded attention. Glad we all survived and everyone was fed, clean, clothed and sleeping when mommy got home.

This past weekend I got a little sick. No, it's not the pig, bird, donkey or whatever. I had been feeling yucky off and on later in the week, but a lot of it had to do with allergies. Saturday night though I had chills which equaled a fever of 100.5. Thankfully Sunday morning the fever was gone. I'm still snotty, but getting better.

I'm not sure how much the news has covered this story outside of Corpus Christi area, but last Wednesday 2 Lt. Navy Pilots went missing from my brother in laws squadron. These men were on a routine training flight not far from base when they lost communication. As of Friday, one body was found. Please pray for these 2 families. You can read some of the story here. Also, with this tragic news being close to home, it has heightened worries for our own family. Chris, my brother in law is a Lt. Navy Pilot like these men were. Chris and Shannon (my sister) just had their baby, Emma Grace, 2 weeks ago. Please pray for them as these last 2 weeks have been joy with Emma's arrival, but also tears from Chris' grandma passing away and loosing fellow pilots.

Wednesday I am taking Miss Anna out to do a photo shoot downtown. Should be loads of fun. I'm sure I will post pictures.

Well, looks like there was more to talk about than dirty diapers.
All is well. I am thankful for grace, patients, and communication.

Always growing.

All for now.

blessings.

PS: I'm watching a lady bug walk across my ceiling. I wonder where it's going. hmm ... You know there is a statistic that we eat a certain amount of bugs in our lifetime while sleeping. Hope I'm not eating lady bugs tonight.

PSS: Did you know that lady bugs smell when you kill them? It's not a lasting smell, but still a strange scent. Okay, sorry bug lovers, but I grossed myself out at the thought of eating a lady bug so I had to kill it. I'm sure something more dangerous will fly into my mouth now tonight.

Emma Grace.

Born October 16, 2009. 6 pounds. 19 inches.

I can't wait to hold her.

So happy for Chris and Shannon. And so thankful for skype. : )

great outdoors.

i went out on a hike this weekend. i'm hardcore; i hiked with toms shoes. my poor feet.

it was good alone time with my canon 40d and ipod. equally needed in my life.

i don't do this often, but here's a photo i will let you steal. it's full pixels. perhaps your fall background? enjoy.

In other news, my niece, Emma Grace, will grace us with her presence this Friday! So looking forward to meeting her and watching her grow.

Fall back because ...

I finally posted some photos of Nathan on my foto blog. Have a look!! He's a handsome boy.

Today I am wearing a fleece and scarf. I am pretty much set for winter except I really need to find a pair of shoes. I'm not excited about this, but my toes have convinced me it is time to search for the perfect pair and start wearing socks. Those who know me well, know that I don't mix well with socks. I am all about TOMS shoes, chacos, and keens. All a girl needs really .... But (sigh) I will protect my toes as I did living in New York. (wow a whole paragraph about my toes).
I am OH SO EXCITED about this coming weekend. Ask me why, ask me why!!!! Okay ... I'm going to assume you asked. I am OH SO EXCITED about this weekend because my friend KELLI PAIGE ROARK is coming to see ME. Yup, VISIT ME!!!!!!!!!!! And I have her AAALLLLL to MYSELF!! Friends, this means some of my favorite things will happen this weekend!! Here are a few of my favorite things .....

1) HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kelli knows that if at any point I open my arms, this means come to me!! And I get a HUG!!!!!!!!!! I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE HUGS!!!!! And they're not the awkward side hugs like from Ashley. (hahaha, just wanted to mention you friend). Ah, I could stop right there. But no no ... there's more!!!

2) FRITO PIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When we lived in Belton, Kelli was my frito pie buddy. She moved away before I did to live in Scotland for a season. I promised I would not eat frito pie until we could again. Though I have seen her since she's returned, frito pie was never an option for our quick visits soooooooooooooo it's been a little over a YEAR!!!!!!!!!!! Oh the excitement!!Wait! There's more!!!

3) GUITAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love love love listening to Kelli sing and play guitar! We play together as well, but usually I stop during the song just to enjoy her. This reminds me, I need new strings!

Besides those 3 things, I am just so looking forward to being with someone who knows my messy heart and loves me still. I have a feeling this weekend will be full of joy. This weekend would be even MORE perfect if my other half, Jess, could be here. (sigh) We will track you down Jess!!! Maybe we can transport you over here! ;)

roooooooad trip!

i've been going back and forth with this blog thinking ... "oooh i should talk about this." "no, no, i should talk about this." "hmmmm, what do i talk about?"
we could go serious or fun here ... i think i vote for fun today.

this past weekend we ventured out to chattanooga with a 2 year old and a 3 month old. oh the planning!!! you wouldn't guess we would only be around for the weekend with our luggage. we were prepared for anything and everything. :)

the trip went really well. anna loved hiking and well nathan is cool with anything. we visited ruby falls, rock city, and the aquarium. all very close to our hotel. i also hung out at a blue grass/folk festival going on one night a block from our hotel. fun atmosphere. i was so amazed by all the views. i hadn't seen mountains in so long. it's a little different trying to enjoy the view with kids, but my eyes soaked in as much as it could! and really anna and nathan did very well. i could go on and on about the trip but the most notable part is probably what happened on our rock city hike.

we had a couple behind us for most of the way. sometimes they were ahead, but usually we caught up because of picture taking. we switched off a lot taking each others pics which was helpful. we got to one part and i figured they probably wanted a photo because i know i did with the background view! any who ... i walked towards them and the guy handed me his camera. didn't really think much of course. it's just a picture. i can handle the camera. ha!

welllllll, here's the kicker .... they're smiling at me, i'm waiting for the delay flash (very annoying), and with her still looking at me - HE GETS ON HIS KNEE!!!!! i could feel my face turning bright red!!! she was so shocked. I WAS SO SHOCKED!!!! i couldn't stop thinking "oh my gosh kristine! get a good photo!!!!!" (ha) so yeah ... he proposed. and she said YES! :) wild huh? i wish i would have taken a picture with my camera. oh well ... crazy to be a part of that.

here are a couple of photos.

in ruby falls cave. 27 stories down.

nathan finally escaped the ergo.

me and nathan on suspended bridge. it's safe, right?

anna bored with me. =(

Solo.

Have you ever been to the movies solo? I've always wanted to see what it's like. Would I feel lame? Would I feel cool? Would I react the same way to jokes or emotion as with someone else?
Well, the suspense I put myself through is finally over. My questions were all answered.

Does going to the movies ever make you feel "normal?" It does for me. (haha) I feel the same way about eating at Subway locally or abroad. I don't know why, but I was this way even when I was in New York alone. It was comfort to go to the movies and do something "normal" since everything else felt unnatural. The first week I was living in NY, I went straight to the movies. It comforted me that the popcorn would taste the same. (haha) It comforts me that Subway tastes the same everywhere.

Yesterday I braved my insecurities and was super excited about going to the theatre alone. Up to the counter, "One for All About Steve, please." Okay. I'm committed. I'm going in alone. Maybe they think my "friend" is inside waiting for me. Up to ticket man, "Hello doll." (oh no! he knows I'm alone) Such a bizarre experience. I find the theatre and I am all alone inside. Granted, I am a little early. I was so excited about the thought of having the whole room to myself. I could sit where ever I want. I could *snort when laughing. Whatever! But then I realized "Wait Kristine, you're early. People will walk in." (sigh) And they did.

I didn't enjoy watching a movie alone as much as I hoped for. (once past insecurities) I didn't laugh as much which was really disappointing. Granted, the movie has parts I could do without either way.

I'm glad I finally put those questions to rest. Would I do it again? Probably, but more because it's my only option - not because I favor it.

Have you ever been to the movies alone?
Try it. It's bizarre.

All for now.
Pray I find friends. Quickly. We were not made to live life alone.



*i do not snort when laughing.

the other T state.

Dear Readers,

It's tough having a blog! If I don't keep up with it regularly I feel like I must back track to catch you up - and I don't have time for that! :) I'm going to attempt to avoid details and hop around instead. We'll see how that goes. Surely you will stick around either way.

In honor of Tennessee, I googled their state song, but it was long and boring so I opted out of sharing it. I then decided to check out our TEXAS song, surely it's better, and well we really are proud Texans. Okay, okay ... here is Tennessee's song. I can't imagine the tune to it. I will have to google that later. (for Texas fanatics, i knew part of the song, just not the whole thing).

Tennessee living is going well. It's a little less sleep, but I'm drinking Starbucks regularly and going strong! :) The days go by so fast. I've been here almost 2 months I believe. Nathan, whom I care for, is a sweet boy. He is almost 10 weeks and makes my heart happy. I am learning so much from him about myself and even the Father/Mother heart of the Lord. His spirit is so calm and refreshing.

I also get to hang out with Nathan's sister, Anna. She's a hoot! Our time together is usually spent watching "coo coo's" (blues clues), playing outside, tea party or having a dance party! I'm enjoying getting to know her at this age when her personality is blooming.

Last week was really enjoyable. Jess came to visit us for the week, which Anna sure enjoyed the new company. It was great to see them together as Jess cared for her the first 6 months (correction - 10 months) of Anna's life. We went hiking, had a picnic, ate at fun restaurants, etc. So good to have my best friend here.

I ventured up to Piggott, Arkansas for the weekend with Jess to visit her grandparents. Such a cute, very small, town. Coming back, I took a somewhat different route. In 4 hours I drove in 4 states! Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee. How crazy is that?!? You can't drive out of Texas in 4 hours.

I will be in Texas this weekend which I am looking forward to. I'm sure I will forget that once I feel the HEAT, but it will be nice to see my folks and sister before she has Emma Grace. I also really miss having a dog to play with, so seeing MINE will be oh so good!
Whelp ... I think that is all for now. Here are a few pics of Poppins life.

ciao.

s c o t l a n d .

i saved a bird.

I know .. I know. Pictures soon. I barely downloaded all of Scotland yesterday.

Life is pretty good in Tennessee.

See you soon.

Ewe & Me

I'll tell more later, but here are a few photos and blurbs for now.

Suitcase made it on the plane. (phew!)

As most of you know, I have been in Aberdeen, Scotland for a little over a week now. It has been such a sweet time being with Jess here. The air is refreshing and so is her company. Thankfully the days have gone by slowly. Hopefully the weekend won't zoom by.

My ride. :)

A bit winded, but I made it. "Am I really here?"



I love the clouds here. They are more defined and when the sun comes through them ... amazing.

Jess and me after visiting with the Smiths the day I arrived.

Good way to keep me awake for the rest of the day.

We've gone out on a couple of adventures which is always fun. I couldn't tell you every place without a photo so you'll probably see some more photos later once I get back to the states. Our days have been filled with laughs, catching up, a few good tears and some more laughs.

This photo was not planned at all, but came out so well.

Me and Jess while out exploring with Susie.

Me and Jess with her house in the background. ;)

Thankfully it hasn't been as cold as I expected. I've mostly used my rain jacket or brown sweater above. It's a welcomed break from the 105 degrees in Texas! While here I've gotten some work done as well. Jess has been finishing up an assignment for school, so I've made use of the time. Check out my photo blog if you get a chance. I am so thankful for the Lords timing on coming. It seemed so impossible! Though we have [attempted] to balance work and play, it's been so encouraging being with someone who knows my heart better than I do at times. I've missed the days of living together, so this has been a nice treat. (sigh)

Well, I think this is all for now. I head back to Texas Monday evening and camp out in London airport until Tuesday morning. I arrive to Houston at 3 PM I believe and transfer airports arriving to Corpus Christi at 7:50 PM. 3 days later I begin my drive to Tennessee.

Hope all is well. I'll be back soon enough.

Cheerio! (as they say here)

Across the pond.

Scotland's next Top Model: Jessica Heaton.

... haha!

Sadly I cleaned out my laptop and this is the

only photo I have of you on here.

My heart is full of joy that I will be seeing my best friend very soon!!! Tomorrow I am off to Scotland. I'm sure I will blog about our adventures while away. I am so looking forward to being with someone who knows me so well.

Maybe I will come back with an accent. Or better yet a mate. ;)

Goooooooodbye Texas!

news flash.

Hello fans. You may not comment, but I know you are out there!

I can't believe I am stopping what I'm doing to blog, but I need a break and I realized earlier in the week that I haven't blogged in a while. Lots has changed since my last post and more change is near. So sit back, relax and lets catch up!


If you ever asked me how my job was going, you would usually hear me hesitate as I tried to figure out nice things to say. (Unless you caught me on a bad day so I let you have it!)I was working at a photography studio that was emotionally and spiritually draining. I'll spare the details, but for many reasons I decided to quit a few weeks back. Such a huge lift off my shoulders. I wish I could say I just sat at home and vegged on TV, but I had plenty of other work to keep me busy.

I've done a couple of photo shoots: bridals (will post after the wedding Saturday), a wedding and maternity. All good fun. Editing has kept me plenty busy. You can check out Scott and Deanna's wedding on my photo blog. I was pretty happy with the day. I think I drank 10 bottles of water that day. No lie ...

Tomorrow I leave for Houston to shoot a wedding Saturday. Pray it all goes well. I will stay in Houston until Tuesday when I am off to the land of bagpipes:aka Scotland! I am so excited and can't believe I will be visiting my best friend Jessica for about 2 weeks. It will be so sweet to see the land she loves. Of all the countries I've been too, this time, my mom made me PROMISE that I will return. She must know something about Scotland that I don't ...

I will return August 4th and sleep until the 7th when I will begin my drive to Clarksville, Tennessee. My first stop will be Fort Worth, Texas to pick up my co-pilot Ashley! So excited about our road trip!!! I mean, hellooooo I will be jet lagging and she will be sleep deprived from grad school finals. We're a great team! We will split up the trip to be safe.

Whelp ... I think that's all for now. Sleep is calling. I will probably blog while in Scotland.

I'll post bridal photos on Sunday or Monday. Be on the look out! I was really happy with them.

Hope this song blesses you.
Cheers.

hmm ... i need to blog. maybe tomorrow.

check out my photo blog today instead.

a new look for me.

I have never met anyone more amazing at photoshop than my friend Melinda, aka Jetgirl. Funny how we studied the same thing at UMHB, yet I know nothing compared to her.

So THANK YOU Jetgirl. You've got mad skills! :)

Heavenly beats.

I love music. It's all around us if we listen. I go through all kinds of seasons of mostly acoustic, piano, folk, etc. Thankfully you won't find me singing rap songs or singing, rather, yelling, words with beats. But yeah ... though I play guitar, I am a bass player at heart. When I travel, I tend to crank up the bass music since no one is around to bother. The bass just grabs your heart. (maybe it's because the whole car is shaking) Mix it with some catchy beats, piano, and intentional words ....... it is heavenly. Surely Jesus loves bass?!

I refuse to believe heaven will be a forever sing-a-long with only a harp. But ooooooh when we gather, what an overwhelming presence it shall be. I was traveling back from Houston this morning, so church was in the car. When listening to Ian Mcintosh, I couldn't help but wonder about the new sounds we will hear. Beats we have never heard. Instruments with pristine tone. I must have listened to this song a hand full of times asking Jesus if I could hear heaven. I will keep asking ...



[i'll always love you.
rain rain down rain down your love.
rain rain down rain down your love.
rain rain down rain down your love.
wake me up].

Plea.

Dear Kristine's days,

Please slow down - you have SO MUCH to do!!

Respectfully,
Kristine.

Stormy Day.

My days are jumbled so I won't back track, but today was a stormy day. Do you like storms? Remember when you were little, especially in the 80's, kids and parents would think of crazy reasons for thunder storms to keep us calm? Because we bowled,* thunder sounds usually meant angels were bowling. True story. I've heard some other wild ones.

Last weekend I thought of a new one and it really made me smile. I'm usually not crazy about lightning until recently when I had this great picture of Jesus taking my picture.** Every time lightning struck I had to smile because I thought "Jesus, You're taking bad pictures of me!!" I guess He's fond of candid moments like I am. So next time you see lightning, say CHEESE!! Maybe He'll double flash. :]

What makes you [smile] ?

*That's right, I was in a bowling league.

**Lightning = flash on camera

Refrain.

My week has started out kinda down and lonely. I was encouraged by this youtube video tonight though so I thought I would share it. I've heard this song a million times and yet I don't think I really ever listened to the words fully.



jesus saves the messy.

Central Texas.

I wrote this once returning from Belton but forgot to post it. Oops.

6 years of my life was spent in Central Texas. * (if i added correctly) Leaving was a big decision that brought all kinds of excitement and fears. Excitement for new beginnings and well of course fear of the unknown.
Every visit back is different. I think I will go out on a limb and say that this weekend might be the best visit I've had going back. I left Corpus later than planned, but somehow still avoided heavy duty Austin traffic. Praise God. Praise God. I arrived to Temple about 8ish, I believe, greeted by Sarah White and her boys. I was pretty sleepy from the drive and frustrations at work, but Sarah entertained me well into the night. Such a sweet visit getting to know her better.
The main reason for my visit was "business" in Austin Saturday morning. I had a photo shoot bright and early, but it wasn't bright! No bueno. I checked weather.com before leaving and it appeared that the rain was only in Waco/Belton area, but yeah ... driving South it didn't look promising. The shoot was rushed more than I like, but we got engagement pictures done in the nick of time. PHEW! Hopefully I will be posting them later this week on my photo blog. But yeah ... It rained and rained and rained and rained and rained all the way back to Belton. Did I mention it rained? I drove about 35/40 mph most of the way back. It was a crazy down pour, but I had lunch and a hair cut to get too.
For lunch I met up with a friend I used to work with, Johnathan. He's actually the one who helped me put my website together! Great friend and great lunch. From their was hair cut time still driving the rain, but thankfully not so heavy. I think the best part of getting a hair cut is when they wash your hair. Maybe this is odd? By the way ... I shaved my head. **
I don't know why I'm going into such detail. hmm ... The rest of the weekend was just as nice. I spent some time with a dear friend/spiritual mother and a family who constantly makes me smile. :] (see!) Sunday morning I went to Antioch Community Church-Belton which was a sweet time seeing friends and additions to families. It was funny noticing the little things I miss like donut holes and a large dr pepper for breakfast on my way to church.
After church I had lunch with friends and headed back to Corpus shortly after. Before leaving I picked up my bass and a few other things from my storage unit in Belton. It's a sad day, but I think I might sell my bass. I haven't played that thing in forever. I think my bass days are over.

Awkward way to end, but I think I'm done. I'll be back again soon.

* I love going back and driving by all the places I lived in to remember those years of growing.

** I didn't shave my head.

Sarah Wahlquist, Maggie, Me

and I think Joey in the background.

Last Day of April.

Goodness me ... I have not updated. I wish I could tell you my excuse is swine flu or bird flu, but I have no good excuse except that life has kept me away.

Speaking of the pig ... Are you in panic yet? You cannot watch the news without hearing about swine flu these days. It's a bit dramatic, with good reason I'm sure, but it's getting blown out. Someone coughs and they rush to the ER. They arrived believing they had the pig when really it was just a cough, but will now leave with swine flu because of a real case of swine flu. Sounds like an outbreak. **

Speaking of ER's ... October 31st, 2007 my best friend rushed me to the ER because of food poisoning/dehydration. April 29, 2009 it is finally paid for in FULL! Praise God, Praise God. You can read my other blog (nov 4) for the full story. I believe it was one of my first post. Good way to start a blog. Something dramatic.

Life is busy. I sew now believe it or not. Ok ok ... I've made one thing. I am pretty excited about it though. So I bought a sewing machine. Not what you're thinking. It's tiny or at least small enough to fit in my purse. Want to see? Of course you do!

Neato, eh?! My sister, Shannon, is pregnant so thoughtful me stole her baby pillow from our moms house a while back. Actually ... I took it before I even knew. Anywho - I gutted it (makes it sound like I did more) and put wool in it instead to make her babies comfort blankie. I sewed it by hand the first time, but that was a mess. I then found my trusty singer and got the job done. (You must sing while using the singer). Tears made it a success. Want me to make you something? Anything square works.

I've been reading The Baby Whisperer lately which I'm really enjoying. The author has great points, but I think I most enjoy the English accent I have created for her in my head. (yes, she's English) It makes me chuckle every now and then. I was thinking today about how I love surprises. I love everything about them. The planning, the gathering and giving. It just makes my heart happy. I also love being surprised. (hard to do) All that to say, I hope I surprise myself and turn out to be a great nanny. That would be a good one.

Sweet music I'm listening to these days include: Esterlyn, Danyew, Abandon.

I can't think of any more random points so I will leave now. *** Don't forget to wash your hands.

** I realized swine flu is not a joke but if you think you have (it) do not go to the ER. Chances more than none is that you do not have (the pig) but could leave with it because of others who might. Stay home and call a doctor. Please and thank you.

*** I'm going to start a new Corpus project and show you how windy it is daily here. Hopefully I can prove myself wrong, but I am doubtful.

Endsley Lane Exists.

Friends you are looking at Endsley Lane in Friendsville, TN. Population 890 according to the 2000 census, where Endsley's actually reside!! How cool is that?!?! Odd discovery today.

Here's the story. I went to a Air Show today on the Navy base here in Corpus Christi. I almost didn't go because I didn't think I would enjoy it, but it actually turned out to be pretty neat besides the heat. They had all kinds of crazy tricks some which made me close my eyes. (woman standing on top of plane while doing flips) My brother in law noticed earlier in the day a guy with an Endsley name badge. He disappeared and we kept walking around. So we were on a air craft where students were explaining all the gadgets and talking mumbo-jumbo when I noticed Endsley was sitting in the air crafts pilot seat. My brother in law talked with him while others in line waited patiently. Finally I squeezed in a line, "Hey! My last name is Endsley!" I then learned of Endsley Lane and Friendsville, TN which I think is hilarious since I'm moving to Tennessee. That would be a fun road trip one day. Jonah Endsley said they are Irish/Welsh. I guess I am too. :)

Looks like a "happening place," eh?

musi-ca day.

I discovered JJ Heller, oh about a year or two ago, and have loved her music ever since. Great lyrics. Great voice. Enjoy.

BANG BANG Choo Choo Train

... Ok I don't really know that song.

The long awaited update has finally come. I'm sure I will miss out many details, but I seem to lose readers in the details - so this could be a plus.

I'll work with Past:Present:Future and see where we end up.

Past: 2008:
I think I will always strive to end the year with a bang. Lets start at the beginning though. At the beginning of 2008 I was let go from my job as a photo journalist at the Temple Daily Telegram. Finding a job was rough in Belton area, but I picked up enough odd jobs to keep bills paid and also watched a whole lot of "Peoples Court."
I moved from Belton, Texas where I had been living for nearly 6 years to move to Corpus Christi, Texas. Some of you are thinking "what in the world?" I know. I know. The opportunity to move to New York City to help a non profit ministry came up so in order to save money I moved to Corpus to live with my sister Shannon and her husband Chris. It was a huge hit to my pride in asking for help. I have been pretty independent my whole life so needing help was a learning process. It took me a while to find a job, but I found one CLEANING cars at Enterprise Rent A Car. Yup ... such a great season of being humbled. =) The job was not as easy as it sounds. With Corpus heat and wind, my days were long in the sun. I found little joys in it though by changing every radio station to K-Love. I most enjoyed when cars came back still playing k-love.

The day came in August to move to the busy city with my camera in hand. I was set to live in NY for 4 months. What an experience. I'm sure most of you received my long winded updates while there, so I won't go into much detail. I can honestly say that living in New York was the most adventurous days of my life and also the loneliest. If I could sum up the people of New York I would say that they are a exhausted people. People I met often talked about how many jobs they had in order to live in NY. Every train ride was full of people at all hours with bobbing heads or completely out. I don't know how people could fall asleep. The trains were mostly loud and well it wasn't always announced what stop it was. The most amazing thing about NY was meeting people from all over the world. I love love love hearing people's stories and hearing how/why people came to United States was a story to hear. I have never really been patriotic, but hearing the stories of sacrifice made me appreciate my freedom more. It was amazing to see and be apart of the different religions and cultures. Only in New York can you find a Catholic Priest BLESSING Muslims on Muslim Day. I often found myself in awe of seeing people love like Jesus. I attended a couple of Muslim events and one was a banquet for Muslims who excepted Jesus. One thing that was said over and over was "Love them until they ask why?" I'll never forget singing with them "I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back. No turning back." They give up so much to follow Jesus.

I could go on and on ... To wrap NY up though I met some great people and learned so much about myself. I lived with a wonderful family and had great roommates for the most part. :] I hope to visit one day soon. I bet I could still give you directions. I love watching movies now and think I know exactly where that is!! It's funny how NY came about. In my update for 2007 I mentioned dreaming about living in New York. Never did I think it would actually happen. Like I said ... end with a BANG. I came back to Texas in December and was on the job hunt again. Boooo! I traveled a lot when returning because of the holidays. I was able to visit with Belton friends and family.

Present: 2009. Now 25.
Currently I am working at a photography studio. I believe I started late January if not early February. It's been a stressful job as I am the longest lasting employee. Somehow I am doing a good enough job to stick around. I work pretty long hours but hopefully that will slow down soon. Some days I can work from 9 AM until 10 PM. Thankfully it is not forever. I am living again with my sister, Shannon which I am enjoying. It's been an interesting transition being around family again so much. Do you ever feel like a stranger to family? Being the one that travels so much (sometimes called a nomad), I haven't been around in a while so it has been nice to get to know them better and share with them who I am now. Some new exciting news has been that Shannon and Chris are expecting their first baby. I am so excited for them! I can't decide if I want to be called Tia (spanish version) Kristine or Aunt Kristine. Though we don't know the sex yet, our mom is already buying baby stuff!! She's going to be a great grandma. And Chris and Shannon will be great parents.

Future: Mary Poppins.
I'll spare the details as this is getting longer than planned, but while in New York I was surrounded my nannies. I noticed them everywhere!! I remember having a couple conversations with friends saying "I think I will be a nanny next." These conversations usually ended with laughs as people didn't think I was being serious. I couldn't figure out why I felt led to this, but I was open to the idea. It sure wasn't something I could come up with on my own. I love babies but I have so much to learn about them. Any who ... Nothing came up as I was leaving New York so I kinda dropped it and took the job at the studio.

Whelp! As of August 2009 I will be "Mary Poppins" for a sweet family in Clarksville, Tennessee!!! I am so very excited about this!! It's funny how it all came about, but I believe it is so the Lords doing. If you would have asked me a year ago to be a nanny, I would have laughed and said no quickly. (haha) I did still laugh this time, but only because I couldn't believe the Lord was leading me this way after all. The great thing about it all is that I do know and trust this family already. I knew them when we both lived in Central Texas as we were apart of the same community and my best friend used to nanny for them. :] So yeah! These days you will find me reading about babies in my spare time. I look forward to learning from Nathan and hopefully can be of good help and encouragement.

(Sigh) This was not supposed to be long!! I think I covered everything needed. I'll keep the updated posts coming so they can become shorter.

Flowers are always a great surprise!! Thanks Jess.

walk in my shoes.

I'm the type of gal that buys a pair of shoes and wears them daily until I cannot wear them anymore. When I was younger, I always had to wear socks. I even slept with socks on because otherwise I could not sleep. I think I was afraid of bugs biting my toes. ha! For years now, I've hated socks, thus I do not wear them. (occasionally it's a must sadly) Where am I going with this?

I usually wear flat shoes because I can do this without socks. This type of shoe is not comfortable for most people, but for me, I like the feeling of being barefoot with shoes on. When I lived in New York I bought these shoes, which is so wrong for walking long distances. I couldn't wear them as often when living there because of all the walking I did, but since returning to Texas, I have used them almost daily. Still Kristine, where is this story going?

I noticed something the other day about my shoes. (here it comes ...) I apparently walk on my heels. I've had these holes that go fully through my shoes on the heel, but I really didn't think anything of it until I wondered what my other shoes look like. Sure enough, my other 2 pairs that I sometimes switch out, have the same problem.

I've been really confused by this, which is kinda funny. The other day I remembered how when I was little I used to walk on my heels with my toes off the ground, at short distances, instead of like other kids that sometimes walk on their tippy toes. I wonder if this has anything to do with it. hmmm ...

Needless to say I am trashing these shoes because my mamasita bought me a new pair for my berf-day. I love my mom.

The end.

today is my day. i'm half way to 50.
that doesn't sound very happy. hmm.

i took a picture with the alamo for my birthday.
i'm so cool.

i may be 25 now but i still look 12. one day i will appreciate this.

Little Rascal

Our neighbors have adopted two little rascals that enjoy digging along the fence to come visit. I've enjoyed them greatly although one can no longer get through. Tonight Rascal number one kept coming over. I played with her a little which was probably a bad idea, but really she needed some attention and either way she would come back. I put Rascal back a couple of times and the last time we attempted to close off the hole.

NOT GOOD!

I stayed outside a little while to make sure she was ok. Rascal stayed in the same area to come over and when she got half way through I realized she was stuck!! Thank goodness I waited! Me and my brother in law ran to her to help. I calmed her down as he pulled on our wooden fence. Horrible sounds echoed. Where the heck are the owners! I think she was more scared then hurting. Finally we were able to get her. She looked scared and so did we, but that little rascal was good to play again.

WHEW!

We uncovered the hole. I would rather them keep visiting then gett stuck in the middle of the night when we are not around. Thankfully the owners were putting them inside for the night and were going to watch our visitor to make sure she is ok. Hopefully they will grow quickly so neither one can get through.

Maybe I can get a picture of the other little rascal soon. I hope our neighbors learn to take better care of puppies. They are too cute!

no sweeter name than the name of Jesus. no sweeter name have i ever known.



I sing this song and yet I haven't spoken to Him lately. It boggles my mind how I do this. I look back at my days and I can see how scattered I've been. So up and down but really mostly down. I can picture Jesus standing by waving His arms around saying "Kristine! I'm right here! We can talk when you're lonely. I have so much Truth to tell you! I'm right by your side!" (sigh) I get it wrong so often. I need Jesus. Every day. Every step.



Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.


Back to the basics I go ...

psalm 23

the Lord is my shepherd, i shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
even though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
i will fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You annoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and in the house of the Lord forever.

1 peter 5:10

and the God of all grace, who called you toHis eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

I don't fully understand why we have to suffer a little while, but I trust Him, so I put my hope in Him. This valley is temporary. My Pastor here in Corpus has been speaking on Psalm 23 the past few weeks and it has really encouraged my heart. It's funny how I can so easily skip over key chapters when most needed just because I've heard it a million times before.

I've heard this song by Coldplay a lot but have never known all the words until now. It's a pretty neat song. Have a listen if you will. Words below.

Peace be with You.

When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace

Tears stream down your face
And I

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes

Tears stream down your face
And I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.

In God We Trust. - Derek Webb.

This is the new thing on facebook.

What does your music library say about you?
1. Put Your iTunes on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag at least 10 friends

--------------------------

What do your friends think of you?
Nothing (but the blood). -Drew Heaton. (HAHAHA YIKES! Nothing. good thing there are ( ) words but that's not much better)

If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
Song for the Fearless Lovermore. - The Rocketboys

How would you describe yourself?
Never Again. - Enter the Worship Circle.

What do you like in a guy/girl?
Winter. -Shawn McDonald.

How do you feel today?
Carry Your Love. - Caedmon's Call.

What is your life’s purpose?
All Together. - Dougie MacLean. (ah, good Scottish singer.)

What is your motto?
Set My Spirit Free. - Isa. (good one.)

What do you think about very often?
I miss You. - Shane & Shane. (LOL i do miss people very often these days.)

What is 2 + 2?
There's only One (Holy One). - Caedmon's Call

What do you think of your best friend?
Together. - Enter the Worship Circle. (oOO I like this song. I'll think of you, Jess, now when I hear this song. haha)

What do you think of the person you like?
Before the Throne. - Shane and Shane. (I hope so).

What is your life story?
Old Dahlonega. - The Rocketboys. (i googled it. daghlonega is a city.)

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Everything. - Bebo Norman. (hahaha, why not! i'm on my way already)

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Psalm 18 - Waterdeep.

What will you dance to at your wedding?
You'll Come. - Hillsong:This is Our God.

What will they play at your funeral?
Rain Down. - David Crowder.

What is your hobby/interest?
Need Your Love. - Caedmon's Call.

What is your biggest fear?
Secrets & Numbers. - The Rocketboys. (hahahahaha. some truth in that.)

What is your biggest secret?
Let it Out Now. - Leeland. (hahaha).

What do you think of your friends?
A Little Longer. - Brian And Jenn Johnson.

What will you post this as?
In God We Trust. - Derek Webb.


Im doing well. Anyone out there?

Grace and Truth.

I've been reading a book lately borrowed from my best friend called, Changes That Heal - How to Understand Your Past to Ensure a Healthier Future by Dr. Henry Cloud. As usual, I am slow to get far in this book, but the first story in chapter one really grabbed my attention. So much so, I thought I would type it up for you to chew on as well. I think we have all found ourselves at some point in our walk of following Jesus, separating grace and truth. I know I am guilty. I tend to lean far to much on grace with my own walk in sin. Sin, going all the way back to Adam and Eve, ripped grace and truth apart. It was never meant to be this way. The nature of God is grace and truth: relational and structural. We need both. One without the other is deadly.

Any who ... some food for thought. What are your thoughts? I highly recommend you getting a copy of this book.

Grace and Truth.

Once upon a time in a faraway galaxy, there was a highly advanced people. They had everything they could ever desire: technology to solve every problem, and more leisure than we get in a lifetime. But they were bored. Bored to tears. They needed something new - something exciting - to liven up their planet.

A committee was established to look into the matter. They discussed coming up with a new sport. Or developing a new amusement park. Finally, an alien named Beezy proposed the winning idea. "How about creating a god?" he suggested.

Everyone agreed it was a wonderful idea. "It will give our people something to do on Sunday," one said. "And it will be great for conversation," said another.

So they tried to invent a god. But to no avail. Beezy, who had been placed in charge of the research and development of a new god called all the committee members together.

"Look, this just isn't working," he said. "What good is a god we can invent ourselves? We're smart enough to know that's not a real god. Why don't we find us a god instead - like that God the earthlings worship?"

The committee agreed, and soon afterward Beezy took a business trip to the Planet Earth. Under his invisible cloak, he visited dozens and dozens of churches and religious institutions. He took copious notes and spent hours writing up his report.

When he returned, the committee gathered, eager to hear of his findings. "Fellow aliens," he greeted them. " I have returned not with one god, but with two."

A gasp of astonishment rippled through the room.

"The name of the first god, or should I say goddess, is Grace. A very attractive goddess she is. She talked about love often. 'Get along, be friends, be nice, she'd say. And if you can't be good, I'll forgive you anyway.' Beezy looked perplexed. The only thing is, I'm not sure what she would forgive, since they didn't seem to have any rules to break."

Beezy went on. "I especially liked the things the followers of Grace did, like feeding the poor people and visiting prisoners in jail. However, - he shook his head - these followers of Grace seemed so lost. They kept doing the same bad things over and over, and they never seemed to know where they were going."

"Then there's the other god." Beezy took a deep breath. "This god is definitely a man, and his name is Truth. Truth is just as mean as Grace is nice. He kept telling the people all sorts of things about them that made them feel very bad, and his followers did the same thing. But there's a good side to Truth," Beezy reassured the committee. "He campaigns against some very nasty enemies, such as lying, cheating, adultery, abortion, and drunkenness. He's like a big religious street sweeper, sweeping away all his enemies. The only trouble is, he not only sweeps away bad things; he also sweeps away the people who do the bad things. As for the smiles you see on the followers of Grace - forget it. All Truth's followers do is scowl and scream."

Needless to say, after hearing Beezy's report, the committee were ready to opt for the new amusement park because they didn't like either god. But Beezy had one last suggestion.

"We have all this wonderful technology for mixing repelling elements, like oil and water," he said. "How about if we try mixing Grace and Truth?"

lyrics.

all you'll ever need / by: andrew peterson.

(2 Kings 4:1-7 / 2 Kings 5:1-13 / 1 Kings 20:18-39)

The blood of Jesus, it is like the widow's oil: it's enough to pay the price to set you free. It can fill up every jar and every heart that ever beat. When it's all you have it's all you'll ever need. When it's all you have it's all you'll ever need.

The blood of Jesus, it is like the leper's river running humble with a power you can not see. Seven times go under, let the water wash you clean. Only go down to the Jordan and believe. Only go down in the Jordan and believe.

And I need it, I need it. The closer that I grow, the more I come to know how much I need it.

The blood of Jesus it is like Elijah's fire, falling on the altar of your faith. All the wisdom of the world could never conjure up a spark, but no power of Hell could ever quench this flame. No power of Hell could ever tough this flame.

And I need it, I need it. The closer that I grow, the more I come to know how much I need the blood of Jesus.

The blood of Jesus, it is like the widow's oil: when it's all you have it's all you'll ever need. It is all you'll ever need.

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I've been listening intently to Andrew Peterson's lyrics lately. Such truth in his music. Check him out if you haven't already.

What are your thoughts on this song?