College

I saw these questions on a blog that I read and thought that they would be fun to answer since my current thoughts are still too jumbled to post, I will post about one of my favorite times by answering these "10 on Tuesday" Questions that I read on Stephany writes, she has a good blog. You should check it out!

1. Where did you go to college?

Biola University. A smallish private Christian University that my parents went to and my brother is still attending. It is in the small town of La Mirada, Ca

2. What did you study?

I started out as an English Education Major, planing on becoming an english teacher, then found out that I could major in Ministry (working at a church). Which is something that I hadn't even considered as a job. I switched majors freshman fall, to Christian Education (now Christian Ministry), and never looked back. I got to study, teaching, development, small groups, leadership and have a rocking internship for two years.

3. Was college really all that it was cracked up to be?

Honestly it exceeded my expectations. I found an amazing group of friends who I was totally blessed with. We had our own group, we ate dinner together every night (there were like 20+ people at dinner) and got to learn and grow together. We mostly hung out in the lobby of our dorm and were called the "Lobby Crew" (shout outs to anyone who reads this from that group, love you!). We even decided to ditch the schools "spring banquet" and create our own. It was AMAZING! I loved college, and the friendships I made there.

4. How far were you from home?

I was about two hours from my "home". I didn't have a car freshman year, so it may as well have been 500 hours, but it was great. Close enough to go home for holidays but far enough away that my parents didn't just show up for dinner.

5. Did you have the same roommate all four years?

Mostly different roommates each year. Freshman year I had a roommate for the 1st semester who moved rooms due to our opposite sleeping schedules. (she was up with lights on and people in the room until 3am, and I had 8am classes). So I picked a friend and we were roommates for the next year in a triple with another friend. Then I moved into the school owned apartments for my next two years, with completely different people. Total over the four (well 3 1/2 for me) years of college not counting summer housing, I lived with 10 different girls. Mind you that some were in multiple bedroom apartments and two were suite mates, but ya, I guess I did live with a lot of different people.

6. Where did you order food from at 2am?

Molca Salsa - a local horribly greasy mexican fast food place that was open 24hrs.

Denny's - many late night study groups took place in Denny's, many time with the food showing up around 2 am.

7. Did you date in college or were you tied down?

In my first year and a half I dated a guy for like 3-4 months? It REALLY didn't work out, in fact we broke up 3 days after I brought him home for a friends wedding and he met a TON of my friends. I was mostly free during this time, and loved investing in friendships. In February of my 2nd year, I started dating this guy. Then we got engaged, and then we got married, and now we are expecting a baby in November! So I was "tied down" for the 2nd half of college, but I am so happy I was.

8. Funniest drunk college moment?

See the thing about Biola is you sign this contract. No drinking while enrolled in classes. So its a dry campus. This doesn't mean that there are many who ignore the contract, it just means there are no drunken parties or open drinking. You may think this is crazy, but I LOVED IT! It was great not to worry about roomies coming home drunk, or there being wild parties while you were trying to study. It was a great experience. So no funny drunk stories from college from me, sorry.

9. Did you make it to class on time?

Yes. I liked being one of the first there, especially in my major classes because you got to chat with the professors and the other kids in the class. It was really great for me to be able to build those relationships. Now I will admit, that there was this one 8am class that attendance didn't count for. So I showed up maybe a total of 6-7 times the entire semester. 3 of them were for tests that I couldn't miss. I managed to pull off a B+ in that one, and while I am not proud of not going to the class, I am proud of the fact that it didn't affect my grade too much.

10. What was your favorite class in college?

YIKES! I had so many favorites, I really did. Here are my top 5 (in no particular order) and why:

Foundations of Ministry- This class cemented the fact that I wanted to go into vocational ministry as well as the fact that I was the TA for it the following year. The professor was amazing, and I apply many things that I learned in that class in my job right now! Also, this is the class that I meet my hubby in freshman year. So that in and of its self makes it on the list.

O&A - (Organization and Administration of Ministry) - I took this class early (it was a 400 level and I took it as a sophomore), and I was so thankful that I did. I learned more about the brass and tacks of ministry than I learned in all of my other classes combined. It opened my eyes early that this career path I was on was not going to be an easy one, it was not going to be one that was going to make me a lot of money, or be fun all of the time. Knowing that, it allowed me to cement that regardless of how hard it was going to be. This is where God has called me, and it gave me some great tools to use.

Theology 1- I waited to take this class from "the teacher". The one that everyone wants for this class. Its the class that Juniors and Seniors wait to take, so they can have priority and get this professor. SO WORTH THE WAIT! This class pushes you in what you believe, why you believe it and how you should respond to it. I grew so much in my personal faith because of this class, I learned so much about myself. I was pushed to a greater appreciation and understanding of my faith in an academic way that also affected my heart.

Evangelism - I took this class and loved every minute of it. I really can't say why, other than the teacher was beyond amazing. She had us look at things we knew from new perspectives. Challenged our thinking in so many ways. It was a GREAT class.

And last, but not least, I am totally going to cheat and say:

All of my Dr. Anthony classes!

Worship - We got to learn about new styles of worship and engaged our minds and hearts into something that is so essential to faith.

Foundations of Teaching - The second hardest class in the major. This class was mostly about educational theory and how people learned. We had to memorize a TON of philosophies, dates, people and theories about education and how people learned. I was never prouder of a B in my whole life.

Internship 2 - If you are afraid of public speaking. DO NOT take this class ever. You had to speak, every single week. You had to present your assignment every week! Also, in your internship you had to teach 15 times two of which had to be video taped and graded by your mentor AND the professor. There is also something called the "ummm bell". If you said umm, or any "filler words" such as like, um, well you know, etc. the bell would ring and you would have to start from the beginning. I pulled an A in this class. Something that very few people do, it was stretching to say the least.

Dr. Anthony is a true mentor to me. He is the professor you sign up for office hours for just to talk about life. He make even the most daunting and difficult material fun and exciting. He cares for each of his students. He was even going to marry my hubby and I but we had to change the dates, and he had a date conflicting. He is one of the biggest reasons I am in ministry and where I am today.

There is my super long 10 question college post, hope you enjoyed it!

Unconditional Love

The concept of love is something I am familiar with on many different levels. For example there is my love for half baked ice cream. There is my love for my job, for my co-workers, for my friends. There is a love for my kids, even when there are 50 of them going crazy at once on a Wednesday night. Then there is a love for my family, my parents my brother. There is also my love for my husband. Each of these I love in a different way to a different level, in a different way. Then I think about the love I have and will have for my own child. How great of a love is that?

Then I think of the Father's love for me, and how He loves me always, no matter what I do, say or feel. He loves me even when I don't love Him. How great of a love is that. His love truly is deeper than the oceans and higher than the heavens. There is no bounds to His love for me, or you. How amazing it is to be loved for who I am, where I am today. That is unconditional love.

Identity

Someone asked me if I felt like I lost part of my identity when I changed my name after I got married.

I honestly had to think about it.

I have been Mrs. Medina for almost 11 months now, and I wouldn't change it for the world. I love having the same name as my husband. I love that I took his name so that we are united as one family. Myself as a person didn't change really, at least no more than any other person who gets married. I got to add something. The only time that I felt like I was loosing something was a comment my dad said. My dad finally got his hands on a family heirloom that was his great grandpa's, then his grandpa's then his dad's and now finally his. He has been drooling over this particular item since he was 10 years old. It's the riffle he learned to hunt with from his grandpa. He made a joke about making my brother wait until he was 60 to get it, then I made a joke about him not wanting to pass it down to his first born grandson (currently in my oven). His reply was, is his last name going to be _________ (insert my maiden last name)?

At that moment I realized that part of my identity had changed, in my families eyes. Which is a good thing! Matt and I are our own family now. While my parents will always be my parents, my hubby and I are a different family now, our identity is now meshed.

Did I loose part of my identity? No, I am still the same person. My identity changed, I am now part of someone else. It is an addition, not a loss. I gained so much more than I had before. At least that is my feeling.

Btw... I have like 15 unfinished blog posts to make but my prego brain is stalling me out, so I apologize for the lack of recent posts, hopefully my blogging will come back soon, and it will not be overwhelmed by baby stuff, but no promises.

Life

Lets call May the month of failed blogging. Hello long lost blog, I have missed you. My life has kept me away from you, the insanity of not having an office at work and all of my crazy tasks overwhelmed me. But now I am back, and I have so much to tell you. Which means that there will be many posts coming soonish.

Here is what my past few weeks have looked like

Monday:

8:30am - 5:15ish Work with a modest lunch break

5:30-6:30 Dinner and if we are fast squeezing in some grocery shopping

7-10something Game night at our place.

Tuesday:

8:30am - 5:15ish Work with a modest lunch break

Grab a quick dinner and be 20 min away by 6pm

6-8:30/9ish Life Group

Come home and CRASH

Wendsday:

8:30-8:30 Work, with a short lunch and even shorter dinner break

9pm-10pm vegg on couch trying to recover from crazy work day

Thursday:

8:30am - 5:15ish Work with a modest lunch break

After work- date night/ catch up on house / try and have a life night

Friday&Saturday

Laundry, being lazy and unmotivated, catching up from the insanity of the week, sometimes going out of town, being sick most weekends etc

Sunday:

7:15-1:30pm Work/Church

1:30-2ish lunch

2ish-5ish rest my swollen ankles and take a nap

5ish-10ish start to mentally prepare myself for the week and all I need to get done.

When I type it out it doesn't look that crazy, but it sure has felt that way. Now that I don't have my Wednesday night program anymore, things will hopefully feel better and more freeing and I wont feel so overwhelmed. :)

My travel bug

I haven't been to a new place since 2008. Since I was 16 every 2 years or so, I have been off to somewhere new, usually a new country (but not always).

In 2003, I went to Grenada on a mission trip and helped fix up a church that had very bad water damage.

In 2004, my family went on a cruise to Mexico, it was AWESOME. Sorry no pics on my compy for this one :(

In 2006, I went to Ireland for 10 days, and the experience was BEYOND amazing. This is the courtyard of trinity collage.

In 2007, I went to Kenya and served people impacted or infected with HIV/AIDS.

In 2008, I went to France, a true dream come true for me, I had 3 weeks in the French countryside with a few days in Paris At the top of my blog is a picture from the countryside I was staying in.

For our honeymoon Matt and I chose to go on the same cruise to Mexico my family had gone on twice previously. It was convenient with dates and at a price we couldn't beat. While it was fun and relaxing, I honestly didn't feel like I was traveling or experiencing a new culture. I was just thrilled to be on vacation with my Hubby and that the whole wedding was finally done with.

I want to travel, I want to go back to Africa, I want to spend time in England and the rest of europe for that matter, I want to go to South America, or Australia, or anywhere in Asia.

However due to the fact that I am currently on the mommy wagon... it will be a long while before I will be able to go those places, or we would somehow have to figure out how to afford the extra plane ticket. I guess I will have to come up with something else to fix my travel bug. Any ideas?

Random update

Life has been flying by, I sincerely apologize to my readers (do I even have any left?) for not posting as often as I should. I'm starting to get my energy back and hopefully my blog will return to its normal postingness (and yes, it's my blog so I can make up words like that).

My office at work has been under construction for over a month. My desk is currently a folding table, all of my books, desk nicknacks, my pen cup, office supplies, and other essential things I keep on my desk for easy access, are currently buried on another table covered with a paint tarp. My door was moved, so where my door used to be, there is drywall sheets, unfinished. Where my new door is, well it was put on backwards because someone ordered the wrong door frame. So it is still unfinished and I have to wait another week or so for the right door fame so they can do more work, and flip the door. Then I have to wait for a custom build to happen for my desk, because now the shape of my office will not allow for us to just go out and buy one. There is a support pole in the middle of my office, that is part of the structural integrity of the whole building. So did I mention that this is my crazy season at work? Plus my slight OCD, (especially when it comes to my work spaces) = a very difficult to concentrate, slightly neurotic with surging prego hormones me. Such is life, and honestly when this is done, I'm going to totally make this office MINE, and do some fun and unique things to it. Something to look forward to...

In other news, I had my 12 week check-up yesterday. We got to hear the heart beat, which was nice and strong, and see the baby who is growing exactly the way he/she should be. The baby even jumped for us while we were trying to take its picture. It was what made the 2 hour wait worth it.

Have a great week everyone!

My birthday

Wednesday was my 24th Birthday. I wasn't expecting anything big. Matt and I are still low in the funds area, and I had to work 12 hours that day.

At 11 am my office all got together to sing to me and to eat cake (office tradition) its nice to be able to talk/hang out with our office in a not so work oriented way.

Then Matt picked me up and took me to lunch at Olive Garden. There happens to be one less than 5 minutes away from my office. I should have taken the picture before we ate all the food, but oh well, it was AMAZING and very yummy!

Then while I was working our evening program one of my friends/coworkers got me a little mermaid cake! I heart disney so it was awesome! It was a nice surprise while I was looking at working for another 3-4 hours. :)

After work I crashed knowing that the next night would be a birthday dinner with my parents, followed by hanging out with Matt's mom for my b-day on Saturday.

Yesterday, I got home from work, and saw this super cute maternity dress that I'd been eyeing hanging on our coat rack. I started to question Matt about it, when all of the sudden my friend Alexa comes down the stairs in a nice dress, and tells me to put the dress on and we are going out. I am normally one to not be surprised. I normally am the one doing the surprising... so I was way taken off gaud. I quickly put on the dress (and shaved my legs) and we were off. We ended up a little over an hour away at Bj's (one of my favorite restaurants that isn't in our area), and two of my wonderful friends from the OC area joined us for dinner. It was so wonderful to just enjoy a dinner out with some of my girl friends! Here is a group shot of us after dinner.

So apparently my parents, and my husband was in on the whole thing, and we are having dinner with my parents tonight instead. It was a great time, and a wonderful reminder of how blessed I am to have great friends in my life.

Morning Tea

Lately, the one thing that have been making my mornings, GREEN TEA. I wish that I had time, to sit down with a cup of tea, in a pretty cup and drink in my morning. However what actually happens is me pouring hot water into a travel mug with a tea bag, and letting it steep on the way to work. It has helped me focus in the morning, and ease into work a little bit better. I heart tea. What makes your morning better?

The reason...

I have not been blogging a ton lately. As I have previously hinted, I have a very good reason. I have decided to tell my blog readers before the massive facebook announcement later today, or tomorrow. I'm pregnant. SURPRISE to us! Come November 13th (give or take a week or two) there will be a little baby as a new addition to our family.

After Matt and I got over our complete shock, as this is a completely unplanned/how did this happen feelings. We are both very excited to begin this new chapter in our lives, albeit a bit (ok at least a year-ish) sooner than we were planning on. I'm currently just over 9 weeks, and have been feeling pretty miserable. On top of not being able to feel ever completely awake and anything besides exhaustion, nausea and raging hormones, work has cranked up hours for me, not only in a physical event, but time spent in prepping for that event each week.

I do have to tell you the story of how we found out, but that will come later... (perhaps tomorrow)

We are so excited about this, I don't want my blog to completely turn into a "baby blog" but it is a personal blog, so it will show some baby related things. We are so excited and still trying to figure how everything (money, time, childcare, work, life, etc) will work out now, but it is a new adventure we are excited about!

This weekend was a blur. I mean a complete and utter blur...

Friday:

My day off, I got to sleep in a bit, and then was not feeling well at all. I mean, not well at all. So I laid down most of the morning, with a home that I was supposed to be cleaning and work at work that I should have been doing. I had to go to work at 3 for our two Good Friday services. We did those, I ate, and then went to bed.

Saturday:

Still not feeing great, I attempted to clean, rested and then headed to work to finnish preparing for Easter. Matt had a friend over, we hung out and then went to dinner, and then I went to bed as I had to be up at 5:30 to be at work at 6:30am

Sunday:

Easter is always a busy day for me. We had 2 services and 94 kids from birth through 5th grade. For some churches that isn't very many, for me, it was double the previous week. I'm just bummed that most of them were out of town guests. Anyways I worked nonstop from 6:45-1pm, I didn't even get to take more than 3 sips of my starbucks that I got on the way to work. Then it was off to my parents house for Easter lunch. Matt's family came as well and in total there were twelve of us. We were there until 10:30 (as per usual with family gatherings) and had tons of fun.

It was a crazy weekend and I am still feeling so exhausted from it. Yet, it was a totally blessed weekend with some really fun things happening too. More on that later, for now back to life that is moving hundreds of miles an hour.

Walt Wednesday

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality."

-Walt Disney

from here

I currently can't see strait due to work overload...

Have you ever felt like this? That is how I feel, completely and utterly overwhelmed. Work is insane this week. On top of Easter (which is already insane), my office is having construction done on it, so I am office-less AND can’t get to all of the stuff I need to. AND we started construction on my building, which HAS to be done by Easter Sunday, AND we encountered some problems we don’t quite know how to solve. AND I’m launching a new program after Easter, which has to have finished curriculum. So just with work, I feel as if I’m drowning… AND trying to do everything else. It will get better, but as for now, back to it! I'm so glad I LOVE my job, or this would be 100x's worse!

Walt Wednesday

“Ever since the beginning of wisdom, man has been fashioning a brighter light and a stronger glass to help him probe deeper and deeper into the marvels of nature's secret world.

Today, with the modern microscope, we can peer into dark corners we've never seen before. Often we can't explain what we see, but just looking is always a dramatic and thrilling experience.”

-Walt Disney

From my iPhone app

I know that my blog has been mostly what I consider "fluff" bits lately. I really do apologize for that. I have been so incredibly busy, AND on top of that, I have so much going on in my life that I can't blog about, it makes writing about me right now difficult. I promise that I will return to my blog with good posts soon, but for now here is an update of what had been going on.

1. We moved, and love our new place. However we are so NOT unpacked, it has now become an explosion of rummaged through boxes. *sigh

2. We have been to 2 weddings this month, the most recent this past weekend.

3. Matt is gone all week this week, working for his uncle 6.5 hrs away from me. At least it is money, (which honestly we desperately need right now) but I will miss him terribly!

4. I'm really excited about Easter this year, I am pulling out all the stops at work, and it's looking like we get to have some good family time as well.

5. Our lives are changing in a big way soon and I want to talk about it. Oh, do I WANT to talk about it, but I can't right now. Not until certain things happen first. Soon, very soon you will hear about it... but until then my lips are sealed.

Sorry for the quick and randomness, I promise a good post later...

Walt Wednesday

In bad times and good,

I have never lost my sense of zest for life.

-Walt Disney

taken from my iPhone app

Hidden Mickey's

I miss Disneyland, I miss it a TON right now. This is the longest I have gone without going to "the Park" since I was in middle school. I really don't know what to do about it. It doesn't look like I'll be going anytime soon. So for now, I will just look at this picture. It is one of my FAVORITE Hidden Mickey's in Disneyland. I was lucky enough to snap a picture of it last year while I was there. Enjoy, and maybe next time you go, you will be able to spot it.

Dragging

Is anyone else totally dragging today? I can barely keep my eyes open this morning and I keep yawning. Its absolutely ridiculous, and I'm blaming the time change, 100%!

In other news, I hope you all have a fabulous Monday, and are able to stay wake more easily than me... because right now, I'm off to find some form of caffeine :)

Finally Friday

If you haven't heard me say it before, I LOVE FRIDAYS. They are my FAVORITE day of the week. Here are the top five reasons why I love Fridays:

1. It's my day off. Well mostly, about 2-3 time a month, I have an event in the evening, but its only 4 hours, and ALWAYS fun and never feels like work.

2. It's my day of sleeping in, or at least, laying in bed snuggling with my hubby longer than usual and enjoying our typical Friday breakfast of Cinnamon rolls.

3. It's my day to catch up. I get to bake, do laundry, clean the house, organize, prepare blog posts for the week and try and figure out what needs to happen for the next week.

4. Its my day of rest. I try and spend a good portion of Fridays doing nothing, or at least watching TV/veging/goofing off. This helps keep me sane the rest of the week

5. I can stay up as late as I want! Saturday nights I need to be in bed early, as I have work at 7am on Sunday mornings, but Friday night is a time when I can stay up late, that is, I would if I ever had a good reason too.

So there you have it, 5 reasons as to why I love Fridays!

Walt Wednesday

“The era we are living in today is a dream coming true.”

- Walt Disney

From my iPhone Disney App

Weddings

Wedding season is upon us, We took a break this weekend from moving to attend the first of five weddings over the next few months. This was the wedding of one of my college roomies and good friends Tom and Shelley. I wish I had my camera but some how during the move, it ended up packed. Shelley and I meet freshman year, and hung out a TON, and became friends. Sophomore year, we moved to live in the same dorm on the same floor. Then Junior year we became roomies. We also both started dating seriously within 6ish months of each other. Here we are on one of our double dates Junior year to Knott's Scary Farm (I couldn't find the pic of all four of us, that I KNOW exists somewhere)

Shelley also introduced me to a FABULOUS college group, which I was a part of for most of college. I even when to Kenya with them, here are some of my favorite peps on safari. We were all at the wedding on Saturday (well considering that two where the bride and groom, one the MoH, and another the FoB it makes sense). It was so amazing to see all of these guys again...

Spending Saturday evening with all of these wonderful friends makes me miss living in the OC. It made me miss my Disneyland coffee dates with Suzy, it make me miss giving Shelley and Tom a hard time about playing WOW, it made me miss that special college group and remember all that happened during that time in my life. I am so thankful for all of these friends that God has blessed me with. I am hoping to be able to make it over their more often to visit.

Here is the new Mr. and Mrs. I'm so thankful that both of you have been a part of my life! May God Bless your marriage, as you start your lives together.

Shelley and Tom

Kenya, 2007

Husband and Wife

2010