Summertime!

despite the recent june gloom over LA and the fact that school is still in session, i've embraced summer early this year since i'll be gone for 6 weeks of july and august. other than eating McD's 49 cent ice cream cones 3 days in a row, rollerblading at the beach, and wearing skirts as often as possible, I've been enjoying:

Dodger game (w/ GREAT seats!) - first live game in a long, long time...

swimming! no one else at the pool party besides joe jumped in b/c it was COLD...but i *love* being in water. i was actually in a bikini for the first time ever, but nobody saw me b/c i was in the pool before anyone arrived and stayed there until everyone left!

(why do i keep doing that w/ my hands? weirdo...) hiking @ Griffith Park. i'm camouflaged - haha.

crazy, clear view of LA

hiking @ Malibu Creek State Park - breathtakingly beautiful

the hike at Malibu was incredible. with each turn up the hill, we glimpsed a bigger and bigger view of the valley. and then i made the oh-so-profound statement, "It's like God!" What i meant was that He just seems to get so much bigger as I get older and grow in my relationship with Him. I've been amazed recently by His..."big-ness" (esp. in my OT studies). His great love, intimate care, and sovereignty. and yet, i seem to only find more and more of myself that I have still to abandon to Him. I have so far to go in surrendering completely.

I'm hoping that this coming summer's experiences will get me a bit closer. Little by little on this journey...

News:
*I'm at 3/4ths my support! Wow!

*I ran into a student from my very first year of teaching. He's graduating high school! And just as he's moving on, so am I. I'm taking a position as a science teacher at a private elementary school next year. I'll be teaching 2nd-6th graders. Lots more work but a great learning experience for me.

*I've somehow become a gadget-girl. I own a (very cute) pink razr phone w/ a bluetooth headset - both of which i got for free! and as of today, I also own a black ipod nano - which was definitely not free. *sigh* the effects of materialism??

*I just received the title to my car! My banged up little corolla is all mine now. =)

it's waaay too late and i still have 1.5 weeks left of school! g'nite!