Happy New year!

Hello hello to all!!!

Yes it is march 15 but i have not been on here for MONTHS soooo HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This new year has brought some fun and exciting, new & used things into my life. As most know, I am at SAU and LOVING it. Joselyn and Krystal have always tried to get me to come down here... why I haven't before this, I will never know, but God is leading and Im here and HAPPY as a clam. Yes classes are still classes, I hate academics but the people, the place and the surroundings are the BEST!

I am closer to family I have not had the privilege to grow up around. I spend most weekends down and my Aunt and Uncles in Calhoun GA, its a little less then an hour away. We do anything and everything and I have grown to know my cousins much better through this. Liv and I are growing closer and closer through random talks, outings and fun times!

I am living with the Mehlenbacher's. We live 1.5 miles from Brock ( business building) which is where all my classes are. I have my own room, own bathroom and a new "family" to share life with! THay have been such a blessing to me, I get my mom hugs from Mary and good talks form Kim and Brett!

When I'm not studying or in class I tend to spend quite a lot of my time with Justin. He is my cousins roommate and forever friend of liv and Dave's. He is an outdoor leadership major and loves random fun. We hit it off in January and have been hanging out ever since... nothing official just super close friends:) God is in this all the way and Im SUPER happy!

Well I am off to take a business Spreadsheets test so hello to all again and I will try and be more proactive on this!

signing off...

wb

early morning

Monday July 26 -

4:45 this morning my mom came and woke me up so i could say good-bye to my brother. He is going to Glynco, which is a Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. He will be there the next 3 weeks training as a Guard for the Federal Prison system. After we prayed and I hugged him good-bye, I went back to bed thinking, for some reason i still had time to sleep in, Nope my alarm went off at 5 and there I was, trying to be bright eyed and bushy tailed on a monday morning. As the morning progressed I realized it was only 3.5 days till I would be in HAWAII!!!! That woke me up. Yes, this is the week of HI. If you must know, Im really not excited, I mean, really?! Its just hawaii and Im only going to see a Super AMAZING guy for 10 days then to TX for 6 more. Sounds like an average vacation to me!

Ok so thats not true at all.!!! I am SUPER stoked, in fact Im practically packed. I think my family is ready to get rid of me so I will quit giving them a countdown and telling them "this time next week...". As it gets closer I will admit Im getting more and more butterflies. Good butterflies tho, the kind you get when you FINALLY get to see someone you have grown to know, like, and trust. Chris is a blast (well over skype and phone at least;) ) so I have NO questions whether this trip will be an absolute Blast. He says he has an action packed week planned so ready or not, here I go! Ill keep you updated on week happenings as well as Hawaii adventures!

Talk soon!!!

People of Ravens Nest!

In the month and a half that I have worked here at the Coffee shop there are have been many people that I have come to love, like and to be honest, some that I dread seeing! Maybe dread is a little strong, let just say I don't look forward to serving them. As time goes on I will tell you more and more about all of them but today there are a few that are on my mind. COme along as I explain each to you.

My first and ultimate favorite is Caroline! She is the Ravens Nest mascot. To help you get a mental picture, Caroline is 80 years old, about 5 feet tall and as spunky as they come. She walks around with a oxygen backpack that lasts 2-4 hours and is ALWAYS giving hugs. She has NEVER and will never meet a stranger. Her hobbies are pretty much gardening. She is ALWAYS outside her place fixing it up or outside ours cleaning it! She comes in daily to fix the couch covers and once a week to tend our inside plants. As I passed by her house the other day she was cutting her grass with.... scissors! She never stops moving. Ashleigh and I are going to take her to Lunch a week from tomorrow so I will report about that when it happens. It should be a splendid time!

Next person that comes to mind is Ed. Ed is about my height, just a small stature guy. Ed is probably in his.... 60's. NICEST guy ever. Very full of energy and Super friendly. His Daughter Beth and 2 grandkids come in 2 or so times a week. Heis very active in his church and has offered to come play sax with Ashleigh during praise time at our church, SUPER NEAT guy! Last thursday at mic night he played sax/ harmonica then had beth sing, VERY good together! When I see him coming I just smile, today he had an interview and was a little unsure of how it went. Im sure he did great. He is coming back in to tell ASh and I a story, this should be good:)

The list goes on and on.....

Doug- regular 2 times a day, a double &/or coffee, handy man and is very knowledgeable about coffee

Tim - neighborhood regular, walks here every morning, 3 shot with cream and sugar, Nice guy!

Jim - Large latte to stay, sometimes a pastry but not always, nice but quiet

Ed - mid 70's, rides the bus, OLD school clothes, coffee with cream to color and a pastry, CUTEST old man!

Carolyn- 60's, nice but seems unhappy, Cappuccino and usually a pastry, sits and does cross-word.

Susan - medium iced americano, friendly, always asks how long till my Hawaii trip and about Chris :)

Kurt - Local pastor, large coffee, usually stays long enough to get a refill, interesting to talk to

Smell good air force coach - medium coffee, lil cream, warming up to us, more and more talkative

Phil - large coffee, room for cream, nice, shy but friendly

Air Force guy (aaron) - super friendly, odd schedule so barely in right now, plain coffee.

SuzAnne (aarons sister) Cappuccino, in house, very friendly also, always studying

Joseph - pastor across the street, medium americano with room, NICEST guy ever.

Brandon - also pastor across the st., large red tea, Jalapeno bagel if in stock, dry, yet sarcastic

David - another across the st. pastor - Md Americano no room, sweet guy, a lil skeptical about this chris/Hawaii thing, very caring

I don't dare go on more, there is too many, those are the main - every day people!

LOVE my job and boss!

summer Future!

July 14! oh what a day. No nothing exciting has happened, just another day, but today is my second day of being 22. Some of you may think I am old, others may think I am still a young buck, I like to think of myself as being in my prime! Life is offering so much right now. Fun, friends and travels. From tomorrow on, time should go pretty fast till i hit HI!

Tomorrow I am heading up to Buena Vista with my Brother & Sis-in-love to ride quads & dirt bikes with her family! When I say family I mean all 20 of them. They have rented a 3 bdrm, 3 bath cabin. Its going to be a PARTY! Garrett, Slim and I, along with some of the nephews will be camping tomorrow night then goin to the cabin friday! I hope to get some High-altitude runs in while I am up there but we will see how that goes! It will be a FUN time for sure! This is the last weekend Ill see those 2 till after Hawaii! Garrett leaves the 26th for his guard training in Georgia and Slim is busy finishing her last month of nursing so after this weekend it will be tough getting together!

Sunday when I return I am going to be helping with VBS, One of my favorite activities of summer! This year it is going Sunday - friday 6:30 - 9. Now talk about a LONG night, but you will hear no complaints from me. The Kids are the Future church and what better way to impact them then with fun times learning about God?! This years theme is, well haha im actually not sure BUT it will be fun! Last year was a BLAST so I am stoked about this year. Ill posts pictures as the week progresses.

So next thing Ill know, it will be friday, VBS will be over and I will be enjoying my last sabbath home for the next 3 weeks, CRAZY!!! Because for the next 3 weeks ill be in Hawaii, Texas then up in the CO mountains. I will leave friday to HI, not just to be in paradise, but to see a Young Man, but not just any man, no, a man thats becoming pretty special in my life these days, goes by the name Chris! Its been a fun month Skyping and talking on the phone but I am ready to be with him in person. See ya SOOOON chris!

After Hawaii, we hit Texas - lake, longboard, sleep, eat, you know, all the fun things in life! Ill be there a week, getting to know the "texas way" then back to the place I love most, without certain people tho:/ The weekend after I get home I will be pacing Garrett O with his 100 mile race in Leadville. Its gonna be tough, going form sea level, to TX to the CO mtns.... I have started training but I need to hit it a lil harder to make it! That right there is as far in the future as I see right now, honestly I can't see much past Hawaii and Texas, but since I have to train I am forcing myself to! :)

Now you are caught up on the future happenings of Whitney's life! see you next time:)

Summer thus far!

Good morning!

Well here I sit, FINALLY finding time to catch you all up on my summer thus far. It has been eventful, fun and Exciting. Every day has brought new memories, challenges and learning experiences.

 When I came home for the summer most of you know my plan was to go to Campion and be task-force chaplain, work under Benjie Maxson and plan chapels, vespers and sabbath schools. Well that was the plan up until the first of June. Ashleigh Cohen, a friend from church was in the process of buying a local coffee shop upon my return home. May 29 she approached me at church and asked if I would like to work for/with her when she took over that following tuesday, with NO hesitation I agreed, after all this was my dream, I want to own a small business, bake and know new people. So there we were the first week, having a BLAST but a lil stressed learning new drinks and the faces that went with them! Ashleigh then told me if i decided to stay all year she would have a job for me. So I informed Campion of my decision, told Ash I would stick around and  bada bing Im living my dream, well close enough for now anyway.

Knowing all the people, and what faces go with what drinks has been confusing at times but the regulars have been patient and VERY fun! I have been instructed by Nadj to write about the people and the days at the coffee shop, so stay tuned for that!

The first weekend of June was like any other.... well I thought it was, until  church!  A  "texas"  guy (chris) got baptized,  didn't meet him  until that night when Maldonado's and the family came over, played games, and had a bundle of fun. We went on the incline sunday morning and did the CO initiation, he passed:) Hit up Elijah's B-day party and then they took off, out of sight - yes, out of mind- No. He is in Hawaii playin ball for the summer so  im  headed to there for 10 days at the end of July! Must say, God works in mysterious ways, his timing is Everything!

So now its work, work, run, and pass the time till July 30! Stay tuned, I promise to write more often.

School out - Summer in

Good Morning

Its SUMMER time and I am HOME! I have been waiting for this day for months. As many of you know I passionately Hate school, its not fun or easy for me, but here I am, finished my Junior year and now I can breathe. I don't know what this summer holds or where it will take me but I do know I have two classes to accomplish, mountains to climb and a deeper relationship with my God to find.

Many of you know I will be going back to Campion this next year to be a task-force chaplain! I said yes to this in December when Maxson called and asked me to come help him. I have been asked previous years but never felt it was right timing. But now, its all I can think of! I look forward to having a year off from school, but more importantly, I cant wait to meet new kids and learn from them. I know its not an over-seas SM experience  but I know its just as important and that I am doing this this year for a reason and I cant wait to see how i change from it. 

Until then, looking back on this school year I have learned quite a few things, not just in school but life in general!  You never really realize how much you love/like  someone/something until its gone. As most of you know I lived with Joe and Nadja Van DenHoven  this past year.  I moved in with them to their apartment the start of school, and mid-october/ november-ish we moved to a darling little house. Nadj and I  would go to Sam's and grocery shop weekly,  raid each others closets and just catch up on the daily happenings of each others life. We became sisters and for that I am SO thankful. It was a little weird leaving "home" to come back home to CO for good, but I guess moving and growing is part of the process of life. Joe and nadj, I love you guys!!!

The first semester was not the easiest, most fun time i have had! It was GREAT being off campus, seeing friends again and starting a new year but half way through, it got a little rough! Towards the end of october things seemed to not go the way I wanted. But thank goodness we dont always get what we want. Time went on and growth and understanding happened, God gives us what we need when we need it. Thankfully He is in TOTAL control, if we give it all to him. 

Second semester brought new classes, new challenges, and new friends! I decided I would run the lincoln Half marathon again, I was gonna hit studying for my classes HARD and try to learn to like school. Well the half-marathon training ended in march when I went to FL for spring break, then I came back and realized i didnt want to spend money just to run around Lincoln, so that was OUT!!! Studying for my classes HARD didnt happen, yes i studied but i definitely could've studied harder and more. There was just too much fun to be had! So there I was studying half heartedly, working 4 jobs  and looking for anything fun to do!  

Its amazing how time flies, people come and go, and life seems to NEVER slow down, yet God is our ONLY constant, we can always call on him whether in school, friendships, relationships, life matters, ANYTIME He WILL be there! So here starts my summer and new life adventures. Follow along as I learn more and more about my Life!!! 

New Cookie idea..

Wow i must be the worlds WORST blogger! It has been over 2 months since my last post. So sorry for all my faithful followers... haha! Anyway, as this school year ends and I think of  my summer plans i realize i REALLY need a job. But where?! I have called many places but they dont need help or they already have it. So i was cooking dinner tonight i realized i should just start cookie packages!!!! How easy and fun would that be?!  People order cookies, I bake them and send them wherever the destination may be! But how do I get word out and where do I start?! so much goes into all this I don't know where to begin! But I know i must begin to get anywhere so that is what I will do.....