Best of 2005

(in lieu of the traditional Christmas Update Letter)

Best Novel Read: Kite Runner

Best Inspiring Book: Blue Like Jazz

Best Academic Read: Professional School Counseling Journal (also a forced read in my classes)

Best Magazine: Relevant

Best SLO Restaurant: Firestone (love the Steak Cobb Salad!!)

me, Lori & April @ Firestone

Best Spontaneous Adventure:  Night-hike up Madonna Mt. in SLO

Best Ride: Mechanical Bull at the Saddle Rack

My best Karaoke moment: MidState Fair--"I will Survive"

Biggest Challenge: balancing school and working full time (Working at Cal Poly as an Academic Advisor and taking classes at night to get Masters in Education (Counseling Emphasis).

Best (most impacting) bible verse this year: 

Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God...Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me…By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life. (Psalm 42:5-8)

Best recipe discovery: Pumpkin Crisp

http://pie.allrecipes.com/az/PumpkinCrisp.asp

Best shoes of the Year: my black cowboy boots

Best crock-pot recipe for a crowd: Chicken Tortilla Soup

Best homemade snack: Fresh Salsa

Best Bible Study Series: "Believing God" by Beth Moore

Best Country Band: Big N Rich

Best Concert: Switchfoot

Best Band: U2 (still)

Best New Sounds: Postal Service

Best Old Sounds: anything 80’s

Most memorable mental snapshot: Sitting on a surfboard in the water watching fireworks off the Pismo Pier on Fourth of July!

Best home away from home: Sandercock (my big bro's house)

Best Comedy Movie: Hitch

Best Roommate of the Year: April :)

we like to pucker for the camera!

we have have a lota fun livin' in our "Shell Shack" together...she's a great friend, refreshingly funny, very encouraging, beautiful inside & out...and just an incredible woman that loves God!  and guess what, guys?  she's single!  so if you're interested in hookin' up, call for more info: 1-800-GET-APRL! (she's gonna kill me for writing this!!!)

Best Time with Mom:  when she visited me in Shell Beach

mom & me at my shell beach

Best Time with Dad: walking the Bob Jones Trail & having breakfast in at the Avila Deli

Best Time with Big Bro: shopping for boots, planning parties, living so close

I am definetely the adoring lil sis...but i can't help it!

Best Time with lil bro: celebrating graduation at UCSD!

i'm so proud of my lil bro!!!

Best excuse to dress up:  random formal dinner parties

summer formal dinner party

'

...Christmas formal dinner...

Best places to celebrate: Weddings…lots of lucky couples:

Sam & Linda (no pix)

Brent & Alison (AKA bean lover)

Katie & Joey

Lisa & Jeremy

Dave & Kristal

Best local coffee shop: Steaming Bean

Best Christmas Activity: Drive-By Caroling (seriously hilarious)

Best clothing item: green Italia zip sweatshirt

this isn't exactly the Italia zip sweatshirt...but it's the T shirt version! Kristal, Jen, April, Linette & me.

Best Rare Moment: spotted several whales while on a boat trip in Morro Bay.

this is the best pix of the whales that i got...but in real life i got to see them breaching!  so rad!  this is us on the boat watching the whales...

Best drink: Raspberry Margarita at A.J. Spur's

Best lunch break workout: Hiking the "P" at Cal Poly

Best purchase: wetsuit

Best worship song this year: "I Don’t Know” by Ben & Robin Pasley

Best Theme Parties at the Shell Shack: House Warming Wiggin' Out Party (January); BBQ Movie Under the Stars on our Deck (Labor Day). Costume & Pumpkin Carving (Halloween)

WIGGIN' OUT HOUSE WARMING with KARAOKE

Best Wig: Jen’s fro

BBQ MOVIE UNDER THE STARS

We had a BBQ & watched a movie on the roof/deck of our apartment for Labor Day.

COSTUME & PUMPKINE CARVING PARTY: 

jen & kyle

lisa & jeremy

"Disco Diva" me

Best Thursday Night Activity: Country Dancing at The Grad

April & I have roped Sara (middle) into The Grad.  She's a blast to dance with as our newest "regular"....her husband is next on our list to "convert" to country dancing! 

Best Place to watch a movie: The Sunset Drive-In on a warm summer night

Best Tea Discovery: Yerba Mate Tea

Best Roadtrip: Hot Girlz bound for San Jose!

Best Weekend Getaway: Houseboat at New Melones Lake

Sara,me,Jen&April on the ski boat

I attempted to wake-baord for the first time...I have nothing to show for it, but Joe was really good...

slept under the stars on the roof of the houseboat!

Best tool at work: my Titanium mechanical pencil (by Papermate)

Best sport that I can’t really do yet: surfing

Best feature of my apartment: less than a block from the ocean!

me standing in in the street in front of my apartment...there's a park with beach access right behind me... see the ocean??

gotta hop over some rocks to get to the beach...but once you get there, it's all yours...

Best Slow Dance: The Waltz (country style)

Best Local Hangout: Cliffs Happy Hour with the Shell Beach Crew

Devon, me, Jen & April...(the Shell Beach Crew last summer)

Best Party: my bday Barn Dance

This party never would've happened without the ultimate party planners: Janai & April

we pulled out all the country "garb" for the barn dance..boots, belt buckles, country shirts...and even saddles!

sara, holly, heather, lori, steph, me, leilani, janelle, april

brian, joel, april, jeff, joe, me, aaron, sara

april, jared, me--current shell beach crew

believe it or not, people actually danced at the Barn Dance...a lot...

Kristal, Jen & Kyle keeping warm by the fire outside the barn.

Best Ocean Activity:   Boogie Board--woo-hoo!!!

Best made-up game: Beach Wall-ball

Best typical summer afternoon: good friends, magazines, paddle ball, & sunscreen at our "private beach" cove in Shell!

Best Outa-towners (my visitors): Mom & Dad (the regulars), lil bro, Linette, Irene, Nanette, Q, Sarah, Carol, David M, Dave S., Lisa

OC girls at Shell: me, nanette, sarah, carol, ingrid, irene

Best Memory:  too many to narrow down….It’s been a fantastically memorable year and I thank God for each of my friends and experiences that make life what it is! 

Best wishes to you in the New Year! If I haven't seen or talked to you for awhile, I hope this update finds you well...drop me a line when you get a chance!

Love,

Charity

yo--this is a shout out and mega props to miss Quyen!  i would try to employ her ghetto-funky-superOG vernacular...but i just can't even do it justice!

all i can say is, you ROCK!  thanks for drivin' all the way to SLO to visit me this weekend--I had such an awesome time!!!  hikin', chattin', beachin', sleepin', eatin', singin', dancin', churchin', CHILLIN'. 

April n I can't wait for your nxt visit to the Shell Shack!  anytime, babe!

"If the Spirit of God brings to your mind a word of the lord that hurts you, you can be sure that there is something in you that He wants to hurt to the point of it's death."  --Oswald Chambers.

interesting....being convicted to change is never fun and it seems to really create a battle for me if i'm being asked to give up something i love.  but i like Ozzie's take on it--God is not just trying to take something away so I'll feel the pain of missing it for awhile, but instead, He wants to completely put it to death.  Sounds extreme, but what's the point of battling if you can't have complete victory in the end??? that's what becoming new is all about--He really can conquer my sin and bring me to a place of victory in HIM.  I am not my own; I am HIS. 

It's probably too late for me to write anything coherent.  It's friday night after a long busy week and i was ready to go to sleep hours ago....but I've got a few moments to reflect on my week/world, so I'm gonna.....

Song of Songs--Chapter 7.  Dude, this stuff is good stuff! My pastor has been leading a bible study and going through Song of Solomon with a focus on relationships.    on the surface, it's easy for me to just think about my relationships (or potential of relationships) with men......but the more i study, the more I'm challenged to consider the relationship that is of highest importnace in my life--me&Jesus.   So much of the imagery in Song of Solomon has challenged me to consider my own need for more intimacy, closeness and love with the one who is and always will be most faithful to me.  God often seems abstract and distant from my "emotional" side....but studying Song of Solomon has been a tangible picture that has exposed me to see my more of my need for intimacy, love, trust and closeness with God.  it's a work in progress.....kinda like marriage, i guess.

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Fall has fallen.  Summer is gone, and fall is officially here, which brings an element of sadness to my soul, because I LOVE the summertime and now it won't be coming around for another 9 months!  The classic fall "curse" has always been school starting, and i find that to be true this week!  i started classes this week. working on my masters in School Counseling is really cool and i enjoy the classes, but i it's definetely challenging to balance school and work.  i hope i can thrive in both.....and still have time for the beach on the weekends!  ....probably not a realistic hope, but i got so used to playing and enjoying my freetime this summer; it's hard to adjust to less free time now.  what can i say, i still want everything. :)  

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but i can still have fun in the sun....

i played tennis a few days ago...i had fun, but i also realized how much my skills have suffered since i've been out of practice since high school.  basically, i suck!  but it was still fun!  Big shout out to my friend, SARA who is such a quick learner!  i tried to give her some tips and i'm sure she'll be beating me within a few weeks.  tomorrow morning we'll take on aaron & joe!!  tennis is fun even when you're not that great.  ---that's why old and young can play and enjoy it!

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How can i even begin to complain about the little inconveniences in my life when so many people are having their entire lives uprooted due to the harsh hurricanes.  the news on these events helps keep my life in perspective--grateful for what i have.  I'm watching news on Hurricane Rita right now....so scarry, so tragic.  Praying that God protects and provides for all those affected.

new goal: post once a week.

This is my co-worker/cube-buddie at Cal Poly.  Libby is awesome! She likes animals A LOT, she's super sweet and encouraging, and she has a great sense of humor.  Sometimes i really don't like being at work, but Libby makes it fun.