Satellite- Ring The Bells

There are moments in your life when you realize you have witnessed or experienced something significant, something life changing.

Now many know that I LOVE Music. Ok well I am obsessed with it, so when I was introduced to a song 3 weeks ago, I listened with open ears and an open mind. The song was not written by a famous artist. The band is not signed to a major label. But the words are real, the melody touches your soul, and the truth speaks freely. I cried the first time I heard it. I listened again and cried some more. I put the song on repeat and just kept listening. I have listened to this song at least once everyday for 3 weeks.

There was a sense that I was hearing something important, something that felt true to the deepest place in me. Who can say why we love something or feel something? There is something about hearing or seeing or feeling something that is true.

Ring the Bells" is the title track on an EP The band is called SATELLITE and Steven is the singer. The song is a love song and a fight song and it is perhaps also a prayer. It is urgent and heavy and beautiful and powerful and I hope it finds you like a friend.

I listen to this song and imagine a giant party of my best of friends. Singing, laughing, loving, living, celebrating....

My hope is everyone listens to the song, not just hears it but listens to it. Watch Steven performing it and you may understand the passion of this song.

Thought you might like the lyrics

Ring The Bells

Find the words that make it right again
Calling birds help you make it through the night
It's just enough to find a way to open up again
and learn to taste all the beauty that's inside

Well ring the bells that lead you home
cause the only truth i've ever known
is that nothing ever hurts us more than love
so circle up your best of friends
and we'll celebrate the way it ends
Atleast we live tonight
Atleast we live tonight

Scream out loud
until you feel again
and hear the sound of how to heal an aching heart
and those that know you most
can help you to live again
so keep them close
as you're making your new start

Well ring the bells that lead you home
cause the only truth i've ever known
is that nothing ever hurts us more than love
so circle up your best of friends
and we'll celebrate the way it ends
Atleast we live tonight
Atleast we live tonight

The day you finally turn to dust
and finally hear your name
brings colors that will never fade away
Sometimes the best all of us
can still break down and still give up on love
but it's never gone

Lessons Learned From Letter

My father built this really awesome shelving unit for my mother. Well she no longer needs it so I became the lucky winner of the shelves. So last night it was delivered into my office.

So tonight I began cleaning it and organizing. A huge monumental task if you know what I still have to unpack for the house. While unpacking boxes and boxes I came across a small box full of letters. I was curious and opened it. They were letters from the year 2000.  Now here is the really interesting part, I have moved at least nine times since these letters were written and received. Although I have moved so many times I have not seen these letters since I packed them away in 2000. I obviously kept them for a reason.

I proceeded to open the box and read every letter making sure to organize them so not to read them out of order. It felt weird reading them, like I was reading from someone else's life. It seems like a million years ago. I realized how much I have changed and how much really I haven't. Not sure how good that is though.

So it got me thinking about decisions I made in my past. Choices I made then have definitely shaped my future into what it is now. Do I regret things - I would have to say maybe things I said. These things hurt people and I never want to hurt people. But God shapes our lives and these happen to teach us a lesson and help us to grow.

The fate of these letters has actually been sealed. I debated on whether to keep them another 9 years and possibly revisit them later. But I realized I am unable to move forward while still holding on the past. So I threw them away. It felt weird, strangely easy. Finding these letters has made me realize that the past holds us back to a certain extent. I need to let go and move forward. A simple lesson learned, all from a small box tucked away in the garage that was accidentally kept for nine years.

So I thank the author of theses letters for teaching me more than you will ever know! THANK YOU!

Conversations with my mother

So this is how it all went down

Mom: "Do you want any of these Jade Trees? I have to dig mine up"

Me: "Sure, that would be good"

Mom: "I will transplant one and bring it over"

Me: "See you then"

The next day this is what arrived in my backyard

She assures me that it will recover. Only time will tell

Creative juices are overflowing and have no where to go

So I have this amazing friend who is getting married in 24 days. Not that I am counting or anything but I am kind of looking forward to this. She sent me this link for her engagement pictures and one link led to another and 90 minutes later I am so itching get out there and take some pictures. I am taking a little road trip tomorrow to pick up my brother/handyman. Hopefully there will be some great photo opportunities on the way over there.

For those who are wondering Bentley is getting huge. I guess Kurt was right and we should have named him Rambo! His head now is the size of his whole body when I brought him home!

More to come later. Hopefully some good photos to come. And to Salmon the pictures are awesome and I can't wait for the wedding!!!!

The Moments That Make Me Smile

Throughout the 24 hours of each day there are an abundance of moments that make me smile.  I start each day with wonderment about what moments are awaiting for me. There rarely is a time during the day that I am not smiling. I decided to compile a list of things that have made me smile (past and present).

1. Children laughing

2. Bentley's morning greetings

3. My morning time with Bentley

4. The guy walking the giant dogs on my morning commute

5. Random pictures I receive from my cousins of their kids

6. Almost every moment at my job

7. Henry Weinhard's Root Beer

8. Seeing my brother succeed

9. Chocolate Cake

10. Music - All Music!!!

11. Friends - the show and the real thing

12. Sunrise

13. Sunset

14. God Moments

I am sure there are more and I will continue to update as I come upon things that make me smile! Because smiling is good for your health!

And because I have the most precious baby boy in the world, here we go!

And I name you Lake Bentley

So it has been raining here for days (well actually the last two days have been rain free). Anyways I came home last Saturday and noticed my backyard was full of water, no really it was. I decided since Bentley loved to play in the giant puddle I would name the ever growing Lake in my yard Lake Bentley and so it has been Christened. Here are some pictures of the next sought after vacation spot!

25 things about me........

25 things about me..... 

25. I have curly hair - I get up 2 1/2 hours before I have to be at work just to straighten it.  

24. I just bought my first house - All by myself!  

23. I got a new puppy - His name is Bentley and he chews everything!  

22. I love to be lazy and could sleep all day if life would let me!  

21. I love my job and career I can't imagine doing anything else for a a living  

20. I was way too serious in high school - I missed out on so much but still had fun!  

19. One person befriended me in high school and showed me all it takes is one. Thank You  

18. I love Thai food - even though it took 2 years for Sarah to convince me to try it  

17. i believe my lobster is out there I just have to swim in the sea a little longer!  

16. I have a pool but don't like to swim.  

15. I have a yard but don't do yard work.  

14. My guilty pleasure is romantic comedies  

13. I love to read - a trait I inherited from my mother  

12. I love sports - especially soccer and softball  

11. I grow my hair out and then cut it so I can donate it - I do this every two years  

10. I hate shoes - I wear them because I have to. I take them off every chance I get.  

9. I have a learning disability and never read my own textbooks until grad school - someone 

always read them to me!  

8. I hate needles - my palms are sweating just thinking about them  

7. My mom is my best friend!  

6. I tend to be fairly blunt and sometimes it can get me in trouble  

5. I go to sleep every night watching old seasons of One Tree Hill, Bones or Friends  

4. I have the best family. no really - for evidence see blog below  

3. I cherish my friends - they are the reason I have made it this far.  

2. I am obsessed with music - I have 110 days worth of music on my computer  

1. I LOVE JESUS CHRIST!!!