The Day My Dog Ate My Gingerbread Grandfather

It all started out as a very pleasant morning.

Rolls were baking.

Smoothies were smoothing...ermmm blending. 

Mom and Maddy were talking. 

All was well, as it should be.

Then the world of Maddy and gingerbreads everywhere was shattered. 

I looked up and saw a broken man.

{somehow my sister's gorgeous creation went untouched}

The culprit was this fella.

I mean he is just the cutest thing. 

But not when he smells noticeably of ginger. 

He knew he was busted too...

after "sending him to his room"

as my mom says, 

she and I could not stop laughing. 

But I really did feel a hint of sadness for this little guy. 

He almost looks as if he's crying. 

I promise I'm not totally and completely obsessed with gingerbread men (or grandfathers).

This was just so great. 

Also, this week has involved the viewing

of several episodes of 

The Dick Van Dyke Show. 

It's one of my favorite tv shows ever. 

All five seasons are on Hulu right now. 

{happy Maddy}

Breaking Down Christmas Break

The last few days have finally felt like I am truly on a break from school. 

What a beautiful experience it is to have rest! 

Yesterday, due to the good fortune of delayed airplane flights, 

I was blessed to spend an entire afternoon 

with my dear friend, and my Resident Assistant at school, Ruth. 

{this is what it looked like, with tea and yummy soup to sprinkle it with some flava flave}

It was a pure 

de~light 

to hear how her heart is being 

strengthened

as she has experienced the greater extent of her 

weaknesses

throughout this semester. 

How grateful I am to know a woman like her!

~~~~~~~~~~

Today was a day for catching up and traditions. 

I snegged lunch and some time in one of my favorite

hometown spots with an old friend.

{looking out on my city, so lovely}

 Sean has been such a good friend my whole life. 

We realized today that we literally went to school

together from preschool until high school graduation.

He's the only one I've had that with.

What a joy to have such consistency in my life. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Tonight was an evening of family. 

One of my favorite Christmas rituals each year.

An evening pre-Christmas spent

with some dear family friends.

They are such wonderful people.

We always consume copious amounts of

 bread rolls, soup and sparkling apple cider.

White Elephant gifts are exchanged. 

And Bingo is played to a mad happy extent. 

Christmas seems to be a time when 

family 

doesn't just mean you have to be related. 

When we got back, my mom had 

pre-Christmas gifts

 for me and my sibbas to open.

*GIANT* Gingerbread Men!!!

{mine had weird bumpies on it's face, all gb men are different}

We cranked up the Christmas music 

and channeled our inner-cookie-decorating skills. 

I decided to make mine into a gingerbread grandfather. 

Gb's age too, ya know? 

I started with his heart and then made eyebrows. 

And suspenders. 

Those are the things that matter you know? 

Oh and his left arm is in a cast. 

He fell whilst playing Christmas bocce ball in the snow. 

{whattastud}

It has been a thoroughly joy-filled week. 

I am grateful for each moment...

the tastes...

the smells...

the images...

the people...

and the hugs, always the hugs. 

{grateful and ever so blessed is this Maddy in this pre-Christmas time}

Sandy Christmas

This week has been a sicky week. 

Bleh. Mrrr. Mehak. Gah. 

Luckily, though, the cloud o' disease didn't

set in until my finals were finished. 

I came home quick as a whip and slept.

And slept.

And slept.

And slept, even as I was sleeping.

Yesterday was my first day back in the real world. 

The morning started off with some

mad Christmas shopping with my mom. 

So wonderful. 

I think I realized for the 

first time

that Christmas shopping is not supposed 

to be a hassle. 

It's such a JOY to be able to spend time 

(with my amazing mother)

looking for special and personal objects

to bring a smile to the face of someone I love. 

I bet the wise men were stoked out of their

freaking purple-y royal robes

to bring their gifts to sweet Jesus. 

I want to be a joyful-gift-giver too!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Last night I was able to catch up with

 my sweet Hilly-friend. 

Our goal for the evening 

{we tend to have goals for our adventures, see here}

was something "Christmas-y".

We drove towards San Pedro 

over the bridges 

{love bridges}

across the harbor and up around the hill, 

past the Korean friendship bell

and the lighthouse.

These sights were accompanied by an overflow

of words

and laughs

and all around giddiness.

And then we had to stop and turn around.

Stupid construction.

On our drive to a coffee shop back around home, 

I spotted a Christmas tree lot on PCH. 

We pulled in and parked.

The moment I opened the door 

and breathed the first outdoor breath,

I knew I was really home. 

{love this lady}

My nose revelled in the smell.

It was Christmas-tree-meets-ocean.

Saltypine if you will.

The smell of a SoCal Christmas.

Growing up in Southern California 

was often confusing for me. 

Surfing the week before Christmas

is normal.

The ocean makes me feel at home.

Hilly and I walked through the trees,

aisle after aisle of sweet green, 

pretending we were in a forest. 

My nose nearly started weeping 

at the glory of it all. 

The salty breeze-laced greenness overwhelmed me. 

It was beautiful. 

Then we went to the beach

{woooo}

and ate ice cream

on the pier

as the waves crashed 

underneath us. 

Christmas involves all the senses.

Last night, 

my nose welcomed the season.

((happyfacemaddypants))

Love-a-love-lovely

Tomorrow morning at 10 am I will have the 

biggest

 final of my semester. 

As Christ is the smartest man ever alive, 

I finished out my study sesh with some prayer and Jesus time. 

As I ventured into the Bible and the devotional that I'm currently working my way through, 

the word love kept SCREAMING its happy face at me. 

First it was a quote: 

"If what we call love doesn't take us beyond ourselves,

it is not really love.

If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, 

shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning." 

-Oswald Chambers

Then, it was 1 John 4:16: 

"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. 

God is love

and whoever abides in love avides in God, and God abides in him." 

Then I had a thought.

Nothing profound, just a snatch of a thought really:

God is love. 

So when I tell someone 

"I love you"

it reflects a valuable duty. 

I am telling him or her that I am committing to reflecting
God's love in that relationship.

Through the actions in my life 

and my words. 

Love seems to take risks. 

But it must recognize the true reason that it is taking those risks. 

Love is big. 

God is love. 

Rinny Pin Rinnathin

The day is August 14, 2010. 

College move-in day. 

Armed with my fish (R.I.P. Kenani) and an armful of bedding, 

I lead the way to the dorm room I will be inhabiting for the rest of the year. 

I walked onto my hall, and passed the first door on my left.

((can I get a HOLLA for people who can't pass open doors without looking in??!))

Inside, I see a family of four...

two girls, one with the coolest dreads in her hair

and one with very very short reddish brown hair. 

Twins. 

((I'm obsessed with twins))

I judged them (correctly) as super cool girls. 

I later met the reddish brown shorty-haired girl...

in the bathroom. 

There's a story for that. 

And later found out that she was in my Torrey group. 

Which meant I'd be spending about six hours a week

in class with her for the next four years.

That's when it all started. 

Erin Whitlow became one of the closest friends my life has been known by. 

It's been a while since I've called her Erin though, 

she's just always been Rinny to me. 

((or Pinny, or Rin-a-pin, etc.))

{Isn't she lovely? Oh yeah, she's blond now}

And what a Rinny she has been!

From late night stress-fests to 

tearful prayers to

silly poems about boys to 

accountabilidicing to 

fits of giggles at four in the morning...

this.girl.is.epic. 

{posing for pictures are fake metal horses is harder than it looks}

Oh yeah...

I forgot to mention...

she's my roommate this year.

!!!!

I know, how lucky am I?!!!!

((friended and encouraged is this Maddy heart))

Acronymical

  Awesome

  Unique every year

loTs of leaves!!!

  Uuuuhmazing

  Maddy's favorite season this season

   Nature!!!

Earthshots!!

I think I am a coloraholic. 

And the autumnal season is the one 

out of the four

that has the most

COLORS!!!

Also, a poem. 

An Autumn Evening

By L.M. Montgomery

Dark hills against a hollow crocus sky
Scarfed with its crimson pennons, and below
The dome of sunset long, hushed valleys lie
Cradling the twilight, where the lone winds blow
And wake among the harps of leafless trees
Fantastic runes and mournful melodies.

The chilly purple air is threaded through
With silver from the rising moon afar,
And from a gulf of clear, unfathomed blue
In the southwest glimmers a great gold star
Above the darkening druid glens of fir
Where beckoning boughs and elfin voices stir.

And so I wander through the shadows still,
And look and listen with a rapt delight,
Pausing again and yet again at will
To drink the elusive beauty of the night,
Until my soul is filled, as some deep cup,
That with divine enchantment is brimmed up.

The Hymn Home

I mostly like to consider myself to be an intentional person. 

I fancy the occasional dream about the future, 

eh I'm an anticipator so I enjoy a good look down the road...

but overall I try to be fully present in every moment as it comes. 

This morning was a time for dreaming. 

I decided how I want to decorate my future home. 

I don't know where it's going to be... 

Who else will be living inside of it with me... 

Whether or not it will be covered in snow for most of the year...

What kind of happy sounds will ring through its doorways...

What kind of memories will happen there...

But I have a picture inside of my mind

of what the walls might look like. 

I want my house to be named

 "Hymn Home".

In every room of the house,

there will be at least one wall 

 smothered in beautiful words 

scrolling their way across itself, 

setting the tone for the room. 

These words will be the 

lyrics of the timeless

 and beautiful hymns

that have so strongly shaped my relationship

with God. 

"then sings my soul, my savior God to thee, how great thou art"

"be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart"

"be still my soul" 

"it is well with my soul" 

It is my prayer and hope for my future 

homelings

to hold onto these words as truths 

in the tough and the pleasant times. 

I imagine

allowing the homelings 

of my brood to interpret the words

on the wall in each room as they grow and develop. 

I hope 

that these interpretations will evolve

through the use of artistic expression 

through music and painting. 

I may have dreamt far enough to see that my family will be creative...

The Hymn Home will be a place

of refuge and love

for all who come through. 

Lots of love. 

And copious amounts of laughter.

And there will be flowers everywhere. 

(giddily anticipating while remaining very much present is this Maddy heart))