June In Pictures

The entirety of June has been one huge blur. As my previous entry states, my grandfather passed away almost 2 weeks ago now. It's tough to lose someone special in your life, but Aren was there to help me through it all. Last week, we had the chance to have some fun before his big move to San Diego.

We never really had the chance to spend time together without school getting in the way. During vacations he had basketball and mission trips and I had trips of my own. The month of June was our window of "quality hang-out time" and we planned accordingly. He left today for Oceanside to begin his new life as a Youth Pastor. I'm so thankful for the time we spent together before he left, and I'm excited for this adventure he's about to take.

Here's a look at our week schedule.

Day One

We started off by washing my car. Dad had written on the back and side windows for graduation. I had to use gasoline, windex and a putty knife to get it off, while Aren put his washing abilities to work.

Next we went to Villa Corona and got our entire meal for free! A big thanks to Mr. Kebbas for those gift certificates in our Finals Survival Kits.

When we got back, we realized Aren suffered a major burn. Poor white guy.

Day Two

The next day, Aren made one of the only meals in his repertoire: oatmeal with cinnamon. I really tried to enjoy it, but the fact is I hate oatmeal. The toast was excellent, however.

Aren's first time in a salon. I can neither confirm, nor deny that he got a pedicure that day.

I had been talking about "Godfather Night" for months. Finally, I had the chance to do it! I made margherita pizza, bruschetta, breaded chicken, pasta two ways, salad, and a sparkling POM drink. I bought tiramisu at Trader Joe's. (I would highly recommend it, but refrain from inhaling the cocoa powder on top.) Aren gave the movie and meal two thumbs up.

Day Three

Aren and I took our second trip to San Francisco. During the first trip, we ate at Piazza Pellegrini, located in Little Italy in North Beach. We immediately fell in love. The staff is authentic and the food is authentic. We ordered the same meals. Fettuccini Bolognese for him and Linguine al Pesto Genovese con Pollo for me. If you're ever in Little Italy you must eat here!

Time for a Giants game! We parked on the dock right next to the Bay Bridge.

The nice man from New York took our picture. Another win for the Good Guys.

Day Four

We got Guignis for free (thanks again Mr. Kebbas) and then Jamba Juice on our way to Sacramento. Best combination of all time.

At the Kings Draft Party in Roseville. Aren played Hassan Whiteside (player for the Kings) at a free throw contest at Dave and Busters. Of course Aren dominated...

Aren with some Kings radio celebrities.

Days Five and Six

On Friday we made our way back to my house. Sabbath was a relaxing day consisting of a big meal, resting, reading, wiffle ball, chalk drawings and late night ice-cream runs to the Big Dipper. (Also, for free!) Above is a picture of my masterpiece on the driveway.

Days Seven, Eight and Nine

On Sunday, we made our way back to Sacramento after stopping at Jamba Juice (again). We looked at cars for Aren. (He needed to find one before he left for San Diego.) Our Monday consisted of wheeling and dealing with a man named Frank for the Honda Accord he saw the previous day. I was very impressed with Aren's bargaining skills and he found a great car.

Finally, Aren found a car. We had been praying and he had been looking for weeks. We found this gem in Sacramento and got it the next day.

That night we went out to Aren's favorite restaurant, Red Robin, for his goodbye dinner with friends.

Aw, true love! Aren and his pal Eric.

On Tuesday we spent most of our morning at the DMV for a transaction that took maybe 5 minutes to complete. When we got back to his house it was time to load up. It was raining at the time. He claims Sacramento was crying for him. When we got back to the house it was time for one last Bachelorette night together. In case you are watching, we are Ames' biggest fans!

Check, check, check!

Even though he insists check-marks should be placed after the item listed, I still like him.

Dear Papa,

My grandfather passed away on

June 19, 2011 - Father's Day.

This posted is dedicated to him.

My dedication ceremony performed by Papa.

Papa,

Remember when you took me to Canada? I was maybe 10-years-old at the time. I gathered up the courage to leave my parents and go to a foreign place with you and Grammie. We went to see Niagara Falls and rode on the "Maiden of the Mist." We had to wear those silly blue ponchos that did a less than an adequate job of protection. We stood on the bridge. The left side of our bodies in Canada, and the right in the U.S.

From our hotel room we would walk down to the train station and get ice-cream at night. You loved ice-cream (maybe even more than me). You gave me a little taste of what the world had to offer. Panoramic views, captivating architectures, and interesting people were all within reach if I just took a step outside. So, outside I went. In the following years I saw Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower, The Colosseum, the ruins of Pompeii, the infamous Palio horse race in Siena, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, The David, The Sistine Chapel and so much more. I met interesting people and ate new foods, but always remained loyal to ice-cream even if it came in a new form, like gelato.

You didn't just influence my travel habits. No, so much more! You were one of my biggest supporters when it came to my education. You helped me and my parents through elementary school, high school and college. You always wanted to know how my classes were going, the latest field trip I went on or when the next choir or band performance was. Eighth-grade graduation day came, which at the time was a pretty huge deal to me, and you were there. Remember how I handed out the roses to all my loved ones? Of course you were included. High school went by in a flash, and before you knew it it was time for another graduation. This time it was really important. More important than a silly elementary school graduation. This was high school. I was moving on to college. I turned 18 on the same day. I could drive a car. (It was your car actually. Thanks for letting me have your Camry.)

I could basically do anything - and you were there to celebrate with me. Remember the Friday night service where all the students got up on stage and cried for no reason? Yes, I cried and I rambled, but somewhere in my lengthy and horribly delivered speech you were mentioned. You were able to make it to Nick's Friday night service this year. He didn't cry though - I'm so proud! I got to sit next to you and tell you his classmate's names when they got up and spoke.

After my high school graduation I began the next chapter of my life as a college student: the pinnacle of success! Little did I know, I knew very little about everything. Those four years were challenging at times, but you were one of my biggest cheerleaders. You offered me a home away from home when I needed an escape. I talked to you about my classes, teachers and friends. I shared with you everything I was pursuing and every visit you told me how proud you were of me. Those words mean so much to me and I will hold on to them forever. I am so happy to know that you passed with the knowledge that I graduated from college and that I was pursuing a Masters. You weren't able to make it to Graduation Grove a few Sundays ago, but you heard my name being called to accept my diploma. Grammie held up the phone so you could hear the Academic Dean call my name. You were there! You were cheering me on like you always do. You gave me gorgeous roses to celebrate.

I do not count you as absent that day.

Papa, you taught me about something more important than traveling and school. You showed me what it was like to walk with Jesus. The Christian's walk is all about two things: love and faith, and you held up those standards every day. You always had kind words to say about someone, and you never let the troubles in life steer you away from God. You are so inspirational and I thank God for blessing me with you as a grandfather. You dedicated me as a newborn and baptized me when I accepted Christ into my heart. Although you won't be physically present to see me get my Masters or perform my wedding ceremony or to see your first great-grandchild, I'll look back at every milestone and remember what you always told me...

"I love you, my Sweet Allie."

"You are so special to me."

"I am so proud of you."

When I got to the hospital on Saturday with mom I didn't think that I would be telling you goodbye the very next day. I've seen you fight through back surgeries, heart surgeries and shingles. Every single time you were sick you recovered. I thought this would be another one of those recovery stages. You held my hand and it was very emotional for the both of us, but I didn't want you to see me cry. I wanted to be strong for you.

I brought you and Grammie a thank-you card. I hope Grammie had the chance to read it to you, but if she didn't that's okay. You already know everything I wrote down. I talked about how blessed I was to have you and how much I loved you. Again, things you already knew. I left you that day, not fully comprehending how bad the situation was. You passed the next day and I wasn't there. I'm glad I got the chance to talk to you one last time over the phone. We got to exchange "I love yous."

I'm happy to know that you are no longer in pain. I'm happy to know that the next person you will see and hear is Jesus. I'm happy that I was able to tell you goodbye. But, I'm sad to lose my Papa. I look forward to the day when I can see you again.

With Love,

Your "Sweet Allie"

At the old house in Thousand Oaks, California.

Walking in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Five of the seven cousins sitting in "Papa's Chair."

In the Crazy Hat Shop at Pier 39 in San Francisco, California.

Papa's 78th Birthday.

A celebration would not be complete without ice cream cake.

Family Picture celebrating Dad's birthday (hence the sombrero).

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

I think I saw that in a movie once.

Bridesmaids, a comedy staring Kristin Wiig, was a surprisingly hilarious movie. (Completely not what I expected after watching the trailers.) It follows Annie, the best friend and Maid of Honor, who is trying to hold the pieces of her life together and keep the Bride happy, but everything seems to fall apart. She gets kicked out of her terrible apartment, is pulled over by a cute and quirky cop to fix her tail lights, can't seem to lock down a man in her life and even manages to split up her solid friendship with the Bride over jealousy issues with a fellow Bridesmaid. Despite a food poisoning mishap and being kicked off of a plane bound for Vegas, Annie salvages her friendship with the Bride and makes it to the wedding. Now, this blog is not meant to be a movie review; however, I would like to say that Annie had it easy - way easy. Please, let me explain...

I had the privilege of holding the Maid of Honor title, otherwise known as the MOH, last summer when I watched my best friend, Kait, get married in gorgeous Montana. It was a wedding I'd been looking forward to since they announced their engagement a few years prior, but it didn't turn out the way I had pictured it. In fact, absolutely no one expected the events that occurred that Fourth of July weekend - especially the Bride and Groom.

Kait was the epitome of the three 'C's: calm, cool and collected. She had everything planned down to the very last detail. The wedding theme was kept simple and beautiful. The wooden benches were handmade by her dad, the wedding cake table was complemented by two wooden decorative vases and the band was on its way. I helped the Bride and MOB (Mother of the Bride) apply stickers to name cards indicating which guest received which plate of food. Everything was ready to go. Mike, the Groom, was at his bachelor party: a weekend camping trip with three of his Groomsmen. The Bride's family and I were relaxing at the house after a long day of wedding prep when the Groom's father showed up unexpectedly.

I was upstairs talking on the phone to my parents who were en route to Montana. They had stopped in Twin Falls, Idaho for the night. I came down the steps to see what was going on in the kitchen when I saw Kait and the Groom's father, Buck, speaking. I didn't want to interrupt, but it sounded serious.

"Mike had an accident," said the Groom's father. Kait seemed to take the news lightly. Mike had a small accident, but he'll be alright. Maybe the boys would be coming home soon so he could get better or rest up before the wedding. Buck continued to explain what had happened - this was no minor accident. We didn't know all the details, but we knew that a stick had gone through Mike's leg. His Best Man, Kaelen, had left Mike and the remaining Groomsmen shortly after the accident, which happened around 5 in the afternoon, and ran the six hour hike in the boys had taken earlier that day. Kaelen showed up at Mike's family's cabin out of breath, but calm. He explained the situation and Buck headed straight to the Bride (about a 20 minute's drive from the cabin).

Kait's face dropped. After realizing the gravity of the situation she ran up the stairs and I followed. We threw on some warm clothes and left with Buck to meet at the trail head of the route the boys took that day. The Search and Rescue team was called in. Ironically, two members of the Search and Rescue team were the caretakers of the property Kait was getting married on. We interacted with the pair daily as we worked around the house to get it ready for the weekend. Kaelen debriefed Search and Rescue and then left with them to go get Mike around 12 AM. We decided to wait in the car at the trail head. It was freezing outside, so Buck kept the car on. Occasionally we would get updates as to where Search and Rescue was with the help of the local police officer that was also waiting. A helicopter flew over head looking for the stranded boys and dropped a kit, but it was not found. Mike later told us that he thought the helicopter was there to get him out, and was greatly disappointed when he realized that was not going to happen.

I was falling asleep off and on in the car. When I was awake I would say a prayer for Mike, his friends and Search and Rescue, and then eventually fall back asleep. We got word shortly after 6 AM that Search and Rescue had made it to Mike, but problems arose. They could not get Mike on the wheeling cart they had brought along due to their position on the mountain. They also could not give him medication to help with the excruciating pain he was experiencing. Once we realized Mike would not be rescued on foot, we drove into town to wait by the runway along the highway. The only way to get to Mike now was by helicopter. The date was Friday, July 2 - two days before the wedding.

Buck left us at a nature center directly across the street from the runway while he got us breakfast. We took turns letting Kait know that Mike would be OK. Even though it was cold up in the mountains, he had his friends. He was being taken care of. Kait would often say, "I don't care about the wedding now. I just want Mike to be OK." As much as I agreed with her, that Mike's safety was number one, I told her that I was still going to assume my duties as MOHand plan on a wedding in two days. Seconds of waiting turned to minutes of waiting, and minutes of waiting turned into hours of waiting. At first, the helicopter sent to extract Mike from the forest was unable to get low enough because of the fog, but time passed and the sun came out. God allowed the fog to part and a window was open. They airlifted Mike in the early afternoon and we watched the helicopter descend on the runway. He was immediately transferred to ambulance bound for Missoula, a little over an hour drive from where we were. Kait and I piled into her Matrix and sped off towards the hospital.

The Condon: Swan Valley ambulance that transported Mike from Seeley to Missoula (over an hour's drive).

We beat Mike to the hospital and sat in the Emergency Room's waiting room. We made sure the receptionist knew that as soon as Mike made it in the room they would let us know. Kait and I waited and waited. About a half hour later Mike landed and we were in the room soon after. Kait ran to the bed that Mike was being situated into. It was a very sweet moment for them. Mike was so relieved to see his Bride. He was wearing sweat pants one of his Groomsmen lent him to keep warm. The pants were cut up the leg and I saw the soon-to-be infamous stick. A sleeping pad was lodged between Mike's legs that the nurses had to slowly remove. Following are some shots I took while in the Emergency Room.

Kait and Mike seeing each other for the first time in the E.R. We were later joined by Mike's parents. Buck could not look at the leg so a towel was held up so Mike's mom and I could snap some pictures.

Kait held up the towel so Mike's mom could take pictures while Buck looks away.

In sickness and in health. In good times and in bad...

Side view. As you can see, the stick never made it out the other side - it was poking the side of his leg. Very painful! The stick actually broke in two in his leg so the surgeon had to extract the stick from both the front and back of the leg.

Here's a front view of his leg. When Mike fell he landed on top of this small limb attached to a tree. His fall broke the stick and voila - Mike on a stick!

Mike went into surgery that Friday afternoon. God allowed for a speedy recovery and Mike made it to his own wedding, but he had to sit through the service. It was a beautiful ceremony that I will never forget. There was a small rain cloud passing over (they say it's good luck if it rains on your special day). The Bride and Groom read their vows they had written to each other, which brought me, and almost everyone else, to tears. It was the perfect wedding, better than any of us (or any movie director) could have planned - even the Bride.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11