What is Peace?

Let me just tell you, life has been so busy! I feel like John and I have been running and running. But, at the same time there has been all this noise, work and craziness I have found myself at peace. I have this magnet up in my office and it caught my eye the other day. This is what peace means to me. I have to be busy and be involved in a million things, but as long as I am calm in my heart I am fine.

Well, I am very calm in my heart. I have so many wonderful people around me to share in this life with- John, my family, and many friends. No matter how far away you are or how often I get to see you, know that I think of you often and send you well wishes. Each of you gives me strength and gives me peace in my heart.

Happy Halloween

Fun times this past weekend as John and I opened up our new place for the first of many socials to come! We had a great time hanging out with some fun new friends. So much fun that we actually didn't go to bed until 5am Saturday night! Yikes! Needless to say the party was a success and we weren't feeling really old anymore. ;)

Here's a picture of some of the crazy crew:

And, these are our nice new neighbors:


What our place looked like before everyone arrived:

Moms Visit to Oregon

It was a super fun weekend filled with lots of sight seeing and laughs. Mom came to visit from Sept 28th to Oct 3rd. It was her first visit to Oregon and the only time that she had been able to come and visit me without having to move me somewhere! I think she was probably relieved to not have to move boxes. But she did help me add some decorative touches to our new home. The kitties were so excited to meet their Grammy and garnered all the attention they could get while she was here.



On Saturday we drove up to Corvallis to hang out with a good friend and go to the Oregon State game. It was a beautiful day for a football game- the sun was shining and the temperature was about 80 degrees. The Beavers were not victorious, but we had a great time.



Oregon Wine Country was our adventure that Sunday after we had breakfast with Tiffany and Alex, our new wonderful friends. John was our DD, and we visited 5 wineries. Again, the weather was just perfect and we enjoyed the wine and views of the area. By the time we made it to Sweet Cheeks, my favorite, Mom was in the mood to ask about having a wedding there! I think she had a great time and it was fun to take her to see all the places she had heard about.



The last day was spent on the beautiful Oregon Coast. We met John's parents in Florence for a little breakfast and blackjack at the Casino. It was nice to have Mom meet John's parents and to see them connect. After breakfast, we drove north on Highway 101 and stopped along the way to explore and take pictures. There were so many beautiful things to see that day. We visited Cape Perpetua were there are tidal pools in the rocks and waves crashing in. It was another amazing day for us.

Then it came time for Mom to leave for home and to return to everyday life. This week was the second week of classes and all seems to be going well. I'm glad that Mom was able to get out before life gets extremely busy and before the rains come for winter. It's always so nice to have your Mom with you, no matter hold old you get. There's nothing that can replace the comfort and peace that she brings. I love you Mom! Thanks for sharing time with us!

Fall is Here

This week has marked the official beginning of fall for me. School hasn't started yet at the University of Oregon and it hit me on Monday that the first day is right around the corner. Which for me not only means a busy work schedule, but a busy school schedule as well. I must admit I'm pretty nervous about working full time and going to school full time.

So with this realization and the fact that the temperature dropped into the 60's, I am seeing the change of the season. I do enjoy the different seasons and fall weather makes for great football watching weather. We have been watching football all day! :) A nice weekend of relaxation before the craziness hits!

Not much more to report...which I think is a good thing.

Labor Day in Victoria, BC

Amber, John, Sam, Geoff, Kelly and Tate


The last weekend trip was made this past weekend as John and I traveled up to Vancouver Island in Canada. We went to visit John's good friend Geoff and his partner and kiddos. We left at 5am on Friday morning to drive up to Port Angeles, WA. From there we took an hour and a half ferry ride to Victoria and arrived around 3pm.

Geoff met us at the ferry and we drove around the island a bit so we could see a few of the sights. Then we went on to the house and met up with Kelly, Sam and Tate. They were wonderful hosts! That night we had a great dinner downtown and walked around some of the shops. The next day we formed our own biker gang- Scooter Frenzy! I only almost wrecked once, into Kelly....and maybe ran through a yellow light...but this chopper momma survived. We had a great lunch on the water before heading home. The weather was just perfect...not too hot, not too cold.

It was a great time to be in a beautiful place, with super friends. Can't get much better than that...

New Home

After we returned from our wonderful trip to Hawaii, it was time to move one more time. The lease was up on our apartment at the end of July and we wanted more space. We searched all of Eugene and came upon a great deal.

We are now renting a 3 bedroom townhouse. We are only the second people to live in it and the previous tenants were only here for 4 months while they were waiting on their house to be built. Needless to say, it is brand new and still even smelled like a new house when we moved in! Both John and I really like the new place and the kitties seem to enjoy it as well. They think the stairs are a race track and race each other up and down the stairs.

Now we are prioritizing projects....the first purchase has been a BBQ grill. :)

Home sweet home.

HAWAII

On Sunset Beach

On a sunset cruise

At dinner before the Magic Show

Where we went snorkeling

Well folks, we made the trip and it was AMAZING!!!! If you haven't been, you need to visit. We had such a good time. The flight there wasn't too bad since we flew from the West coast...everyone else had 9 or more hour flights while ours was 5 1/2 hours. We arrived to a greeting of fresh flower leis and were taken to our hotel. We were in Waikiki Beach and were a block or so from the beach. In between the beach and our hotel were stores like Gucci, Prada, etc.

The first night we had drinks on the beach and watched the sunset. The next day we went to an Orientation where we could sign up for tours and activities. After that we enjoyed Mai Tai's at the mall and then took in a Luau that night. We got up the next day to take our Grand Island Tour where we drove all around the Island of Oahu. There was so much to see- the North Shore, the Dole Plantation, Beaches, Hanuama Bay, National Cemetary of the Pacific. It took most of the day but was well worth seeing the entire island. Then we enjoyed some dinner and took in a Polynesian Magic Show. Afterwards we visited the International Marketplace that stayed open until about 10pm (as did most of the stores!). John was able to bargin very well and we purchased lots of goodies here.

Day 3 had us up EARLY because we had to be on the bus to head to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. We were on the bus at 6:30am and in line until 8:30 when we finally were in the museum. Then they show you a short documentary and take you out to the memorial. It was quite the experience and I was really glad we took the time to visit. We then went by the Palace where the Hawaiian Royal family resided. There are many things around Honolulu that are named for the family, including a private school, women's hospital and other state buildings. That evening we took a Sunset Cruise where we ate dinner and sat with a couple who were starting their trip around the world. We were also able to see our Louisiana friends who were booked on all the same activities and tours we were.

By the time we were on day 4, we were kind of tired of being touristy but our activity that day was by far the neatest. We went on Uncle Bob's Snorkeling trip which took us out of Honolulu and to a near by bay. We jumped on a catamaran and set out on the ocean. We traveled along the shore where we were soon upon a large sandbar. As the water turned from blue to turquoise, you could see sea turtles swimming along. We anchored by the sandbar and all got out to enjoy some swimming and water volleyball. Then we enjoyed some lunch over looking the ocean and spectacular shore. After lunch, it was time to snorkel and we headed to a coral reef. Where the boats anchored there was deep water and then a coral reef appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Of course, as scared as I am of the water anyway I was waiting until lots of people got in the water. John was already in the water and some people were making their way around the reef. Just then someone on the boat yelled, "shark!" You know how I feel about sharks- freaked me out completely!!!!!!! It was a tiger shark that was swimming over the far side of the reef. I didn't get in the water for a little while longer and everyone else seemed ok so I jumped in. It was still scary- I didn't want to look! I finally did and saw the reef and all the fish and several eels. The eels were scary to me, but I held my own. All in all it was a wonderful experience.

The next day and our last day, we slept in and packed up so we could check our lugage at the hotel. We went out to the marketplace again and purchased some last minute gifts. Did I mention that over the course of our trip John purchased 12 Hawaiian (as they call them- Aloha) shirts? Then we had a red-eye flight back to Portland that left at 11pm.

What a trip it was and I enjoyed every single minute of it. We were already talking about our next trip out. Maui next time I think. But who knows, everyone told us to visit the big island and see the volcano. While we live in Oregon we might as well take advantage of the cheap airfare and shorter flights, right!?!?!

The Move to Oregon

Hi folks!
It's been a while since I've posted, but wanted to update everyone on the move. Overall it went really well. John arrived in Florida on June 7th and we had some lunch with Jlow before heading to a farewell party given for us from Jan, my supervisor at FSU. It was alot of fun for everyone to meet John and to be able to spend time with people before heading out. We payed homage to On The Border (OTB) later that night with several of the usual OTB crowd. They named the sangria swirl after me- Amberita. It was a great!

The next day, June 8th, was spent running errands all around Tallahassee to get final things ready to ship everything off to Oregon before we could leave. Mikey B came over and assisted. Then it was time to have a goodbye dinner with my roomie, Katie. After dinner, John and I got on the road and drove to Baton Rouge. Then we drove the rest of the way to Austin the next day.

We went to Austin because my friend Marissa is having a baby and the AGD Oldcrew was in town for a shower, while our men floated the Guadalupe. The weekend was lots of fun and it was so great to see everyone! That was the first time in several years that the ENTIRE group was together. We had a blast and the shower went very well. The men made it back on Sunday after camping and floating the river very tired and sunburned.

We tried to drive to Cleburne on Sunday but the Yukon-do-it just couldn't do it. The transmission went out and we found ourselves back at Marissa's until my Mom could drive down and get us. At least we made it to Texas. Then John flew back to Oregon on Monday and I stayed with the family until June 15th. I got lots of quality time with the nieces who are SSSOOO adorable.

I started my new job as the Director of Family Programs and Commencement at the University of Oregon on June 16th! I am now employeed full time again which is huge for the finances. I will still be a full time student as well, so the coming year of work and school will be incredibly busy. But at least John and I are in the same state, city and time zone!

The week here has flown by and I already feel so at home. The people I get to work with are great and my job should be alot of fun. We've already visited my favorite winery- Sweet Cheeks- and its good to be home with John and the kitties. But, I leave tomorrow for HAWAII until July 5th! I'll be sure to write about our travels and post some pics when I return! Happy July 4th! Safe celebrations and talk to you soon!

LOL- Stephen Colbert

So I just had to post the link to the speech Stephen Colbert gave at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Laughing Out Loud!!!

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/30/1441/59811

One Year Down!

Well folks, I am writing to you the week after finals to say I made it! One academic year of schoolwork is down. Now just several more to go. :)

I can honestly say that I am so happy to be a student again. I am passionate about learning and taking in as much as I can right now and there is soooooo much to learn. The more I learn, the more and more I see how complex the issues are in education. I can't wait to dive in even further and begin to define a research question.

Now, I'm working full-time in the First Year Experience office. Another change of pace for me- I went from full-time, to part-time, back to full-time. Neither easier than the other, just very different schedules for me to adjust to and manage. I'll work all through May and then John and I will drive to Texas on June 9th. We will be attending Marissa's baby shower on June 11th and then John flies back to Oregon. I'm not sure when I'll head out to Oregon. Maybe June 15th or so depending if I get a job I've applied for. I applied for a full time job as the Director of Family Programs and Commencement. Keep your fingers crossed!

Well, just wanted to put an update on life as it is now. Ever changing, but always fun!

Oregon Here I Come!

Well folks, it's official! I'm moving to Oregon this summer! I know, I know...I just moved...I just like moving from one end of the country to the other. LOL

Just kidding...the GREAT news is that I was admitted to the doctoral program at the University of Oregon! YEA!!! It was a hard decision to make because the program at FSU has been wonderful and I couldn't ask for a better experience for a doctoral program. The experience wasn't complete though. John and I have been doing great, but long distance just sucks. Plus, I'm racking up a lot of debt just being here. So now I can have both my personal and professional life in one place. Very happy and excited to have that again.

So, thats the latest and greatest from me. I am absolutely swamped right now with schoolwork. April 25th will be the end of the semester for me. Year one down...several more to go!

Just wanted to say "HELLO" to everyone out there. I've been traveling all over the place these days which has kept me out of the loop. It's conference season! Now it's back to the craziness of school. I have 8 major papers/projects due between now and April 18th. STRESS! I'll make it through I suppose.

I will have some big news to share in the next couple of weeks so keep you ears/eyes open!

Hope everyone is doing well. I miss my free time to catch up with you.

Three Women Who Made a Difference

I'm moved to write this evening as I have seen in the last six months, 3 women pass away who were great leaders in civil rights and the women's movement. With Rosa Parks passing in October, Coretta Scott King in January and then today Betty Friedan. Seeing as I didn't grow up at the time these women made much of their mark on the world, I have read their works and researched their lives. I've been moved by their courage, grateful for their actions and they have inspired me to make a difference. If you are reading this and aren't sure who these women are, then I would encourage you to take the time to get to know these women leaders.

Why I'm so moved to write this evening is because I feel a great sense of loss and uncertainty. As I've meddled through what I am feeling, the only thing I can compare this to is the feeling you get when the people you most look up to and who always lead the way are gone. People who challenge the status quo, ask the hard questions and then work through it all to get the answer are who these women were. They were a part of the grassroots movements that grew into major efforts and changed the world we live in. Now they are gone and have left us with a legacy. This is where the uncertainty comes in...who will pick up the torch?

Maybe my age is finally catching up with me, but I feel a call to action. This is the time when it is most important to carry on their vision. This is the time when all that they have worked so hard to create will be challenged and it is our responsibility to continue the fight for civil rights in America. At a time when so much is at risk, we must look outside of ourselves to find what civic role we will play. The legacy is now ours to create; the future is now ours to create.

So Much to Say

Happy New Year everyone! I apologize for slacking in updating my blog. It's been since final exams that I have posted and I feel I have so much to say. I guess I'll take you through a quick run of my time away from Florida and where I am at now with my life.

Oregon
I finished exams and packed up to spend the holidays in Oregon and then in Texas. It was great to be with John and the cats. I spent alot of time catching up on sleep and the cats were really good at helping me with that! ;) I was grateful for the time and found it very rejuvenating. We had Christmas with John's family on Christmas Eve, Eve. They spoiled me with lots of gifts. It was the first time that all of John's family had been in one place with the two of us. We had a great time playing poker and I actually came in second...which if you know me and my poker abilities, is pretty good.

Next stop, Texas!
We flew to Texas on Christmas Eve and got there just in time for the annual- Oh my gosh! We need to wrap everything!- party. Christmas day was full of nieces and yummy prime rib. We had a lot of fun being with all the family. The week was full of trips in to town so John could have his Whataburger fix. Well, I guess the entire week was full of food- chicken fried steak, steak, hamburgers and more red meat! We had a great time just being with each other and with my family. The highlight was New Year's Eve at Billy Bob's where all my siblings (except for Roz) and my grandparents went to see my cousin Kevin Fowler play. It was a blast! The pictures in this post are from that night.

Oregon
Then it was back to Oregon to unpack, hang out for a couple of days and repack to fly back to Florida.

Overall, the trip was wonderful. I really needed the time to be with those dearest to me after making the transition to Florida. Last semester was very difficult for me emotionally. Now that I have returned to Florida, I have better clarity about who and what matters most in my life and what makes me truly happy. Being with John is one HUGE piece of that happiness. Since the next couple of years of my life will be spent expanding my mind and my future, I am more grounded than ever before in what I value in life. I feel as though I have cast away whatever it was that was holding me back from committing myself to those values in my personal life. I have a more realistic understanding of what it takes to achieve "balance." I have also finally succumb to trying to plan out every detail of my life. As John often says to me when I ask, "What's the plan?" He responds, "The plan is, there is no plan." Now, I'm not advocating for not being prepared or to trash planning all together. What I've decided to do is to live a little more and to let my life happen; not to be too busy planning the next stage to enjoy the current one.

While I am sure I will stumble again, the most important lesson that has been solidified here is to get up and keep trying. Go passionately for your dreams. Love and be loved. Forgive and forget. Thanks to those who have patiently taught me these lessons, again and again. You know who you are.

Finals!!!!

Oh yes, folks! It's that time of year. Today was the last day of classes and I've got one big final take home exam left. This weekend will be full of writing, writing and more writing.....and did I say more writing.

I will say that as this semester is coming to a close, I do feel a great sense of accomplishment.

• I can be a student again and despite the crazy schedule, I love it.
• I survived a major move across the country again. This time it involves sunshine and warmer weather. Yeah, it's 61 degrees today and I haven't seen snow this year at all.
• John and I are still together. I didn't think that we wouldn't be together, but it's tough to work at a relationship from 2,948 miles away. Thanks for sticking with me honey! I must say we have racked up some frequent flyer miles. I also think of those who must do the same for whatever reason and praise them for their resilience and faith in each other.
• I didn't run out of money...granted, I had taken out financial aid but I was worried it wouldn't be enough. I'm shooting to do even better next semester.

I found this quote:

Courage does not always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." ~ Mary Anne Radmacher

I find it helpful to go day by day, one step at a time. For that is the only way we ever get to where we want to be. This certainly hasn't been the optimal position to be in, but I'm happy to say that one semester is conquered. We are all okay.

Holiday Wish Lists

Hold the phone Mom! I know I just sent you my annual wish list of things I want for Christmas, but I'm having second thoughts. I may not be rich, especially right now! But I do know that the more I am reflecting on this season, the more I am called to action.

What got me to thinking about this was an "Angel Tree." I was walking through the mall and saw it a week or so ago. It's stuck with me as I thought about it's purpose. Not that it's a bad thing to get gifts for a child that otherwise would not have had them. I just wonder, what does it do to better the life of the child past the holidays? Aren't these the same children who grow up in low-income families who gain only around 5,000 word vocabularies compared to those from affluent families who gain 20,000 word vocabularies by the time they are in the first grade (Hart & Risley, 1995)? Aren't these the children who are six times more likely than those from affluent families to drop out of high school (McQuillan, 1998)? Isn't there a better way we can contribute to their success other than buying them a gift at Christmas?

Why don't we spend our time with others on Christmas feeding and serving those without families? Why not take the money we would have spent on gifts for each other and give it to CASA or some other agency of our choice that will better the lives of these children? Why not commit to volunteering in the community in the next year?

I know I'm often the queen of getting caught up in commercialization and shopping so these comments may seem awkward to hear from me. But I also can't help but think about the privileged life I lead from others who don't have money at their disposal. The factors that play into this are many, but given that we are a capitalist democracy there will ALWAYS be poor people (I'm not saying this is wrong, it just is). The redeeming factor is the philanthropy and service of others to help make life a little better for everyone, which in turn makes a better society for all of us to live in.

Times flies....

Wow! I can't believe I have gone this long without posting something. I'm still alive, but life has been super busy. So, where to begin?

I think I'll start with my trip to Oregon November 15th-26th. That is where I have spent most of my time since the last post. It was a wonderful time and it was nice to be able to spend more than a couple of days with John and the kitties. We had a packed calendar! Casino with his parents, Oregon/Oregon State game with friends, dinner with faculty and staff, winery tour and Thanksgiving.

But, before I even got to Oregon I had a BIG surprise at the DFW airport. I worked in a 3 1/2 hour layover and Earl and I were going to catch lunch. Well, not only was Earl there to greet me but he also had Ashley and the new baby Carli! It was fun to see Ashley who doesn't even look like she's given birth and then hold the newest addition to the family. She is a super sweet baby and just beautiful.

We braved the cold and tailgated with some friends for the big Oregon/Oregon State game. This is the big rival game for the state and they even call it "civil war." The Friday before the game we went to a local pizza place called "Track Town" and hung out with John's best friend from college, Chris.

The winery tour was amazing. We only stopped at three of about 15 wineries in a 45 minute range of Eugene. The King Estate Winery has a brand new tasting room and was beautiful. The other highlight was Sweet Cheeks Winery. While this wasn't originally on the list, we drove by and had to go in. It gets it's name from the shape of the vineyard, that looks like butt cheeks. Also, greeting you as you drive in is the standard fountian of a little boy peeing, but we found out the winery calls him "Pinot." That was pretty funny!

Thanksgiving was great at John's parents place. They went all out! We had so much food. John taught his dad to play poker while I played board games with two of his nieces and mom. I think I gained about 10 pounds that day!

After all that fun, it was time to return to the real world. This week has been insanely hectic. I've got so much to do in the next week and a half when the semester ends. I can't believe the semester is almost over! One down, many more to go! Then I leave again for Oregon on December 14th. Yeah!

I hope that these last couple of weeks have been good for you. I give thanks for the many wonderful people who I have the privilege of calling family and friends. Love to all!
PS- My pictures aren't uploading to the site for some reason. I'll try again later.

FSU Football Weekend

So I FINALLY went to a football game this past weekend. It was the last home game, so I thought I had better take advantage of my ticket. I went to the tailgate with all my higher ed friends. Then we headed over to the game. I do like college football and FSU is definitely in the top ranks of "the coolest places to see a college football game." But, I must say I've never seen anything that matches up to a good ol' Aggie football game. The traditions and crowd participation can't be matched. When Aggies show up, they represent the institution not just the game on the field. Plus I can't get over the mascot issue here.

I had to include some photos....
1) You see me, Grahaeme and Jen (who are both 3rd year docs) posing for a pic at the tailgate. It was sooo hot outside! Yeah, it's November and 89 degrees!
2) A photo from inside Doak Stadium, on Bobby Bowden field (don't get me started on Bobby...the man is like Jesus here).

But now it's back to reading, reading and more reading. I've got to read a book, 9 articles and do a stats quiz. Whew! This semester is close to being done- 1 down, many more to go. I leave on Tuesday to Oregon for 10 days! YEAH! I hope the kitties recognize me. I can't wait!

Fun Weekend!

This weekend was pretty fun! I got to see my best friend Paige and we hosted a Halloween shindig at our apartment this weekend. All around, it was good to relax a bit and share some laughs with people.

Up above you see me and Michael (another doc student). I started out the evening without a costume and as the night went on the following happened, which resulted in me actually having a costume:
1) Sterling was wearing his fraternity jersey, since he came as an undergrad frat boy. We were in a group and he insisted that I wear the jersey since I didn't have a costume on. So we decided to be goofy and went back into the apartment, arm in arm, and announced that Sterling had given me his letters.
2) Jillian decided to loose her beads so I picked them up to compliment my outfit.
3) Derek decided to loose the afro so I picked it up and put on my shades.

That was it....I think I'll do it again next year. No need to run around trying to figure out what to wear. Just pick up whatever people take off and it's an instant costume! :)

Ok, time to write that book review that is due tomorrow. Safe trick or treating!

Happy Day!

I must say that yesterday had to of been the best day since I moved to Florida. It was a combination of things that has me still on a high today (natural high that is!).

We have a new addition to our family and I am now an aunt three times over! Miss Carley entered our world yesterday around 2:30pm in Texas. She is the daughter of my brother Zack and his partner Ashley. I still haven't seen a picture of her, but everyone is happy and healthy. And, there is another woman in the family! The holidays will be super fun with Logan, Cami and Carley. :)

The next thing that made my day was getting back my midterm exam. I was a little nervous about it. Our professor had emailed the class to let us know the grade range and that she would be returning our test via our mailboxes in the Department office. The grades ranged from one person getting a 98, to the lowest of 81. I was hoping I was in the low 90's. I got my test back and guess what? I GOT THE 98! Damn it feels good to be a student again.

This weekend will be very festive. My best friend Paige will be here this weekend. Super fun! And, we are having a party Saturday night. The theme is dress to impress in a Halloween costume!

Still counting the days- only 19 days left until I see John and the kitties!