2011

What an amazing year it has been. As always, I like to recap things in pictures, so here ya go :) Here are the highlights! (In no particular order)

A wonderful high school girls getaway to Vashon island :)

Another amazing volleyball season. League champs might I add :)

I captured a few amazing sunsets

A delightful birthday party with some of my closest friends

Left Coast with some amazing friends: Maddy being one of them!

Another year with my most wonderful and loving family!

My Sophomore year with these incredible class mates

Special play dates with my nephew. I love him more than one could ever imagine!

And drum roll please because this last one is very special!

I got to meet Ida Marie Esther Baker on May 7th 2011. She was the best birthday gift anyone could ever ask for!

Well here is to another great year! A year of Good News (our churches theme for the year)!

Have a wonderful New Year!

I have just recently got back into watercolor and am having a blast. Normally I wouldn't have time to watercolor, but thank God for Christmas break! This was the first painting I did. It feels like it has been so long since I have painted, but I still love it just as much as I did before.

Snow! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AToEzwZSfk

Love this movie, but even more I love the song. Oh how I cannot wait for snow!!!

Volleyball 2011

Well today marks the end of another volleyball year for me. We had our end of the year celebration, a brunch and the Sones house. It was a blast. I will so miss volleyball the rest of this year, but am excited for next year. At our celebration though, I was blown away by the award I recieved. Each year Coach Heidi gives out three awards, one for most valuable player, most inspirational player, and most improved player. I was awarded most improved player. I was schocked to say the least. What an honor it is to be given that award. I cannor go further though without thanking my most amazing coaches: Coach Heidi and Coach Tong. Also there is another person that I must thank, and that would be my brother Jeremiah. He has helped me countless of hours during the season. He was kind of like my personal coach. I have loved every bit of this season. All in all i have to say this morning was great. I got to have brunch with my team, recieve an award that I was so honored to get, and my dad suprised me on the way home by taking me to starbucks and getting a red cup! It was my first one too. I am saving for Christmas presents, italy, and other things, so I am cutting my expenses wherever necessary, which means less starbucks, which is why I haven't had a red cup, but my dad totally blessed me and I was so grateful. So here was my happy morning in pictures :)

What did you do this morning?

I love my nephew <3

4 Generations! :)

Me and Grandpa :)

Definitely missing her

Only 2 weeks and 1 day until she comes home :)

P.S. My next post is my 100th post {yippeee!}, and being that I am going to left coast tomorrow night {!!!!!}, my 100th post will be tons of picture from my adventure. Also since I don't get internet down there in the mountains, my next post probably wont be until next week, so goodbye for a little bit. I promise I will be back eventually. :)

Special things that come with summer...

One of my favorite and most special things that comes with summer is blueberries. I love them so much. I was so delighted the other day when my dad came home with 15 lbs. of them. And since then we probably have gotten 10lbs., but we have bagged about 10lbs. up to freeze. Wont those just be so incredible in the winter?! Here are the blueberries and me!

13 years ago today

13 years ago today was probably one of the hardest days my family has ever had. I was only 2 and don't remember everything, but I know that it was still hard. 13 years ago today my eldest brother, Josiah who was 11 at the time, was diagnosed with lymphoma. He went through a long process of Chemotherapy and many other tests. After several months of treatment the doctors told my parents there was nothing else they could do for Josiah and gave him only a few months to live. My parents got a word from the Lord that we needed to change our diet. Since then we have been vegetarians. We also at that point cut out dairy out of our diet. Soon after we changed our diet, the Lord healed my brother from his cancer. He is now 23 (almost 24) and is a young man so full of life and a man running after the Lord. His story is such a great example of God's ability to heal and restore. Josiah's story reminds me that God is always faithful no matter what we go through. I am so grateful to God for his faithfulness and for healing my brother. I am so glad I got to grow up with such an incredible older brother. I am glad that I actually got to know him and that he is still here today encouraging everyone he meets and the big smile he has that brightens any ones day. I love how you are a such an incredible uncle to you niece and nephew. I love to watch you play with Little Ross especially. I love you so much Josiah and am glad that we get to celebrate today the Lord's faithfulness in you life.

Today I have been thinking about how much I appreciate all of my siblings. I mean I have appreciated them all in the past, but I think I do more now than ever just because most of them are all gone. Samara is in England going to school at oxford, Jeremiah is currently in Seattle working long days, Josiah still lives at home, but has a very busy work schedule, and Melissa is married and lives in Monroe with her husband and two wonderful kiddos. Oh and I forgot to mention that my mom is also currently in England visiting my sister. With all of them being gone, today was another day at home by myself, and those who know me know that I really dislike being home alone. But that is how I got to spend my day. I love to be with people, but I guess that is not what God wants for me right now. He is teaching me to find him and enjoy my summer even when it is just me and Him. I have been thinking of past summers when Jere and I used to play baseball in our backyard almost everyday. I miss that. I remember when Samara and I used to have dates to downtown Kirkland. I miss that too. I remember when Josiah and Jeremiah would go to Waverly beach and swim together. I remember when I used to play board games with my family in the evening. I miss all of these things so much. It is crazy how life can change in just a few years, even when we don't want it to. I must say that I am so excited for September. By then, my sister Samara will be back from England, and my brother Jeremiah, will be living back at home again. But for now I just need to press into the Lord for what he wants for me in these next couple days.

On another note, next week I will get to say goodbye to loneliness, below average summer weather, and Seattle, WA and say hello to friends, HEAT (!), and Mineral, California! :)

letters in pink

Just a few minutes ago I went to go and get the mail. I opened the mail box, grabbed the mail, then spied a pink envelope. I thought surely no buisness would send some thing to my dad in a pink envelope. So I quickly flipped through the mail to see what we got, I finally flipped to the pink envelope and saw that on the front it was addressed to MISS SARAH SURFACE. I then realized too that it was adressed from England. Yes the letter I got in the mail is from my wonderful sister Samara who I miss oh so much. She is studying at Oxford this summer and well I miss her. If you are interested in following her adventures in England, here is her blog that you can follow.

Left Coast

Every year my church's youth group does something called Left Coast. It is similar to a youth retreat. Last year we went down to Mineral, California. We joined with some other church youth groups from California. We also joined with our sister church, Christ Church Monroe's youth group, which my sister and brother in law lead. We get to spend a wonderful week in the mountains in Mineral. This picture below is a picture of the wonderful ladies I got to room with. Starting from the left: Kaylan, Mackenna, Megan, and me. They are such awesome woman of God, who I just love! I can't wait for this year. It is going to be a blast!

Mackenna and I

4th of July!

I absolutely loved the 4th of July and thought I would share some pictures with you. These are my favroites. I hope you had a great one too!

A short 5 days

In a short 5 days one of my best ever friends will be leaving for a while. It is so hard to see her go on Tuesday, but I know that she will not only have a blast, but I know this is what God wants for her. It will be so crazy not having her here, but I know that she will be able to learn so much on her trip in England. I will miss her soooo very much!

Ida Marie Esther Baker :)

Early this morning my niece, Ida Marie Esther Baker, was born. She weighed 4lbs. 11oz. and was 17 inches long. She is very tiny, but also the cutest baby I have ever met (of course I am biased). I thought you all might enjoy some pictures so here are a few! :)

Little Ross Man!

 

I just CAN’T get over how cute this boy is! He had his first outing at the park and he was thrilled. Click the link below to look at the pictures!

http://rossandmelissabaker.blogspot.com/2011/04/park.html

Spring Break Vacation

So for spring break my mom and I went to Spokane! We just got here today and are having a blast. We went through the mountains and encountered, yes SNOW! I will post pictures later. It was gorgeous and yes we did stay safe, but t he lake next to the roads was absolutely frozen and covered with white. What a beautiful sight! So any ways traveling over here was fun, but I am excited to be here with my grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles,and great aunts and uncles. So I will post more later, including pictures. Have a great spring break to all of you who are on it!

Friends, Lovely, and Awesome

Oh how I love this lady! She is one of the most passionate people I know.

Loves

She is such a beauty!!