sunny with a high of 75//

meaganmaki.blogspot.com

I just read an old blog that reminded me of the time that we [Amanda, Talicia, and Cameron] were at the Isbells and being slightly louder than we should have been for that late hour, and David came out to tell us to quiet down. He was pretty much walking asleep... and while all of us kids were wide awake, sitting on the couches with the light on, he looked at Cameron and said, " Dont act like you're asleep!" Haha... I don't know why that was so funny, but I miss those days.
I am pretty sure that was after he encouraged us to go to the scary neighborhood where we were confronted by the police. I have the best role models!!!!!!! :)

The sun is out! I am so thankful for that! Here is a slight picture of what I am up to at this very moment:

First off, I smell like sweet pea, vanilla, and coffee. Not the good coffee smell unfortunetly. I can smell my shampoo [the sweet pea], I have been constantly putting on lotion while here at the drive thru [the vanilla], and my work clothes permanently smell like coffee. The shop's scent itself reminds me of Christmastime. Coffee, chocolate, a variety of syrup flavors, and this hint of heater smell. I am not really sure if thats a good thing, but yes you can smell the heater.
It is SUNNY now. I am so happy! I feel like I haven't seen the sun in years! And that if it hadn't come out this morning, I would have just given up on ever seeing it again! There is snow covering the ground, weird for Washington in general, but definitely weird for the end of MARCH! Meridian is not too busy. Cars keep driving by with snow piled on the roofs and in truckbeds.
Its warm here inside [thanks to the above mentioned heater], and it makes me want to go to sleep. But as soon as I open the windows to talk to customers, the air is cool and crisp. And clean. If that is possible. I think it is.
I am currently listening to Love is Reaching by Candlefuse. Its streaming through my computer into the speakers of the shop. Its a sweet set-up. Soon though I will be interupted by a loud bell, informing me that a car is pulling up to the window. Right now its pretty peaceful, but as soon as I start someone's drink, the whizzes and clangs of the espresso machine start in. The loud bang of me dumping the portafilter's used espresso, the dings of the shot glasses banging together to get rinsed out, the machine itself's humming, and the sound of paper ripping as I steam milk all fill this tiny shop. After handing off the drink and wishing them a good day, the shop is quiet again.
Smell, smight, touch, sound.... taste! I wish I could explain some amazing drink I made myself, but thats not the case. I am being boring and drinking water. Therefor, I taste water.

So there you have it. My life right this moment. :)

That good old Relient K song is fresh in my head these days. As Washington gets snowed on, the sun shines and melts it away, it snows again, and then the wind blows it away, and then it rains.
That is all in the last three days. WHERE IS THE HEAT?

I could totally go for living in Georgia. Florida even? Mexico? I am freeeeezing up here. Scarves and gloves should be put away. Same with coats and boots. I am ready for flip flops and ballet flats, cropped pants and shorts, and SUNGLASSES.

And ahh lovely. I just looked outside again and guess what... its snowing. AGAIN. Stop, please. And thank you.

Things I love about my life right now and want to remember in the future:

1. I am allowed to stay up as late as I want, and usually don't have anything going on the next morning so I can sleep in. But I prefer to go to bed around 11 [its almost here right now]... so I can get up early. I think I am getting old.

2. I am in love with mail. I have so many little cards and postcards and love sending letters and drawings and cards and chapstick around Puyallup and around the country! I also love getting mail... like the note I got from Hope, and the postcard Katie and I got from Derek!

3. Mount Rainier is no longer my favorite. I don't know why I didnt ever notice them in the past 19 years of my life... but the Olympic Mountains [you can see them from the hill if you look towards Tacoma... but only on SUPER clear days] are the most BEATIFUL mountains I have ever seen. There is an especially good view from Steilcoom. Ahhh... seriously. They are marvelous! I literally do a double, and even triple take everytime I look. When they are out... I find excuses to drive and look at them!

4. I didn't think I would like short hair as much as I do. I need a slight trim, but I love that it doesn't take me an hour to dry my hair. I can shower in the morning instead of HAVING to shower at night. My hair also styles eaiser and stays that way allllll day which is awesome.

5. I am becoming more organized everyday. And almost crazily organized. From my closet to my make-up bag to my folders on my computer. I haven't lost something in I don't know when. Its a good thing and a bad thing I think.

6. I can't read enough. My favorites are stories that take place during WWII and ones that are set in the south. Especially if they have real history in them. Like The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman. AH. That is my absolute favorite. Then To Kill A Mockingbird, which unlike almost all other school districts in the US... Orting did not HAVE to read. I first read it this year!

I am sitting here at the shop... reading anything and everything I can about children's ministry. From leadership to service to connecting with parents and volunteers to craft projects and Bible lessons to VBS and even assessing your leadership traits.

My head is about as full as it can get, so I started reading about past and present Auburn football coaches.

Now its back to the kids stuff. I'm praying that God will literally make more room in my brain for this stuff. Back to reading...

Some Mondays are terrible. Like when you go swing dancing till 1AM the night before, and then have to be at work at 5:45AM.

Or when you wake up and realize the outfit or work clothes you want/need to wear are still in the washing machine and you never switched them to the dryer.

Mondays stink when you have been on vacation for a long time, and then have to go back to a normal routine.

They can be really bad if you are sick, and still have to go on with regular plans.

And I must say that when you wake up to snow on the ground, and find out you STILL have to go to work or school are pretty terrible kinds of Mondays.

But....

When you go to bed at 6PM, and sleep for 11 hours before coming into work and making yourself a perfect coffee, Mondays aren't so bad.

I think they are probably better when you wake up in a playroom in Georgia and then eat mini blueberry muffins for breakfast.

Mondays are also enjoyable when the heat and brightness from the sun wake you up through the skylight in a tent in Idaho after you were up all night laughing with high school campers.

I also like Monday mornings when you have to get at 3:30AM but you don't mind because you are headed to an airport and flying somewhere wonderful!

Sleeping in till 11AM kind of Mondays are cool too. But so are the kind of Mondays where you have absolutely no plans, but still wake up early and have the whole day ahead of you!

When you buy something new, and wake up Monday morning with it laid out for you to wear... those are good Mondays.

Waking up to a text message from someone on a Monday morning makes the day nice.

This was a thing on facebook where you write 25 random things about yourself, and then tag like 25 people and they all do the same and so on. Anyways... here it is! :)

1. My number one goal: to live a life that glorifies God.
2. I love fruit. Strawberries, pomegranates, grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, grapefruit... do I have to go on?
3. I want to go to every state. So far these can be crossed off the list: Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Montana, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio and Florida.
4. I absolutely LOVE roller coasters. With a burning passion. My favorite so far is Goliath at Six Flags in Georgia.
5. I can't stand white walls. When I have my own house someday, it will be beautifully painted. 6. My favorite disney princess is Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, but my favorite disney movie has always been and will always be Aladdin.
7. I can ride a bike with no hands. But I can't fiddle at the same time.
8. Chapstick=AMAZING.
9. I keep a lot of things to myself for fear of confrontation.
10. I want to go to a dance like the ones in Pride and Prejudice.
11. I graduated with a class of about 110... and I only keep in touch with two of my classmates. I am alright with that.
12. I am a picky eater.
13. Half of my heart lives 3000 miles away.
14. I once got a speeding ticket for going 108. On a back country highway in Eastern Washington where the speed limit was 70. I don't ever speed anymore.
15. I want five kids.
16. Call me crazy, but I LOVE the rain. Its so refreshing. I love the sound of it, and love to sit on the couch with a huge blanket and watch movies while it pours outside.
17. I also love storms. Summer storms are probably best because they are the most rare. Thunder and lightening. Ah! Wind storms are cool too, and snowstorms! Southern storms are probably the VERY best. Where the thunder shakes your entire house, and then the sirens start going off... haha.
18. Hymns are my favorite. The Solid Rock, Come thou Fount, Nothing But the Blood, Battle Hymn.
19. I had my first banana split of my LIFE this month. It was pretty good!
20. I enjoy meeting people and making new friends.
21. Coffee is so good to me. Same with acai bowls minus the granola. I could live on both.
22. I love to sing. To anything and everything.
23. I love cooking. Whether its something I've made a million times or I am learning it for the first time.
24. I am way too busy.
25. Spending time with my friends makes my heart happy. Pillow fights, cereal parties, dancing, going to the movies or dinner, driving around singing at the tops of our lungs, getting pedicures or manicures, cooking, staying up till 2AM while in Alabama, traveling, summer camps, winter camps, sitting on the floor of Parker's office joking about Michael and Alex's hair products... all are great. And I love how I just got super specific at the end. Haha!

Ut oh. I've got that feeling. God has definitely been preparing me for something different over this past year. I'm not sure at all what it is. But He has filled my heart with joy, and now He's moving me along [ha, from one of Michael's song, but it works perfect]. To what? I wish I knew. If you know, please inform me.

The feeling is so crazy. Its a change-my-job-change-my-hair-color-change-my-taste-in-music, move-away-move-my-furniture-around-move-my-car-to-a-different-parking-spot-right-this-second kind of feeling. What issss this?