I've Got the Need, the Need for...

...travelling, starting new adventures, and doing crazy things.
It comes to no surprise to people who know me that right now I want to get up and move somewhere. I figured out that every 2 to 6 years of my life I have packed my bags and either moved states or countries, and in June it will be 4 years that I have been back in Cali. Time to move I think...but to where??
Next stop...New Zealand or Australia. Let's take a poll people...what do you think? My cousins are all voting for me to join them down in Oz and spend time with them as I have spent basically my entire life away from them.
So readers, what will it be NZ or OZ?

Please note that one must become a US citizen before this great adventure of mine so it won't be anytime soon...

Cup Half Full

Today was a good day! Today was a great day! I really feel like I was apart of something bigger today! My mom text me this morning asking if I wanted to go to LAX airport to see the homecoming of Keanan/Kembert. In the blog below it explains a bit about this little guy who was adopted by The Howertons two years ago and finally was able to come home due to the evacuation of orphans after the earthquake in Haiti.

Of course I went because I love being apart of life changing events...you know those moments that are once in a lifetime moments. Especially at airports! Airports are some of the happiest places on earth. Move aside Disneyland there is something way better than you!

My favorite moment is flying on an itsy bitsy plane (no that's not my favorite moment, that's the moment I think I might die) from Auckland to Nelson, New Zealand. I arrive a little airport that you have to walk down the plane stairs to go into the terminal. Then a little cart brings your bags to you because there is no such thing as baggage claim! I still am the first person getting out of my seat, ever so politely moving others aside to run down the stairs into the Nelson Airport and seeing one of my family members waiting there for me. I LOVE THAT MOMENT. I always want to cry with excitement.

That is why I watch Love Actually often, for the airport scenes like that. Moments that make you heart so full of joy that it literally feels like it could burst!

Moments like this...

Mike Howerton and Keanan Howerton embracing at Orlando airport.

Say a little Prayer!

I keep looking at slide show after slide show of people in Haiti. I remember the day it happened and I was looking at pictures of the aftermath with my co workers. The first thing I said was "I want to be there" the first thing out of their mouth was "you're crazy!".

But it's true I really do want to be there. Just like I wanted to go when New Orleans was flooded and that feeling that came over me when I got to Iowa to help out with the flooding there.

I want to do something bigger, go and save the world!

But for now I just look at the photos and follow a blog about an amazing family at my church who is waiting to get their adopted son from Haiti. The wife Kristen was actually there when the earthquake hit and was evacuated. I HIGHLY recommend checking out their blog. If you don't do anything else today absolutely check out their blog and read their story, it's life changing and you too will be changed. (and might have the urge to adopt a Haitian baby just like I do!

www.thehowertons.blogspot.com

***updated Keanan's on his way to Orlando, praise God!

Always a bridesmaid...

You know how the saying goes...

As posted in my blog below, it's wedding season so I have been doing some research recently and have some really fun things that I have found.

My roommate laughs when she comes home and finds me watching "Say Yes to the Dress" on TLC, which is a show about the store Kleinfelds in New York where girls go to fine "the perfect dress"!! I swear up and down that it's my maid of honor duties to research dresses and such, when in actuality I find the show so amusing! You should really check it out! Yes I am that girl who has a picture of a wedding dress cut out since I was in highschool, but from watching this show (and the change in fashion), clearly that is not the style that I should be going for. Right now my favorite designer is Lazaro, here's a sneak peak at one of his designs.

My roommate also told me about an AWESOME website called once wed that feature pictures of different weddings, different locations and fun little trinkets to use for decorations or party favors. Take a moment to check it out, even if you're already married because it's just nice to see all the love that's still in this crazy world we live in! (click on the words "once wed" above, if you couldn't figure it out)

Back on Board

Seriously I have gotten so bad at blogging I apologize to my 3 followers that I have not written more for you!! Yes all THREE of you!

My New Years goal for this year is two fold. First is not really a goal but more of a...verb...the word "focus" meaning focusing more on things that bring me joy. For instance like blogging stuff, focusing on myself, focusing on my family, focusing on what is best for my life (like budgeting and saving and travelling).

My second goal for this year is to start golfing. During this holiday season my family and I went up to Lake Arrowhead, California for 4 days and we went "snow golfing". It was so much fun and reminded me of the (few) times that I went to the driving range. It brought me joy and so that is one of my goals for the year. What do you think? I think that they are two goals for this year that are both healthy and will be uplifting.

Next subject...travelling. Of course I am going places this year as I do every year. I remember last year I started this blog for my trip to Israel, well this year I am starting off the year with a bang! In two weeks I will be travelling up to Seattle to do some of my "maid" duties and going to a Seattle Bridal Expo with Juanie! A day full of drinking champagne and looking at fun wedding stuff?!? Sign me up! As long as it's not my own wedding I am in!

Then in February I will be travelling down to Australia for my cousin John's wedding. A time filled with family, guys with accents ;), and exploring.

So far sounds like a great beginning to a fabulous twenty-ten! Stay tuned for more cause I have some more exciting things up my sleeve!

Just Because I Can!

So as my roommate would put it “how adorbs is this”. I saw this one night with one of my “I’ll just step into this store to kill time, while hoping I wouldn’t actually purchase anything” moments. I actually picked it up, walked around, justified why I should by it but some how by some force unknown to me put it back on the shelf. Then the next day at work I showed two co workers and thought about it through out the day. That’s when you know you are really allowed to by it. When you keep thinking about it. Is it me or do other’s do the same thing, they figure it’s “ok” to buy it because you can’t stop thinking about it, so why deprive yourself of this item.

Unfortunately for me there aren’t many times I actually have to go through this very often because shopping is my weakness and I right away justify buying the item.

So there is no sleep on it moment for me. Though I am trying to rectify this knowing that I do not need every item that I see, it is purely impulse buying and then I remember all the little kidos in Uganda who won’t be able to ever just walk into a store and buy something just because they want it.

You’re proud of me? So am I.

It’s been a hard thing to realize but slowly and surely I will learn that I do need everything…or do I?

Back to the cup, so stinking cute right!! If you want one they are at Urban Outfitters. Enjoy!!

500 days...

So this weekend I had a really great time enjoying the lovely town on LA and I have decided to share it with you. Awhile back I saw the movie 500 days of summer. Amazing movie and I highly recommend it. As I was watching the movie though I was trying to figure out where it was filmed and to my surprise it was right here in my backyard. The movie made LA look cool all over again.

So my roommate told me about a walking tour of the film to see where it was filmed. I was instantly excited and took the day off work to enjoy the day in LA. It was set up through the LA Conservancy who does tours all over LA and including Venice Beach. Our tour guide was the guy who choose the places for the movie to be filmed which was great because he told us why he chose those places and what makes the so unique.

I highly recommend taking a tour around LA to fall back in love with the place you live because sometimes we all just get stuck in a rut!

Awesome building that I want to plan an event like a wedding or a ball, this scene was at the end of the movie when the main character was at a job interview. Amazing amazing building!

LA first sky scraper, so cool to see up close and notice all the little details.

The famous bench in the movie also known as Angels Knoll, super cute place to relax and just hang!