blog lovin'

I guess Google is doing a really stupid thing and shutting down google reader. I'm not sure if this will affect Google friend connect, so here we are. Bloglovin, come love on me and Follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Plus, I put a link in the sidebar for good measure. Or follow with email. I'm also on Facebook. And Pinterest. That's a lot of options, phew. So for the love of bacon pick one! Or two. Or, you know, all of them. Whatever blows your boat up.

And just as a general announcement, read this. It's cute and adorable and you won't be sorry.

Oh, and did I tell you? For spring break this year I will be headed south, to a state in which I have only ever been in the airport when I was on my way to Honduras. I'm visiting these lovely people. Could I be more excited? Probably not.

It's time for some warm weather, shorts, flip flops and sunshine, darn it!

i'm so beyond ready for this. it's the best way to read a book. 

I leave on Saturday. It's adventure time, baby!

i want to be

Last night I wrote in my journal all the things I want. It's an unfinished list and I reserve the right to add and omit things when I feel like it.

Some things that I want are serious and some things that I want are silly. I think that's kind of how life goes though.

I want to go on a grand adventure.

I want to be fearless.

I want to influence people.

I want to be beautiful.

I want to be wild.

I want to be remembered.

I want to work from home.

I want to sing and write and create.

I want to dance on the beach at sunset.

I want to be daring.

I want people to spend time with me.

I want to breathe the ocean air.

I want to hike mountains.

I want to be passionate.

I want to have purpose.

I want to be important.

I want to be okay with being myself.

I want to be sweet, but never lose my sassiness.

I want to be certain.

I want to live in a beautiful place.

I want to travel around the world.

I want a lovely house.

I want to do crazy and outlandish things.

I want to be enough.

I want to be always different, but also the same.

I want to be fit and healthy.

I want to be loved.

I want to be courageous.

I want to have crazy stories.

I want to be silly.

I want to have wings and fly like a bird.

I want to always be myself. No matter what. 

And know that I am forgiven. I am free. I am worth it.

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Pinteresting. 

a first of sorts

Life has been kinda crazy lately. And by kinda crazy I mean a lot of stuff has gone down in the past month and a half. Some of it good, some of it not so good. Most of it I can't write about here - at least not yet. Which definitely puts a damper on my writing mood. I have probably written at least fifteen different posts and then deleted them all before anyone else laid eyes on them.

Part of that was so I could vent a few things to myself and get it out of my system and part of that was because I was so unhappy with what I had produced that I thought no one should ever read it ever. But you know, someone once told me that you have to create a lot of crap before you start creating masterpieces. So I don't feel too bad. Ahem.

Anyway, for those of you who don't know Alana, you should check out her blog. Also, I guest posted there today - a blogging first for me! Ah! When I originally agreed to write a post for her while she was on vacation I was a little nervous. It was very teenage girl of me, you know. Like oh my gosh what do I write about? Good gravy.

But, if you click over there you'll see that obviously I figured it out. A round of applause and other some such celebrations! Hooray!

And now, here are some pictures of life right now. Sometimes I think pictures speak more than words.

my goofy dog. she's a real snuggler.  

these "cookies" are just made with two ripened bananas, 1 cup quick oats and a handful of chocolate chips. ah-may-zing. 350 degrees for 15 minutes. you won't be sorry.

these pictures are just funny to me. instead of saying bye in person we texted each other pouty pictures. we're the silliest.

soy caramel latte with a feather design. it's like they know me. 

also i got to hang out with this guy. he's always a blast :)  

and well, happy monday everyone.

the weekend we spent in montana

As much as I love Idaho, I really do like spending time in Montana. We went to Whitefish for the weekend so we could ski our hearts out. It was really a fantastic time and even though I'm glad to be home tonight to sleep in my own bed, I'm really missing having a hot tub to go sit in and unwind.

Plus, I'm ready for some nice sunshine weather. I'm pretty over the snow. At least for now.

a return trip

For those of you who have been around for a while, you may remember that I got to go to Honduras in July of 2011 and what an incredible adventure that was. Unfortunately, I kind of dropped the ball on blogging about it, so that's only about half of what I experienced. But it's better than nothing, right? Right!

The reason I bring this up is because it looks like I will be going back to Honduras again in June of this year. I have to start fund raising and saving up the dough. I'm sending this letter out to all the people I know, but I thought also there was no harm in posting it here. Even if all you are able to do is pray, that's all I can ask for.

To My Dear Friends and Family:

A couple years ago I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Honduras with a mission team from my church. It was a whirlwind of experiences,especially because I didn't know I was going on the trip until three days before we left. A flurry of packing, laundry and three shots in the arm later,I was part of a medical brigade/building trip combo to provide the people of Tegucigalpa with some free health care, and also add to the amount of work being done in order to complete their Learning Center for rural pastors.

During my trip I bonded with a plethora of little Honduran children who covered me in stickers and showered me with hugs. I helped out in the pharmacy, mixed concrete by hand, played a lot of soccer, ate delicious food, and watched God work in ways I could have never imagined.

In June I have the chance to return to Tegucigalpa on a building trip led by my amazing parents and accompanied by both my brothers. We are going to be building a house for the people who work in the trash dump collecting recyclables as away of life. This is to help provide better housing so these families will have the chance to raise their children in better living conditions than a make-shift shanty on the side of the road. This is a great opportunity to build relationships with other people, experience a completely different culture, and further the kingdom of God.

For it to be possible to make this trip I will need to raise some money. In total I will need $1800 dollars. I have already started saving,but every little bit helps. If you feel inclined to help me out with the cost by pledging some money or sending up prayers, I would be incredibly grateful.

This trip is important to me in so many ways that I can’t even begin to describe. Even if you can’t afford to send anything except massive amounts of prayers, you can follow the trip on Instagram (@natakeit90) and/or I will make sure to send out letters (with lots of pictures!) upon our return to the States.

Thanks for everything. You rock!

Natalie

I went back to re-read my limited blogging account from my last trip south, and some of the things I remember about being in Honduras have stuck with me, while others have faded in time. But what is really, truly amazing is that feeling of fellowship and working at an exhausting pace was all 100 percent worth it. I wouldn't trade that trip for the world on a silver platter and I know that this second trip is going to be just as amazing too.

And to help make up for not blogging about the last half of my trip, here are some pictures: