*Emerald Bowl*

I failed to give details about the Emerald Bowl! Silly me! So we went to the Emerald Bowl last Saturday. It was Cal Bears vs. Florida Hurricanes. We won, of course. But it was the best game I've been to yet.. and I went to every home game this season! We had GREAT seats. Seriously.. if I spit, it would touch the field. lol. We were second row and near the goal post so we had an amazing view of everything. After the game we went to exit and noticed we had exited in the hallway next to the locker room. Some of the players were headed towards the locker room but there was already a small crowd gathered! So i snuck my way into that crowd adn took pics cause I didn't have anything for them to sign! Lame! Anyway, I ended up shaking coach Tedford's hand, QB Longshore, Jahvid Best, and my favorite player.. Zack Follett. I even told Zack God Bless and he looked at me and said God Bless you too... it was our moment. lol He'll be in pros next year for sure so it was good to talk to him! I was so excited! I included some pics at the bottom of this blog! :)

2009 Ready!

So I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Mine was quiet.. but fun! I love my family and love spending time with everyone on any occasion! I would post pics, but I need to find my camera!!

I am so excited for 2009!! Mainly because it is just a new year and we def. need one of those. This year was kinda wierd. So I'm excited for this week.. no big plans really. Just hanging out with friends and family at the church. It's wierd to think I won't be at Tanya and Erik's this year.. cause I've spent the last like 8 years there! Oh, and did I mention, I'll be getting married in 2009, so that's another reason I'm excited. Personally, I hate New Year's resolutions.. I think they're silly. Rarely anyone ever finishes them.. and they're too cliche. So I do have big changes coming next year.. but none of them will be resolutions.. because they have already started.

There are a few minor/major changes I plan on making and they started today:
1. Weight loss. It's about time I shed these pounds for good! (http://soon2behealthybride.blogspot.com/)
2. Cleanliness is next to holiness.. but not in my book. My room and car are a mess! Lately, I've just been too crazy (or lazy) to even attempt to clean them.
3. Financial. I have a lot of stuff to save up for.. so I'm teaching myself how to balance my checkbook.. all over again. I want Matt and I to start our life together on the right foot.
4. Youth Group. The youth was ran a little differently before me.. So I'm making some changes. First by our new name. Second by our first bible study "First Things First". I want the kids to know what it is they believe in, how to share it with others, and how to get closer to God. This book is a great way to start it.
5. School. Last semester I did whatever. Too much stuff was going on for my to pay 100% attention. (I did get an A in my political science class though!) This semester is different and I'm actually excited for it! I have a full course load, 4 classes, and all of this other stuff going on.. but it should be a good semester. I'm ready for the Nursing Program already!!
6. Job. I'm thinking about getting a 2nd job at Starbucks or more babysitting.. just for a little while to play catch up on bills and save!! Is this stupid? lol

So that is about all right now.. I will post with pics tomorrow!
:)

P.s. I spent $100 at the grocery store for ALL this food :) HOLLAR!

P.P.S.S How cute is this wedding dress and bridesmaid dress. The wedding gown is a Maggie Scottero and it is gorgeous! Wonderful beading. The bridesmaid dress is totally cute. I wonder if we can change the colors. I love it! and it's cheap!

Ring Shots!

I learned how to (kinda) take pics of the engagement ring.. here are my first tries.. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

*Some of these I like more than other because of the sentimental value.. like those roses are the first roses he ever gave to me. They keyboard.. well we met online... etc.*

Mini-Update!!

So I was fully prepared to post and give everyone a full update about the weekend and stuff... but I'm sick :( I cannot keep any sort of food or liquid down! It's such a bummer because it's the week of Christmas! I have so much to do! But here is my mini-update!
1. The weekend with the kids was GREAT! I'll post pics later. We all had a lot of fun and they totally missed us. I miss them.. and their parents SO MUCH.
2. I had a good weekend with the parents and Matt together. It was totally chill and no one was in too bad of a mood!
3. I took pictures of my engagement ring.. that I got from the tips off of weddingbee.com! I'll show them soon.
4. I LOVE Tammy's Rebel XT camera that I borrowed for the weekend!
5. Matt and I are getting rolling on the wedding planning.. we have a month, possibilities for venues, etc.
6. I'm sick and feel like crap :(

<3

Life is Great...

Life is amazing. Life is great. What can I say? I'm ridiculously happy :)

So here's my update:
* I'm addicted... literally.. to wedding stuff. Not so much the stuff.. but the pictures! I love photography already as it is, so it's not surprising. I can't wait to start really planning stuff.
*My last final for school is Thursday morning! Hollar! Then, I just want to work as much as I can to make money before the next semester is over.
*Christmas is next week.. my favorite Holiday. 1) Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior was born this day. 2) Family time :)
*My 21st birthday is 44 days away.. :)
*I'm going to begin researching venues for the wedding reception this week.. any ideas? Let me know!
* I get to see my babies this weekend!!! :)
*Family situation is getting better.. I just wish my mom would snap out of her funk!

Wedding Quote of the Week:
"Planning a wedding is like coloring when you're 4: There's no right or wrong way to do it. And everyone will love it because they love you!" -Joel Daly (Bride Magazine)

Just some pics of ideas I love:

I will def be having a candy bar!

Cute hair idea.
Def love the idea of sparklers instead of rice or bubbles or whatever else.
My bridesmaid cards :)
Love these centerpiece ideas:

Pick One!!!!

So these are three options that me fiance and I are considering for our engagement. We want to be sensible with the money, especially in this economy, and have the best day of our lives. If we could plan for the future, that would be a bonus too. So take a look and vote on your favorite! Thanks for the input!

Option #1: Would be to spend our whole budget on a large extravagant wedding ceremony and reception. This option would use all of our budget but would help give us our "fairytale" wedding.
Option #2: To have a family dinner and have Pastor Bill perform a small ceremony at one of the houses. Be married and start our lives together. Then have a reception a few months later. This option would save the money from the church and possible other formalities from option #1. But it would also allow us to save, hopefully, half of our wedding budget for a house.
Option #3: To go to Reno or Tahoe to elope with a few family and friends. Then spend our wedding money on a down payment on a house/condo. This option would allow us to spend most of our money on our future, but the guestlist would be limited. And all of our family and friends may not be there.

So those are the three options we were considering. If you can think of any other options, let us know. We would love your feedback on this issue! We are just barely starting the planning phase but both of these items will help in continuing the plans.
<3

*Planning?*

So I think this is a question on EVERY bride-to-be's mind: "How do I get quality EVERYTHING for a cheaper price?"

My parents are giving me a good budget. But I would like to save some of the money for after the wedding and put it down on a house. So I may tweak some things to cut the cost. But how else do you guys cut the cost down? I don't want to blow 10k on a wedding!??! But I still want my princess wedding :)

Any websites you'd recommend? Ideas? What'd you guys do? Help :)

Thanks!

Soon i'll post some pics and ideas of what we're thinking.. <3

I'm Engaged!!!!!!!!!

I'm Engaged!!!!!!!

December has always been my favorite month.. but now it is for obvious reasons! So here's the scoop!
We woke up this morning (Matt stayed the night at my house because we went out to the city last night with friends, no we don't live together, not until marriage:) exhausted from the previous nights adventures. Got up, get dressed and ready for the last Cal Bears football game of the season :( Meaning no more Zack Follet, no more Felders, no more Alex Mack.. cause they're all graduating this year. Sigh. Anywase, went to the game with Matt's dad (like usual.. it's a Saturday ritual). Everything was fun, great weather, and we won 48-7.

After the game we said goodbye to Matt's dad and then headed to our way. I thought we were going to Beka's recital but Matt decided to take a detour to Indian Rock in Berkeley. For those who have never been, I highly recommend it.. it's gorgeous. These pics are just a little proof.. I've loved it since he took me there when we first started dating.It has a view of all of the bay.. Sf, Oakland, richmond, the hills, etc. I've been trying to go for awhile but the weather has been too crummy. So we go there and just relax, cuddle, and small chat. It was really getting crowded though so we climbed down and went to the car.

We get to the car and he says he has a present for me. He hands over a black photo album. I open it and we start looking through it together. It had all of the pics from when we first started dating to now in it. So as we go down memory lane, we talk about each one of the pictures. lol. Then we get to the end and there's a bunch of blank pages so I kiss him and thank him for the gift. He says "That's not all.. I left the blank pages in the back so we can fill it up. I want to have many more memories with you.. (pulls out the ring) Samantha Middle Name, Last Name. Will you marry me?" I said yes.. of course, I even think I said it before he was done lol. And then he said some more romantic stuff and my eyes got teary.

After that we went to our favorite Italian resteraunt for dinner. These pics are funny cause one is of me so excited.. the other is him like "Oh my goodness whatd i get myself into?" kinda pose! lol. hilarious.

And I'm so excited. I love him to death. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with him. I cannot wait to start planning our wedding :) and of course sharing it with all of you... So our story just begins!

*Thanksgiving Update*

"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."

So this Holiday season has def. started to a great start. The Thanksgiving festivities went great!!! We had about 40 people at our house for Thanksgiving. All of those 40 people were immediate family.. and we were even missing some! So we had our house full, to say the least. It was FUN, drama free, and a blessing. My family has been through a Lot these past few years.. so it was amazing (and only God's grace could do this..) to see our family actually come together, despite all our differences, and have fun. I hope this is the way things are from now on!!! Unforunately, I had to leave the gathering at my house at around 4pm.

Matt and I then drove down to Monterey for his brother and sister-in-laws house. I love going there. The city itself is just gorgeous, it's next to the ocean (yes, I LOVE the ocean), and his brother's family is so chill and down to earth. There were about 18 people at their house. We ate outside.. which is always fun! (not to mention Deb is totally a cute version of Martha Stewart so it looked like something you would see in a magazine!) We stayed the night at the friend's house down the street. Then woke up the next morning and had sort of a lazy morning with the family. It was a relaxing.. but fun weekend. Matt's nieces (Katee & Cassi) are adorable and fun. They're growing up so fast!!! Hopefully not too fast though, cause I'm going to need some flower girls soon! lol. :) So all in all it was a great weekend.

Sorry I'm a little late posting everything.. I'll include some pics! But all in all.. Thank God because I'm truly blessed to have such a wonderful family! He's amazing!

Changes!!

My, Oh, My! This holiday season has definetly brought some major changes. I guess I'll start with the bad because the good def. outweighs it... so here I go!

#1: My younger brother Juan (15) has gone to live in Visalia. He now lives in a group home. For those of you who don't know.. this has been sort of coming for a long time. He was adopted when he was five years old. He has never really gotten over that fact and somehow (even to this day) thinks the grass in greener on the other side. But he's wrong and has no idea how wrong he is. So things have gotten crazy lately, his behavior has escalated, there's been some little violence, and it was just the best (and only) thing for my parents to do. I think he will do fine there. It's a group home who's goal is to get the kids independent, be financially stable, and learn rules and regulations. The sad part about the kids in the home is almost all of them don't have families waiting for them, they don't have anyone else to turn to..hints why they're there. Then there's Juan who has a great family waiting for him at home. So that's the bad news. I don't know how long he will stay there or anything like that but it's been rough so keep us all in your prayers still!

#2: One of my best friends Michelle and I went to lunch sometime last week and as we were leaving we drove by this bridal store. This wedding dress and bridesmaid dress was in the window. We HAD to stop. They're gorgeous! The wedding dress (which wasn't actually my focal point, surprisingly) was a little under $1,000. But the Bridesmaid dress, which I love, were like $150 or something. I love the bridesmaid dresses.. when the time is right I want to take this pic and run with it. See what colors they have, sizes, etc. I'm more excited to find those dresses than I am my own! :)

#3: I found a job.. maybe two!!! I am a certified Medical Assistant and have been since Feb. of last year. I did my internship with an Ob/Gyn Dr (Loved it!) but unfortunately they didn't have any positions for me so I moved on. I moved to Family Practice who was Dr Ashby, she is a brilliant lady, a little rude sometimes, but great teacher. I was there for like 3 months. I loved it but we had a little bit of difficulty trying to get a pay raise. So I left to a Pediatric office. I was at the Pediatric Office for about 3 months when tragedy struck in my life. I had to take 1 wk off work due to funeral arrangements and such.. The Pediatric office cut my hours and I've been jobless ever since. So about a week ago I got a call from Dr. Ashby and long story short.. I'm working there a few days a week.. until more hours open up for me! I'm excited to be doing Medical Assisting again because I love it. I'm doing my pre-nursing still so it totally makes sense! I also have a receptionist job at the new Brentwood Massage Envy. So I'm going to try and work all of this in together so I can make some bank :)

*This is a pic of "the Girls" from my MA class last Feb.* <3>

*Fortune Cookie Favor!*

So technically, I shouldn't be looking at these sort of things YET. But, I'm human and a girl. So I am. Look what I found, they're fortune cookies that you can put your own personal message in! You can have them normal, dipped in chocolate, clear wrapping, personal message, colors, etc. Totally cool right?? I love it. This is a possible favor idea!!! <3>

Though the enemy attacks..

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23

Thank God for all He does! And no I'm not just posting this because it's Thanksgiving time.. I mean it. This past week a situation went from bad to worse! But with His blessing, my family is still together and going strong. Even though the enemy tries throwing tons of things at us (and me) like: financial argument with the man, brother sent to Jack's, Aunt has lung cancer, temptation..etc. Even though temptation is my biggest problem. I fear him no longer. The enemy has no place in my life.

Though sometimes he tries (REALLY HARD) to get a foot hold in our lives, we know that we have power over him. When he makes obvious attacks on me, I know it is him and not the Lord so I can instantly rebuke him. For the other, not so obvious, times I will probably mess up but I have a God who is loving and forgiving! This verse is just a reminder that God has everything and we shouldn't want from him. He will in fact, lead me to places where I can be sustained and find rest. He will bring healing to my heart, He will lead me from there on paths that are right and good. Even in the darkest of paths, when the most prominent of evil exists in my life, my fears are calmed because I know he is there with me. Praise Jesus! He is an awesome God and I will thank him everyday of my life!
So this is just a simple reminder for anyone who is going through troubles, big or small, He is with you!
On a brighter note: I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving with the fam bam and going to Monterey.. I'm also looking forward to December because of Christmas and maybe, hopefully a surprise :):) And check out the Birthday countdown, HOLLAR! :)

The saga continues..

I can't get into detail now, because I'm at my grandma's.. But PRAY for my family. We need it. I hope this all gets better, like when we take Juan to Jack's tomorrow, before we pass the point of no return.. well some of us at least!

On a brighter note, my man got a blog.. check it: semans.blogspot.com

Night. <3

Where is My Life going?

For the most part, this blog has been carefree and lively. It has just entailed the daily happenings of my life.. my other blog has been the more personal one, for the most part.. Well get ready to get personal..

The thought in my head at the moment: Am I where I am supposed to be in life? Is this really my purpose and my call? What if some of my mistakes in life have took me on a different path?

These first two bible verses are verses that every Christian knows and I've memorized them from Sunday School a long time ago. The second verse has been an argument against abortion for as long as I can remember. But at this point in my life they both play key roles. Jer 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations."This verse is so comforting knowing that God set out distinct plans for me.. all of us.. but me! He thought about how he wants myself to make an impact in this world.. At the same time, it's disheartens me a tad. I mean, let's face it, we've all made mistake.. some huge, some minor. One of my thoughts was what if my mistakes took my on a different path in life? A different plan than the original one God has in store for me? But then He told me, not to fear, our God knows everything, even before it happens (which is hard to understand sometimes, but true). He is ominicent. Psalm 147:4-5: ''He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by names. Great is our Lord, and of great power: His understanding is infinite.'' So I now know that some of these thoughts were just my mistrust in myself and honestly, maybe even a tad mistrust in God. I am the type of person who double checks things.. I wanted to make sure that everything on my plate is actually supposed to be there. And it is.

Honestly, the youth group that I am a leader of... is a large part of the reason why all of this came to my mind. The youth and some people from the past who tried to ruin what I had with them. But the bottom line is.. I messed up, but that was 2 years ago. I'm forgiven. I haven't done anything like that Since!. Bottom line. (But this is all a little background, I guess?!)

I have always been a Christian, since I was little. I've always known that I was going to be a Youth Leader (of course back then, I thought I would be a youth pastor after going to a Christian college). I've always loved God. But sometimes I didn't put him first in my life. I put a best friend that I had before him and sometimes before my family (sorry, bout the nose piercing dad. lol). This has nothing to do with her and all to do with me. I let other influences get the best of me.. and until lately, I thought that was going to haunt me forever. But our God is a loving and forgiving God. Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God". But my problem was.. I wasn't forgiving myself! Mark 11:25 "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." I was still holding what felt like this burden of guilt, despite me asking the Lord to forgive me several times.. until I finally realized, DAH SAM! LET GO! And I gave it to him.. and he took it from me.. Our sins are as far east as they are west.. as long as we don't try and get them back. Ya know?

Now this is the hard part. 1 Pet 2:11 (NRS) Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. The devil knows my weaknesses.. He's not a stupid enemy.. He knows how he can try and get into our minds, families, friends, relationships, and he can try to tempt us. But the one thing I keep in mind is that the devil does all of that because he has already lost. "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death" (Revelation 1:18). So yes, I did mess up.. the devil knows that and once we realize that he has NO power over us.. we should take Glory in that.

John 16:33 — "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." We will all have troubles. But I have decided to us my troubles and my past to better the future. I live a great life now. I am trying to live a sanctified life now, because I don't want to be satisfied with just being a Christian. I want it to be more of who I AM. People will come against you, even those who call themselves Christians. People will hurt your and deceive you and try to bring you down. But have FAITH. The Lord has been through all of this. He knows our pain, suffering, and what we're going through. He should be the only friend or best friend we need.. of course others are f

So this is at the point to where I am in my life. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths" I trust the Lord with all I am. I trust that he knows my future, he knows my past (and still forgives me), He knows the choices and battles I face on a day to day bases. But if I wake up with the attitude of "Good morning God, What're you doing today? Can I be in it?" Honestly, it changes my whole day and mindset. Nothing can try and ruin it. I know that this youth group and this church is where I am supposed to be. I know that I live a life that they can look up to, and I can be an example. I know that my family will be behind me no matter what. I know who my true friends are. I know that I have a man in my life who I love and couldn't imagine being with out him. I know my dad is always there to come to for advice, or just to listen. I know these things now because of what I have been through. I know that simply saying the name of Jesus in a stressful situation or a big mess... allows everything to go away. It allows Him to be in control, once more. I love the place where I am in my life right now. I will continue to move forward and to Let God take over.

These are kinda just for me, but they're the things I need to continue or start to do:
1) Continue to be in prayer. Keep that open line of communication with God
2) Give Thanks. I have a great life and am always thankful of it
3) Get into his word. I love to read, but have fallen away from it for awhile. I need to get back to it. I want to know everything about God.
4) Be prepared. (For everything and anything) For youth, for the temptations to continue flying my way.. cause the devil knows i'm on a rampage :).. for life.
5) Find ways for the youth ministries to grow. Get these kids started on a sturdy foundation of what there faith really means to them.
6) Get ways to outreach to them community, family, and friends. I don't want them to be left behind!

This is my hard part that I need to do. We all should do. Matthew 5:44-45 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. I told you it was hard! lol


So my parting words are this: Jesus Loves You. All of You. Despite your past, he loves you and wants a close and intimate relationship with all of his children. He is there waiting for you with open arms.. let him in. find him. I hope this looong post helps some of you like it helped me. Have Faith in all you do. And if for some reason, you don't know who this Jesus person I'm talking about it? Or you don't have a personal relationship with him? Email me: samiam4evao6@gmail.com I'd be glad to share with you. Have a good day!!!!



In a song by Unhindered (on my playlist) "Holy Is Your Name", it states these lyrics:
You are my creator
I'm gonna sing to you forever
And let the world proclaim
Holy is Your name
You are my creator
I'm gonna sing to you forever
And let the world proclaim
Holy is Your name

You're in my mind, You're in my heart
You're always near, You're never far
You bring me joy, You give me peace
You love the world and even me

Will you be left behind?

This video is intense.. but true. The time is coming. Will you be ready? Do you know who Jesus Christ is? Will any of us be ready? I know everyone says The End is always coming.. every generation it is announced.. but I really believe it is coming soon. His people need to get ready! We don't want to be left behind!!!!

Life with the Girls..

Tonight my cousin, Tracy, is hosting a Girls Night In!! And let me just tell you.. I'm EXCITED! It's going to be all of my cousins: Ashley, Katie, Me, Heather, Tracy, Tiffany, Amber, and my aunts: Kelly, Nana, My mom, and my grandma!!! Hollar. That's most of the crazy women in my family, all together under one roof for fun, games, food, and laughter! We are a hilarious bunch of women. We're going to get make overs and facials too.. thanks to Tiff. So I am going to get off here and go help cook and set up for the night's events! I just thought I'd fill you in.. pictures will be up soon :)

Holidays are vast approaching!

The holiday season is fast approaching.. I can tell you, I'm nothing but excited!!! I love my family. I love it when we're all together, even with the occasional drama, and I love the fun/games/good times we have when we're together! But as with any other Holiday season.. this one will be a tricky one!! I now have to try and add all of Matt's family into the Holiday Festivities, whom I love :) Not to mention, I LOVE cooking. I love making new things, inventing new things, or just sticking with the Holiday favorites. And it totally helps that I'm a good cook!

So far the schedule is as reads...
Thursday: My family will have Thanksgiving at my house at 2pm, unless mom changes it again. (I tried to get it to start at noon and mom thought it was a bad idea, because it's early. Not to mention, my family has a tendency to be late :) Then around 4, we will have to head down to Monterey to go visit Matt's brother and sister, Tip & Deb. (So when we get married, they're going to be my brother in law and sister in law... and I'll have nieces!!!! Just a tid bit of exciting news) I love going to there house, it's a cute house, fun time.. but not so much relaxing! lol.
Friday: Matt's parents are divorced and his mom lives in Alaska. His dad and dad's girlfriend, Gary and Terry, don't care when we all get together for dinner. So we'll probably do Friday at their house. I'll bring along my delicious pies like last year.. and we'll have a good, family dinner. It will probably be the five of us: Robert (his brother), Terry, Gary, Me, & Matt. Which is a lot quieter than Thanksgiving around my house.. you know the 50 people in my immediate family!! lol
December: His mom comes down in early December. I'm excited because I like his mom and her husband, Cherie and Thom! They come down from Alaska a few times a year and we always visit them when they do. We'll probably do dinner when they come down and before they leave. I guess it will be our Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner with them?!
Oh, and from what I know.. December is supposed to be a "special" month :) It already is my favorite time of year, but this year maybe a little more special! :)

When it gets closer to Thanksgiving, I will post my "Thankful Blog". Who knows? You may even be in it!!!

Happy Holidays, thus far! God bless!

Harvest Party!!!!!!!!

So at the bottom of this post, I included a slideshow (I hope it works cause I'm kinda slow at this thing) of my pictures from the church Harvest Party. I can proudly say it was a big success. It did sprinkle a little, but we prayed for the Lord to hold the rain until we were done. He did just like we asked. There's was a good amount of people coming through in different spurts. There were plenty of volunteers. The costume contest went good, I think like only one person tried to be scary in it. The Fear Factor went great too! It wasn't as gross this year and Brandon even added an obstacle, so that was fun for the kids. Madison, my cousin, ended up winning! You go Girl! So all the stress and planning, Debbie and I put in, totally paid off. All of the volunteers, hard work, creativity from both church totally paid off too. I'm excited that Antioch church was involved this year because next year will be even bigger and badder. Brentwood church has already offered to help, as well. So I'm very excited to plan that next year as well!!!!

That day and night was totally fun too. I was babysitting Jay's three girls.. who I totally love. They call me their aunt.. lol. So we had a mini sleepover at their house after the Harvest Party. Let's just say Matt got an ear full of girly talk that night!! lol. We did get a scary interruption though.. Some guy in a scary face mask knocked on the door.. So I answered it and I was scared but the dude was like "Can I have Candy?". I was like "No, Sorry we don't have any". The dude was persistent and kept asking until I had to ask him nicely to leave and shut the door. Then the guy started turning the handle trying to get in.. I was like "Babe, YOU take care of it!" lol. Meanwhile, Maddy started crying and Amanda and Sarah were totally freaked out! So Matt asked them to leave and opened the door one last time only to see Audrey's face in the door. I was SOO relieved but kinda irritated at the same time. Needless to say the girls were totally relieved! lol She just stopped by to scare us and say hellooo!!!!!

Oh, and then the following day was the Cal Vs. Oregon game. Oh my goodness it was cold!! For those who don't know, Matt's dad bought us Season Passes to the Cal Football Game.. it was a father/son tradition that he graciously invited me in on :) and I LOVE it. I love sports, but actually being there in all of the live action is SO exciting!! But anyway, that game we knew it would be cold.. but not raining!!!!! Matt's dad came a little more prepared than us because he had a water proof jacket on. Matt had layers of clothes on and a waterproof jacket on as well.. Meanwhile, I had a long sleeve sweatshirt on and a cotton (you know the water absorbant stuff) sweatshirt on. LOL. I was soaked. Before halftime, I had to go by a poncho because I was freezing and my sweatshirt must have weighed like 20 lbs. But it was an exciting game! We won and I had a LOT of fun..especially since I love the rain!!!!!!!!!!
Overall.. a good weekend! <3

COLD!