12 days off

i love my job.
i really do.
but when they tell you that you "have" to take 12 days off,
you say yes please.
and make the most of it.
so here's how i did just that.


 

my coworker hooked me up with some wicked 

awesome seats for a giants game.

we even got to see where they do some of the KNBR radio shows!

 

went to chico with my sis
and saw some pretty skies.

we also stopped in sonoma on our way home.

wine country is the best country.

 

had family dinner.

i really love these people.

so so much.

 

threw a bridal shower with the very talented kim

for my very beautiful sister

 

complete with a mimosa bar,

 

personalized recipe box,

 

and homemade lemon scrub.

such a fun day!

 

 then my sister and i left on a jet plane...

 

...to the land of dry heat and sunspurts.

 

arizona, i think i love you.

we went shopping for flopping hats,

took selfies by the pool,

and got gussied up for a nice dinner.

i even got to see two of my favorite people from joshua.

so grateful these friendships stand the test of time!

 

We headed back to the bay
and did a little mug swap prep!
i really love swappin.
and muggin.



Ellen had another shower
and it was so lovely to hang out with these awesome peeps.

all in all, it was a really great {almost} two weeks.
going back to work today has been a bit rough.
but thankfully i got by with some help from my coworkers
and their obsession with donuts.

the next time i have this kind of break,
i'll be on my way to india!
so crazy.
so awesome.
crazy awesome.


cincerely,


cindy

 

six months later...

hey there.
it's been awhile.

pretty sure i just needed a break from blogging 
(as unrefined as my blogging may be).
but hopefully i'm back to stay for a while.
a lot has happened since november, so let me get you caught up:


we had a no-present christmas in my family. 
it was so good for all of us.

we did do a white elephant exchange with our extended fam

 













i turned 28 and can't believe it. 
also, my friends spoil me with weekends in wine country.

 














my bff or longer from school came to visit with her sweet fam.

 




















my uncle passed away in january after battling stomach cancer. 
it was a hard time for all of us.

 



















i took a little jaunt down to socal.

 



















became a wound care certified nurse. my geekiness continues to flourish.

 














my sister got engaged! crazy. can't believe we are growing up.

took another quick jaunt, but to yosemite this time.

went to a giants game during the opening series.

went kayaking in monterey

 



















went to morocco and road a camel. i mean, why not?

such a crazy six months! 
i am so grateful for the hard times and the good times;
God is so good through it all.

what will the next six months hold?
no clue.
but this coming season is bringing much change.
sometimes i have serious anxiety about it.
other times, i am giddy about it.
despite my feelings, the Lord is constant.
and i am immensely grateful for that. 
i can't wait to see what the Lord does and how He moves.
His way is perfect, not mine.

July: hello and goodbye

is it really the end of july?!
it seems like just yesterday i exploring the wonders of europe.
maybe this month has flown by because it's been a busy one.
here's my july recap.

 went on a life-threatening camping adveture with these ladies.

 last weekend, my freshman year roommate traveled north

to celebrate a very special lady and her newest addition.

not only did we have a great time partying,

we also took deanna to her first giants game!

an amazing weekend with some incredibly special people.

this past weekend was destined for greatest.

it all started with a visit with kimber.

our friendship has been long distance for the past two and half years,

so spending time together in person is absolutely treasured.

friday was my sister's birthday

and what better way to spend it than at the yard?

club level, toms, and corn dogs.

all was well until the "varsity blues" speech on the jumbo tron.

never a good sign at a giants game.

 on saturday, we decided to adventure.

we drove to tiburon in the north bay 

and took the ferry to angel island.

we hiked the five mile perimeter of the island.

a very doable, paved hike on an absolutely beautiful day!

on sunday, laura and i took our sisters out for their birthdays.

it's one of my favorite adult life traditions.

we took the sunol wine train.

even though we don't know much about wine,

it was still a super fun day!

this summer has been fabulous thus far.

europe in june,

stay-cations in july.

i can only imagine the fun that august will unlock!

cincerely,

cindy

three year friendversary

The summer of 2010 marked one of the 
best summers in my 27 year history. 
One of the factors influencing its greatness 
was meeting new friends. 
A couple of us like to celebrate when we met. 
Last year, we slept in a yurt and hiked in Yosemite. 
We weren't sure that this year's reunion would 
happen since one of us is living overseas. 
But we were so grateful that it happened!

Our rules:

1) spend time together

2) do something outdoorsy and adventurous

3) not shower 

Pretty simple, yea?

We met up and headed to Pescadero, 
a quaint coastal town between San Francisco and San Jose.

We explored the town a bit, 
but were sad that the goat farm was closed. 

We made our way to the campsite in memorial park. 
We dominated camp set up. 

 

To celebrate, we headed out on a short hike 
and took some time to explore. 
The redwood trees were amazing!

We spent time catching up,

eating s'mores, and scaring away raccoons.

maybe potentially being scared by them, too. 

it rained overnight, so we forwent the 

longer hike the next day.

we cleaned up camp, had some breakfast in half moon bay,

and spent the afternoon just kickin' it. 

all in all, an amazing time!
grateful for such amazing friends
and can't wait for more potential fun later this month!



cincerely,


*wanna-be rugged* cindy

it still hurts

when you loose someone special in your life,
it takes a while for the hurt to go away.
tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of my grandmother passing
and i'm not sure the hurt is ever going to go away.

despite missin' her somethin' fierce, 
i find immense joy in the fact that 
she is with her Savior in heaven.

today i went through some photos with my mom.
it was sweet to remember my grandma and 
how many different hats she wore.

a daughter, sister, and cousin

a friend

a mother

 a hard worker

 a beauty

 a family woman

grandmother 

 babysitter extraordinaire

adventurer

more than any of these things, 

i remember my grandmother's love for Jesus.

every chance she got, she would share about Him.

she didn't care if you had the same faith or not,

if you were eight or eighty,

or if you spoke her language.

 her bible was littered with markings

from years of studying

as painful as not having her cheerful laugh

and convicting spirit on earth,

i can't wait to be reunited with her one day

as we worship God together for all eternity.

Eleanor Dorothea Jacobs

September 1, 1916-April 9, 2012