Khaki shorts...in winter??

we were driving back to DG after lunch today and saw a man standing waiting for the light to change so he could cross the street. he was dressed in khaki cargo shorts (of course he had a shirt and shoes and socks on too)!! as we were also waiting for the same light to change, we couldn't help but notice how cold he was...he looked miserable. he had in his hand a Chipotle bag and a soft drink (presumably from Chipotle). we had a few theories as to why he would have ventured out into the outdoors attired thus (we gave him the benefit of the doubt in assuming there must have been a legitimate reason...not pure craziness).

Our theories were:

1.) he was a selfless, sacrificing boyfriend/fiance/husband who was running out to get Chipotle for a hungry girlfriend/fiance/wife and being so self-sacrificing didn't even think about postponing the errand in thinking of his own comfort.

2.) he was playing DDR (or participating in some other form of recreation) and so was warm/hot/sweaty when he left his abode...he didn't realize how cold it was outside until he had completed his errand and was again in the outdoors.

3.) he started off with khaki pants of the zip-off variety, but because he was holding Chipotle he was attacked by two ferocious Chihuahuas who, because they couldn't reach the Chipotle bag, grabbed his pants instead and proceeded to rip off the bottom portion of the pants.

"I mean, if you're going to wear shorts in winter at least wear cool ones...like basketball shorts!"

how many grapes can you fit in your mouth?

thoughts...

1. Imagine all the people in the world.
2. Then imagine how many people there have been from creation until now.
3. Each one is an unique individual. Everyone has a unique personality and physical appearance. That is billions upon billions of unique people displaying unique aspects of God's image.
4. Humans are just one small part of his creation.
5. What an amazing God.
6. When interacting with others and thinking how we might serve them, we should remember that each person, whether it's your roommate, co-worker, neighbor, waitress, tax-lady, mail-carrier, homeless man on the corner or politician, they are all created in the image of God.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness..." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him male and female he created them.

Colossians 1:15-20

Jesus is the exact image of the invisible God and makes it possible for us to see God's nature. (Heb. 1:3, 2 Cor. 4:4, Phil. 2:6, John 1:18, Ex. 33:20, I Tim. 1:17). Jesus is the firstborn of all creation and existed before anything or anybody else. Before there was an earth, men, ants or air, Jesus existed and he has always been (Ps. 89:27, Jn. 1:1). By Jesus ALL things were created. Everything in heaven was created by him. And everything on earth. He created all that is visible, whether Gerber daisies, fingernails or colors, he created it . And he created oxygen, music, wind, souls and everything else invisible. He created every throne, every dominion, every ruler and every authority. He created authority roles and every mother, father, governor, pastor or king who fills those roles (Rom. 13:1). All things were created through Jesus and all things were created for Jesus. Everything was created and exists to bring glory to Jesus. Whether marriage, people, music, animals, clothes, books, clouds or learning, Jesus is the purpose for all things. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. Jesus holds together rubber bands, fifteen story buildings, computer networks, tree bark on every tree in the jungles of Africa, or in the cities China or on the farms in Minnesota, Jesus is holding them together. Jesus holds marriages, families and relationships together. He holds together the billions of stars in the milky way galaxy (Ps. 147:4). And he holds together the entire solar system which is huge beyond our imagination. He holds together every toe, hair follicle, intestine, heart and blood cell. Just like our physical bodies wouldn't survive without Jesus, the church body would be dead and worthless without Christ as the head...and not only is Jesus The image of the invisible God, Firstborn of all creation, Creator of all things (visible, invisible, in heaven and on earth), The reason for everything that was created, Before all things, Holding all things together, Head of the body, the church, The beginning, The firstborn from the dead, Preeminent in everything...but he also made peace by the blood of his cross. AMAZING. Eph. 2:12-14...having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility"

He is amazing beyond words. He is beautiful beyond any part of nature or person we think is beautiful. He is far more precious than anything we hold dear. What we call valuable is not worth comparing to the value of Jesus (Phil. 3:7-8). He is greater than any person we deem great - whether it's because they preach great sermons, write theological books, love others really well, display humility, love Jesus, are musically talented, smart, on the mission field, persecuted or even died for Christ - no matter how great or humble they may seem, no one even comes close to comparing with Jesus.

colgate, crest, aquafresh=our friends

the topic of teeth and brushing them is quite common at 2520. one reason is that two of the girls living here are daughters of dentists. another reason the topic comes up frequently is because some of the girls living here have had many problems, including many cavity fillings, root canals, teeth pulled, braces (not only once but a second time). the many procedures are not due to lack of good oral hygeine. it is because of soft tooth enamel.

those are not the only reasons for the discussion of teeth. over the last couple years, there have been a few instances with some friends who do not take brushing as serisouly as we do. even though all three have been guys, i think they take hair brushing more seriously than teeth brushing. the three will remain nameless unless they choose to disclose their identity.

a couple years ago friend number 1 stated that he brushes his teeth only in the morning. i thought this was weird, but i thought it was good that he at least brushed his teeth in the morning before interacting with others.

but last week friend number 2 confessed to only brushing at night! first time i had ever heard of that. i thought the only time anyone ever went without brushing their teeth in the morning would be if they forgot or somehow lost their toothbrush. but even in the case of not having a toothbrush i thought one would scrub toothpaste on the teeth with fingers. he thought it was completely normal to only brush at night.

tonight friend number 3 said he also rarely brushes his teeth in the morning. he thinks eating breakfast gets rid of bad breath. he acted like it is completely normal to only brush once a day - only at night. (And he is married...both friends number 1 and 2 are unmarried. we thought maybe that was the reason for the lack of oral hygiene...). so that hypothesis has been disproven. maybe it's a gender thing?

for the last two years i've thought friend number one was the strange one and for the last week that friend number 2 was also, but now i've started wondering if we (2520) are the weird ones...

hence the poll.

awkward. to the max.

1. We have had more awkward moments than we have bargained for.
2. "The book, the book" experience with Joshua Harris. That was awkward.
3. Dancing in a four-some at a wedding last year.
4. Getting told that you are one of the two most awkward people they've met.
5. Grocery store hand-shake experience and getting "caught for stealing" right afterwards.
6. Taking an out-of-town guest to the Halal Market thinking it would suite her grocery needs. She tried to explain before going in that we should probably go somewhere else, but it seemed like the best option and closest to home.
7. Driving away from the gas station without paying.
8. Mistakenly bumping forehead into friend's chin while standing up to give him a hug.
9. Saran-wrapping own car to cover-up tracks. It was a decoy.
10. A prank gone wrong in someone's apartment. We focused so much on getting the key and getting in that we hadn't thought of a plan once we got in. Awkward when they came home and we were just sitting in the living room. This was a long time ago.
11. Eagerly stating "I've always wanted to go to China too!"--after a male friend had told of his desire to serve there long-term.
12. Deciding and announcing that she wanted to be a specific married woman's "understudy"! (not realizing what that word meant)
13. Saying "Me and my friends were out gang-banging last night..." Thinking that gang-banging meant "hanging out"!

Sarah wants to have an awkward scale to rank each others' awkwardness and awkward situations. Obviously she would never be on the top. As a matter of fact neither would Katie or Ellie.

Prayer

This morning I listened to one of Russell Moore's podcasts (CDT, I can't mention him without thinking of you, "HI!") on Hebrews 4:14-5:10 which starts out as:

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need..."

Amazing words. We can go before the God of the universe with confidence because of Jesus Christ. Dr. Moore said so many great things about this text and I'm not even going to try to summarize what he said, but one thing I was thinking about is prayer, specifically for missionaries. Through prayer we can be a part of what God is doing globally. So, this is just an encouragement to be confident before the Lord and pray boldly for missionaries and that the Lord would do amazing things through them for the kingdom's sake. And not only for missionaries, but humbly and boldly approach the throne of grace about everything.

p.s. Since the topic is prayer...If you think of it, please pray for Ellie (she is sick) and for my brother, Michael (he is having surgery next week because his appendix burst).

A "Random" post from Scotch Banyon

I was given permission to take hold of the 2520 blogspot reins and write on a topic of my choosing. I have decided that I will use this opportunity to write about an issue close to my heart. The shortage of new movies showcasing puppetry, and more specifically, puppetry of the muppet variety. While many of us can remember the '99 movie "Muppets From Space" starring the timeless Gonzo, it has been far too long since the Hollywood Machine has taken up the strings and produced another blockbusting muppet epic. Those fat cats out in S. Cali are just gorging themselves on their bowls of milk and fancy feast, paid in full by mind numbingly dull films about rock stars and real life drama starring actual human beings. Who wants to see a docudrama about the the Bay of Pigs fiasco when you can actually have a leading role played by an actual pig? Well a pig made out of felt and foam, but whatever. And hasn't the world seen enough rom coms with meg ryan and tom hanks? Give me Miss Piggy and her Kermie any day. And on that note, this has been the first and last post that I will ever be allowed to do. I apologize to everyone in advance.

- Scotch

a french beat boxer...wow

our attempt to be just as cool as he is:

do you have what it takes?

This is what happens when we innocently start playing a game of DDR and it turns competitive against the TV. Sarah was at work, Ellie was babysitting and Steph was with some friends, Andy and Sarah had just left and we were left at home and were home-worked out. There seemed to be only one logical choice: play DDR. The first video is a pre-video gone wrong. The second is taken during a 'B' round.

After seven rigorous rounds of the same song, we finally achieved our goal: A's for both of us! We now refer to each other as DDR Masters.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Jesus
The Cross
Roommates
Family
Warm Beds
Church and Bethlehem
Body of Christ
Youth Group
Friends
Pastors
Neighbors
Blog Readers, but mostly those who comment
Laughing
Good Haircuts
Chocolate Milk and Diet Coke (not Ellie!)
Bible
Super Target
DG and the Conferences
Sarah's Bed (and for Sarah of course)
Everyone's Unique Personality
Words spoken in Truth and Love
Good Cup of Coffee
Books, C.S. Lewis books
Strong Leadership
Provision for our needs
Chipotle
Sermons from C.J. Mahaney, JP, Mark Driscoll
Water Bottles and Straws
Good Marriages and Good Parenting
Crafts (clearly that was Katie Haas speaking)
Good Health
Basketball (Katie wants to make it clear she is not thankful for that)
DDR
Pictures
Heaven
Music, especially worship

The list could go on and on of the many blessings we have to be thankful for. Above all we are thankful to be chosen daughters of the KING! Thank you, Jesus.

show & tell

our vacuum cleaner has not been working very well and tonight i figured out why. i started vacuuming the stairs and after about seven or eight steps, the vacuum just shut off because of a clog. i opened up the front and saw a big clump of something that looked like a dead rat with fur. i started pulling and it just kept coming. it was not a dead animal, it was our hair. that is weird, but the weirdest part is that the hair segregated itself according to it's color. we've attached a picture, but it doesn't give the full effect. seriously, this is one of the nastiest (but coolest) things we've seen in a while.

24

I didn't watch the season in which Tony Almeida supposedly died, but was so sad when I heard about his death. Mostly through wishful thinking I was determined that he would come back to the show. Most people thought I was crazy...


BUT, a couple days ago Steph told me that she heard from Courtney (who I'm just guessing found out through a blog) that he is coming back in the 2008 season :) and I just googled it and it looks like it's true. In my (subjective) opinion, this is a really good attempt to redeem the show from last year's horrible season.

Pete and Jess!

Pete and Jess are engaged! Congratulations guys! WOO HOOO!!!

a new addition to the fruit group

This all started because Katie and Steph are doing a 'no sweet eating' journey until December 8th. They are allowed one piece of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.

Steph is proud because she is keeping away from the pastries at work and staying away from all Halloween candy. She even had to thumb through milk duds, snickers, reeses, milky way and more, but passed right through them and took only the sugary bubble gum. Katie even refrains from eating the candy on her desk and didn't even eat a crumble of the pumpkin donut holes her sister gave her. They also both passed by the candy bars given to each of us by Sarah's parents.

Well, tonight we were talking about what they do eat rather than sweets. Katie brought home banana bread and Steph was chewing on some fruit snacks. She also admitted to eating a s'more pop tart earlier today. They also enjoy the Starbuck's drinks, such as apple cider and raspberry soy lattes.

Now comes the question. Do these items they have been eating align with their 'no sweet diet?' The other item of discussion was whether or not fruit snacks are considered a sweet or a member of the fruit family? To many this would seem to be a no brainer, but one of the girls (KH) strongly considers fruit snacks to be a fruit source. In fact her childhood lunch-box consisted of four items (always eaten in the same order): 1. sandwich 2. chips/crackers 3. fruit snacks (a.k.a. fruit) and 4. dessert. So, it is no wonder that she does not view these as a sweet.

If they do end up labeling something as a 'sweet,' and eat it, they are obligated to pay the other one $1. This hasn't happened yet in the 2 days they have been on the diet.

They asked me if I wanted to join in this endeavour and I originally declined, but I'm thinking maybe it wouldn't be so bad...

Disclaimer: Katie and Steph were completely fine with this post.

$0.00

It's that time of the year again. Time for a free Chipotle burrito. All you have to do is dress up like a burrito and go to any Chipotle restaurant on 31.Oct.2007 and Voilà, a totally free burrito! How great is that? Does anyone think there is anything ethically or morally wrong with going for both lunch and dinner? If anyone wants to come with us, let us know!!

SOME PICTURES FROM LAST YEAR:

Steph, Andrea, Katie, Ellie & Gabby

phillips theory

These pictures give a pretty accurate description of our street on any given day. The Chevy Corsica is usually parked quite far from the curb :) but more importantly, most days you will find people outside "working on their cars." Not all agree, but the theory is that this is a cover up for something else...i.e. selling drugs. Yeah, it doesn't really make any sense. However, since living in the Phillips, I've seen so many open car hoods. More than ever before. Trent, even though you strongly disagree, we value your opinion. Please comment.

???????

It's Tuesday evening and we are sitting in our living room trying to work on our respective homework, French and Theological Foundations. Somehow we got into a conversation about theology (most likely because of TF) and also about the unsaved people we love so much and how we can share the gospel with them. We wanted to post a question that we are thinking about and ask for feedback and answers :)


How can we be perfectly joyful when we are in heaven if there are people that we love who are spending eternity separated from God?

In Revelation 21:4 it says "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Will we not realize or think about our unsaved friends and family?

P.S. Funny moment. In the midst of talking about these questions, Steph looks at me in all seriousness and says, "Your face looks good."

pumpkin recipe!

We've made this before and it tastes great. We can't make it this year because there is no room in the freezer.

2 cups pumpkin from a can
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans toasted (optional)
36 ginger snaps
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream softened

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon & nutmeg. Add chopped pecans. In a chilled bowl fold pumpkin mixture into ice cream mixture. Line bottom of 13x9x2 pan with half of ginger snaps. Top with half ice cream mixture. Cover with remaining ginger snaps. Add remaining ice cream mixture. Freeze until firm (about 5 hours). Cut in squares, garnish with whipped cream and pecans.

weekend

Abraham and Molly sitting at the table. This was before the toast.

Andy, Phil, Katie, Serena, and Sarah eating Chipotle in their formal wear.

Michael, Gabby, and Jeff serving at Joe and Sarah's Wedding. Notice the white shirts. Nice.

Eric, Jess, and Pete bowling in their formal attire. Notice their hats.

Ellie, Katie, Gabby, Steph and Andrea.

we love o!!

a good encouragement

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us ALL things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that who was raised -who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long, we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are MORE than conquerors through HIM who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:28-39

some retreat pictures...

Sin

At the conference, Jerry Bridges encouraged us to pick up his book entitled, "Respectable Sins", and of course I went down and bought it. I really love Jerry Bridges because I feel that it's readable to even me, Stephanie, the non-theologian. So, anything that Jerry Bridges writes, I love. I think.

I went home and started to page through the book. I was super excited about reading it because it talks about sins that we tend to tolerate and accept in our daily Christian walk. He addresses sins that aren't the "big" sins--but really are serious offenses to our God. Some of the sins that Jerry talks about are; Ungodliness, Anxiety and Frustration, Discontentment, Unthankfulness, Pride, Selfishness, Anger, Worldliness, etc...

Sin is horrible. Sin is ugly. Sin is gross. Our sin is huge. This is nothing new. We should be so grieved by our sin. Jerry writes, "All of our sin is done openly in the very presence of God. It's as if we are acting out all of our sin before Him as He sits on His royal throne." Wow.

Jerry also encourages readers to deal effectively with their sin. He says, "As we struggle to put to death our subtle sins, we must always keep in mind this twofold truth: Our sins are forgiven and we are accepted as righteous by God because of both the sinless life and sin-bearing death of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater motivation for dealing with sin in our lives than the realization of these two glorious truths of the gospel."

I love this verse:

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." -Hebrews 12:1-2

And, ohhh...go get the book. It's good!

high school fall retreat

First, let me just say that it was an AWESOME time! The new youth pastor spoke on Isaiah 6:1-8. He emphasized the disparity between God's holiness and our sinfulness and what Isaiah's response to that was and our response should be. Isaiah fell on his face and said "Woe is me! For I am lost...for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!" Once we see the King we should be so destroyed by the realization of our sin. Isaiah goes on to describe how the seraphim flew to him and touched his lips with a burning coal saying: "your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." Praise God for the atonement for our sins that is ours through Christ Jesus. It was an amazing time of God convicting people of sin and of showing Himself to us all! Praise the Lord for His working in the hearts of all who attended, both students and mentors!

Second, here are some great quotes from the weekend...
-during a game of Taboo: "What is the continent below Japan?" "Oooh, ooh...BRAZIL!" (the answer was "down under")
-before the game of Taboo-- Greta: "Let's count off: A-B. A", Josh: "B", Andrea: "C"
-during a game of Catch Phrase: "What is the country above Florida?" (the answer was Georgia!)
-Kempton describing the significance of the seraphim saying "Holy" three times: "Back in those times saying something one time didn't really mean alot, but if you wanted to emphasize something you'd say it twice...like if I wanted to tell you how pretty my wife was, I'd say 'she's pretty-pretty!' you'd be like 'whoa!' But if I wanted to really be bold I'd say 'my wife is pretty-pretty--pretty!' you'd just say 'WOW!! she must be REALLY pretty!''

first video from camping

The Gospel in 6 Minutes - John Piper

You should watch this!

sarah head dancing

lunch break at DG...

So, we're sitting/standing here on our lunch break at DG. It's Ellie, Katie and Andrea. Katie is eating her beans and rice (sorry katie. i guess it's rice and beans) that she made last night. Ellie & Andrea are each eating a sandwich. Joe Sweetman keeps walking by inquiring about what we are doing.

We thought we would write about one of our co-workers, Aaron O'Harra. He is a TBI Student at Bethlehem and a fellow RC (to A & K). He was born in Idaho and lived in Washington state. He actually just returned from a visit to Seattle! Also, he has a great wife and cute little baby girl. Some of things we love about Aaron:

-he eats no-salt saltine crackers and complains about it and shares them with us
-he gives us CD's from his old band and sings often while at work
-his mumbling voice makes callers think his name is Darren, not Aaron
-gives great advice and always has a listening ear :)
-he loves Jesus and that is evident.
-answers the hard, theological emails.
-at 5:00pm he is OUT THE DOOR. no lingering around.
-he is fasting from sugar until thanksgiving.
-he likes hanson.
-he lives in gabe & julia's old apartment.
-he's like a brother and our relationship with him is based on a lot of joking.
-he's very perceptive of our moods and always asks what's wrong if we are quiet (or crabby).
-he doesn't complain at camp (that is DG camp). only those who have been to BBC camp know what that means!
-he hasn't shaved in a while because he left his razor in seattle and obviously that is the only one he can use.






here comes joe again...and we need to get back to work. of course aaron is sitting over there working hard!

some rando pictures.

a massage train on the trampoline. last weekend we went to a cabin for a couple days with some high school girls from bethlehem. we did lots of other things too...like ride the boat, tube, manicures, devotions, swim, volleyball, jump and dance on the trampoline, sit around the campfire, sing..it was fun!!



polar bear at the como zoo in st. paul. on labor day we went to the zoo with jason falck and joseph (joseph randall's twin brother :). loved the polar bear! we also went shopping at the albertville mall earlier in the day.



hanging out with our old roommate, courtney (when she lived here). she is coming this weekend!! yeah!



this is steph. this is steph getting ready to go down south. she wants you to know that she does have all her teeth and that even if she didn't, she would get a good lookin fake one because her dad is a dentist.



hanging out at the como zoo. please notice our new roommate - katie! we love having her here!

Modern Life With Gabby and Beau-(Guest Post)

Hi! This is Modern Life with Gabby and Beau!

Gabby:What should our topic be?

Beau: um.....why do they make oversized objects...

Gabby: haha we did that last time.

Beau: I know! Is a muffin a bald cupcake?

Gabby: Yes it is. But that's a stupid topic. Let's do something on DDR!

Beau: Gabby, you're always so critical of me... do you hate me?

Gabby: Beau, i'm just trying to boost your self confidence...

Beau: You just de-boosted it.

Gabby: Well sorry, i'm not setting out to be Oprah with her feel-good, you-can-do-it gospel of self-centered self.....ness... Besides, I look better when you look bad.

Beau: Wow, that was a lot of adjectives...

Gabby: Okay....whatever. Now on to our real topic for Modern Life for today. Ellie so kindly brought to our attention, that nowadays, people never have raingear. Why is that? Has the weather changed since the 1950s? Where have the Indian Rubbers gone?

Beau: hmmm... soggy cupcake..

Gabby: *gives Beau a sidelong glance* Probably something to do with global warming.

Beau: *Gasp* melted cupcake? Ok... enough cupcakes... PIE!!!

Gabby: I like apple pie...

Beau: Chickens go in... pies come out...

Gabby: CHICKEN RUN! (I actually didn't know that reference...) Anyway, raingear.

Beau: Ah yes, raingear. I believe, my dear Gabby, that the lack of water proof apparel is due to the fact that people just don't care about being soaked to the bone anymore.. they just... don't.

Gabby: *sings* "Belice nabida..."

Beau: That's Feliz navidad....

Gabby: I think it's due to the fact that outer appearance doesn't have as much social importance as it did back then....

Beau: I OBJECT!!!

Gabby: Why?

Beau: I don't know.. but it was fun to say.

Gabby: Like marriage!

Beau: I don't get the married thing...

Gabby: You know when people get married at weddings (Steph gets it).

Beau: *sings* I'm ssiinnggiinngg in the rain... just ssiinnggiinngg in the rain!

Gabby: I think it's because shiny, rubbering garments don't really bring out anyone's eyecolor or soften anyone's complexion. Rain coats just don't look good on anyone.

Beau: YOU don't look good anymore. HA!

Steph interrupts: Beau can I ask you a personal question?

Beau: *stammering*: I-I guess....

Steph: Do guys wash their faces?

Beau: Michael does. *shrugs*

Gabby and Andrea: *outbursts of laughter*

Steph: Does Trey wash his face...I think Trey does...

*laughter seems to be raining from the ceiling. Like a tornado of sillyness; floating around the room.*

Beau: For the record, Beau washes his face too... much... lots... once an hour.. very much so..

*New Paragraph*

Hi! Welcome to modern life with Gabby and Beau!!

Gabby: um... we're past that...

Beau: oh... well then I have nothing else to say.

Gabby: Yeah, and apparently Steph is ready to "hit the hay".

Andrea: The moment past Gabby...

Beau: Ok steph, you can hit the hay but just don't hurt it... it has feelings.

Gabby: That's a horrible joke....Steph doesn't get it.

Steph: What? Like straw-hay? What? What hay? I don't get it....Andrea...explain...OFF THE RECORD!!! No!! I want to know!! This hay I....I haven't heard it before! No! I'm 25! Wait! No! Wait! This is really embarrassing...! What hay...?

Andrea: No you said " I'm going to hit the hay!"

Steph: No you know you mean like "Hey! Hey!"?

Andrea: No you said that!

Steph: What hay are YOU talking about?

Beau: Whatever hay you're talking about!

Andrea: Are you making this up?

Steph: No! I'm not trying to be funny!

Andrea: What part don't you get!!!!

Steph: NEvermind i'm done....







5 minutes of this later.....



Steph: oooooohhhhh........

Beau: It doesn't matter what kind of hay....

Steph: I think I get it....I'm so confused....

Gabby: After this enlightening conversation....THIS HAS BEEN *ahem* WITH GABBY AND BEAU (and Andrea and Steph). Thanks for tuning in and until next time....


Gabby, Beau, Steph, Andrea: GOODBYE!

Beau: P.S.- And God bless us, everyone!

Operation Take Down DOG!!

This is the note we received from the post office with our mail today....after not receiving any mail yesterday! (I corrected a misspelling and left out the supervisor's name, but the middle bolded text is merely a replication of the original format!)

Dear Postal Customer,

Your letter carrier takes pride in delivering your mail promptly and efficiently. That means being able to approach your mailbox without interference from any pet.

Although the dog may not be known to bite, or otherwise be dangerous to people, your carrier has expressed concern about its behavior. I believe you will agree that this concern is understandable since each year thousands of letter carriers are bitten or physically harmed by dogs.

On August 14, 2007 your neighbors' dog obstructed the carrier from delivering your mail.

In order to provide you uninterrupted mail delivery while protecting our letter carrier, the postal service is requesting your assistance. Please communicate with your neighbor that their pet is causing your mail not being delivered. If there are any further instances of the mail not being able to be delivered because of the dog you will be required to either move the mailbox to the front of the yard where the dog cannot obstruct the carrier from delivering your mail or you may rent a post office box. If you have any questions, myself or any of the supervisors here will be able to assist you. Unfortunately, although it is not your dog we must protect the letter carrier against animal attacks.

We appreciate your cooperation in this matter.


Sincerely,

xxxxxxxxx

Supervisor


Our neighbors have an American Pitbull Terrier, also known as simply a Pitbull. Any suggestions on how to "deal with it"?

boo radley

so, the house next door, literally five feet away from us has such a scariness factor that we call it the boo radley house. in our year of living here, we have only seen a resident once (and pretty much just a shadow). we were informed that there was an elderly lady living there. there was some activity. i.e. lights on late at night and a dog who mysteriously would appear late at night in the back yard. and sometimes a pick-up truck was parked in the back yard. however, in the past few months there has been nobody living there. we think she may have died or moved elsewhere.

this became the radley house. a few months ago, one of my friends and i daringly entered the front gate and touched the front door. whoa. and tonight, two of us at 2520 were standing outside and we had an idea of "touring" the house. great idea. right?

we thought we would ask any of our brave blog readers if they would like to tour with us. however, we are not sure if it is very ethical, so it may just remain as an idea. we might have to wait to scare ourselves until the haunted house at the state fair is open. but, if anyone is willing to do it and will help us not feel guilty about entering, let us know.

anonymous quote: "i would poop and swear."

why we are excited for natcon

we are super pumped for the NATCON. are you? you should be. some reasons why we are excited for the conference:

1. gabe and julia are coming :)
2. we may have a chance to see pug again (please read post from last year to find out the full scoop).
3. overtime pay
4. hearing great accents from wales.
5. once again seeing our bff, c.j. mahaney and joshua (once again please refer to previous blog post).
6. candy at the registration table (and again previous post).
7. worship
8. randy alcorn - author of safely home!
9. lunch at chipotle
10. being around christians from around the world - amazing fellowship

the funniness factor

i have a theory that i am not going to disclose at this point. last night i discussed it with my roommates and it resulted in slight controversy. so, we thought we would take a poll on the blog. in general, who do you think is funnier? males or females?

some objective factors to consider:
-funniness is subjective
-there are MANY different types of funny
-tiredness plays a big part
-you may just think someone is funnier because you like them
-some are funny without trying and others force it
-some (no names mentioned) are boastful about being funny
-i know a lot of funny people
-some people are so funny that it can cause tears or other accidents (i.e. peeing your pants, missing your exit, needing to pull over while driving, etc.)
-when people laugh at people being funny - that can be funny
-there seems to be more male comedians than female
-laughter is good medicine

Hey Katie!!

We have a new roommate moving in with us! Katie!!!!!

Please PRAY!!!!!

This is written from the family waiting room of St. Mary's hospital in Rochester, MN. Please pray for Nick, Andrea's sister Kayla's boyfriend and dear friend of the Froehlich family. He was in a serious car accident yesterday evening and was airlifted to the hospital immediately afterwards. He suffered major internal injuries and the family spent the whole night waiting and praying, fearing that he would not survive. He has been through at least two surgeries thus far and will face more in the future after his condition has stabilized. The internal bleeding seems to be subsiding and his condition is slowly stabilizing. The concern now is that his aorta is torn and could rupture if it is under too much stress. If this happens it is very unlikely that he would survive. He also has broken ribs and several fractures in his vertebrae....we don't really even know the full extent of his injuries at this point.

Pray for the families and for Nick.

some random quotes and one really good one.

"There is more to life than getting tan." Two weeks later: "Yes, there is more to life than getting tan, but that's all that matters to me right now."

Next door neighbor guy: "C'mon white people, DANCE!"

"I couldn't marry him because he loves the environment."

"When someone tells you he is going to kick your...behind...believe him!"

Girl to a guy moving into the neighborhood: "Well, when we are roommates, I'm sure we will see each other more often."

"Don't you know that Johny Cash is a legend? It makes me really mad when people don't like Johnny Cash."

"Oh yeah, I square-danced. It was a home-school activity."

"I can't move to Louisville because I would have big hair."

"I'm here to do the modesty check." (3 mornings in a row between 6-7AM).

Talking about a recently married woman: "I want to ask if I can be her understudy. I mean..."

"My friends call me puffy."

"Did you guys know that Steven Spielberg is the most acclimated director?"

"I don't have a chin hair, I have a whisker. And it grows faster than all my other hairs."

"People often think of Christian morality as a kind of bargain in which God says, 'If you keep a lot of rules I'll reward you, and if you don't I'll do the other thing.' I do not think that is the best way of looking at it. I would much rather say that every time you make a choice you are turning the central part of you, the part of you that chooses, into something a little different from what it was before. And taking your life as a whole, with all your innumerable choices, all your life long you are slowly turning this central thing either into a heavenly creature or into a hellish creature: either into a creature that is in harmony with God, and with other creatures, and with itself, or else into one that is in a state of war and hatred with God, and with its fellow-creatures, and with itself. To be the one kind of creature is heaven: that is, it is joy and peace and knowledge and power. To be the other means madness, horror, idiocy, rage, impotence, and eternal loneliness. Each of us at each moment is progressing to the one state or the other." - C.S. Lewis

shout out to m. pipes

we just want to give a shout out to our biggest fan, molly piper. she is our most faithful commenter (except for those of us who live here). molly, have a good vacation!!




p.s. for the rest of you, do not be disheartened. you too can win the prize...

love, the 2520 girls

the courtney marathon

courtney is moving to louisville still having never run a mile in her life. so, she and i want to run a mile together before she moves. parentheses: courtney wants y'all to know that by 'she and i' it really means 'i' want her to run a mile. end of parentheses. let us know if you want to run with us! also, cdt wants a prize for running the mile. any ideas for a good prize?

okay. and a lot of people have told us they want us to know who writes each post so here it goes...andrea

66 hotdogs: beyond all grossness

the other day while shopping at super target, i just happened to notice the hotdogs. they have so many. and it's disgusting. they even have hotdogs ready made in a bun. plus, read the story below.





New York Region. July 4, 2007 23-Year-Old Eats His Way to Hot Dog Title. By Ken Belson. Joey Chestnut ate a world-record 66 hot dogs to unseat the six-time champ, Takeru Kobayashi, at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island.



p.s. i hadn't eaten a single hotdog since 7th grade, but a couple weeks ago i tried one bite. i'm pretty sure that one bite will be the last. thought i was going to die.

i want it that way

one highlight from camp. michael, erik, josh, scotty, jeremy and beau singing in the boy's bathroom at junior high camp.

FAT

Our good friend, Joseph, was hanging out at our house one night and told us that he thinks women should be fat. We were taken back by this comment because we thought he was referring to a girls' size.

Last weekend he was teaching in the youth group and one of the students asked what the 'fat' in Proverbs 28:25 means. JR didn't tell the student what he really thinks it means.

F - Faithful
A - Available
T - Teachable

Proverbs 28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.

(King James Version).

did someone pass gas?

Okay okay, this picture isn't a result of someone accidently passing gas. We were riding on the bus up to camp and the smell of the farm animals hit us a couple of times!

Aloha...well, almost!

Ok, so I'm not actually in that state, but I am in California! I'm here for missions training with the BGC missions organization. It has been a LONG week so far and the annual conference is just beginning! That means I have to be on my best behavior and meet lots of new people who might be interested in supporting my work on the mission field. I'm thrilled! (that last comment was slightly sarcastic if you didn't catch on)

Anyway, I am writing this post because we were told that for the commissioning on Friday night we need to each think up 3 words that describe our spouse....well, for me that means 3 words that describe ME! I am at a loss and would like some help...I realize this is an open invitation for all sorts of, uh, creativity, but bring it on because I really don't know what to say!

So 3 words that describe me....oh, this is Ellie if you didn't already know that.

p.s. be NICE!

we can't think of a title

Paul?

¿Todo piensas que esto parece Paul Poteat?