boomsma family camping trip 2012

the last full week of april we went camping for a whole week with the boomsma family.  it was an adventure to be sure.  hehe...

let me just start out with a little bit of "andrea's camping history."
- i grew up camping!  it was a more economical means of vacationing, so it's the type of vacation my parents opted for many times.
- we started out tenting it and graduated to a tent trailer around the time i started high school.  a very nice improvement, especially for my mom (who isn't necessarily a big fan of camping). 
- i'm not a full-blown "rough it" kind of girl.  i can handle a decent amount of roughing it, but let me put it this way: growing up, my mom and i had a butane curling iron that we used for our bangs.
- the last camping trip i went on was with a group of singles from the church... about 10 years ago.  it rained.  and was cold.  and one of my best friends saw a very different side of me, evoked by the cold and wet misery i was in.  thankfully, she's still my friend.
- in general, i think camping is fun.  as long as i am dry and warm (especially at night).

as a married couple, our collective camping gear totaled a few flashlights and a hatchet.  so we spent the previous 3 1/2 months saving our money, buying equipment, planning, prepping and packing.  it's a lot of work to plan and prepare for camping!  yikes!  i have [yet more] new found respect for what my mom had to do in preparation for all the camping trips we took as a family!

food/kitchen stuff (minus the keyboard - that stayed home ) :

the gear and everything else (and this is just for 2 people!):

after a few initial car troubles (trailer tail light not working properly - it's the senior boomsma family's vacation curse), we finally got on the road!

less than 2 hours later we pulled into beautiful El Capitan State Beach:

if you're confused at all by the term "beach," let me explain.  or rather, let me sum up.  beautiful wooded camp ground... located on the coast just north of santa barbara.  so you camp amongst trees and such... and during the day you can walk less than 1/4 mile from your campsite, down a few flights of stairs, and find yourself on sand staring at the ocean.  pretty awesome combination if you ask me!  also?  this campground has flush toilets and coin showers.  being able to take a shower every few days was a huge plus!

setting up our little tent:


took all of 10 minutes:

"next door" at the family's campsite, zach hung the friesian flag, haha.  (the dutch province of friesland is where his grandparents originally lived prior to immigrating to the states in the 50s).  the red things are lily pads.  i knew you were wondering. 

sooooo remember that part about not liking to be wet or cold while camping?  yeah.  it rained for 3 of the days we were there. and another night we had crazy intense winds.  sigh.  with rain and wind, there was really no other option (other than hunkering down in the tent or the car) but to spend the day in the nearby towns. 

monday we went to solvang, which was a lot of fun!

found a cute little danish bakery where we stopped for a snack and something warm to drink:


 

there were lots of cute shops and fun things to look at...

the other rainy days we spent in santa barbara strolling along state street, and thrift store shopping in ventura. 

we braved one particularly rainy night with snacks a game of yahtzee huddled under a screened tarp that we set up over the picnic table:

tuesday, friday and saturday were sunny and beautiful and we took full advantage of it!

beach time...

walks:

lots of reading:

and sitting around the campfire (my favorite part of camping)!

oh and did i mention the food?  we pretty much ate our way through the week.  the joke became that we ate for every reason OTHER than hunger, haha.  it was something to do... it was WARM... it was fun food that we'd gotten especially for camping... we were bored, etc. 

we had some goooood camping food:

i made "trefzger donuts" (affectionately named after the family i grew up camping with that always made them):

i told my husband that this was not going to feel much like a vacation to me if i had to do dishes.  our apartment doesn't have a dishwasher so i do all of the dishes at home by hand.  the last thing i wanted to do on "vacation" was camping dishes (no running water, etc).  my husband heroically made sure that i never had to wash any dishes on the trip

father and son:

zach and his dad worked so hard all week long making sure that the rest of us stayed covered and dry and warm, that we had a fire as often as possible, that all of our stuff got packed up and protected from the roaming skunks and raccoons each night... oh and we learned that paige [admittedly] turns into a 14 year old boy on camping trips - she was also right in the thick of all the tough and dirty jobs, working very hard to keep us all comfortable. 

overall it was a decent week.  memorable to say the least!  we'll probably make a few changes for next time (we both decided that even though we managed to stay comfortable, dry and cozy, 6 nights in a tent is too much), but we are up for making this a regular family trip!

the least of these

do homeless people make you feel uncomfortable?  or when you pull up to a stop light and someone is standing there with a cardboard sign asking for help, do you squirm a little?  i have to admit, this totally happens to me.  i have this rush of conflicting emotions - awkward uncomfortableness, sad compassion, and a discouraging helplessness.  zach said he experiences the same thing.  we know that we are called to help those in need.  to feed the poor.  to give.  and we want to help.  but we've never liked the idea of just handing over cash.  we want to help meet their physical needs, not enable debilitating habits or encourage a lifestyle of milking the system. (now don't get me wrong - i know that not everyone who stands on a street corner is milking the system. but working for a church office for 10 years also gave me exposure to some very discouraging examples of people who did.)  for awhile, zach and i both felt jaded, stuck and unsure of what to do.  so we did nothing. 

but not any more.  God really used zach's dad's example of compassionate giving to a street beggar and a provoking conversation later to change our approach to this kind of benevolence and spur us toward action.  we still don't like to give out cash, so we talked about other ways we could give that still felt more responsible with our funds while seeking to meet people's immediate physical needs.  these ideas have worked wonderfully, so i thought i'd share them!

1. The Pantry ministry.  our church has a pantry ministry that is stocked via donations from the congregation and is open to anyone.  if someone comes by the church office during the week seeking help, they are welcome to take a bag chock full of items.  if a member within the church is in need, or knows someone in need, they are also welcome to receive from this wonderful resource as well!  the leaders of this ministry send out a weekly email with a list of items specifically needed and/or requested - i simply pick a handful of items from the list and add them to my grocery list.  it's such an easy way to contribute and give to people in need that i may not even be aware of.

2. gift cards - specifically to a food establishment.  we use mcdonald's. 

yes, i know that the food is pretty low on the nutritional scale, but $10 in gift cards can buy a couple meals, especially if you use the dollar menu.  i simply pick up a handful of these every couple weeks (or as i run out) and keep them in the glove compartment of the car.  they are perfect for handing out through my window to anyone asking for help. 

3. blessing bags.  i actually found this idea on Pinterest, which led to this blog post.  my local dollar store is awesome for these kinds of items - i made 3 HUGE blessing bags with TONS of stuff in them for less than $25! 

each time i have had opportunity to give any of these things away (gift cards or blessing bags - or both!), the recipients have been SO eager and grateful!  they smile and thank me repeatedly.  and i drive away so joyful that i was able to give and give in a way that i was confident met a true need (hunger, clothing, etc.). 

i no longer feel the least bit uncomfortable when i see these people on the street.  actually, i find myself on the lookout for them!  when i see them up ahead at a stop light, i hope the light turns red so i'll have an opportunity to give to them.  if i get stopped coming out of store or in a parking lot, i am thrilled that i can say "yes! i'd love to help you - here you go!"

and the joy in my heart after those moments reminds me again that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.  besides, everything i have is a gift to begin with anyway. 

affects of sugar - new development

you guys.  my body is NOT happy with me for consuming [non naturally-occurring] sugars.

::sigh::

i've begun to experience headaches within minutes of eating anything dessert-y or sugary.  they are swift and lasting.  if i want to avoid popping ibuprofen, then i can get them to go away by sleeping them off.  it's been a bit startling! 

i know i SHOULD be fairly excited about this - talk about easy motivation to avoid sugar!  but c'mon.  it's a bit disappointing to realize that so many things i enjoy will make me feel crummy.  i'm kinda bummed. 

we were at disneyland yesterday and unlike in the month of march, when i would say to myself, "i can't have that," i found myself saying, "is it worth it to have that??"

there are a few "exceptions" i have found.  if i have sugar after a substantial meal (including a good source of protein), then the headache is lessened.  still there, but lessened.  i made some granola "bars" with honey, peanut butter and chocolate chips.  (i say "bars" because they didn't actually hold together.  became more like just granola.  i think they needed more peanut butter or honey or something to keep them stuck together... gotta try again.)  no headache when eating the small amounts of chocolate in that. 

if i get drinks like a passion tea lemonade from starbucks without the classic syrup sweetener, it seems to be ok.

but my beloved iced caramel macchiato or iced chai are right out.  or at least, very limited.

and of course, natural sweet items like honey and fruit are no problem.

i never thought i would have such a response to sugar after going without it for only 4 weeks!

DIY customized iphone case

i love accessories.  i love personalizing things.  but i don't like to spend lots of money on little things.

iphone accessories are no exception.  i enjoy having a cute iphone case.  but gosh, those things can cost $20-$50 at the mall!  so naturally, i check the internet.  and when i say "internet," i really mean "amazon.com." 

which is where i found a clear iphone case for $2 and free shipping.  score!

bust out some cute scrapbook paper and scissors (and an exact-o knife for the small holes):

and voila!  less than 30 minutes later, i have an adorable new iphone case!

added bonus: i can switch out the paper for a new design any time i want!

back in the admin saddle

back in march, i flew to phoenix "for business."  ha!  i've always wanted to be able to say that. 

meet chris & tara daukas:
(all pictures in this post are courtesy of and copyrighted by Tara D Photography)

chris and tara joined my old church after attending the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastor's College in 2004.  chris came on staff as the single's pastor.  not only was i in the singles ministry at the time, but working at the office also gave me even more opportunities to benefit from chris's pastoral care and build a friendship.  i also started babysitting their kiddos twice a month for their date night shortly after their 2nd was born.  i "bought" my first car from chris.    needless to say, i became quite close with the daukas family. they were a huge part of my life.  chris & tara also walked through a lot of "guy stuff" with me, haha.  including some of my relationship with zach.

right around the time that zach and i got engaged, chris & tara moved to peoria to plant grace church.  gosh it was hard to say "goodbye" to sharing regular life with them.  but it was also super exciting to see their hearts for planting a church across town!

grace church is small.  it's growing!  but it's still small.  chris is the only full time pastor.  or staff member, for that matter.  he has outstanding support from other men in the church who have stepped into leader and elder roles.  but he is still the only full time guy.  i know first hand how challenging it can be for a pastor to juggle ministry stuff, sermon prep, vision and planning, family life, counseling PLUS all sorts of administrative details.  so after i quit my full time job when we moved to oklahoma, i gave chris a call and offered myself as a "virtual secretary" for grace church.  i'm not sure who was more excited - me or chris.  or tara, haha!

the last year+ has been a blast and i have loved getting an admin/secretary fix and also serving chris and grace church with random bits of admin work.  plus, it has also just allowed me to keep up my friendship with the daukas family in a unique way. 

so that brings us to now.  last month grace church hosted their first ever marriage retreat!  chris and i had been in conversation about planning and details for months.  we kept talking about how great it would be if i could just come out and administrate the whole event (especially since chris was leading worship AND preaching at all 3 sessions).  so... i did!  chris bought me a plane ticket and lent me his car for 2 days and i got to jump back into the event-admin saddle!  what a blast!

i got to go shopping for goodie bags, set up the meeting room, run errands, welcome couples as they arrived, chat with friends (who were part of the grace church plant from gilbert) and take care of tons of other little admin things that i so enjoy!

i got to design booklets:

help set up a photobooth (where tara took fun shots of each couple as they arrived):

create and run our version of the "dating game"/"how well do you know your spouse?":

chris & tara, i don't know who was more excited that i was there - me or you!  thanks for making the [financial] sacrifice so that i could come and serve.  i miss your family tons and am so grateful for these and other opportunities to continue serving with you and building our friendship!  i can't express enough how much you mean to me and how much of an impact you have had on my life (and marriage).  love you guys so much!