Barista in Training

Last night I found out why The Woods Coffee hired me as a barista and also why I am still a "trainee."
Erica came to my house for our weekly date night.  Normally, I make super yummy noodles with Alfredo sauce and then we head to Dairy Queen to buy one mint Oreo blizzard (hers) and one Butterfinger blizzard (mine). From there we head back to my house and end up watching one episode of Family Guy.  Except, we normally have to restart the episode four or five times before we end up seeing the whole episode because we get distracted talking about who knows what and laughing our heads off about the same who knows what that probably isn't even funny.  But hey, it is our date night and we can watch (or not watch), laugh at, and eat anything we want to. 
Well this special night I was out of noodles and I was craving a mocha milkshake.  I recently purchased an espresso machine because of my new job at our local coffee shop and I have been using it every chance I get.  I told Erica that our plans would be changing but she did not want to miss out on my yummy dinner so she ended up bringing noodles and we went to the grocery store to pick up some ice cream for our milkshakes.  Sorry DQ and all the hicks that would have been there, you will have to wait for our next date night to see our pretty faces diving into our blizzards. 
The Alfredo pasta was delish (obvi) so I started to make the mocha shakes.  I got the espresso brewing and made my way over to the blender.  I have had issues with the blender in the past but I was determined to make this shake.  When I started the contraption, it had a burn smell coming from it so I stopped it and tried to solve the problem.  I realized that if I hit the "pulse" button, it would not smell.  I soon realized that the milkshake was extremely soupy.  BUMMER.  I told Erica and all she said was "Improvise!"  Thanks Erica..that's not helpful at all.  I added more ice cream in and only tapped on the "pulse" button twice.  Still watery.  I almost gave up but then my creative side kicked in.  I poured the watery mocha mixture into a red Tupperware bowl and told Erica to go get the straws that were in the basement.  When she came back up I told her there was too much to put into a glass and it wasn't thick so we were going to sip it out of the red bowl.  She mocked me (typical) but I replied, "I was only improvising."  On came the giggles and laughter as we slurped up the mocha mixture. 
We made two rules though when drinking from the bowl. 
1. No Bubbles
2. No eye contact when slurping at the same time.

Although it did not look like a milkshake, that thing tasted freakin amazing.  Needless to say, I will be a blessing to the Wood's Coffee.  I'm just not quite at Barista status, yet :)
When our date was coming to an end, Erica and I realized that we started Family Guy over seven different times and neither of us ever got to see the end.  Guess we will save that episode for next time.

Birthday Blog!

Wow!  I am so incredibly grateful for all of the birthday wishes I received today.  I told one of my friends yesterday that if I do not get any comments on Facebook, she must spam my timeline with obnoxious posts so I will feel loved.  Thankfully, she did not need to do this and I was overwhelmed with the amount of traffic my Facebook page had.
Although all the fb attention is great and I love hearing from so many different friends, my Facebook popularity was not as important as the time spent with my family.
Yesterday was the start to my birthday celebrations as my immediate family and my grandpa got together for a great lunch, dessert, and early Easter egg hunt.  Even though my youngest of older brothers had to stay in Chicago, it was still great to be together and enjoy the company of the rest of the fam bam. 
We decided to combine my party with Easter because one of my brother's was going to be out of town next week.  My niece and nephews were adorable as they searched for Easter eggs in our basement.  I am an awful blogger in the sense that I always forget to take pictures to help explain what I am writing about.  This was the second year that we "hid" (placed eggs in plane sight) eggs filled with money and candy in our basement.  I am still puzzled as to why we do not go outside and search for the eggs, but it is still fun running around the couch, Foosball table, and pool table trying to find the eggs with the most money.  This year was a little different because only Alexa, Noah, and Carson were allowed to participate.  I think I should still be able to join in on the "search" since it was my birthday party and I am only 17 years older than the kiddos. 
While the hunt was going on downstairs, my Grandpa remained upstairs.  As I was coming up the stairs, I noticed he was in the kitchen hunched over the counter where my birthday dessert was.  He was trying to sneak a piece of my Mother's delicious chocolate eclair!  If any of you know my Grandpa, you know this is very much a part of his character.  At family gatherings we never want him to go first because we fear there will be no more food left over for us.  After I yelled at him and told my Mom of his mischievous ways, he then called me a blabbermouth, tattle tale, and other hurtful names for the remainder of the afternoon.  To say the least he was a little bitter about only getting one very large serving of my Mom's sought after dessert.  He even tried lying to us, saying he needed to take a few servings home to my Grandma because that would make her feel better.  She was stuck at home because she recently broke out with shingles; poor girl :/  We sent him home with only one serving and said Grandma better be the ONLY one who eats the whole thing.  He can be so difficult at times :p
Today, was a very relaxed day but it was filled with a few exciting things.  The first was me deciding to skip my morning run :) It is my birthday after all.  But even more exciting, I got called by DeWaard & Bode and The Woods Coffee saying they both wanted to set up interviews.  Thank you baby Jesus for this wonderful blessing on my birthday!  I have been searching for a job since I moved back home, so this was a big relief knowing I am getting two interviews.  I am quite confident in my interview abilities.  I love dressing all professional and explaining why I am absolutely perfect for the available position. 
My brother then called asking if I could watch Noah for a couple hours.  I got to play basketball, dance, and watch Boz the green bear with my adorable nephew.  I could not ask for anything more special to do on my birthday.
Once I returned back home I got ready for the ritual birthday dinner with the rents.  I decided this year we would go to On Rice.  Thai food is my absolute favorite type of cuisine but I do not eat it as much as I would like to.  My Dad mentioned to the waitress that it was my 19th birthday.  She then began to say that I can go into Canada and legally drink now (not that I did not already know this).  BIG MISTAKE.  Flashes of horror were smeared across my parents face. I think they definitely need the two more years to warm up to the idea of me drinking, but at the same time, my mother can be so confusing.  For example, I decided I would order a Thai iced tea and she shockingly decided to order a mojito and even more shockingly, allowed me a few sips of it.  She must be losing her mind as she goes into her old age!
I have a little problem though.  I do not know how to inform my Mom that my friends are taking me to Canada this weekend to celebrate, WHOOPS.  Ohh the choices I have to face now that I am 19 ;)

Top 5 Loves of my Life

Since moving back home I have realized how blessed I am.  There are five blessings I am particularly thankful for that have become apparent in the past week.
Numero Uno:  Running
WHAT? Bethany running?!  I know, this is a shocker to hear coming from my mouth.  For all of those people that know me, running is not my thing.  Actually, any type of cardio workout is not my think; in general exercise is not my thing.  I guess moving back home gave me motivation or I just don't want to be at home very often, so running gets me out of the house (the second option is probably more accurate).  My trick to getting myself up and running is dubstep and my alarm.  I have been setting my alarm 45 minutes earlier than normal.  I instantly jump out of bed and get out the door, that way I don't allow my brain to wake up and realize what insane activity I am putting my body through at such an ungodly hour of the morning.  Second, good ole Pandora Dubstep radio has been taking my mind off of the intense chest pain and leg cramps that I experience as I jog my small two mile loop around the neighborhood. 
Despite my negative attitude towards running, I have been so grateful to feel and experience the beautiful weather God has created.  My first day of running, the weather was sad and rainy but I absolutely adored the water drizzling on me.  I have also ran in fogginess and the shining sun.  As I begin to struggle when I run, I look at the sky and thank God for His weather, and it really helps me to keep pushing through.  Go weather and go running!
Numero Dos: Old and New friends
After being back in L-town I have realized how much I miss all the friends I have made at SPU.  I did not realize how difficult it would be to move back or how quickly I would feel sadness.  I was excited to receive texts from a few SPU-ers about how I am doing and to know I haven't been forgotten.  Not to mention, I got a call from a good friend who is spending Spring break in Hawaii.  I definitely felt special since I would not call anyone if I were in such a glorious place for a short amount of time.  On the other hand, the older friendships I have back home have really helped me stay strong through this change.  Lynden is quite a boring little town, but "the group" was reunited and my nights have been filled with movies and laughter.  Our high school traditions haven't changed and I am happy for the consistency.
Numero Tres: My Family!
It is Saturday early morning, my first day back home, and my phone is vibrating as my brother is trying to call me to babysit.  I, unfortunately, had to say no because the countless suitcases and bins were screaming, telling me to unpack them.    But, the fact that I was home for less than 12 hours and I was already being called to babysit made me recognize how badly my family needs me :P  I am the number one babysitter and top on the list; this is a great thing to know.  Sunday, I got to ride in the backseat with my nephew as I went to church with my oldest brother and sister-in-law.  He was babbling the whole way and talking about how he wanted a ta-ta (Tic Tac) and being all cutesy.  Wednesday I got to take care of him for the majority of the day.  I even got to accompany him to his final mother-child dance class.  I was pretty stoked to say the least.  Even though I am hesitant to be back home, my niece and nephews are proof that they need their Auntie B and I need them to keep me busy.
Numero Cuatro: My cellular device
Smart Phones are one of the greatest inventions ever created.  When I dropped my phone and completely shattered the front screen, I was devastated and realized the dependency I have with my phone.  I would like to think I am not like every other teenager or person out their who are pathetically attached to their phone and feels naked without it, but I probably am. 
There are four aspects of my phone that have major impacts on my life: the Navigation system, the Mars Hill App, the Pandora App, and the Facebook App.  Within the first month of living in Seattle I got lost with the transit system but thankfully my phone was able to guide me back to my humble abode at SPU. There have been countless instances when I needed my phone to lead me to destinations safely and on time.  I recently got the Mars Hill App after attending the church in Seattle.  I have been listening to Mark Driscoll's sermons as I get ready in the morning and I absolutely love it.  It is such an easy way to hear more of God's word and have it accessible to me at any time; since I do have my phone on me at ALL times.  The Pandora App has also become a good friend of mine since I found out I can hook up my phone to my speaker system in my ghetto granny car.  Now I can have Dubstep bumpin as I mob the roads of Lynden like a boss.  I could never leave out the FacebookFB background check.
Numero Cinco: Rite Aid
This one is kind of a random one that I am thankful for.  Earlier this week my bestest friend in the world, Madeline, and I went to Rite Aid to find her father new shoe laces.  Unfortunately for Madeline, Rite Aid did not have the exact shoe laces her father needed but I was impressed with their sparkle charcoal nail polish and knock off sparkle Tom's shoes.  Why, might you ask, would Rite Aid be on my top five things I am thankful for.  Well, note the description word I used to describe both the nail polish and knock off shoes.  SPARKLE!  Rite Aid gives me all the sparkle I want at a cheap and affordable price, not to mention they have pretty make up and girlie things that I like to indulge in.  Yay for glitter and shine!

I know a few of these are pretty interesting things to be thankful for, but it is worth recognizing them. I think God also likes to hear the silly things that makes us happy and gets us excited (like sparkle!!)

You may now live happily ever after

I love weddings.  I don't know what it is about them but they keep me smiling the whole day.  March 3rd was Kendra's(cousin) wedding day; which meant I had an excuse to take off work and head North to see the fam bam!  Although it was an extremely short trip I managed to see two love birds get hitched, attend the reception, and go shopping in between the two.
My day started off with my adorable nephew Noah being placed on my bed to wake me up.  I could not have asked for a better morning surprise!  I took a shower and began to get ready.  After all, weddings are a great place to meet the gentlemen :)
I decided I would curl my hair, put on one of my old tolo dresses, and look all snazzy since I would be the guestbook attendant.  That's right, I had a HUGE role in this wedding :P  Plus, with Kendra, it is go big or go home.  I knew I would not be overdressed, and I was right.
The wedding was beautiful.  Kendra did a great job of hiding the bright red carpet and turning the sanctuary into a wonderful forest-esque meadow. 

Just like every other wedding I have been to, I got teary-eyed.  I tried to do what the groom did and choke back the tears, although this was very difficult after feeling all the love squeezed into the room.  After the ceremony there was a four hour gap until the reception and I took advantage of the spare time.  I got into my granny car and drove to Bellingham to get a little shopping in!  I desperately missed the feel of driving into town whenever I wanted and the four hours I had alone was so peaceful.  I loved being back at home and it made me that much more excited to move back in a mere eight days.  I checked off all the items on my shopping list and headed to the reception hall.
Once at the reception, I found a seat by my cousins and then my Aunt asked if I would be in charge of getting the bridal party drinks through out the evening.  I, of course, said yes.  I did not know this would be an issue at the time, but the bridal party was sitting in an elevated section of the room so I would have to go up four steps to reach them.  I got the orders from the very handsome groomsmen and best man and began to go down the steps.  On about step two I began to feel a shift in gravity and I was being pulled back (typical right?).  I could feel myself losing control of my footing and flailed my arms a bit.  I heard some gasps coming from the bride BUT I caught myself-or I should say my elbow caught myself. 

I kissed goodbye the thought of making a good first impression to the groomsmen and any other cute onlookers.  Sometimes I really do despise my clumsiness, especially when it occurs in front of so many people at a classy event. I assured the guests around me I was alright and I only suffered from minor embarrassment.
Thankfully the night continued without any more spills.  It was filled with laughter, dancing, limbo, great speeches, and delicious food!  Not to mention there was a TON of kissing.  My family started this interesting tradition.  About an hour into the reception, if you want to see the bride and groom kiss you have to pay for it.  $1 will equal one second of kissing.  To start it off, one of my cousins gave $20.  It was pretty evident just by watching them, how excited Kendra and Jake were that they were getting paid to do something so enjoyable.  After the reception my Dad made it clear that at my wedding there would be a significantly less amount of PDA shown.  I doubt he will even let my groom "kiss the bride."  My Dad is so.....conservative.
My favorite part of the evening was the bouquet toss.  I am competitive and I was NOT letting any of the tiny girls get a hold of that bouquet.  There should have been a warning sent out that I will shove and get vicious if needed. 

Well, I caught the bouquet and you all know what that means :D I'm getting hitched next and I need a man!  I will be accepting applications via comments, email, facebook messages or comments.
All in all it was a perfect wedding filled with a blushing bride, a bruised elbow, handsome men, and love.  What more could be wanted?

My Day: From Drab to Fab

Whelp, it has been 15 whole days since my last post and I figured I should try to scramble together a few stories and write another one.  Not a whole lot has happened in the past two weeks unfortunately, but there were a few small things. 
It was Presidents Day last week Monday which meant SPU had an extended weekend.  I thought SPU was pretty desolate on any given weekend but nothing, and I seriously mean NOTHING, compared to SPU during a long weekend.  There was not another soul besides mine left on campus.  I had a minor anxiety attack on Saturday when I came to the realization I would be all alone until Tuesday.  I was about two clicks away from purchasing a train ticket back home for a mere 30 hour visit.  I had to work Sunday until 2:30 am on Monday so I would leave Monday morning at 6:00am and come home Tuesday at 2:00p.m. for my class at 3:00.  I was desperate to be surrounded by people I loved; but I toughened up and soaked in the alone time I rarely get to myself.  This pretty much meant I moped around for the first few days then realized how much freedom I had.  That's right, I walked around my room naked after my showers just because I could. 
I also got to spend some time with a floor mate of mine, Elisabeth.  She is truly a gem.  If I ever need a compliment or some encouragement she is the go-to gal.  We giggled and laughed like little girls as we talked about our crushes, then she said something crazy.  SHE SAW LIL WAYNE AT THE GRAMMY'S.  I'm not sure what possessed her to keep this sacred information from me for so long since the Grammy's were like three weeks ago.  I was shocked with how cooley she brushed it off.  But lets think about this, it's not that abnormal to fly to California for a few days, see a bazillion celebrities and fly back to good ole Washington...OH WAIT.  Let's just say I'm a tad bit jealous.  Anyways, I'm glad God kept her here during the break because I desperately needed her company.
Flash forward to Thursday.  I woke up an hour and 22 minutes before my alarm went off.  I was a little grumpy at my body; partially for waking me up early but mainly because it was not a peaceful wake up.  I was uncomfortable and there was no way I would be able to doze off until my lovely alarm sounded.  So, I dragged myself out of bed and thought "hmmm at least I can take a nice hot shower to wake myself up, maybe I will even shave my legs!"  Unfortunately I would not get either of these two wishes.  I get to the bathroom and the good shower is taken.  I decide I will go to the shower/tub combo since this would be the easiest to shave in.  I started up the water and waited for the heat.  I waited, and waited, and waited even more; but THERE WAS NO HOT WATER!! This would mean I would have to relocate to the dungeon shower.  (say it ain't so!)  This is the shower I try to avoid at all cost because it is in the very back of the bathroom and none of the light rays reach all the way back there.  Plus, there are probably a few slimy creatures living in that moist vicinity.  I turn on the water, and like wise, I wait, and wait, and wait.  Nope, no hot water here either.  This day was not going well and it was only 9:48am.  I sucked it up and took a icy shower and no, I did not get to shave my legs.  I made my way back to my room shivering and pouting.  Finally, I got some good news.  My mother dearest sent me a text saying I will be receiving a check from the government for $354.00!!  Thank you tax returns!  The heavens opened up and the glory of God shined through the clouds.  This day was bound to be fabulous!  I did my normal get ready routine and I met up with my Robbins Peer Advisor Amanda.  We went to Greenlake and got fro-yo (frozen yogurt) from Zoeyogurt.  I love Amanda.  She sure is a great mamma bear even though I do not live under her nest anymore.  She paid for my delicious treat and we chatted for a while about our past quarter.  I cannot wait to see her again when I come down to visit and when she comes to Bellingham. 
All in all, my Thursday went from annoying and uncomfortable to cheery and uplifting and I owe it all to the government and my friends.  Well...maybe not so much the government since that money was well earned by me and they snatched it up at the first chance they got.  Any who, I am still grateful :)