family matters

Today was beautiful. There happened to be a beautiful sky out. There were birds chirping and bugs in our hair. Oh the bliss of summer :)

This has been the first day at home with great weather and to kick it off my youngest sister had a track meet. Man I was definitely going! Those sunrays and I needed to meet once again. (the countless rainy, cold, dingy days in Minneapolis were no more!!) But I have to tell you, this was not your ordinary track meet. This particular event was exclusively for Christian schools and homeschoolers....and you could tell the difference between the two. My family and I stuck out like a sore thumb too. We each had a starbucks coffee in hand, shorts on, we were loud, and I think we laughed more than any of the people there. I'm sure someone thought we were all crazy.

But who gives a rip.

Today my family meant so much to me. I realized just how dear and special they are to my heart and soul. They make my heart happy. Like today when my dad, sister and I went to pick up starbucks for all of us, my dad was so funny ordering the drinks. The drinks had to be correct. It just made chuckle. And when we were at the track meet, my parents were so involved in all of the events. They made sure the kids were at the right stations (and the right running lane!) They cheered them on even if they were dead last. It didn't matter to them either way. As I scanned the crowd and saw all of these families...I realized how blessed I was. I had great, loving, caring, funny, determined, Christian, real, authentic, wise, willing, supportive, amazing, gracious, coffee-crazed parents who would do anything for me. They would (and do) put their lives on the line just to see me learn and grow.

My dad and I had a conversation today on the ride home from the track meet. After I talk with my dad I always feel wiser and as if I know more. He and I were just talking about character and faithfulness and how true that needs to be in our lives. It just kind of hit me like a truck; at the end of the day it is my character and faith that matter. The actions that I have during the day make me who I am and it is my faith that keeps it all together. Faith imparts action and action imparts hope. Does that make sense? It's our faith without seeing but trusting that what we don't see will take us somewhere wonderful. It's like we take a chance with life and just believe that we didn't miss the mark. Just take everyday at a time.

But back to my family.

We had a great time at the track meet. We were also going to Montana today too so we had to get ready for that. But one thing about my family, we get so distracted so easily. I think that while we were packing we found things that we did not know we had and talked about them with one another. I remember my youngest sister having a giggle fest with herself in the living room and when I caught her giggling, it turned into a roaring laugh. You've got to love innocent hearts. My favorite part about packing up and heading out somewhere with my family are the remarks that are made to each other. The remarks are normally targeted towards the person who is the most sensitive at the time and/or who packed the most. Today it was Audrey (the middle, neglected, forgotten and whatever else she calls herself middle child) and my mom (I swear she packed up everything and the kitchen sink!). We usually laugh away every comment and silence out every bad one... Road trips with my family are a blast too. We usually find some odd radio station and jam out to it. Today it was some heavy, metal rock band gone really bad and we all loved it. I think my mom was head banging, my dad was trying to stay on the road because he was laughing so hard, and Anika (my youngest sister) was trying to videotape the whole thing. In the end, I think we had the greatest laughs because we all knew we were silly. It is the times and moments like these were I feel free and happy. I am with the people that I love the most, they know most everything about me, and I can be Annie-Laurie around them.

I love my beautiful, amazing, caring, loud, crazy, hilarious, normal, God-fearing, determined family.

I dont have enough time tonight because it is getting late and I have to get up tomorrow for a family gig but I want to write a whole blog about my family. Each one of them are so dear to me. They individually each bring something different to the family and to my life. So definitely expect that very soon.

the moments i wonder about the most..

This picture here makes me wonder...why in the heck is it snowing in May? I came back from college hoping for some sunshine and countless afternoons at the park. But today I work up to a cold bedroom and a foggy window. As I wiped away the frost from the window I realized that whatever I thought today was going to be like was thrown out the window. I guess that goes for every moment in life...not everything is what you picture it to be.

I woke up this morning with countless thoughts that have overwhelmed me the past few months. Thoughts that aren't the best to think about on a cloudy, snowy, wet day. Thoughts that don't make you feel like a better person because you think about them too much. Like, why did he really leave me? What is it about church politics that disgust me so much? Am I really ready for the 'real'-world? Is is ready for me? Will my dad find a job soon? Is my sister going to get married before me? Does weight really matter? Should it?
I wanted to take captive those thoughts, throw 'em to the ground, tell them they don't own me...and forget about them. So I woke up, listened to some jams and ate some strawberries and raisin bran for breakfast. mmmhmmm...

So instead of taking the day as a crappy day because of the dreary weather. I took a full stride forward and spent the afternoon with my mom at a coffee shop. We talked about life. Man I missed my mom while I was at college.

{skinny dulce de leche...blissfully delightful}

Here is where I am the most vulnerable.
I find that a cup of coffee helps me un-wind. It re-juvenates me and creates a atmosphere where I become everything that I want to be...right in that moment I let-go of everything inside of me. Coffee is soothing for my soul and mind. I really believe that coffee shops were created for individuals to express themselves. For people to sit down and un-wind from a long day or for them to get ready for a long day. Coffee shops remind people that there is simplicity in life.

Our conversation: My mom and I talked about church politics. How horrible they are and how detrimental they are to people who call themselves "Christians". How whatever people think is right or wrong is thrown out the window. My family and I were so hurt by the people at a church that we called 'home'. What a load of crap that is now. It's been 6 months since the whole ordeal started and I'd have to say that my family is pretty strong. My dad lost his job because of it. (you see he was the pastor of the church and a group of people hated him, so they stabbed him in the back and threw him out) It's taken months for me to forgive these people but believe it or not...most of the bitterness is gone. It's still hard to see those people and look them in the eye. It's still hard to hear them say things to my family like "you need to find God" or "the church did the right thing". What is right and wrong in this situation? Its crazy.
I loved talking to my mom though. She is so wise and so funny. She reminded me that God is blessing us and we are going to be fine. My family is going to be okay, that is all that matters right?

We moved into a new home. Across town from where we lived for 8 years. It's weird to think I will never live there again. So many memories there! But new beginnings are new steps into life experiences. Those new steps will take me places I have never been before. I am about to embark on a new aventure this summer...a new desire to travel and wander.
Apartment 10...my new abode.

Wanderlust.

So this is my first time blogging. I'm nervous because I don't know who will listen, who will read this or who will even really care. I found my inspiration to create one from other bloggers that I've followed over the past few months. I'm going to figure this out...make this interesting for you.


So just bear with me.






(These are my best friends. Without these beautiful, wonderful, amazing women in my life I would not be who I am today)


Before I leave off for the day I wanted to tell you why I chose the blogger name: wanderlust.
The words means: a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about. My whole life up to now has consisted of traveling. I find myself wanting to be somewhere different and beyond my wildest imagination. I want to travel the world. It is almost like a drug that I cannot get enough of. I find that I want to know about people, their lives, their cultures, their countries. This blog will be about the lives I come in contact with and the experiences I face.


This summer I am going to India for 4 weeks. So you can be sure I will be putting pictures up of those beautiful people and their stories.