Wow, it's been fun lately!

Despite being sick for 2+ weeks, it's been really fun around here lately! Last Saturday (Jan. 12th), I finally felt well enough to celebrate my 25th birthday, so I deemed the day "celebration day." So fun! I started off braving the outside world by going on the Waihe'e (Why-hey-ay) Ridge Hike with a group of really great people. The hike was far too strenuous for me, but I survived, and am SO glad I went on it and finished! Absolutely stunning....

Valley between the West Maui mountains

Look how green it is here! This is what happens when it rains, I guess :)

This was the "Hawaii" I was waiting for. 

Going up... and up... on the ridge!

Fun people! L-R: Michelle, Gladys, Jena (ex-intern), Kalani (worship pastor), Clint and Taylor (married), Leeann (Michelle's roommate).

I reached the top! Sad it was cloudy, but made for a much cooler hike.

Fear not, we have John Deeres here.

On the way down! I have no idea what Jena is doing, but she's hilarious, so I'm sure I was laughing.

Ah, the view from just the parking lot!

The parking lot, the other direction... stunning!

I won the "muddiest calves" award... it rained on our way down! Made for some treacherous falls and slow-going, but I love the rain. 7.4 miles round trip in 5 hours- glad I have something to show for it!

Later that evening, I had the interns and my 2 favorite friends over for dinner and games. Such a fun group!

We played telephone pictionary... ALWAYS makes for side-splitting laughs. L-R: Marissa, roomie Rachel, and Laura.

Wes made his famous funfetti cake for me

Great friends- L-R: Jena, sunburned face Jo, Laura, and roomie Rachel.

Monday night (Jan 14th), it rained in Kihei!! Rarely happens, so of course we went out and played in it :) Our church property has great hills, so we slid down the hills, ran through the sprinklers (yes, those were on), and had such a good time. And yes, more mud :)

At a recent Friday night service, my friend Bobbi and I discovered we both have Fridays free, so we decided to go on a hike this past Friday (Jan 18th). We did the Twin Falls hike. Another stunning hike and day, and a cake walk compared to Waihe'e Ridge  :)

First fall, and the better of the 2.

We had to wade through the river to reach the falls... such fun to keep balance! I felt so rugged. Bobbi did not.

Made it without dropping the camera!

My Friday adventure buddy, Bobbi! 

So many lovely plants on this hike, that can only be described as "Dr. Seussical"!

While we drove to lunch, we saw how clear it really was, so we stopped at Ho'okipa (Hoh-oh-kee-pa) Bay. Breath-taking, and I couldn't stop smiling!

If you look in the distance, you can see the island of Molokai, one of the 4 islands in Maui county. Very rare to see this! And look at that rolling surf- just unreal isn't it?!

It's been a fun week with new friends and such enjoyable adventures. I must admit, though, this week has not come without a significant hardship: homesickness. Hard to admit it or probably for you to believe it as you see where I live, but it's the people I miss, really. It all started a few weeks ago as I tried to shop for a flight to Dallas in February, so I could visit many people and catch a show of Sing Song in Abilene. Flight prices have doubled, and the Lord gently reminded me that I have a Brazil mission trip to save up for. I just can't afford the vacation right now, I realized. Then, last Sunday I went to my friend Dave's house for a potluck. He had smoked ribs, homemade BBQ sauce, real sweet tea, and my friend Whitney had brought queso dip. One bite and it was official: I am homesick. We had such great fellowship that night, and it only solidified my desperate longing for fellowship with my Texas buds. Oy vey, it's been a rough week trying to shake that off.

The dates for Brazil have been set (May 3-13th), and my heart is not in it. I don't know what I'll be doing down there, and don't have the $2,500 raised. The small portion I do have raised I am having a hard time releasing to the mission trip, as I want to use it for a vacation. So my prayer request is this: that the Lord may reveal my purpose in this trip and I may be passionate/excited about it, and that all the funds may come in so I don't have to dip into my own reserves. A big request, I know, but He has a way of surprising us sometimes.

Enjoy your week, and let me know some of the blessings you are seeing.

Any ideas?

After about a 2-month wait to see the only board-certified GI specialist in the state, I finally had my appointment with this doctor yesterday. She is a great doctor, and certainly lives up to the hype everyone says about her. She was very thorough with me, asking all sorts of questions about my health history and current symptoms. She says all signs point to severe IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). I told her I'm not interested in taking a prescription the rest of my life, but that I want to solve the problem. Her solution? Buckle up kids. Some blood work, and try the FODMAP diet for 3 months, when I see her again. FODMAP stands for a bunch of chemistry terms I can't pronounce, but essentially it's a gluten, lactose, and fructose free diet. Sheesh! I have no idea where to start, and I'm certainly afraid to step foot in the grocery store again, for fear of touching something I shouldn't buy and therefore exploding. My doctor gave me a few guide lines to help me get started, but they are sparse. Mom says I should live on bacon, rice, and bananas for 3 months. Mmm, delectable.  So! I'm sure I'm not the only one who's endured this death sentence trial, so does anyone have any tips, recipes, or thoughts? Right now, I plan on eating up what's currently in my cupboard and slowly converting as I need to replenish, as opposed to going cold-turkey. 

On a smaller note, I woke up with sinus/chest junk, or as Mom would say, the "-itises." Looks like I'll be spending part of my Monday birthday at my regular doctor and pharmacy. 

I guess here is where the new year's goal meets the road- being excited about these things that have come my way so far proves quite the challenge already!

Happy 2013!

I had a blast last night ringing in the new year with 3 great families from our church. We had appetizers, watched the guys blow up lots of fireworks, and then played Just Dance 4 on their Wii before watching the ball drop in NYC! Two of my favorite friends were there last night and had just returned from holiday travels earlier in the day, so most of the time was spent laughing until our sides hurt about what happened over Christmas.

Today I enjoyed getting some sun at a beach up the road, where there is also a rope swing. A nice, relaxing place to be that wasn't too crowded- hopefully not too many others discover that little niche :).

To add to my enjoyment of new year's, I've been house-sitting for one of my other favorite Maui friends. I could thoroughly enjoy her lifestyle here if she decided to stay on vacation until August 18! Having my own space, washer/dryer, and car has taught me how much I enjoy and miss having my independence.

I will be 25 in a few days, and something about that number makes me excited to see what will happen in this age. So my goal for this year is to enjoy where I am in the moment, and to be excited about what comes my way this year. I don't know any specifics yet to solidify these goals, but perhaps that will come with some time.

What do you want to accomplish in 2013?