we're ok...just breathing in a lot of junk

Well, luckily John and I live about 20 miles from the blaze, but it is burning very close to Saddleback. Pray that the firefighters gain strength, that they can get more help, and that the wind STOPS!

Thank you for all your phone calls, emails, and text messages!

So here's the scoop about Branson, Missouri!

It was truly an amazing trip! I felt a bit selfish because my friends are such amazing God-fearing women that encouraged me and loved me the entire time, I just tried to get all that I could from them! I truly felt so filled by the time I got in the car to leave. Most of them work in youth ministry and truly with all their heart feel it as their call, their passion, and their life. I love being around people that love students just as much as I do.

Anyway, everything was fantastic, from the bachelorette to the rehearsal to the wedding day! The following aren't my pics, but other were generous to send me theres (can't find the camera cord again!)

This is all the Kwest girls, who were in the wedding, at the rehearsal dinner. It was at a delicious BBQ place!


The beautiful bride and her groom. I think most of us were so thrilled this day had come! They couldn't be more perfect for each other! God is going to use them in amazing ways!


All the Kwest staff in the wedding


kwest girls



All the kwest staff at the wedding



Me and Raelyn


Ali and I back together again! It was so fantastic to see her! This is us at a piano bar after the wedding, there was like 15 of us, no one wanted to go back to the hotel because we won't all be together again for a long time!



Overall, the weekend was so wonderful. Then I hitched a ride with some friends back to Oklahoma and got to see John and the fam. I changed my flight so John and I headed home on the same flight!

Back from the Ozarks!

So I got back monday morning and of course I have so much to tell you! But it was such a fantastic weekend! So many stories and pics, got to find my camera cord to fill you in!!

sitting in San Diego!

Well, I am currently sitting in the San Diego airport waiting to fly to Tulsa, OK to stay the night with my great friend Raelyn, then wake up tomorrow and drive to good old Branson, Missouri! So fun, I am in Danielle's wedding and I get to hang out with all my camp friends for the weekend! I will miss my husband terribly!!! We just got our apartment and I have to leave, but I will be back monday morning!

Anyway, it was a great drive down! Allison Murray is the best for taking time out of her busy day to drive me all the way to San Diego! But I think we both love hanging out, so I know it was totally not a big deal.

So for the next few days, it should be non-stop fun and very little sleep :)

yeah!!

Ok, so this weekend started off by me running 7 miles! The longest run so far in the training for the half marathon. Well, I have been running and playing soccer most of my life and you would think that I would not make one of the biggest mistakes after that many years. Well, I did! The night before I had pizza and Dr. Pepper. Terrible idea! It was such a hard run, but I made it!

Next, John spoke in the Junior High ministry at Mariners and did fantastic! I am so grateful that he is being used here! So after the sunday service we headed home to meet the fam because Evelyn, Aaron, and Jilly (new dog) were in town! So fun! But let's get to the real reason I am thrilled!


WE MOVED IN TO OUR APARTMENT SUNDAY AFTERNOON!!!!!

We are now current residents of Dana Point! I will say at first we were totally overwhelmed with the amount of boxes and stuff we had, but now that we have emptied a lot of them it's shaping out to be soo cute!

After a looong day of moving we headed over to Annie & Elizabeth's house (who live right down the street!!! We shop at the same grocery store!) to hang out and have dinner! Drew Peterson was in town and John was very excited to see him! After a long, HILARIOUS game of catch phrase, we headed HOME!!!! YEAH WE HAVE A HOME!!!

100th post!

Yes, I feel like it has taken me a long time to get here, but I made it! Ok so, I have friends who write like 100 things they love when they get to 100, but I am just going to tell you a bunch of stuff. I don't know if I'll make it to 100 and I am pretty positive that you won't read through them all, but that's ok, it's just fun for me to do! P.S. they are in no particular order...

1. I love Jesus with all my heart
2. My Husband John is seriously the greatest thing in my life, he's my best friend and we have soooo much stinkin fun together!
3. We finally have an apartment and will move in in the next few days!
4. I hate "one uppers!"
5. I really don't like when people are mean to my friends!
6. I love my friends to pieces! They are so fantastic!
7. I go through different words every few months, I am now on fantastic, it was fancy last month.
8. I love that I work with junior high students and feel 1,000% called to it.
9. I don't like it when people talk one way and live their lives the total opposite.
10. I hate cuss words, I mean my opinion you just sound sooooo stupid!
11. Coffee with Allison Murray always makes me happy!
12. I love CSI, but was very disappointed in the 1st episode this season
13. I love watching football on TV, john has converted me from PRO to COLLEGE
14. USC is my favorite team
15. I love to entertain
16. I love to cook and can't wait to get my kitchen back
17. I have always loved soccer and am getting back into playing again!
18. I love romantic comedy
19. I really want to go to a Justin Timberlake concert
20. I would love to take a photography class
21. I think my mom is the greatest woman in the world
22. I don't like bad drivers
23. I have a small group of 10 6th grade girls and I am a little nervous
24. "we're gunna die!!!" is my favorite quote from Michelle Harris
25. I LOVE the Melting Pot for dessert
26. I am a TV junkie!
27. One of my favorite vacations before I got married was Australia and then Figi with my great friend Erica Monson
28. My wedding was the 8th wedding I have been in and I will add number 9 next week! (yeah Danielle & Austin!)
29. My brother makes me laugh because of the carefree way he lives his life (I admire it)
30. I would like to wait till I am 30 to have kids :) we'll see how long this lasts
31. I would love a new car, but realize mine works just fine and we have no car payment, so if you make fun of it, I really don't care. Wahoo 1994 Honda Accord!
32. I love that I have had to work since I was 14. I feel like it really taught me to be responsible
33. I love great conversations about God (especially over coffee)
34. I pray that one day John and I can afford a house here
35. So excited that we will live 4 minutes from the beach and I get to take PCH to work everyday and see the ocean
36. I love when people go out of their way to serve others
37. I really DON'T like people who are fake
38. I miss my students from saddleback
39. I love Maggi Moo's ice cream
40. My favorite drink at Starbucks right now is Soy Chai Latte
41. I love that a parent told me she didn't sign her kid up for small group because she was lazy and now she is on a waiting list
42. quote of the year, "I fear that I will wake up one day with testicular cancer!" Bethany Johnson (obviously this is taken out of context, but still soo funny!)
43. I love going to the beach in the winter and wearing a sweatshirt and jeans and drinking starbucks
44. I love to sing! I got to lead worship here this past weekend and it was like I was home!
45. I love to learn from others
46. There are not many days I go without talking to Allison Murray :)
47. I love watching the OFFICE!
48. I love breakfast food! I love making it and going to great breakfast places! Original Pancake house in Laguna Niguel is amazing!
49. I love that when I open my fridge it's all my food! Not my roommates!
50. I love being married~!
51. I love not have mis-match furniture anymore and knowing that all the stuff I decorate with is mine!
52. I love a great movie!
53. I love the feeling after a great long run!
54. I love getting on the scale and seeing that I've lost weight!
55. I miss summer time!
56. I wish that my student loans would magically disappear!
57. I love coming to work in the morning and seeing the sweet pre-schoolers!
58. I love that we live .75 miles from the beach & I work 6 minutes from it!!!
59. I love our thursday afternoon JH staff meetings
60. I love finding mullets, found one at the DMV with a rat tail coming down from the right ear! So wish I got a picture!
61. I officially changed my last name to SNYDER
62. I really want to take a hip hop class
63. I'd love to play guitar, but I have really tiny fingers
64. I am running a half marathon on November 11th with 4 of my great friends
65. I love to laugh, I know shocker!
66. I have converted my entire life to MAC
67. John and I have date day/night on Sundays!
68. I love that I met with a volunteer today at the "Bluffs" haha. It's a shopping center in Newport Beach
69. I think it's hilarious and fantastic that we have students from Newport Harbor
70. John is speaking this weekend in the JH service and I am singing with Roy & Phil
71. If $ was no object I would love to have the new box Mercedes!
72. My reasonable dream car is a Toyota 4Runner, but will probably get a Yaris (no time soon)
73. Now that I hit 73 I'll keep going!
74. If you have read to 74, send me a message!
75. I will turn 25 this next year and feel kind of old!
76. I have always claimed that I don't like Mexican food, I now must say I am a convert! Yes Kristen it's true!
77. I am so glad I went to College, lived on campus, & played soccer
78. I have never had a boss I did not get along with, plenty of coaches though!
79. I love the song in the "A Diamond is Forever" Commercial, "How can I tell you that I love you!" And it was written only for the commercial and wish it was a complete song!
80. I love to paint rooms, we can paint at our apartment, but because I made John paint our entire house in Oklahoma he says he never wants to paint again! Anyone want to help me :)
81. I love to learn new things I didn't know before
82. I would love to be a better surfer
83. My sister lives in Vegas with her husband and that makes me very excited
84. John and I have plans to travel to Europe with in the next 10 years
85. I have never been to Catalina (I know!!)
86. I am a terrible bowler & golfer
87. I love watching the Biggest Loser! I get so excited for them!
88. I have never seen more over-weight people in my life than I did when I was in Oklahoma
89. I really want a new bike, well, just a bike in general!
90. I have no desire to ever live in LA
91. "I would like to die laughing at age 87" on the breast cancer commercial, and I would have to agree~!
92. Have I mentioned that "I LOVE BEING MARRIED!!!!"
93. I love Daphnes!!!!
94. I miss my friends that live out of state!
95. I have so many great memories from college!
96. Totally lame that I don't know how to use a sewing machine and I really want to learn!
97. I really think IN N OUT is a fantastic place to have a burger!
98. I love the movies Lord of the Rings...ahah I know Nerd Alert!
99. I can't believe I spent all this time doing this!
100. I love John William Snyder more than anything in the world!

finished...if you read through all this THANKS!

this morning...

Well, I arrived a little early at work today to get some stuff done before our tuesday morning meetings when I recieved an email from a mom that holds a very different point of view (than me) about who our small group leaders should be. Basically it just saddens me that her student will miss out on a great experience in small groups, because of something I consider lame. I am trying to put myself in her shoes, but I just think it is silly. So I am just feeling really bummed!

UPDATE

Well, John and I have been in the housing search (renting not buying) for the past 2 weeks and I think that we found it! It is a townhome in Dana Point! I know, totally different location than what we have been telling people, but because of John's schedule it is better to be closer to his work, plus it's cheaper :) We are so excited and can't wait for visitors! We will let you know when we sign on the dotted line. And just remember with the journey we've had things could totally change!