LP Round 1

all the saba gang, plus a few extras we picked up along the way were rounded up as we set out on our annual adventure to explore the great depths of lake powell!  every year i look forward to this crazy, chaotic, assortment of people thrown together on a little old houseboat we like to call a family trip. my family has been going since before i was born! and later that year when I was just 6 months old i was granted the privilage of embarking on this adventure although i dont remember much of anything from this trip, i'm sure it was a blast. once i learned to crawl and eventually walk potentially out of my mother's sight, my invitation to the saba family lake trip was postponed until i was about 7. then all i could remember was that i had to wear a life jacket pretty much 24/7 and that i hated being the "little kid" of the trip, because of course all of my cool older cousins did not have to wear their life jackets when they were eating, sleeping, and just breathing. of course at this young age i did not see the reasoning my mother had behind this strict rule, which i despised so much.

after years had passed and i was no longer the youngest on the trip, we upgraded houseboats, this brings me to this year's trip!

we set sail to camp our newly acquired houseboat, Howie Doin? to the beautiful padre bay. with luck and some scouters we found the perfect spot! one we the anchor ropes were tied we started to set up camp and started cooking! sometimes as silly as it sounds i feel like this trip very well could revolve solely around the meals; what we are having, who is cooking and the scariest question of all, who is on dish duty?? i must say the food is exquisite, i must say no one ever goes hungry on this trip. with the amazing cooking of my grandma , aunts and uncles, and everyone else who helps fill in between it feels like a week of non-stop eating delicious foods, especially lebanese night. my favorite!

between meals our time is filled with jet skiing, wake boarding, tubing, and waterskiing. we have a blast on the water as well as on land. at night there are campfires with great company and a beautiful atmosphere. another one of my favorite things about this trip is the scenery. you couldn't ask to be stranded with 23 people on one houseboat in a more beautiful place! jokes aside, when the sun reflects off of the red rocks making a perfect reflection on the water as it sits like glass. all is peaceful. i marvel at the astounding creation that this place is, and take a moment to thank and almighty creator that i can enjoy His creation surrounded by the love of my family!

as the trip itself is a tradition, there are many smaller traditions within the trip as a whole. once safely ensured that we are along the utah border we have a thrilling night of fireworks!! this year's firework show filled with bright colors and loud bangs was extra special! my oldest cousin trace, proposed to his girlfriend audrey right there, down on one knee in the sand, headlamp and all underneath the shine of the moon and the blaze of fireworks...and she said yes!! tears were flowing and family was smiling. it was an awesome surprise and i know she will be an awesome addition to this wild family.

all and all it was a wonderful trip. with a minor setback of the top of our houseboat ripping off, the hot afternoon wind carried it right off and into the neighboring waters beside our houseboat. aside the damages to the boat, thankfully no one was hurt. being on the top of the houseboat just soaking up some early afternoon sun it was unreal to see the powerful micro-bursts of wind detach the metal canopy along with the railing off of the boat through the air and into the water, it looked like something out of the movie twister! this did cut our trip short as it altered the functionality of the electricity inside of the boat and we had to head in to the docks...topless! the boat of course ;)

masterpiece

HE>i

 HE>i (HEgreaterthani) is a lifestyle company. They create apparel and other gear inspired foremost by our faith in God and His word. They also gained inspiration from the art scene,  friendships, and surf & skate cultures.

The idea for the name came in 2003 while trying to think of something clever to put on the main screen of a Nokia phone. After browsing through the selection of symbols, the '>' symbol seemed to stick out. John 3:30 came to mind. It says, 'He must become greater and greater; I must become less and less.'
Today, they are a full-time company sending out orders globally. Their home base is on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii. By choice, they only sell directly to  customers. So, their gear can only be purchased on their website, in their shop on the North Shore, or at events they attend. with minimal writing it portrays this very powerful message, and says it like it is...or how it should be.


check out their website here

all knowing wisdom

i have only been to this bible study two times and we are studying the different attributes that God has. among His perfectness we are focusing on love, all powerful, all knowing, and more to come.

last week we studied His wisdom. ultimately as a christian I know that God has a perfect plan for me, but what i sometimes struggle with is wholeheartedly trusting that plan and giving Him complete control. it was really made clear to me through this teaching that God plans purposefully in my life and he has chose each entity of my life exactly for me. everything about my small life he has placed carefully together from my past decisions, what i will eat for dinner tonight to the amazing people he puts in my life. it is a miracle if you really think about it. each step we take is carefully watched over by our creator. each of us is a part of this astounding creation for a reason. each action we partake in is leading up to, or a part of what He has planned for our life. therefore if i know these facts why would i try to determine my own life? He has complete control and i am working each day to wholeheartedly trust in Him.

do something.

that scares you

for yourself

nice for someone else, with no expectations of anything in return

you have always dreamed of

you have never imagined to do

brave

or

silly

for no reason other than you genuinely want to

because it is Sunday

in the name of love

you felt you were called to do

that keeps you young, do not let age defy the joy of blowing bubbles or playing tic-tac-toe

spontaneous and adventurous

anything

and do that something, whatever it may be, do it today, with no fears that anything will stand in your way, for we do not always have the securities of tomorrow to lean on. Do not be shy, live for yourself and stay true to your morals and beliefs. Do not hesitate in life. Be sure of yourself and do not be afraid to be wrong. Speak your mind, others do not always know what you are thinking. In life we must take chances and live the life we were given. What is the point of always holding back? We feel we cannot read a good book because we do not have time. Must we always live by the concept of time? Relax and remember to breathe. Our work and responsibilities of everyday life will always be there waiting for us when the day is done. What are we waiting for? Let us live in the here and now. The possibilities are endless and only you can make them a reality.

chasing waterfalls.

i was invited to participate in a day trip up to fossil creek, and on a whim i decided, what better way to spend a lovely summer's day than hiking through arizona's beautiful terrain and jumping off of waterfalls? we packed up luke's land cruiser full of towels backpacks snacks and ourselves. tucked tightly in the car was luke, reed, braden, drew, shay, and myself as we followed another car of friends up past the verde valley to fossil creek. upon our arrival we parked the cars and started making the trek up to the waterfall. we decided to take the scenic route instead of walking up along the road. it was indeed scenic as we walked along the river climbing over rocks through trees doing our best to avoid mud as well as a sprained ankle. we were separated from half of the group as they took the road to get to the waterfall. at some points doubt crept into my mind, questioning if this would take us to our preferred destination, how long that would take, and if we would find the other half of the group. from my recent experiences in traveling around europe and within itlay i have learned that no matter the destination and no matter your means of getting there, always have faith. do not have doubt, because in doubting, in my opinion you are having a pessimistic attitude toward our creator that he will not lead you the path in which you are to take.

we arrived with no problems at all and the doubt quickly dissipated. we spent the afternoon jumping from the surrounding rocks into the pool below, exploring what the river upstream had to offer. above the waterfall there was a whirlpool, which we jumped in and took the chance of being swept downstream, swinging from rope swings, and eating lunch on the warm rocks listening to the creek flow.

2nd Lt. Hatton Updike

congratulations to my awesome and adventurous cousin Hatton on his graduation from the Unites states air force academy!! i know the hard work, discipline, and true dedication he has put into this accomplishment. this was my third time visiting the academy. the first for hatton's older brother, trenton's graduation, the second, for the traditional ring dance hatton's junior year and his graduation being the third. it is an amazing place on hundreds of acres of colorado beauty. the few days centered around the graduation were filled with new experiences followed by old traditions. the long weekend was concluded with a wonderful ceremony and an awesome thunderbird airshow!

 we went on an old fashioned cog train ride all the way up pike's peak. after running down the stairs and getting our tickets just in time to jump on the train and catch our seats the train began its climb. it sounds like something taken out of a movie but it was the start of our adventurous day. the warm summer air quickly turned into crisp cold air as we climbed the mountain gaining altitude with each chug of the train. at the top we were at 14,115 feet, where i felt like seasons had been skipped and suddenly i was surrounded by winter.

after the excitement of the cog railway it was time to attend some more serious matters, and the actual reason we came to colorado springs. we attended hattons pinning ceremony where he would receive his new rankings as a second leuitenant. my grandpa, norman saba under oath swore him in to the next phase of the military world. it was a day of smiles and joyous tears. the formal ceremony continued to a lovely dinner where we all ate as a family-italian style! delicious food and wonderful family the evening was filled with happiness.

the last day of our trip was the commencement ceremony.  we watched all of the graduates march out into the falcon arena in succession to receive their diplomas. one of my favorite parts is after the ceremony when all the graduates throw their hats, there is a tradition to put the amount of money inside the hat as the same year of their graduation. inside each hat there was $20.11. after all the hats had hit the ground, small children were allowed to go onto the field and collect one hat!! 

USAFA Chapel

confusion and chaos lead me to happiness.

 i have grown to love reading, getting lost in stories that take me somewhere else, learning from authors, and relating to characters and instances is what has incited me the most. while in itlay i stumbled across this small used book store that had an abundance of books, maps, and journals from 3 euros to 53 euros varying in multiple different languages. upon entering this quaint treasure i had found, i was in awe of the history, character, good smelling books, and total lack of organization the store contained.  it was as if i had set out on a treasure hunt in search of the most unique of jems. this was not only a place where i could escape the city and delve into the copious amounts of books tuning page after page, i was also forced to use my italian. the gentle old man that owned the store did not speak a hint of english. it was an experience i loved partaking in.

as long as we are on the topic of books i have read several books this past semester that have had a significant impact on my outlook on life:

• crazy love by francis chan
• blue like jazz by donald miller
• traveling mercies by anne lamott
• a million miles in a thousand years by donald miller

 from recommendations of good friends, here are some of the books i would like to read this summer:

• forgotten god by francis chan
• 19 minutes by jodi picoult
• velvet elvis by rob bell
• searching for god know's what by donald miller
• perfect match by jodi picoult

wise words.

making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.Ephesians 5:16-17

vive en italia.

yet another beautiful creation from my wonderful friend, Jacqueline Grace Cassard!

free

not all is gloomy on a rainy day

sitting at method coffee with mr. luke, enjoying a new favorite beverage thanks to hannah and aubrey; the famous lavender latte and a caramel dolce latte, another luscious latte recommended and crafted by aubrey. as we were sitting indulging in our sweet drinks (in addition to our sugar filled lattes we may or may not have split a bear claw to top it off)  we noticed the large wood boards covering the bare walls decorated with brightly colored pieces of paper consisting of wishes, wishes and more wishes! silly and serious, some ambitious and some for fun, there were wishes from many of method's hopeful customers. we of course had to add a wish of our very own to the contagious collection of hopefuls. after much delibertaion and consultation we came up with a joint wish:

even though the weather was much to cold to be in the middle of may with storm clouds and a cold mixture of rainfall and hail, not all negative has to come from this strange weather pattern. not only does the dry arizona climate appreciate this little sip of fresh water but we formulated our wish around the unexpected showers. it was a beautiful day in the fact that we spent time in method enjoying each others company, reading wishes, and sipping on some comforting warm drinks. cheers, here's to the day!!

it was all a dream.

as i made my way back from italy, i am transitioning from one blog to another, one country to the next and leaving a lifestyle behind as i transition into the life i used to live before venturing outside of the country to a foreign lifestyle that soon became so comfortable i felt disarrayed when i had to part with it. thinking back on the adventures, challenges, and friends that were a part of my time abroad it all seems a little surreal to me. i feel like it all happened in just a flash before my eyes. like the past 4 months of my life were on fast forward when i think back to it.


although it sometimes makes me sad to recollect back on my time in italy, i have the memories and lessons learned to last me a life time. one of the biggest blessings i was provided with was the close relationships i made with wonderful people. jacqueline, julianna, sarah, and i were four peas in a pod. coming from different places literally all over the country, the four of us will always share those memories and good times we had in florence. i have strong faith that these awesome girls will stay a part of my life forever. 


italy has given me an amazing new outlook on life and really taught me that there are no limits and as cheesy as it may sound i really can do anything that i set my mind to. the possibilities are endless. there are no need for confines or restrictions to this adventure i call life! i am so thankful and blessed i was able to participate in this life changing experience with the love and support of all my family and friends