Last night I saw “Behold the Lamb of God” by Andrew Peterson. It was my first time seeing the show, not in Nashville. If you know anything about this Christmas concert, you know the show is a bit bigger in Nashville with it being held at the Ryman and more well known artists in the mix of the familiar staples that makes up the 10 piece band of the BTLOG tour. I was expecting it to be a little less impactful somehow not seeing it at the Ryman. While it did feel different, I wasnt with the same community of friends who first got me into this show in the first place. Instead I was with my new beloved community here in town who I talked their hears off to come see the show. Needless the say, it was just an impactful as has been every year before I have seen it. The church where I work really did a stand up job on making the evening a wonderful one.

Im stealing this little peice of a blog post from Andrew’s community blog, rabbitroom.com:

“Upcoming BTLOG attendees, you are most definitely in for a treat. Indeed, you will be part of the treat. With each round of that phrase (I believe He is the Christ, Son of the Living God), the intensity of emotion ratchets higher and wider. And it’s not emotion for emotion’s sake; it’s emotional truth boring ever deeper into our being, and it’s one of the most profoundly moving sounds I’ve ever heard.

The season is here. Don’t miss the opportunity to sing “Silver Bells.” Drink some eggnog; eat some Christmas cookies. Kiss somebody under the mistletoe. Drive around and look at the lights. And by all means, attend and support your local Christmas pageant. But if you crave something more, something real, something that will simultaneously rock your world with truth, and cultivate peace and joy in your spirit, consider making Behold the Lamb of God, The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ, a new family tradition. It has everything to do with the real, true meaning of Christmas, and nothing to do with the paltry imitation.”

Its true, you are completely apart of the treat that is BTLOG show. Familiar faces from years of listening to their music before me. Watching a community of friends play music together while I sit with my community of friends is one of the best things ever. Hearing the words that I know to be true, but singing truth into my life backed with amazing music is hard to beat. I was completely excited before the show to come and now Im simply delighted that it was yet again part of my Christmas time tradition.

I cant name everything I am thankful for because I have to go cook some goods for Thanksgiving dinner at my wonderful friends, the Pells home which is in a few hours. So this is a very limited list but I am thankful for…

As much as I havnt seemed it lately, I am so very grateful that God has blessed me with an amazing job working with high schoolers. There has been a lot of days of discouragement as of late, but today, thinking back and looking at photos of these amazing kids who have touched my life probably more than I have touched theirs, I can not believe this is my job and what I feel called to be apart of for my life.

My community at 5:14. They have helped ease the pain of homesickness this past year. Not going home for the holidays was a sad thing (that of course I agreed to right after spending two weeks in one house with my family. As much as I love my family, who wouldnt say yes to that? Trickys Jace, very trickys) but my church community who I am so thankful for, make room for me in their lives making the home sickness almost disappear (almost).

Roommates. The gal I have lived with the longest (two years!) moved out last month to prepare her own home because she is getting married in January (and as asked me to shot her wedding). It was sad when she moved out, thankfully though a wonderful friend moved in her place. Its bittersweet for my old roommate to be gone, but my new one has be such a delight to live with. And not because she makes me coffee every morning we are up at the same time.

Moments that make me laugh that I still look back on and laugh at. Jon and Kate Plus 8 (today is a marathon!). Friends who share their hearts with me. Pumpkin, pretty much anything. A guy who takes really good care of me – especially on my thoughtless days. My new (as of yesterday) Nikon D90. The weekly cards I get in the mail from my Grandma. Green t-shirts. A boss that is beyond encouraging. Weekends in Nashville. People who get me. Hugs on days I need them the most and the giver of the huge has no idea how much I need one (nor did I). My first Fall Retreat! Photography, photos, and all that I have been taught this past year. Just to name a few.

I woke up this morning to a soft blanket of snow. I love snow and is sad that it probably will be all melted away by lunch. And that I wasnt up at 2am to watch it fall. Ive never had snow this early in the year! Wonder if it will snow on Thanksgiving? I would be okay with that because I dont have to work on Thanksgiving for the first time in four years! Happy snow day to you.

I cant stop watching this video, I love it. Though, it only makes me want a kitty even more than I already do. And a roomba. *alisa updates her Christmas list* Thanks to Jason for sending this to me.

Last night we had a fantastic storm here. Poured and poured, it was what some would say, “It rained cats and dogs”. This morning on my way out for my busy Saturday I was welcome to this:

Covered! My front yard is covered with leaves! What a delightful way to start my day!

Even Gwen got in on the action! I love how the leaves stuck to Gwen for a while as I drove – like fall decorations or something.

Even trash cans look nice when leaves are covering their tops. I mean just look at them! Would you find this picture nice at all if the leaves were not apart of it? I know I wouldnt.

Look at this, just look at it! COVERED. My drive is just completely covered in leaves. I wish it could look like this at all times.

I’ll admit, Im enchanted by the falling leaves. I dont care if my hair that I spent twenty mintues on this morning is completely ruined thanks to the wind. I was engulfed in leaves as they danced around me. Driving down the street, the leaves spun around my car and sprinkled down from the sky. God did fall up right here in Carolina.

I just cant help myself! I love hippos!

This is Emma.

Emma and her dad came into work yesterday morning for a cup of coffee. Emma’s dad held Emma out to me and said “Hugs!” This little girl can always cheer me up. Not that I was down, but it was an early morning she seemed to bring some sort of life in me that coffee cant touch.

I got off a little early, so I had a few minutes to spare before heading to the church for the afternoon. Early in the week I had noticed daffodils popping up like weeds around these parts. Driving by them I worried where I’d find time before they disappeared to take some photos of them. So I took a mini walk to capture all their glorious shades of yellow. The daffodils at my house are taking their sweet time to bloom.

I wore a skirt yesterday as I skipped around with my camera. It is spring after all, cept I cant completely accept it. The skirt was to try and push myself into accepting the snow has gone and sunny days will be around a lot. Though I feel a bit like this daffodil:

Still inside waiting to bloom. Waiting to see if the snow has really gone and its safe to come out and enjoy the spring. What a smart little flower.

Poor flower, minding its own business when a full bloom flower is teasing it. “Come out and enjoy the lovely sunny weather! Spring is here!”

Today is rained all day long. The flower that safe inside is laughing at the bloomed flower now.

The song “Falling Slowly” from the movie Once, which I love, won an Academy Award! Can you believe two indy people who kept looking at each other with these I-cant-believe-we-are-here! looks won an Academy Award! I was a bit giddy. And okay I know the Academy Awards were so two weekends ago, but I didnt see them till last night. Im a little behind with life it seems, but Im okay with that.

A lot of my friends or people around me are having babies. Maybe its because Im not married, but I just love it. I have baby fever, but not in a I-want-a-baby fever but just a I-love-holding-this-sweet-child-ohhhh-yeah-she-needs-diaper-change-here-you-go, fever. My roommate and I were in Target in the baby section and I was completely out of my element. Their registry was so picked over and crib sheets just didnt excite me. I have this thing if I dont really like the gift or its simply not exciting (like crib sheets) I wont get it. Even if they registered for it. So sue me, I went off the registry and got them some adorable oneies. You can never have enough oneies right? Did I mention they were adorable? They were.

Its been quite lovely around these parts lately. Jason and I both have been wearing sandals (or as my Dad called them the other day slippers. Slippers? Someone from southern California does not call sandals, slippers. Its like the southerners with toboggan.) as often as possible and its been so great. Was it not two weeks ago we got a couple inches of snow and now the flowers are starting to bloom? Im ready for Spring as much as I love snowy days. My pink toe nails like seeing the sunshine than the inside of my Docs. But part of me fears Spring because that means Summer is approaching and I really dislike summer here. Humidity, which means sweaty Alisa for months. I will try not to think about that too much and just enjoy the daffodils and freshly blooming pink trees.

Usually when I turn on the radio to something other than NPR, its crap. Crap crap and more crap. What happened to radio? I was a teenager in the nineties (wow that is something someone who thinks she is getting old would say) and there was great stuff on the radio. Tonight was different for radio and me. I started to listen to a cheesy country song and couldnt make it thru, I turned the station to “What a Wonderful World”. And it pretty much summed up my day which was a lovely way to end it.

There wasnt anything practically great about today, other than I just always found myself pretty happy. Even after having to get up at 4am this morning. The morning shift was fun, despite a lot of unwelcomed energy so early in the morning. Then planning poorly and getting fast food that just made me feel awful as I waited for twenty minutes at the bank for an appointment making me late to work. See, doesnt sound like the best day after I share it now does it? But at the end of the day, I look back and see a happy day. Maybe its because Jason and I had a good conversation over a yummy hamburger and spent the evening with friends discussing coupley things. I got to make faces at Emma whos getting bigger by the moment. That baby could put anyone in a good mood. I dont know really, but it was just a really really good day. I love days like that.

Usually it snows in the morning or I wake up to snow. Ive never been driving home and big fluffy flakes spill onto my car. I dont want to go to bed early for an open shift! I want to stay up staring out my window watching the snow cover the ground in the street light’s glow. I love snow so very much.

Yesterday was a very long day. Check that, this week has been very long, full of very long days. Yesterday though I over booked myself. But the end of my day was my favorite. My friends asked me if I would watch their 6 month old daughter, who is also my favorite baby, Emma for a couple of hours. I jumped on the chance and loved spending time with her and feeding her. During our time together I, like most any human being had to use the restroom. I look at Emma and ask her “Emma, what do your parents do with you when they have to go the bathroom?” She smiles and squeals at me for an answer. What do I do? I bring her with me into the bathroom. I put her down on the bathroom mat with a toy. She was fine the whole time, but I did confess what I did to Emma’s parents when they returned home. They kinda laughed at me and said I could of left her alone for a couple minutes since she isn’t mobile yet. This is not something you think to ask when the parents are going over the baby-sitter stuff before they leave. But next time Im asking “What do you do with the baby when you have to go to the bathroom?”

Its very clear that I am such a Southern California girl at heart when it gets cold. Im not here to complain, Im here to go on and on about silly things about the cold that only a girl not from here would go on and on about. I left my soda from Chick-fli-a (Ive been there more times in the past three months than I have since I met Chick-fli-a in 2003. A lot of my high schoolers work there, I like to visit them. I dont really care for chicken, I go for the kids.) in the car over night and it was hard as a rock the next morning when I got in. Now Ive frozen many of things over my lifetime, but never in my car. Im not used to using my car as a freezer. And the snow is still on the ground! Two days later! People who I work with at the church mock my delight over this little piles of “snow” since they are from up state New York. Well, I am not from there, Im from a beach! This new and so exchanging to me! Even when its 18 degrees outside when I have to go to work. Im happy to be enjoying the winter weather, though a little snow in this cold would be really nice. And I could live if a place where once a week we get a good snow and it sticks around for a little while and not mess up the roads. So please winter, stick around a little bit. I will love you even more if you bring nonthreatening snow around more often.

Why do I always set myself up for failure? I think Im going to have loads of time on my hand over the next two weeks! I can blog every day about the exciting adventures to have while in California. There wasn’t loads of time nor was there that exciting of adventures to share with you all. For future referance though, usually I always make time to load on my flickr . Im at least good about documenting my time off through a lens of a camera if nothing else. Let me recap for you through those photos my trip to California:

This is Sarah and Ilise. Sarah is the reason we flew out so early before Christmas. She got married on the 15th and we were flown out to help with her wedding that took place in her parents backyard.

You can see all of the photos I took day of the blessed event on flickr. Even on the work side of this wedding, it was a wonderful day. Perfect weather. Good to see old friends of mine from my first Starbucks.

After the chaos of the wedding, Jason and I went up to LA to see the Getty and visit Dunder Mufflin. This is a view of the 405 from the tram up to the Getty. Who knew a freeway could be so pretty?

We saw this guy. Hes on most every TV show we watch as an random character. I knew him from Friends, as a cook in Moncia’s kitchen. His New York accent is very real. We know since he chatted the whole ride down the tram.

This me (with a cold smile since it was raining. It never rains in California and of course it does when we want to see DM!) in front of Dunder Mifflin. I still cant believe we found it since it is in the middle of no where LA down this random street with business all around. They probably were laughing at us, but I don’t care! I saw The Office!

After driving around LA for a bit, we met up with my oldest friend, Laura. By oldest, we’ve known each other since were 10. That’s 15 years folks! Crazy!

Couple days later Jason and I got birthday presents early from my parents and went to Disneyland! We got free ears, which was so fun for me since I wasn’t willing to shell out the money for them. That’s a photo of Jason on the tea cups. Doesn’t he look like hes having so much fun? Tee hee. It was a perfect day to go, we walked onto most rides, which has only made us spoiled for any theme park in the future.

My friends David and Rebecca has a baby this past year and I finally got to met Penny at 10 months old. Shes one happy baby and a delight to be around. David is one of my favorite photography friends and we took a photo walk with his wife and our friend Jessica at Hotel Del. He taught me a lot while I was there, which Im forever greatful.

That is the pretty sunset blue sky with the Hotel Del. Other photo is taken by Jason of David, Penny and me. Penny is taking two to three steps at a time. At 10 months old! David calls her a genius baby, which she just might be.

Jason on Chaz. Enjoying an evening with my family at the house. We watch a lot of movies. Muppets Christmas. Last Pirates movie. New National Treasure and Juno.

This is my family in front of the tree. Aren’t we cute?

Jason and I waiting to open presents. We can be cute sometimes too.

Opening presents on Christmas Eve! Its because we got to my grandparents on Christmas Day. I don’t mind spreading Christmas out at all!

My cute Grandma watching her kids and grandkids opening presents.

Spending time with family does that to a person. Tee hee My aunt Cindy showing us how its done.

Last but not least, our Christmas tree. My mom left it for my to decorate the day I flew it. It was fun, but we normally do it as a family. As nice as the time was, alone takes a very long time.
Well, theres our visit in a nutshell. There are more photos on flickr of course if you care to check those out. Hope you all had a happy Christmas. Now its time to celebrate the New Year!

Another reason why I love my new job… it was just announced to the whole staff that it was snowing outside. I ran into John’s office and looked out the window at the snow. My whole team got excited for a few moments together over it. Never mind that by the time I post this, the snow will be gone. Its more than just the snow, its more about being in a place that celebrates the little moments, like the light snow. And they put up with me squealing over the snow.

Weekends like this is the reason I love having weekends off. Just so great to be with the rest of the working world, even if my weekday hours are still odd.

Saturday I was in my PJs really late. Im up and doing things, but unless I have somewhere to go I have the bad habit of not getting dressed or showering. I was productive, getting my Christmas cards together. I printed some photos from when it snowed to make into cards. They turned out okay, I dont know what really I was imagining, but I like them better than store bought cards. I ran out of prints so I will have a second batch hopefully to send out next weekend. My roommate and I, who rarely actually spend time together went Christmas shopping for her sister and then to take advantage of a great coupon deal NY&Company was having until 2pm. I forget how crazy shopping centers are on the weekends, during Christmas time. It took a lot longer than planned but fun none the less. We had lunch at Chick-fli-a with the sole purpose of hoping some of the youth group kids I work with would be there. I think half of the 200 kid youth group work at this Chick-fil-a. I might have to stop by to visit them more often, even to just to get a Diet Coke. After the shopping adventure I got to take photos of said roommate and her boyfriend. Yall, we planned this day two months ago, and it was delayed a week. Thats how nutty her hours and mine are (and her boyfriends). It was well worth the wait, we had a lot of fun and I liked how most of their photos turned out. I didnt take very many, about 100. Usually I take at least 200. I dont know what to think of that really. After the photo shot with them, Jason and I attended a Bunco Christmas party for the high school staff at the church I work at now. I have never played Bunco before, and had a lot of fun. I got to know a lot of the names I have been emailing with and connect more with these great people who give their lives to these youth. I won biggest loser, which half bad since I got a prize! Im going to hang my bunco score card up in my office too.

Oh yeah, that was just Saturday. It didnt feel as busy as it looks, it was quite delightful actually.

Sunday was a little more low-key but really fun. Worked on the photos from yesterday getting them ready for my roommate today. Again, in my PJs to hours that PJs shouldn’t be worn. Put away the piles of clean clothes sitting on my couch that I had been picking my outfits from the past few days. Looked over my up coming week and how quickly my days are filling up before we leave for California for two weeks. Im glad to go home for that long, but I feel like Im missing so much here. Might not be as easy to go home for Christmas next year, as Im getting so attached to this state and my community here. Jace and I grabbed some mexican food before meeting up with our pastor’s kids to see Enchanted. No, we didnt baby sit them, we invited the whole family to join us but only the kids were available to come. I love hanging out with their kids, because you can have real conversations with them, even though they are only 11,9 and 7. I just love spending time with this family and that only grows the more I hang out with them. I sat next to their youngest, Leia, sharing a box of Jr. Mints (her pick) during the movie. My favorite part of Enchanted (which is a great movie by the way. I would like to see it again its really great.) where the girl is putting her hand on the guys chest and Leia says loudly “EW. What is she doing?!” And during the kissing scene “Do they have to show it SO close?” I couldnt help but laugh. I had a rough time at youth group tonight…but the feeling was everyone did. We tired to do a backwards night, which in theory and paper looked good but it was really confusing. I was just glad I wasnt alone in the feeling. I had some great conversations that encouraged me and reminded me to why I was really there. I love being there even on nights that are hard.

How many times did I say ‘fun’ about my weekend? It really was just a lot of fun. Fun fun fun. My week is full of work and get togethers. Im excited for what it holds, if its anything like how the grand the weekend was. I might of just jinxed myself though.

What a wonderful fall week we have been having. People are saying the rain brought in the cold weather. Complainers of cold weather this time of year in this part of the country need to look into moving. Its the end of October. The leaves are officially changing and the crisp weather is here to stay. It got below freezing last night. I loved driving pass the frost over the park I now drive by on my way to my new work. I am loving my new job. It will feel weird going to the ‘Bucks tomorrow instead of the church. Im stilling settling, taking it all in and learning. Thursday I will actually get to met some of the kids I have seen and heard about. The staff has been wonderfully welcoming, though its hard that they all know my name but I have 40 (plus 200 kids) names to learn. Today I had a lady who I met before ask me if I could get my boss to email her someone’s email address. I had to ask her again who she was. I know they are understand and it keeps me humble I guess. Im slowly making my little space in the “party cube” my office area is called my own. I share a room that its in fourths with of course three other women. Really enjoy working with people around me, but also getting used to theres no real privacy like my old officey jobs had. As full as my week has been and is going to be, Im looking forward to the change. I just hope to find a good balance without too trouble along the way.

There once was a tree that I drove by every time I came home from work.



This tree makes me very happy every time I drive by it. It doesnt care that there has been a really hot summer. No rain? This doesnt stop this little tree from producing wonderful colors of fall leaves.


And the sun was hitting it just perfect. As if, the sun was shinning down on the good little tree that turned towards the season of fall.



Then, THEN on the way to Jason’s there was this tree of orange in the middle of green trees.


And the sky was oh so blue.



You can only find that perfect color of the blue on a beautiful October day.

I think have pumpkin fever. Here are the items I have tired since the first of October:

Pumpkin Spice Latte: okay so I had this before the first, for the first time this year. It was still very warm out and it didnt taste as good. This morning I had a double tall pumpkin spice latte and it was delightful. A fall staple for coffee drinkers. For those of you people who think us latte drinkers are sissies, just put some in your black coffee for a day. Its fall after all.

Pumpkin Ale: DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE OTHER PUMPKIN ALES. World Market is the only place to get Pumpkin Ale. Last year I branched out and tired easier to find Pumpkin Ales that are out there, but they were no were nearly as good as this beer is. Over the past year Ive become much more of a beer drinker, but this is the only beer I had before my beer drinking days.

Pumpkin Ice Cream: My coworker told me she purchased pumpkin ice cream at the store. Every time I went grocery shopping I searched for it. None to be found. Finally, I checked a different store and I found this mysterious pumpkin ice cream. It is good, just really sweet so beware. Little bowls of this stuff is good. Bet chocolate poured over the top would be awesome.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese: I love this bagel place in town and grabbed breakfast there the other day. I saw they had pumpkin cream cheese! I switched at the last minute for that. This is the only pumpkin thing I was disappointed with. I was expecting sweet, but it was a pure pumpkin taste. It wasnt a bad taste, just not what I was expecting.

Pumpkin Donut: This is what Ive been waiting for that I have never tired before. Krispy Kreme apparently carries these, and I heard about them in September. I had to wait till October of course. So tasty. A very dangerous treat that will make you very round during the fall very quickly.

Kari’s Pumpkin Muffins: I havnt had any yet. For those of you who know the greatness of Kari’s muffins are probably disappointed that its mid-October and I havnt made any yet. I even have the supplies in my kitchen for them! I just havnt had the time till this weekend. I hope to bake some tonight and bring them to church tomorrow night to spread the goodness.

Jason and I went out to a pumpkin patch yesterday to get me a white pumpkin. We are going to get carving pumpkins at Wal-Mart (cheaper and just as good) but I hadnt seen white pumpkins anywhere else. And I love going to pumpkin patches. It would be nice to find a “real” one someday. Maybe a day of it with some friends or something. Maybe even take my first hay ride. Embrace the pumpkin love!

1) This evening, I came home to a crumb of a brownie and a note that read “Dear Alisa, Hope you enjoy your brownie. Love, Susan and Sally”
2) My pastor is a Roll Tide fan.
3) A stranger commented on how he liked my Dunder Mifflin t-shirt.
4) Emma fell asleep in my arms at church (nevermind she then pooped while sitting in my lap. Though come to think of it, my row couldn’t keep from laughing – during prayer – as Emma did her event).
5) When Jason kisses me on the forehead, as if to say everything will be fine.
6) Waking up to cool fall weather.
7) Taking photos.
8 ) Having the best Greek food Ive ever tasted.
9) Planning a weekend in the mountains with some women at church.
10) This photo . (Makes me almost cry but happy tears.)

Currently Im dinning on Andrea’s world famous Strawberry Salsa. What you havnt heard of it? You must live in some dark corner of the world then becasue this stuff is amazing. Amazing! Every time we girls have a get together I beg Andrea to please make her salsa. I went to the store to get some last minute ingredients for my cheese and broccoli soup and saw strawberries buy one get one free. How could I pass that up really? I even added my own twist to it, some avocado. Yes! I found a good tasting avocado on this side of the country. And at all places, Wal-Mart. They were on sale there and looked very decent so I splurged with hope and was very much rewarded.

Oh and by the way, I got a Mac. I cant believe I havnt written about him yet. Hes shinny and new, maybe Ive been too busy playing with iCalendar to share the news. Im the last in my family to get a Mac, they’ve all had one for years now. Im still unsure about the new Mac, becasue it is so different from PC. Plus, I dont want to make Marla feel left out. (No, Im not writing blog entry on her at all. I dont know whatever you are talking about.) Hopefully I will get the hang of being a Mac user soon so I can use it to better my photography side. Which was the main reason I purchased a Mac after all these years of being a die-heart PC user. Now all I need is a name for him.