Kick off to the next chapter

Dang.  A lot has happened in the last week and there is no way I could tell you everything and keep your attention, so I'll give you a little glimpse into how this journey started and tell you about my first days in Budapest in a later post.

My flight was on Tuesday, but since everyone in Eureka was still in school, Mom was kind enough to drive me south on Saturday.  I said my goodbyes on Friday and took my pictures to have the freshest memories of my beautiful siblings...they are so adorable that I can't resist showing them off.  I have a feeling that Carson did not think this was so adorable.

 It just happened to be the birthday of one very special individual, so Whitney (college roommate), Noah (her fiance and my friend) and Ashley (wonderful APU friend since sophomore year) got to join the Hoye family in celebration of Brando's birth.

We spent Saturday boating on Sonoma Lake.  The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the breeze on the boat was absolutely beautiful.  I did get my first burn of the season, but some aloe afterwards made it all worth it (I promise Mom, I reapplied my sunscreen TWICE!).

That evening was such a joyful one.  Some of Brando's family friends came over for a big fajita dinner, so all 11 of us sat around the table talking, laughing and toasting Brando's life.  The food was pretty dang good, too.

Sunday morning started out with breakfast on the patio in the beautiful backyard and then church.  The weather was absolutely incredible, and we went to an art and wine festival in downtown Novato.  It was definitely toasty, but looking around at all of the local products and hearing the live music was a treat.  We headed down to Finnigan's and shared Irish nachos.  If you haven't tried them, do yourself a favor.  They're to die for.

We were ready to relax after that, so we all headed back home and played barefoot badminton in the yard, goofed around with the dog and kicked back with some books.

The evening came with another delicious dinner, a movie and, of course, swing dancing in the foyer!

I woke up on Monday morning feeling well rested and ready for a wonderful day.  Brando and I went on a hike not too far from his house.  Though it wasn't a rough hike, it was pretty muggy, we we were ready to jump in the pool soon after we got back.  As I got out of the pool, I couldn't help but be grateful for summer days like those...I do love the redwoods of home, but feeling a little sun on the shoulders next to great friends and a cool drink is what summer is all about.

Brando then took me down to meet Whitney and Noah in Santa Clara, but not without stopping for my first California burrito ever!  It was a good dinner, but I won't cry without them for the year.  Whitney was kind enough to show me a bunch of the wedding decorations (and possibly a sneak peek of the Dress!).

I spent the morning with Whit's dad, visited her on her shift at Starbucks and ate delicious crepes with Noah near his church.  Before we realized it, Whitney informed us that it was 3:05...time to leave for the airport.

This is when the next leg of the journey begins, and I think it's only fair to give your little eyeballs a break before I jump to that.  I'll find some time soon to tell of my airport tales and Budapest adventures!

Grace and peace,

Hilary

God Willing

With one week to go, 4 years of college to reflect upon and a year-long adventure abroad ahead of me, there's a lot on my mind.


I'm at home now, visiting with old friends who have also joined the college graduate club and I'm Skyping and texting with fresh grads from APU.  I would say it's strange that we're all starting our lives right now, but my cousin Casey freshened my take on that.  We've been living our lives already--for the past 20-something years.  Now we're just moving to a new phase.  Because who digs monotony anyway?  Not this girl, that's for sure.

But I'm thinking now about what that next phase looks like for me.  I only have the next year figured out.  Then what?  But that's my pride showing right there.  You see, I had a friend recently tell me that she'd go back to church when she changed a certain detail of her life.  That got me thinking.  So many of us do that!  We mess up, know it's wrong and then decide that starting on [enter your date here], I'll change and stop that bad habit.


But who are we to say that we'll be given that chance later?  For my friends and family of faith reading this, who's to say that Christ won't come back before we decide to turn our lives around, fix that flaw?


And for everyone, how can we be absolutely positive that we'll even wake up tomorrow?  I know some of you reading this also cared about my friend, Kassie Lee.  For those who don't, Kassie left us just over a year ago due to a pulmonary embolism--just a week after her graduation from Fresno State.  Young, healthy, optimistic, just like I am.

If you're looking for a good read, buy this book.  It's written by a Jewish New Yorker (though he mentions several times that he's about as Jewish as the Olive Garden is Italian) who decides to live biblically as literally as possible for 12 months.  I love how an agnostic author could get my brain cranking so much.

One little segment was titled, "Do not boast about tomorrow...Proverbs 27:1"  The author mentions James 4:13-15:

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

So, God willing, I'll wake up tomorrow and check off my to-do list from top to bottom.  God willing, I will finish packing by Friday night.  God willing, I'll hop on a plane in SFO next week and land safely in Vienna.  God willing, this will be a fantastic year, and God willing, He'll guide me just as smoothly into the next phase of life as He did this one.  

Grace and peace,

Hilary

Love or sleep in the garage

These are my 3 sisters.  Hope is the blonde, Hannah's the brunette and Lisa's the redhead.  They all have their little quirks and I can't imagine life without them.  One of my favorite things when I'm home, though, is to watch the younger ones interact.  They're always good for a chuckle or two.

Hope is the source of this particular laugh.  You see, my family moved into a new house this month, so when I got home after graduation, I was walking into a place I'd never seen before.  I ventured upstairs as I was exploring.  The first door on the left at the top of the staircase is the girls' room.  Apparently, Hope thought it quite necessary to lay down the law and post it for the family to beware.  This is what it says:

"here's some

rools carson not

aulud in here.  Hannah

stay off my

bed.  no Stealing

dolls.  no Jumping on the

bed.  no Stealing 

candy.  Keep

the room clean.

be kind argue in the

bathroom and londry

room.  no eating

food.  Love or sleep 

in the garage.

Get kind.  I Love you."

Yes, ma'am.  I think I can live with that.

Grace and peace to you.

In between

I'm back in Eureka.  I spent 11 hours on the road on Sunday bridging the gap between Southern California and home. 

This is hard.  I'm mentally and physically exhausted from the last 3 weeks but even more emotionally exhausted from the last 10 days of saying goodbye.  I have a friend who loves to hear lists of favorite things...goodbyes would not be on mine.  It's just a strange feeling to say goodbye to so many people and not have at least a rough idea of when our next hug will take place.

But hey, I'm a graduated woman!  It will be really easy over these 3 weeks at home to sleep all day and mope around during my waking hours...but I think instead I'll try to remember the amazing 4 years preceding this picture:

And appreciating the wonderful people here and across the country who came all the way to Azusa to celebrate me:

Dad

Sister Lisa

My siblings minus 1...Tristan came from Illinois for me!

The dads...and Grandpa came from Texas

And Uncle Jim surprised us all by flying in from Washington



I felt so loved over graduation weekend.  My party of 15 family members in their roped off section at graduation certainly blessed me.  Aunt Mary and cousin Elizabeth came all the way from Boston, my former step-dad and brother came, all 3 immediate families, Grandpa, great uncle...I couldn't believe it.

I have a lot to be thankful for.  My prayer for myself and for all of the grads who may be struggling with this transition is that we remember our blessings and that we will be confident in and patient for the blessings to come.

So here's to 3 weeks of rest, gratefulness and loving family!

Grace and peace to you,
Hil

I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me.

Less than 100 days from today, I will be walking across the graduation stage in Cougar Stadium, celebrating the completion of 4 years of late nights, lots of classes and not nearly enough sleep.  Shortly after that, the most expensive piece of paper I will ever buy will be mailed to Eureka, and bam!  College is over.  I will leave Azusa, visit with friends and family for a few weeks, fly across the Atlantic and into the next chapter of my life.


I was thinking about that today; chapters of life.  At a whopping 23 years, I'm can still claim youth, yet so much changes in a couple decades.  It's crazy to think that just a few years ago, I was looking at the 9th graders and admiring their wisdom and high school experience.  And then senior year, coming to visit Casey at APU, falling in love with the campus and getting even more excited to come here.  Then I think of my year in Hungary and feel like it wasn't so long ago, but I've studied for 3 1/2 years, been to China, South Africa, been an RA twice even went back to Hungary for a visit since I left almost 4 years ago.


I went to an African American church a couple of Sundays ago.  The pastor told us in the sermon, "I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me."  And I don't, either.  I may not have realized in every chapter of my life, but God has been there prodding me and comforting me and challenging me.  I have changed a lot--in bad ways and in good--but He has been there through it all.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever, no matter who we are or the decisions we make.  That's a comfort.


Grace and peace,
Hilary