Busy and soon to rest....

Well, it is mid October. Sorry it has been awhile- just cracking down on schooling and such. These past three weeks I have just been running from class to class to homework, etc. I def need a break, but it gets difficult when professors do online assignments and tests OUTSIDE of class grrr. oh well- on that note, this will be my last semester for a year. Hubby and I have decided it would be best for our family to take the year off and finish next spring. I will have one semester left, and baby should be about 9 months old, which will be much easier than a newborn!

Big decision for us, so now after December, I won't have too much to do. I am contemplating coaching again, and when baby comes, baby comes to track meets : ) Start them early right? Last year, I coached pole vault at a local high school, and LOVED it! This is my kiddos' senior year, and they improved so much last year, I would love to see them to their finish : ) However, I have to get past my new head coach. He is very different from our previous head coach, but I think he will be great as well.

On another note, I have been working on some nursery items! The walls are all painted a light and pretty seafoam green. I have installed some white bookshelves (thanks to my awesome sister Barbie!) that are mounted on the wall and off the ground. I am having a friend make the baby bedding, but that won't happen until after Christmas (she is super artsy and crafty and is making TONS of stuff for Christmas). Her site is dancingontheporch.etsy.com. Check it out. Also, I am working on some little crafts here and there for decorations. So far I've decided to put yellow pinwheels across one side of the room- which will be above the crib. I hope this works!!!

Okay, picture time:

4 Weeks

10 Weeks

17 Weeks

Okay everyone, you know the drill:

Make Good Choices!

-Sarah T.

Naming the Baby

Today I went through a list (A-Z) of baby girl names, including Armenian ones.

We have picked out a boy name: Samuel Jack Telloian. I like the way Sam would sound : ) Also, 1 Samuel is a beautiful story of Hannah, who wanted a baby so much. God gave her one, and she named him Samuel. Jack runs in both of our families. Samuel Jack kinda sounds like an alcoholic drink hehehe. That was UNINTENTIONAL!

Girl's names, on the other hand, are more frustrating. A girl can be so unique (not that a boy can't be, they are just a little bit more predictable in my eyes, therefore easier to choose a name for). I jotted down names that interested me, so here they are:

Roubina (Rubina)- my beautiful cousin's name that I love

Annie (Ani)- my mother-in-law's name that is so cute

Haley- I taught a little girl for about three years and we formed a close connection. She was so full of spirit : )

Hannah- classic

Heidi- different

Hollie- spunky

Janie- cutesie

Poppy- Our baby is due in the spring.

Renee- seemed dramatic and beautiful to me

Ruby- rockin. Hope our baby isn't cursed with red hair like me though....

Sasha- kinda russian

Sidney (Sydney)- very fun

Wendy- classical

Femi- this means love. I thought it was interesting

Houri (Houry)-another beautiful cousin's name- I absolutely love this one (probably my fave right now)

Mina- My second fave!)

Seta- Kinda cool. Reminds me of something in childhood, but I can't remember what.

Yeva- Armenian, but kinda Russian sounding : )

Help us!!! What's your opinion?

Racism and the Law of the Old Testament

So, I had an assignment for my class in college that I just finished. I REALLY didn't want to do it, but am so thankful I did. I now have more an understanding of the Gospel!

Okay, so remember Jim Crow laws? Blacks were separated from whites, and if they broke any of those laws, they could be lynched. The Jim Crow laws ended legally in 1965; however, in 1998, a black man (James Byrd, Jr.) was dragged behind a truck, decapitated along the way, and thrown into a black cemetery. The three murderers were white supremacists. The link to the story is attached.

For my class, I had to find a modern (within the past 20 years) lynching of a black person. This horrible story (which I remember hearing about as a little girl) came to mind, so I looked it up. As I was reflecting on the story and following the rubric for my short essay, I began to think about the "law".

My introduction was this (sorry it is lame, I am not a very good writer):

"The injustices and prejudices of the past do not escape our common era simply because they are illegal. The law cannot regulate beliefs. The law also cannot persuade someone to think a black person is equal to a white person: the white person simply must obey the law, or else suffer legal consequences. It has become more obvious that racial discrimination is still alive and well today, even though it has become illegal to act on such a belief."

So what became profound to me is this: the law cannot regulate a person's beliefs. Or we could say: the Law cannot regulate a person's heart toward God.

If you were to obey the Law of the Old Testament, you could wash your hands a certain way and eat certain meats and think you were okay in the eyes of God (Pharisee, anyone?). The white supremacists could (but didn't in the murder of Mr. Byrd) have obeyed the law and not hurt Mr. Byrd, but have still hated him because he was black (like many people still do today).

The New Testament describes (I've been reading in Hebrews):

"But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second." -Hebrews 8:6-7

So, the Law had faults, which was it could not regulate a person's heart toward God. The New Covenant had to come. Christ was crucified so God could deal with our hearts. He does this by giving us the faith to believe the promise that we are cleansed by Christ's blood. Also, He gives us the HOLY SPIRIT to sanctify us (in easier words: to change our hearts and beliefs toward God). Cool huh?

I never really understood why the Law was insufficient, until now, I guess. Anyways, I hope you learned something too!

Make Good Choices!

-Sarah T.

I Want To Bake!

Im just saying. If I had a "second life", I would bake cakes. I really like buttercream, but I like the way fondant looks. Plus everybody likes the way fondant looks, but I would prefer to bake with buttercream. I even have a menu and a name for my bake shop. I know what kind of cakes I want to make, and I think I even know my own style- I just need practice! I need TIME to practice. And Money! But mainly, I need my creative bug to explode out from inside and land in my cake pans..... Also I need matching cake pans hehehehe. I have a wedding tier set, but no pan that is the same size as another. So much for layer cakes.... They will just take longer.

Anyways, if you want a cake for an occassion, nothing fancy, but beginner, it will be free for right now. Let me know what you would want, lets try to keep it simple! I need places to give away my test cakes too, since we have a strict NO CAKE policy in our organic pregnant home. But don't worry, I definitely try everything before I give it away to ensure quality : ) Don't tell hubby ; )

Make Good Choices!

-Sarah T.

Busy! What to do???

We got news that the class Aaron was attempting to have waived at Fresno State will not be. This means he will be taking 18 units. Our schedule is ridiculous now! Monday is a bible study, Tuesday is a bible study, Wednesday Aaron now has a night class, Thursday he has a night class, and Friday he has a men's bible study!!! Way too much! We are going to have to trim somewhere, so we shall see where to make the snip : ( 

It sounds easy, since we are in so many studies; however, when friends are involved, it becomes more complicated. The choice to snip out a "study" is more like snipping out those friends on that night. Not what I want to do!!!! But maybe it is necessary.....

Pray for us that we can decide what will be best in this season of life for us, and that our friends will graciously understand! 

Life is good though- we are having a great time learning in college- after all, we are finally out of the general ed and onto the interesting stuff we are passionate about- except for that feminist class of mine...... : ) Aaron and I are both in racism classes, which has been fascinating to hear about the origins of racism in America. I had no idea what was out there! I am totally ignorant to racism, it seems!

On another note...

I got to visit with my brother and momma last night. Mainly my brother was telling horrific stories of saving 14 year old boyscouts lost at night in the woods and homeless guys trying to sell drugs to 14 year old girls. It is tough being 14 these days! I love my brother, and he is a great storyteller. Every time I see him, he tells these epic stories that make me wish I could be in his shoes, at least some times : ) My babies are gonna love going to Uncle Jack's house to sit at his feet listening to his epic adventures.

No, not my brother, but you get the idea....

My mom (who I still call Momma : )) is always cringing at the dangerous situations her children are always in- from cops and swat swarming our neighborhood, to my brother boldly confronting a man abusing his wife, to my sister being chased in a parking lot. Our family is full of thrills! No wonder we all carry mace- Ye be warned!!!! Another prayer request: Pray for Momma that all her hair doesn't fall out from her children's crazy lives! She is so great though 

Okie dokie- Make Good Choices!

-Sarah T.

DInkey Creek-ey

Since Fresno had a nice heat wave this week, the hubby and I decided to escape for a few hours to our family's favorite retreat: Dinkey Creek.

 If you are a "flatlander", you may have seen bumper stickers around sporting "Where the Hell is Dinkey Creek?" Well, to answer that question, Dinkey is about 12 miles farther into the Sierra woods from Shaver Lake. There you go. Dinkey is a great place to run up for a few hours, sit next to the creek, maybe get enough courage to jump in the frigid water, cast a line for some rainbow or brown trout, or throw the stick and watch your dog jump from boulders into the pristine water. 

Hubby and I went and I quickly abandoned my reading for my college class and decided to snooze on the nice granite. Hubby was off doing his thing, which included trekking up the creek and singing and reading. Overall, it was a great refreshing trip.

Friends! You need to come! You can leave and come back and have a great time in about 5 hours. That's it! Free! minus gas. And fun water things. And snackage. But Free! Also, you can hit up the Pizza Factory in Prather on your way home for some tasty pizza tossed in the air right before you. It's next to the Canyon fork Market, or Mar Vals, whatever the name is these days. 

Last note- I am now 11 weeks pregnant! Woo! Hopefully this nausea and vomiting thing will be fleeing from me in the next week, since it will be bye bye first trimester and hello second trimester. Okay, off to our recent addiction: an episode of 24! (We might name our baby Jack Bauer Telloian if we have a boy, btw : ) hehehe)

Make Good Choices!

-Sarah T.

Humans, Education, and Sea Breeze

By the way, I had to google 'breeze' to make sure I spelled it right. I don't think I have ever used that word before.... Anyways, I am so thankful- why? Because I get to get out of this house!!!! aaah! I have been cooped up for about a month, feeling sick and exhausted. FINALLY, school has begun. I can now walk around and interact with humans instead of my felines. 

It feels like a huge gulp of fresh air!

Unfortunately, God decided to make this week the hottest we have seen yet, so walking around campus makes me feel like this:

Yup, that's me between Family Food Sciences Building and Kremen Education Building on campus. It was 112 degrees F today!!! Why do we live here again???

Anyways, we went to the beach on Saturday from 3pm to 9pm. Really short trip. We ate some splash cafe, walked a little on the pier, jumped in the water, ran out of the freezing cold water, and finally went and surprise visited Aaron's brother and his wife, Jack and Vickie. Tons of fun in 60 degree weather!

Our new friend :)

Me jumping with a bathing suit and a jacket on. It was cold!

Beautiful Pismo peir

Hubby 'posing'

Toes in the sand and ocean! I love the Pacific and the man standing in the Pacific with me. ANd the man who made the Pacific. Thank you Jesus for the ocean!

Make Good Choices!

-Sarah T.