new bloggidy!

I love this current blog...I really do! But as i'm about to move to Japan I realized I should maybe move over to a new format and blogsite...so from now on please feel free to check out CHANIEBON.COM where I will be doing all my updates :) THANKS!

life lately: lets the goodbyes begin

 12 days folks! 12 days til I board a plane headed to the land of the rising sun.

 The time before a departure is always a bit strange, and hard to describe. I remember the day I was leaving for Uganda...I was sitting in my parents kitchen eating Panera bread and it didnt seem real...that I was leaving all of this and moving across the globe. But here I find myself again, 12 days out from leaving my childhood home and the people I love most. Sometimes I think i'm crazy, but a good friend of mine reminded me *as good friends do* that this journey to Japan is not about me. As much as i'd like to think i'm awesome and moving to Japan is so cool and "wowww how adventurous" ....the truth is i'm going because Jesus loves the Japanese and He wants them to know His fatherly love. I'm going for them. The students i'll work with, the teachers i'll learn from, the friends i'll meet, the church i'll be a part of, for the ministry of Jesus to be proclaimed and lived out in a nation of 127 million. That's why i'm going.  I have to remind myself of this, as leaving home is hard. So heres the 12 more days at home and a future awaiting me in Japan...thankful for every moment.

 Went to the park with Minyah to watch Dad and Bailey in their dog agility class!

 Galaxy game with Dad to welcome the new star GIOVANIIII! So awesome to watch them dominate 5-1...I really have to find a sports team to watch in Japan.

 One more steak dinner with mom and dad....and D! haha.

 Noodle is such a funny girl...so full of personality and the perfect amount of sass. I love this age (19months) because she understands everything you say, but still acts like a baby which is still so cute.

 One last hang out with the only people that have ever made me feel tall...haha. Can't wait to see these two travel junkies in Japan!!

 My roomie Becky was in town from Chicago ( and recently married!!) so we had a mid-week roomie meet up in Anaheim. So crazy how exciting life is right now for all the Nesters...married off FOUR of them and about to marry off the FIFTH!!! *megs in October* !!

Last Friday was my last day working with these amazing clients. SO Bittersweet. I'm so thankful to have worked with all of them and they so generously threw me a goodbye party with delicious food and a hand made journal of letters, photos of their families, and places of recommendation! A handful of them will be back in Japan this fall so I cannot wait to meet up with them on their home turf! Praise God for connections, friends, community, and generous, hospitable souls like these people!

life lately: crazy & full.

 In less than a month i'm moving to Japan. YOWZAH. What this means is that my life right now is crazy & full. It's crazy busy trying to organize my visa, plane tickets, packing up all of my belongings, scheduling out my last few weeks at home, etc. And it's full of sweet moments with my nieces and nephews, quality time with friends, rich and encouraging conversations, and a lot of growth!!

I'm so thankful to be living a life that is often times crazy, but very very full. Here's a bit of whats been happening lately.

WEDDING WEEKEND. LIANA + ZACH

Liana and I met the very first week of freshman year of college. 

We were randomly placed on the same hall, and as fate would have it, ended up in the same public speaking class that first semester of college. We joke that our trauma bonding over the fear of speaking in front of the class really sealed the deal and solidified our friendship. Since then we've done a lot of life together; living and working two summers at Forest Home, being roommates Junior and Senior year of college, graduating together and now...celebrating her marriage to our fellow APU classmate - Zach! 

Liana has been a sister to me from the beginning and i've been so blessed to watch her testimony unfold and see her walk so gracefully with the Lord all these years. She really made a stunning bride...and this past weekend was FULL of so much love - I was overwhelmed the entire time haha. 

 

Thursday night we stayed in la jolla for liana's bachelorette. We ate sushi for dinner and then had dessert at extraordinary desserts!! YUMM. 

Friday we woke up, ate brunch, and then got our nails done.

 brunch at The Cottage in La Jolla. This sandwich may look simple...but it tasted AMAZING!

bridesmaids! 

 

dream house at wind and sea.

 

so on our way back to the rehearsal dinner in Temecula we had half an hour to spare so Liana had the idea to stop by Pala casino! haha...it honestly felt like we stepped into vegas for a second and we grabbed some free soda and played a 25cent machine. None of us knew what we were doing but we figured we might as well try! After loosing about $2 we decided to sit out by the pool instead.

After a busy Thursday in SD and Friday in temecula...I woke up Saturday morning and headed back down to SD for the 4th. The nesters were all in town and it made my heart so so full!

 

mama root's delicious cookies (I ate 5)

We were lucky enough to have an amazing view of the fireworks off the marina. They sync the show to a radio playlist so very patriotic songs were playing in the background as we watched.

That night I was crazy and drove back to Temecula from SD. It took me a good hour to drive 2 miles back to the freeway (learned that the hard way) but it was nice to have some quiet time in the car to process all the craziness of the weekend. Seeing my college friends was overwhelming...I love these girls so much and the reality of this-might-be-the-last-time-we're-together-for-a-long-long-time really started to set in. But as always, God was so gracious...reminding me that this life under His wing and in obedience to Him is a life of adventure, of challenges, and hard decisions, and tough goodbyes, and deep friendships, and a lot of love that floods every corner because of the promise of eternity!

 Its a good good life under the watch of a good good Father.

 

morning of the wedding! A family friend of the groom let us stay at their spacious and beautiful house all weekend. How amazing and generous is the church body?

 

Liana gifted us all with beautiful robes to get ready in as well as personalized handbags! So cute.

 

Before the wedding we were all anticipating a HOT HOT day in Temecula...but the weather actually turned out to be perfect. The venue (secluded garden estates) was really a cool place that had everything you needed for a beautiful and private wedding.

 

the beautiful bride...and those flowers were seriously incredible!

 

bridesmaids! 

 

7/9 of the NESTERS! These girls are so incredible individually...so gather them together and its seriously a powerhouse. I'm not sure how I was blessed enough to live with all of them...still blows my mind! We were missing Anna who was in Washington and Becky who just got married in Chicago...but having 7 out of 9 was pretty good! 

 

After a a few tough goodbyes on Sunday night I headed back home so thankful for these amazing friends who are all gifts from the Lord. Weddings are truly special not only for the new covenant they celebrate, but also for the old ones they reunite. Thank you Jesus!