Our new crew!

Mike and I experienced a lot of ups and downs during 2012. But one of the biggest ‘ups’ was making new friends with an incredible group of like minded couples. At the end of January, Mike and I decided to attend a young marrieds group at Bayside. Along with our new buds Drew and Ginny, we made a commitment to attend this young marrieds group every Thursday. And so we did! We made so many great connections with so many great people! Who knew there were couples out there just like us!

One of our biggest goals for 2012 was to become more involved with our church and to join a small group. We’d been wanting to join a small group for a long time but we were a little nervous and shy about making it happen. Then the thought of creating our own small group crossed our minds! We’re not perfect Christians, we don’t know every scripture in the bible, we make a lot of mistakes but at the end of the day we are humans simply trying to find truth in a world that seems a little lost.

We felt there must be other young married couples just like us who aren’t perfect and are also looking for the same thing. So again, with our new buds Drew and Ginny, we created our own small group! It started off very small, just us 2 couples. And slowly, through out the year more couples joined. And here we are 1 year later with a group of 6 couples! Amazing!  

We are all growing together in our faith. We are helping each other, learning from each other, challenging each other, teaching each other, and holding each other accountable. We all want the same thing; to live a life of truth and purpose, to make an impact with love and to grow closer to God. We are spoiled rotten to have found each other!

I found this quote that is quite fitting.

“The church is a group of people that live and serve together in such a way that their lives and communities are transformed. What matters is your interactions with the people God has placed in your life. If you are not connected with other Christians, serving and being served, challenging and being challenged, then you are not living as He desires, and the church is not functioning as He intended." -Francis Chan

So Cal Extravaganza!

It was a year of weddings and engagements! Two of our dear friends Kirk and Christy tied the knot in Southern California in October. Mike was a groomsman so we were able to participate in all the fun activities that came along with the wedding. Dinners, drinks, dancing etc... We were so blessed to be included in this special day for the Okenquists. Such a beautiful and fun wedding! Here are few photos of the bride and groom.

Here's a great shot of the Carroll Fam! There are very few pictures of the 6 of us together. With that said Mike and I framed this photo and gave it as a Christmas gifts this year! :) 

We stayed at the beautiful Portofino Hotel and Marina which overlooked the ocean on one side and the Marina on the other. So pretty and so relaxing!  

We of course made a Disney Land visit out of the trip as well. I mean, how can we go to Southern California and not go to Disney Land?! Below was the view from our hotel! LOVE IT!

Super fun mini vaca! Can't wait to go back!

My Bestie Got Engaged!

My long time friend Brittany got engaged. She’s been dating this super hot fireman named Billy for a long time and he finally popped the question, lol! He planned a wonderful engagement that included their whole family. He asked for her hand at one of their favorite places in San Diego. Afterwards he surprised her with all of their family and friends and went to a country concert in style in a limo bus! It was hard to keep a secret from her but she was totally surprised! Billy did a great job coordinating it all and keeping it on the down low. Couldn't ask for a better guy for one of my best girls!

Mike and I unfortunately missed out on the fun. So wish I could’ve been a apart of it but I just started a new job and couldn’t get the time off. Boo.

Not that I didn’t already know (wink wink), but she asked my sis and I to be her bridesmaid in a very cute and creative way! Love this girl and excited for her and Billy’sfuture!

Making Our Mark!

So, our church continues to grow! Another fun adventure this year was the remodeling of our Worship Center. Because of people’s generosity, enough money was raised to upgrade our bleachers to comfier seats.  Not only did the remodel result in comfier seats, but it also added 300 more seats!

How did we raise that kind of money you ask? 

Bayside launched a Compassion First campaign called Whatever It Takes. Before we kept a dime raised, the money went first to causes all around the world in regards to poverty, abuse, sex trafficking, natural disasters etc… There were 5 areas of compassion we funded before we funded improvements to our campus.

Fight sex trafficking and poverty.
Invest in local, high-impact ministries.
Reach at-risk kids.
Serve our community.
Train the next generation of Christian leaders.

More on this to come in a later blog!

Not only did we leave a mark on our community, we also left a mark on the walls! When Bayside first built the worship center several years ago, we were given a chance to write our names and prayers on the walls and floors before they were covered. Mike and I didn’t get a chance to do that then, so here we are doing it now. So cool and so fun! Feeling so blessed to be apart of such a compassionate church!

Below is picture of what Mike and I wrote. 

Serve Day 2012 Unleashing Compassion in our Community

Time to catch up on my blogging! First on the list, Serve Day 2012!

On October 6^th & 7^th approximately 10,000 - 12,000 Baysiders volunteered for our first official Serve Day! Bayside organized a total of 130 different serve projects through out the Sacramento area! Church services were canceled at all locations for the entire weekend. Instead of going to church, we were the church!

Some projects required painting, cleaning, gardening, sewing, giving blood, caring for the elderly, donating food/clothes, maintaining school yards and facilities, ministering to inmates and their families etc… We were also able to provide free medical, dental and vision care to those with out coverage. This means Baysiders who were physicians, nurses, dentists, hygienists, and optometrist volunteered their time and skill. Is that not AMAZING?!

Our small group decided to serve together on a project at an affordable housing complex in Sacramento. We hosted a Fall Festival/Carnival! We had popcorn, snow cones, candy, balloons, and prizes! We had several different tables with different games and fun activities. We all worked together to create a safe and fun environment for the kids living in the complex. The tenants were a little slow at first to participate in the fun but by the end of the day everyone was out of their homes, socializing, playing games and just plain having fun!

This experience made a hug impact on Mike and I! It was a wonderful experience we not only shared with each other but with our entire small group. Below are some pictures of us all. 

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. — 1 Peter 4:10"

Day 7 of 31 Things: Work

I haven't Blogged in about a month, so I decided to check in on what's next for the 31-Things workshop I started a few months back. I looked back and realized I'm only on day 7 and still have 24 days/topics to go. But it's not a race, just a fun way to document whats going on in my life right now. And what a coincidence! The topic for day 7 is WORK, lol!

I just started a new job working in the corporate office for Raley's. Raley's is rolling out a new loyalty program and I got hired onto the team that supports this new program. So far so good! Nice people in a very laid back environment. It's such a refreshing change of pace! Unfortunately it's a bit of a drive from Lincoln about 45 minutes to an hour. I commuted to Sac State back in college, so I guess its nothing I haven't done before. At the end of the day (so far) I'm happy.

I've always found it necessary to work. I didn't have parents who paid my way (which I'm not complaining about) but they taught me if I wanted something, I had to work for it. Don't get me wrong, if there was a financial crisis, I know my parents would be there to help in any way they could, but I was responsible for paying my insurance, car, college etc... It's definitely taught me to be self sufficient and careful/purposeful with my money since I didn't have an abundance of it.

My first job was in high school at Round Table Pizza. The smell of pizza followed me every where I went while working there. After that I worked at Apple Bee's for a couple years. Then, when high school was over I got a job at Claim Jumper Restaurant. I was at CJ for all of my college years and then some. CJ was like home for me for a long time. After college I worked one season with the Sacramento River Cats in sales and game events (while sill waiting tables part time at Claim Jumper). Then in 2008 I got hired on with Addison Avenue Credit Union. I worked at Addison for 3 1/2 years and learned a whole bunch about the banking industry!

But these were all just jobs. I was never really passionate about any of these jobs. I still don't really know what I'm passionate about. I just hope that some day I find my passion and find a job that will allow me to use my passion daily. I know one day I'll look back and see how each job was a stepping stone to get me where I'm going. But for now, I just work for the money and experience and chance to simply learn something new.

Day 6 of 31 Things: About Me

1. Age: 29 (How in the world did this happen! Time seriously flies)

2. Favorite part of my day: End of the day when Mike and I (and Kitty & Addie of course) snuggle and    watch a show. 

3. Loving: My husband, parents, siblings, nieces/nephews and wonderful friends! So blessed with lots of people to love!

4. Inspired by: My small group. Mike and I and some friends decided to create our own small group. This has made such a huge impact on me. Every week I look forward to meeting with this wonderful group of new friends! They motivate, encourage, and stir something up inside of me that wasn’t there before. I get a great dose of inspiration from this fun group! 

5. Longing for: Internship/Job at Bayside to start. Such a great opportunity and can’t wait for it to start!

6. Navigating: This test of patience. These past 2 months have made me extremely uncomfortable. Usually I’m a very patient person but my patience and faith have been put to the test! Hoping to pass this test soon!

7. Struggling with: Being unemployed. I’ve worked since I was 16 and this whole not-having-a-job thing makes me feel a little bit useless. What am I producing? What am I contributing to? What kind of income am I bringing to the table? Definitely struggling with these things.

8. Needing: A job. Obviously me being jobless is a big part of my life right now. J But other than a job, I seriously have everything I need!

9. Dreaming of: A vacation somewhere tropical. Waves, sand, sun, food, drinks with umbrellas….ahhhh

10. Knowing: Everything will be great. Someday I will look back on this experience and wonder why I worried so much. I know this is a good life experience that will help me become a better, stronger person. Just ready to put it all behind me. J