right now... i wish i were home with my mommi, sisters, and fiancee...almost done! i know i need to have a perk in my attitude...but i missed the cookie exchange this year and that really bummed me out! one more day!! sigh.... my home life is truly a placed to be missed.... never do i have so much fun... or feel so much love.... i'm a pretty lucky girl... merry christmas!
sigh...studying for finals...
a winter wonderland
last saturday night we had such a great time hanging out with jesse and amber, michael and bethany, and russell and amanda!! dinner at steve's backroom....iceskating downtown detroit (no one even seemed to notice the 1 hr wait)....lounging at jesse and amber's place with hot coco and a fun game: apples to apples! these guys are some of my bestest and most cherished friends... not only do i have an amazing finacee'....but i have family....that i can call friends.... what more can a girl ask for.... hmmm a david yurman 5 mm black onyx braclet.... oh sorry who was asking ;) hehe (as you can see after "black friday" my christmas list has grown) hehe
i'm thankful for...
~my family~
~~my fiancee'
~~~my shalene patricia
~~~~good books!! TwIlIgHt
~~~~~good food and snacks
~~~~~~coffee! my new fav...decaf with vanilla chia spice
~~~~~~~productive days.... lazy days
~~~~~~~~quality time
~~~~~~~~~getting excited for someone else's success or happiness
~~~~~~~~~~celebrating
~~~~~~~~~~~being HOME for the holidays
creating a fairy-tale
my mom always told me that i was in charge of "making my own happiness," of "creating my own fairy-tale," and my aunt laurie has a sign in her bathroom that says "you are looking at the person in charge of your happiness." it is so true! the way that we choose to look at circumstances, change, our relationships, all affects how we will respond to them. this is really challenging for me... because it really starts with the "battle of the mind." this is where we need to "win" so that we can "win" in our lives... and live our "happily ever after" (on purpose!!). so my challenge to all my viewers (and esp. myself) is to do just that! we have "all the right ingredients" to make it... xo
writing the soundtrack to your life...
what makes a good movie?? a stimulating plot...great actors/actresses....and.... having an AMAZING SOUNDTRACK!!! so....my love for music and lyrics propels me to ask... if you had to
write the soundtrack for your week... what would it be? sometimes i wish it wasn't rude or completely impractical to pop my earbuds in and drown out all the chaos of life... and let music be my background....
...this would be a great typical week for me...
*MondaY- "simple life" weepies (wishing i were back home with my family and fiancee)
*TuesdaY-"oh" dave matthews (i get to see my man....)
*WednesdaY-"dream" priscilla ahn (song reminds me of shalene and i when we were lil girls)
*ThursdaY- "strawberry swing" coldplay (a pick me up song to keep me happy during the week)
*FridaY- "sky" joshua radin ( sometimes i put this song on repeat and belt it out on the drive home)
*SaturdaY-"crack the shutters"- snow patrol ( just great acoustically)
*SundaY- "sunday morning" -maroon 5 (hmmm the title should say it all)
my morning ritual
in honor of jessie's blog... i decided to be a lil copycat....
my morning ritual monday-friday
wake up to 3 alarms either 6:30 or 6:45 (decision is made the night before... there will be no snooze button for me): my radio, my phone, gabriel's phone call
get ready...pack a lunch... coffee w/my flavored creamer of the week...breakfast of eggs, toast, yogurt and my multivitamins....walk to school w/my roomie sarah ;)
family n' friends
saturday was such a fun day... here are my highlights:
*cycling class with gabriel and christa at lifetime (very difficult yet rewarding)
*potbelly subs for lunch (love this place...they have the best hot peppers!)
*home to watch a movie with christa and gabriel...only to be joined by two other "squishers"...namely...bradley sheehan and john cooper...have i ever mentioned how much i love gabe's roomies?
*break for a tcby (didn't quite hit the spot due to the lack of cooperativity of the owner...sigh...he wouldn't mike the chocolate peanut butter into a shiver....oh well...)
*out to dinner with david and angela... i LOVE hanging out with these two! i always have so much fun...they are such a great couple! we did dinner at 'michell's fishhouse' and watched the 'hulk'.... we need to do this more than biannually!!
all in all... another perfect saturday!
umm apple pie anyone...
I must say that I’m slightly troubled! Hannah told me this last week that she would be fasting… I thought to myself, wow that’s great honey! I pray that it’s a very inspiring time for you and she told me that she was fasting for some sick obsession for apple pie… Now I know your thinking I’m weird but trust me, Hannah is NUTTY when it comes to the pie! I saw her fight, defend and guard last weekend like a mother goose whose babies are being threatened… If you don’t believe me then just look at these pictures! Sorry babe but I had to…
Ahhh but all kidding aside… Han and I have been doing so wonderful! I simply cannot wait until next August, we are getting closer and closer as every day passes and I just can’t imagine how close we will be in the years to come! I love you babe!
my pursuit of happiness...
gabriel picked me a early from school....we were able to spend so much time just being together...running errands...grabbing dinner....reading at barnes and nobels...just living life...i can't wait until we can be together everyday! we discussed religion, politics, work, school, family, our future, our dreams....i love teasing gabe....i love when he makes me laughs and teases back...i love watching him! he is the cutest thing.... esp when he is drinking his starbucks drink...he takes FOREVER to drink it!! i, on the other hand, am done in 5 minutes tops with my drink while gabriel savors his....and then lets me steal sips without complaint.... here are a few pics....don't you agree...he is adorably engrossed in that book!
what is your mindset??
passage from an amazing book that gabriel bought for me on our date night last night... i read 1/2 the book in 2 nights...yes... it's that good... i'd love to hear some comments on this one ;)
"we live in a world that values convenience over permanence. Societal attitudes are vastly different today than in the days of the 1950's television show I love Lucy. We have temporary licenses, temporary visas, and temporary addresses. We expect instant cash, fast food, quick fixes, and instant great sex. We purchase disposable goods and refundable merchandise. We walk up, drive through, and exit, drive through door on the left. We abhor suffering, not only for the pain it brings, but for the inconvenience. The only thing worse than having an ailment we can't numb is standing in line for the five whole minutes to fill a prescription! We live in a world that devalues promises. "No new taxes," politicians pledge. "Satisfaction Guaranteed!" advertisements announce. Marketing copy promises products will be "long-lasting and durable." We've been disappointed so many times in so many ways by broken promises that we no longer expect promises to be honored. As a result, we are skeptical and distrustful of promises made to us and disloyal to the promises we make to others. We live in world that views happiness as a "right. " People emerged from the Great Depression with an attitude of long-suffering and forbearance. They'd experience the worst of times, and while they yearned for happiness they did not see happiness as something owed to them. Today the fast-track, upwardly mobile society in which we live has produced a breed of impatient people demanding immediate gratification. We've somehow translated our constitutional right to pursue happiness as the right to possess happiness. Advertising slogans daily reinforce this notion. You deserve a break today. " "If it feels good, do it." "Pamper yourself.. you are worth it." In a society that devalues permanence, distrust promises, and demands happiness, the prevailing mind-set toward things is if it's old, throw it away. If it's not convenient, forget it. If it's promised, don't expect it. If it makes you happy, use it. Unfortunately, this thinking has infected our attitude toward relationships. A husband throws away his marriage because it has grown old. A wife says, "Forget it," because loving her husband has become inconvenient. We break promises and justify divorce and extramarital affairs with thoughts such as, I have a right to be happy. I have a right to be understand and to have my needs met. We need to reject the mindset of disposable relationships, empty promises, and self-centered thinking and embrace God's mind-set of permanence, faithfulness, and Christ-centered living.
voting 2008....dividing us all...
so i'm sitting here at 9:43 p.m. watching the Election 2008....by myself....
yes...because gabriel and i had to 'exercise our rights' as American citizens... we didn't get to be together on our date night...
i got out of school at 4:30 p.m. and made it just in time to NOT wait even a second to cast my vote...which made me super happy....
waiting to hear the news....wishing my lil politician was here with me explaining all the %'s and getting all worked up... =(
spreading love
"Spread love everywhere you go: first of all in your own house. Give love to your children, to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor... Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting." ~ Mother Theresa
the seasons of our lives
i love fall time! i love watching the leaves dance along the streets, hearing them crunch beneath my feet, feeling the cool wind in my face, smelling, baking, and sampling all the yummy desserts, cuddling up with blankets are hearing the wind howl outside while everyone is snuggled up inside, sitting around a huge fireplace with a great book...yes.. i LOVE fall...
gabe loves summer time! he loves humidity (I KNOW!!), he loves anything he can do in a bathing suit... surfing, wake boarding, laying out for hours at the pool, seados, playing pool sports, he also loves barbecuing, playing tennis and golfing... yes...he LOVES summer...
one of the most wonderful things about a relationship is how much it challenges you grow and how it causes you to appreciate so many things in life that you would have otherwise overlooked. oftentimes we are JUST like our best friends... which is so great too! because you understand each other extremely well and it doesn't take much effort...but i must say there is something to be said for WORKING to understand someone's point of view and for appreciating things that you otherwise wouldn't even have noticed as fun or interesting. sigh...yes... it is hard to always do the "appreciation" thing when it comes to differences and it is sooo frustrating....buuutttt when you do... while it IS challenging... and it makes all the seasons of our lives more beautiful!
venturing out...
tonight gabriel and i tried a new restaurant "the quarter." it was pretty good... creole style spicy food...but i have to tell you nothing beats our favorites!
1. miki's sushi esp the spicy tuna
2. charlie's mediterranean grill our fav....fluffy bread and hummus!
3. potbelly...we'll take the 'skinny' subs
4.cosi's
5. prickly pear when we are feelin' mexican
6. paleo's for italian
annnnd yeah that is pretty much our selection. we really just stick to the top 2 and rotate. i'm glad we tried something new purely for the 'sake of trying something new'...but it is true... we are creatures of habit =)
pumpkin bumpkin
highlights from tuesday night:
~working late at school doing complete denture wax-ups ~ 6:45 p.m
~la shish for fattosh, hummus, chicken wraps~yummy (one of our tuesday night specials!) ~7:30 p.m
~home for pumpkin carving...bed by 10:15 (my lastest and greatest bedtime!)
so the best part of my day is knowing that gabriel is picking me up! he spoils me so in so many ways...but one of them is the fact that he drives over an hour to see me a few times a week... and then back home that same night! he never complains... he is so much my life right now... and i have no idea where i would be without his constant support and friendship. friendship between lovers is so important... and i have that in gabriel! he is my sounding board for ideas, dreams, frustrations, and excitement... i'm such a lucky (blessed) girl....
here are some pics... we carved a weirdo face... and baked the seeds w/salt... yummy yummy
~hannah~
"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on
the feelings, as now in October."
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
the feelings, as now in October."
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
chicago memories
chicago held so many wonderful memories...first and foremost was finishing the chicago marathon! the bonding that all the runners did with each other and our family and friends was amazing... and i can't begin to tell you the feeling you get when you cross the finish line! it is the end of a long training program... and quite the rush! i'm so glad that i share this passion for running with gabriel... i know that running together and sharing this has strengthen our relationship in so many ways! can't wait for the next race!
chicago marathon
this weekend is the chicago marathon!!!!!!!!! i have many many mixed emotions of which include: fear, excitement, and pride... this training period has been so much fun so challenging and amazing for me in so many ways! it has shown me quite a bit about myself and my ability to really stick to something that i am working towards no matter what circumstances will try to derail me.... i'm going to write about the entire experience next week... but pray for me, shalene, gabriel, jesse, bethany, christa, and michael as we run our long awaited 26.2~ yippe!! it is finally finally here!!!
hannah
xxx ❤ kissing ❤ xxx
You should be kissed and often
And by someone who knows how
Rhett Butler, Gone With the Wind
Kissing is like drinking salted water
You drink, and your thirst increases
Chinese Proverb A kiss is a lovely trick
Designed by nature to stop speech
When words become superfluous
Ingrid Bergman
"i'd rather be with you"
okay...so if you know me...you will realize first of all how much i love my gabriel....and second of all...how much i love music! i obsess over lyrics, get irritated when other's don't appreciate amazing music, spend hours making playlists...well you get the picture. some of my favorite artists are the following: joshua radin (favoritest!!), the weepies, greg laswell, dave matthews, alexi murdoch, coldplay, ben harper, the cure (ya i know....right), damien rice, and dashboard confessional, iron and wine, u2, and maroon 5...oh and i could go on forever...i finally got the new itunes update and with the help of the new program "genius" discovered the joshua radin cd! (this story with all it's digressions has a point) one of the songs is perfect for gabriel and i...( i mean they are ALL good so get the cd...but esp this one!)
so why this song?? because of the line..."i need to be be bold...jump in the cold water" to those of you who don't know...when gabe and i first started dating, my family didn't even know who i was around him...because i was sooo giddy and spontaneous. i am not a "play-it-by-ear" girl...nor am i one to do be all goofy or unpredictable....buuuttt...enter gabriel bails...one day after a long tennis match (one of our favorite pastimes) we drove up to the house...and as we were walking up the driveway....i grabbed gabe's hand... and said.... "wanna jump in the lake??" he was like... "with all our clothes on??" i said "SURE! yes go!" running as he chased me into the water...where we kissed and swam...my family told me that is how they knew gabriel was the one... because of who i am when i am with him....
here are the lyrics....xo han
"I'd Rather Be With You"
~Joshua Radin~
Sitting here, on this lonely dock
Watch the rain play on the ocean top All the things I feel I need to say
I can't explain in any other way
I need to be bold
Need to jump in the cold water
Need to grow older with a girl like you
Finally see you are naturally
The one to make it so easy
When you show me the truth
Yeah, I'd rather be with you
Say you want the same thing too
Now here's the sun, come to dry the rain
Warm my shoulders and relieve my pain
You're the one thing that I'm missing here
With you beside me I no longer fear
just another day...lovin' life
the last few weeks have been HECTIC! very busy and very productive. in the midst of it all... my favorite times are tuesday and wednesday nights with gabriel. we go to dinner...hang out for an hour or so before he has to do that awful drive back to oakland township. gabriel is so good to me! he takes care of me and spoils me to pieces. here a few pics of him spraying my ugg boots that he got me for my birthday... isn't he the cutest...well... i think so =)
holding hands
cliche' as it may be...one of the things that makes me smiles when i think about it...so secure and happy when i'm doing it...and absolutely miserable when i can't do it...is holding hands with gabriel bails! it's true... i love holding hands that much!! in fact (and gabe can attest to this) sometimes i get a lil overcome with how much i love holding hands and i will squeeeeeeze his hand sooo hard i think i almost hurt him! imagine that huh? thought i was crazy before and now i just solidified it? gabe and i do the classic 3 squeezes meaning "i love you" but we have special codes for what 4 squeezes ect...
isn't there is something so endearing and precious when you see couples holding hands? especially when you see the weathered hands of the elderly as they grip the hand of the one they have walked through life with. so much strength, comfort, love, friendship, and passion is translated through the holding of hands...so... don't disregard this socially acceptable way of "publically displaying affection" as common place..for it is one of my favoritest things....think about that next time you grab for the hand of the one you love...
my lil sis christa
the last two weeks have afforded gabriel and i the pleasure of spending time with my beautiful fun-loving sis christa mista!!! she is seriously one of the most joyful smiley (is that a word) people i know! she is so positive and just so fun to be with! i love you christa marie budzinski! xo
when gabriel calls...
so...one of the many things i love about my iphone are my personalized ringtones! i love when i know it is gabriel calling me. my ringtone for him is "chasing cars" by snow patrol. this song reminds me of him in so many ways.
1. he "introduced" me to the band
2. the line "here in your perfect eyes"- well you just have to see my fiancée's eyes... yes they are...PERFECT!
3. my favorite line... "i need your grace...to remind me to find my own"
Chasing Cars lyrics
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads
I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own
All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see
I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world
emails...the new "love-letter"
i love sending gabriel emails using the leopard features....they allow you to create the cutest lil messages! here's one i sent him ;)
our latest fetish...bike riding
yes, helmets and all!!! about a month ago gabriel bought a bike, a new seat for the bike, a bike lock, new road tires, and a CO2 tire pump, a new helmet... well you get the picture. so, thus begins the pastime of biking. where??? EVERYWHERE! everytime we go out in ann arbor to dinner, frozen yogurt, kroger, or the movies... WE BIKE! it is actually really really fun to be getting in some extra cross-training as our marathon date (october 12th!!) approaches! keep a look out for a cute lil couple bikin' across town!
my gorgeous fiance
okay so i'm a little bit obsessed...well maybe alot...but the truth of the matter is that gabriel bails bahlhorn, my fiance, is gorgeous! we went to my cousin matthews wedding on August 8th and i just couldn't keep my eyes of him! i love him so much! we had so much fun dancing and being with family! it was a beautiful wedding~ congrats matt and lisa
missing gabriel
sigh... well gabriel is off to the dominican republic for missions work...and well... i already miss him terribly! it is amazing to me how much one person can change your heart and life. i never considered myself an extremely emotional person...but when he called for 2 minutes on the international call tonight i got all chocked up and when he hung up i cried! it is so amazing to share love with someone...and i can't wait to share my everyday life with him. i watched "p.s. i love you" yesterday night. i didn't think i would even like it...but i loved the message that this movie portrays... don't spend your life wishing to "be somewhere or something" or waiting for "life to begin"... life is "right now" each moment makes up your todays...so cherish the time with the ones you love and who love you.... enjoy some of my favorite quotes from the movie...xo (p.s. the picture above is how every girl loves her face to be held before she's to be kissed)
"What do you want? I know what I want, cause I'm holding it in my hands...You. Every morning I still wake up and the first thing I want to do is to see your face." ~ Gerry
"I don't want to make any mistakes." ~Holly "Then you're in the wrong species, love. Be a duck." ~Gerry