What a sight!

You are never going to believe this!  Part of me wishes I had a camera..the other part is glad I didn't.  We were enjoying a great dinner and a little golden spoon for dessert with the Bishops when our time was interrupted by about 150 college students in their UNDERWEAR!  Boys and girls alike! They came running through the shopping center, close to our house and right across the street from campus, shouting and yelling.  A few ran into golden spoon and yelled "Wahoo Undie Run" - which is how we knew what it was and the rest ran through Pete's Coffee. It was definitely a sight.  We were reminded that we live on a college campus in an instant.  The four of us sat dumbfounded at the sight and had a bunch of great laughs after!!

Arrowhead with the Guties!

We had such a great weekend with the Gutierrez family!  We put on a fire, sipped tea, walked the village, put on a fire, read, watched movies, put on a fire, listed to John MacArthur, played a game and put on a fire.  Yes, the theme of the weekend was a warm, crackling fire.  We had it going all the time and most of our activities were near the fire.  It brought us together!

It is a blessing to be able to get away for a weekend.  Slow life down a little and enjoy the fellowship of good friends. I'm so thankful the Lord has placed them in our lives. 

So much to catch up on!!

My Comeupance!

After all the blogging about the fortune of being an eyewitness to the misfortune of others, I finally received my comeupance.  I FELL!!  I was out for a run and tripped over the spikes that usually tell a car to stay out.  However, this time they told me, "you had it coming!" So yes, I hope someone was out there having a good chuckle when I landed flat on the ground without warning.  It was a pretty good fall!

Two birthdays!  

The first week in November is full of birthdays of very special people in the lives of the Poladians. 

Happy Birthday Michelle!

What a special person.  She has taught me compassion through her obvious care for others that has no boundaries.  She has taught me how to be joyful, her heart is overflowing with joy from the Lord.  She has taught me how to cook!  Thanks for the many delicious recipes you have shared. Cheers to you friend - we pray your life will be used greatly by the Lord! You have definitely made it available.  We love you Michelle!

Happy Birthday Alex!

We love Alex!  We are so thankful for the work she is doing in Russia to bring the gospel to a lost country.  I have admired Alex from the time we met and she led a small group I was in.  Her love for the Lord is so strong and her knowledge deep.  She seeks after Him with passion and her life reflects obedience.  We miss you like crazy Al!  Happy (belated) Birthday! We continue to pray for you!

Happy Birthday Mama!!

This past weekend we went home to celebrate my Mom's birthday!  What a special lady!  We had a lot of fun celebrating this year.  It started on Wednesday with a trip to the Nokia Center to see Carrie Underwood.  Melissa and I surprised Mom with the tickets.  She was shocked, which made it more fun for us!  Carrie puts on a great concert and we had a blast.  Oh, and I saw a girl fall down off the curb on our way out. I waited to make sure she was ok before chuckling :) 

Then on Saturday we went to the UCLA v. Oregon State football game.  Mom cooked up a storm so we could have a tailgate party, which Matt and I missed because we were walking through every parking lot at the Rose Bowl looking for them.  They were kind enough to save us some! Unfortunately the Bruins lost, fortunately we had chocolate chip cookies in the car for the drive home. Unfortunately the line for the shuttle back to our car was about 500 miles long, fortunately my Dad had not left yet and picked us up on the side of the road for our own private shuttle ride.  

Happy Birthday Debbie Cooper!  We love your ability to laugh and have a good time, your kind heart, and your selflessness.  Your support gives us comfort and your smile brightens the room.  We pray that the Lord would bless you and make His face shine upon you in this new year.  May you seek after the knowledge and wisdom found in His word and may He give you grace and peace.  WE LOVE YOU!!!

Beachcomber and Fall Fest

BEACHCOMBER

Auntie Noralea and Auntie Barbara came down to Irvine for a visit!  We were so excited to show them around and take them to church with us.  They treated us to a delicious breakfast afterward at the Beachcomber!  Aaron came too. You must go there if you are down in Newport Beach.  It was right on the water and so delicious.  We loved it!  Thanks so much Auntie Barbara and Auntie Noralea!

FALL FEST

For Halloween our church puts on a "large scale community event" for anyone to come and enjoy!  It was so great - there was candy, costumes, climbing walls, In-N-Out, Taco Bell, kettle corn, game booths and a lot more and it was all free!  We volunteered to help and were put on bathroom duty!  Here is Matt at his command post!  

We had a great time and are thankful for our new friends the Primicerios and the Kroekers for helping us pass the time at the potties!

Matthew made dinner!

How wonderful!  He got home sooner than expected today and went straight to work on dinner. He made a tasty salad with turkey and homemade croutons.  Yes croutons! He got creative and made some croutons with the heal of the bread that everyone throws away.  It was delicious.  I LOVE MY HUSBAND!  Too bad I didn't think to take a picture.  I'm still working on that one :) So instead here is a cute picture of the chef!

The group shot

Neel, Gunjan, Chris, Bryan, Spencer, Abhishek, Bhaskar, Matthew 

(Janet was taking the picture)

Neel did all the dishes!!

Today was the 6 miles run to get ready for the big 13 mile run in January.  We had everyone over for pancakes and oj to relax after the run. The training schedule goes up by one mile every Saturday and then tapers off before the race day.  We'll see if we get such big smiles after the 12 mile run in December!

3 months already...

I have been thinking about how it has been three months since my second surgery for thyroid cancer.  I'm still not sure I believe I had cancer.  I can't identify with patients who have had chemotherapy, stayed in the hospital for weeks or even months at a time, loosing all my hair or feeling weak and feeble due to the many medications.  What I can identify with is hearing the word cancer and the flood of thought that takes place in your brain the minute the doctor uses it.  I can identify with having so much blood taken you're not sure you are going to have any left and having a scar as a constant reminder that you have battled something horrendous that was wanting to break down your body.  

I am thankful to be a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as I have gone through this.  I would not have been able to make sense of any of it and the worry and anxiety would have killed me long before the cancer.  How do you make sense of cancer?  Well, what I know is true is that the Lord has a purpose and a plan for my life.  He never promised that plan would be free from disease or trial, in fact he promises we will be tested through trial and can expect it.  That testing will grow our faith and develop perseverance.  I actually like the word long-suffering instead of perseverance.  It paints a better picture of what it means to push through.  It may be long and we may suffer.  My battle with cancer is not a closed book.  I would be foolish to dismiss it and continue with my life as if it never happened. I can count on more doctor appointments and blood tests.  Only the Lord knows if it will return again and there will be the need for more surgery or radiation.  

I have been encouraged by a book titled The Cup and the Glory by Greg Harris.  It wiped out my old perspective on suffering and gave me a fresh look at it.  Really I haven't suffered - Christsuffered on the cross when he was crucified and took on the sins of the world so that we wouldn't have to pay for them ourselves.  He knew it was not going to be easy, He knew it would be painful, He asked for "the cup" to be taken from Him.  But it wasn't and He SUFFERED.  I have not suffered to the extend Christ did, but the sliver of suffering I have experienced allows me to understand and to identify with my Lord and Savior.  It makes me honor Him more and fall before Him in humble gratitude for what He did for me. So I'm thankful for cancer.  I really am! Anything that draws me closer to the Lord and fixes my gaze solely on Him I am thankful for.

And I'm thankful for all of you, friends and family, who prayed for me and encouraged us greatly as we navigated the rough terrain. I was taught how the body of Christ loves one of its members and seeks to hold them up through the suffering.  Matt and I joked on our wedding day that it will be a long time before we felt so loved again.  We were wrong.  Just two years later we had love heaped on us in healthy servings.  My cup runneth over again as I think about it, just like it did 3 months ago. 

What a great weekend!!

The weekend started off with a celebration for Brieann's birthday.  We went to El Ranchito for dinner - so good!  Happy Birthday Brieann!  I love you and am so glad to be able to celebrate another year of your fabulous life!

Heather and Brieann - Carp House roomies :)

Then Melissa and Eric came down to spend the rest of the weekend with us!  This is the group at Chick-fil-A with the cow.  Aren't they cute?!?!

Then Matt and I both got haircuts!!  A haircut is one of the most wonderful things available to us on this planet.

The final product!  Thanks Melissa! We love you to pieces :)

And we saw some wildlife...out of the preserve I'm sure.  This is the second time I've seen a bird like this in our parking lot!  Still nothing when I'm actually driving through the preserve.  Oh, I found out you can get a tour...I think that might need to happen.

Calling all runners!

Well at the prodding of some of Matt's friends from school we are going to run another 1/2 marathon.  I know I said I would never run another - but here I am.  Going for a run is the perfect thing to do with the extra time on my hands.  I know someday down the road with some mini Poladians in tow I will be remembering the days with longing when I had extra time to go for a run.  So why not soak it up!  

If you are interested in joining us in our 13 mile race to the finish look at this link and send me an email so I can send you the training schedule.  It will be fun...I promise :)

http://teamtrax.net/schalfmarathon

Shane and Shane

We had the chance to see Shane and Shane in concert this weekend at Biola.  What a great concert!  They seem like two regular guys up on stage..so unassuming.  But they are amazing!  The Lord has blessed them with such a talent and they use it to His glory.  They sang for about 2 1/2 hours with a few fun stories in between.  I was encouraged to hear about the song that was inspired by Shadrach Meshach and Abednego.  They were just three guys who wanted to serve the Lord and not bow down to any other king and were thrown into the firey furnace. Daniel Chapter 3:17-18 says this:  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Shane and Shane commented on the part that says "But if not." The three guys were willing to serve God and not bow down to the king whether God would save them from the furnace or not.  Their song talks about "burning in the furnace of the Lord's desire."  The Lord chooses to send us into all kinds of situations and we need to be willing to go - whether it is easy or tough.  This convicted me...

The Wildlife Preserve

Believe it or not, we live on the edge of the Wildlife Preserve in Irvine.  Don't worry - we aren't in danger of tigers or lions showing up outside our door.  In fact I have yet to see any type of wildlife in the Preserve.  I have seen a man running with his dog, two people in their wheelchairs taking a stroll, and many cars driving through.  But no wildlife...interesting.  It is plesant that the open space will not be developed and as Matt said "it's kind of nice driving through the Wildlife Preserve."  I'll let you know the first time I spot something! I'll get some pictures so you can see it too.

The What ifs and the If onlys

If only I could stop with the if onlys..haha!  While it is fun to joke, I'm actually very serious about this one.  I've noticed how often I find myself deep in thought about something that is an if only or a what if.  How pointless.  The bible very clearly tells me to focus my thoughts on above.  What is right, true, pure, holy.  But instead, I go straight to dwelling on what if.... 

I've noticed this a lot more since being in Irvine.  We know Matt's program is only 2 years and then we will move.  Only the Lord knows if we will move down the street, back to Woodland Hills or some other far off place - but it is certain we will move.  Graduate student housing doesn't look kindly on squatters who have finished their program.  I have found myself on numerous occasions thinking deeply about our situation.  What if he gets a job around here and we end up staying permanently, if only I knew what the next two years were going to look like then I could plan accordingly, what if we have to wait to start our family until he is graduated, if only I had the perfect job then I wouldn't think about how we are going to pay the bills.  I could continue and you would be appalled at my thinking.  What might appal you even more is that I am comforted by my thoughts.  Not true comfort, like what comes from the Lord, but comforted to know I'm thinking and examining all possible scenarios.  Silly - He doesn't ask us to sit in anxiety over what might happen. He asks us to pray, submit ourselves to his leading and grow in our understanding of Him. I recognize there is nothing of value in any of my thoughts and if this is all I think about I have not moved forward in my pursuit of holiness.  The Lord has been revealing this sin in my life and urging me to cast it off.  But the writer of Hebrews is right in saying we are so easily entangled by our sin.  

So I find it is helpful and necessary to always go back to what I know is true.  The Lord promises He will never leave or forsake us.  This doesn't mean that He will go along with my plan - but rather the Poladian family will be right where He wants us.  Under His wing and in His will.  Oh, I pray that my comfort would come from that instead of from all my crazy thoughts.  I know I can not make decisions looking backward - I need to have faith and rely on the unseen when moving forward.  I'm thankful for this time of stretching.  My faith is growing and that is always good.    

Twofer

Have you ever thought about driving?  Pretty weird when you think about it - although this one doesn't fit with the theme of changing into an different outfit.  We willingly put ourselves into a metal box and drive around.  The only thing keeping other cars from coming into your lane are lines painted on the ground.  Painted!  Paint is what keeps people in their own lane - obviously this falls apart when we start talking about accidents -- but otherwise we sit in our metal boxes and drive around following lines of paint on the road!  WEIRD!!  

Here comes the twofer..while in the metal box we listen to the radio.  What posesses people to call into the radio.  I've heard some pretty interesting things said by callers and hosts.  For example one host told a lady she "had no idea what she was talking about" probably 5 times during the course of their conversation.  I don't know about you, but it has never crossed my mind to let a radio host know it was my birthday or anyone elses, my opinion on the latest with politics or to discuss a family situation and receive advise.  Who started this calling into radio shows anyway?? Weird.

Rachel Bishop knows what I'm talking about!  So does Andrew Gutierrez!

Our Humble Abode

We took a few pictures of our house here in the OC.  This is our family room and dining room.  You can't see the kitchen table, but it fits in this room too if you can believe it.  We were just amazed that both our couches fit!

Our kitchen and view of the living room.  Notice there is no dishwasher by the sink - that is taking getting used to, but I think we are doing pretty well!

The view of our kitchen from the living room and up the stairs in the back.  We haven't had stairs before so that has been fun!

The kitchen with the electric stove and oven - also a new 

challenge, but no burnt dinners yet!

 

The bedroom - you would never believe all the stuff we were able to store under that bed!  It is the hall closet we don't have.

The next two are "The Pentagon" named by our friend Austin T. Duncan.  This is our office with desks on either side.  With me working from the house and Matt having all of his work to do at the house, we decided to make the second bedroom an office.  We have our desks set up on either side with our backs to each other so we won't be distracted (haha).  This first picture is Matt's desk and mine is below. I know what you are thinking - they invited us down and there is no place to lay our heads.  Don't you worry - we have it all figured out!  Just let us know when you are coming and we will have a nice cozy place for you to sleep!  

And here we are... loving life in the OC... and silly as ever

A word from the Matthew

(Matt)
At The Merage School, orientation is an opportunity for school administrators to give new students a small taste of what we're in for over the next two years. In a word: YIKES!

I've decided that international students will be the source of quite a bit of comic relief and learning here at business school. We have about 40 people from India, China, Taiwan, Japan, UK, and a few others. They've already created stereotypes for themselves: The Indians are always late, the Chinese don't work well in groups, the Japanese are always interested. I don't know that these stereotypes are actually true, but I do know that I've already come to love them all.

Our first exercise as a group was to complete a ropes course. When discussing our fears (ie: heights, small spaces, etc.), Aki from Japan announced that he is deathly afraid of ducks. DUCKS? Yes, ducks. So, Jenny and I have decided we will not be taking him to visit the duck reserve in Santa Barbara. So what's your biggest fear? Take our poll and let us know!

Courtesy of Michelle

Gymnastics - weird! Again we have a different outfit involved and young people running around a floor doing flips and turns, standing a beam that is 6 inches wide and doing to same flips and turns. Twirling around bars and jumping off of springboards. Then there are the men - the rings, parallel bars. Who thought up this stuff? They train for years and years with the hope of one Olympics because by the time you are 18 you are too old! Think about it - weird...

A Little Update

I guess it would be important to tell you where we are! We have moved into a great two bedroom apartment in Palo Verde on the campus of UC Irvine. What? You are thinking - two working professionals living on a college campus. Well, it wasn't the loud, most likely intoxicated, people below our window at 3 am or walking 32 flights of stairs just to do laundry that drew us here. Matt has gone back to school to get his Masters in Business. You'll hear from Matt every so often - he'll give you an update on the happenings at the Merage School. I'm still a working professional though. I have been hired by a charter school that works with home schoolers. Not quite sure about it yet, so I'll tell you more later.

You can use the same cell numbers to reach us - and our home phone is the same too.

New Address:
7624 Palo Verde Rd
Irvine, CA 92617

Once I figure out the picture thing I'll put some up :)

Oh yeah - one funny thing about living on campus again. Everyone rides their bikes - so every so often you have the chance to see someone fall off! I think I was fortunate to see this happen within two weeks of living here. The funny thing is the guy was just standing on the corner with his bike. He wasn't riding or moving at all and he just fell over!!! After making sure he got up and was fine - I burst into laughter. He was kind of laughing too and probably wondering how many people are going to tell the story to all their friends and family. Well, bike rider, thanks for giving me a laugh and a post all in one!

The Excellent Wives Club

A few of us got together to read through Martha Peace's book The Excellent Wife. We appropriately named ourselves the Excellent Wives Club and of course have reached our full potential as wives. Just kidding - that is why me meet - to encourage and exhort each other to honor God and our husbands. I love this group! Moving makes it hard for me to join them on a regular basis, but I soak up whatever moments I get with them.

I was able to have dinner with them last night and talk about what the Lord is teaching us through the new book, Calm My Anxious Heart. Linda Dillow, the author, encouraged us to think about "being content with me." Psalm 139 reminds us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and the works of the Lord are wonderful! Oh how I need to remember that often throughout the day. It is easy to slip into "if only..." and wish something we different about me. I'm thankful for the humility in this group in and the willingness to share how the sin of anxiety manifests itself in our lives.

So who are these fabulous ladies?!? Melissa Matthews - my sweet sister, Michelle Gutierrez and Stacy Kalub - treasured friends. I love you all and look forward to being able to spend time with you again!

If you think about it for too long...

Things become strange and weird if you think about them for too long. Take for example swimming. Some, my husband included, look at swimming pools with longing to get in and swim around. I watched hours of swimming during the Olympics and enjoyed it. But think about it for too long and it becomes weird. It is a big hole in the ground filled with water. We change into different outfits and get in. You'll notice that a lot of weird things involve changing outfits. We can sit in the water for a whole day: talk with friends, swim from one end to the other, jump off the side...weird.