GETTING MARRIED!

I realize this blog hasn't been updated in FOREVER!!!
BUT - I'm ENGAGED!!!

check out the website here:
www.laurenandmicah.com

I'm so excited, but there is still lots of planning to do in the next several weeks, so please pray for Lauren and me (and our families) as we prepare for the wedding and the new chapter in our lives!
pictures on our website!!

Laguna Beach!!

It was a long but very relaxing day today! Amy and I woke up early and took several bags of cans, bottles and plastic to be recycled. Here in CA they have these little drop of sites where you get PAID for anything recyclable! The first place we stopped at was closed, so I called the number and got the address to the next closest site. That site was almost FULL and very busy! So we drove another 15 minutes to the next site! I think we came out with 12 bucks. I think I can get more for aluminum in MN still. But it would be nice to have those same drop off centers!
We stopped at a grocery store to get lunch food, then went back home to wake up the rest of the gang. We all ate breakfast, then drove out to...LAGUNA BEACH! It was SO nice! It was a weekday so the traffic wasn't too bad, and the crowd wasn't too big on the beach either! We same in the ocean, rode on the waves, went belly surfing, and made a sand castle with sand and seaweed! We walked the beach and saw crabs and other sea creatures. When we were swimming we even spotted two dolphins just a dozen yards away! I wish I had a picture of that! It was so great!! I think that was the highlight of my day!
Some people got a little redder in certain places, but for the most part we all got some pretty good tans and a lot of rest!
Later in the evening we met Amy's mom and Ha and they took us out to dinner - at a place called Korean BBQ. It was super fantastic! I had bulgogi and kimshi, fish, rice, and other Korean delicacies! It was sure tasty!
By the time the day was over I think we were all pretty tuckered out!
Road trip starts tomorrow!
Some quotes of the day:
"Is your hair really brown?" "I see you can drive farm equipment. Is that true?" ('I have driven a tractor before, yes sir!')
Pics coming soon!

Los Angeles!!

I worked today...nothing too exciting there. But what happened AFTER work was something worth blogging about! Just after work my coworkers celebrated the birthday for Angelina, our boss's 1 year old baby girl! That was a ton of fun! A lot of the co workers brought their little kids with as well to celebrate!
After the bday party I went over to Sue, Norms, and Grandma's for dinner! Sue made sweet and sour chicken! It was TASTY!!!! Norm recharged my car's A/C, and we looked at the Schaller wedding pictures, as well as pictures from Bulgaria (my aunt and uncle's missions trip this summer)! We also spent some time out at the new fire pit that Norm put in! It's so awesome!
After that I went over to CSF to drop my old house keys off for JB. Then I went over to Lauren's where she dropped me off at the airport (Sun Country). From there I flew to Los Angeles to meet Amy Fluegeman (one of my oldest, if not THE oldest friend of mine!), as well as Liz Argo (another good friend of mine and Amy's) and Hannah! And of course Laura - Amy's sister (who lives here in CA)! We are planning on spending a day at Laguna beach tomorrow, then road tripping back to MN! We're planning on seeing the Grand Canyon, spending time in Las Vegas, and spending a while in the Rockies! Amy's mom's house (Louise) is TIGHT! It is located in Chino Hills, and is on 6 acres of land. The house is surrounded by thick vegetation, and has a GINORMOUS fire pit in the back! The house itself is like a mansion, and the stars are incredibly bright! I didn't think I would be able to see the stars here in LA! But I was totally wrong! I'm so glad I was able to come out here! We all stopped at a place called "In and Out" which has FANTASTIC burgers and fries! For 5 bucks I got a burger, fries, and a shake! No joke!
That's all for now!!!

Cranberry Camping!!

Twas a beautiful weekend to vacation! Lauren's family took me with them this past weekend to Tomah, Wisconsin, which is about a two and half hour drive east from Hudson. Danielle (Lauren's sister) was sick, so she wasn't able to come with us. :(
I arrived at the Johnson's house shortly after work on Friday. No one was home yet, so I played with T.J. the cat and Izzy the dog for a while (then jammed on the piano for a bit)! Lauren's mom arrived about an hour after I did. We packed up the cooler, Lauren's mom took the dog to the kennel, then Lauren and her dad arrived shortly afterwards. We finished all of the packing (food, grill, suitcases, etc.) then loaded up the van and took off!
The ride was pleasant (of course I didn't have to drive either), and we stopped at Moe's "Almost World Famous" cafe! The food was pretty good, and it was fun just hanging out w/ the Johnson Family! We took some pictures by a huge chicken, then continued our drive to Tomah. We arrived at the Cranberry Lodge a little before 10pm I think. They had a sweet hot tub and swimming park indoors!
The room we stayed in was really neat! We stayed in the Blue Heron Suite - it had a kitchen, two queen beds, (two TVs), and a futon! Of course I got the sweet futon all to myself! We unloaded everything (food for the weekend, clothes, etc.) then hung out for a bit before going to bed.
The next morning I got up early to eat breakfast (we found out they had a delicious complementary breakfast at the lodge)! ,along with a "new" book" I'm reading (book 2)by John Piper, given to me by Dr. Ness when I graduated H.S. (I never made time to read it until now...lol)! Lauren and her mom met me later on in the lobby. After we all had breakfast we started out the day by visiting a farmer's market in town. Lauren and I visited the Amish table and were in awe of intricate and delicate work that these ladies toiled over. Many of their items for sale included beautiful bonnets, hats, loafs of bread, and various pastries. Lauren's parents bought some red potatoes and also bought us some Cranberry honey (though it's not made from Cranberry's, it has a distinct accent because the bees pollinated from these berries)! We then visted a cheese factory near our lodge! They had the tastiest cheese EVER! Lauren bought some smoked baby swiss!! I love that girl! I also got some crazy awesome ice cream there (I can't remember the name of it, but I'll let you know when it comes to me...OH! Makiato?) After the factory we went to a HUGE antique store (seriously HUGE) and art gallery. Lauren and I spent most of our time in the book section and Lauren found a book published in 1890, called "Manners, Culture, and Dress of the Best American Society." We totally got it and we read secions of it to each other for the rest of the weekend! It should seriously be read by EVERYONE! Most of the manners and culture is totally Scripture based and referenced to God's Word and the Christian lifestyle that we should abide by! It's fun to read too! (Start out with Chapter 17, regardless of status)!
The rest of the day was spent hiking, geocaching (yes, we went geocaching, and got eaten alive by mosquitoes in the process), walking through downtown Tomah, buying sweet corn, taking a nap at the hotel, visiting a European village mall, buying Jelly Bellies (that was a TON of fun!), then eating in a REALLY GOOD restaurant in downtown Tomah - TPs? I think it was called. Lauren and I ate a rack of some of the best ribs I have ever had! We relaxed back at the hotel in the late evening and eventually called it a night!
Sunday morning Lauren and I got breakfast early in the morning (she definitely surprised me by getting up so early!) and talked for a while until her parents woke up to meet us. We went to Bible E-Free Church in Tomah - and the hymns played were songs that I haven't sung in years! The pastor talked compared the Olympics to our lives. He mentioned that many athletes don't perform to the best of their ability during the qualifiers if they already know they're going to win. But all of the Athletes give it their best shot in the finals. Are we as Christians running the race like a qualifier or as the final run? Because we only live once and get ONE shot at it! And if we run, we MUST run to WIN. And if we struggle, God will be there to see us through to the end, just like the runner's father in Athens, when he tore a hamstring while running the final race.
After church we explored the cranberry capital of Wisconsin near Tomah. We took a fun tour and learned a zillion thing about the berry, from the name to the process of harvesting it! We visited a "mall" nearby, and have some great pics to show! We then drove to Black River Falls for a picnic in a State Park! Lauren and I played toss with a doughnut hole, we grilled brats, and listened to music! We arrived back to Hudson and then I helped Lauren load up some more furniture for her appt. We met Amy Brown and the gang for some park fun later that evening because it was Amy's last night in the cities this semester.
Even LATER in the evening, Lauren, Katie K, Amy and I went over to Lydia and Charles' house to watch "Chalk" and eat ice cream! It was a jam-packed fun weekend! God is to receive all of the credit though! He has totally blessed me with some fantastic friends! Thanks to Lauren's parents as well for treating us this past weekend to everything!! You guys are great! Pics to come shortly!

Eagle Mountain Pizza!

There are some who say that the priority of this past weekend's trip was to venture to the summit of Eagle Mountain - Minnesota's highest peak. There are others who claim that Sven and Olie's pizza, and Bridgeman's ice cream was the secret priority. A few others might even say that looking for Superior Agates or Thompsonite was the real objective in this expedition. What do I say?! I say - the whole trip was the objective, and this objective was most definitely completed!
This exciting but strenuous trip was composed of some of the world's most accomplished backpackers! Five members in all: Charles and Lydia Schaller (most feared for their ability to laugh in the face of danger. Also one of the most skilled couples in the area of climbing mountains (Lydia practically ran through the mountain!)! Next up is the greatly honored and respected Nigel Bennett from South Africa! His skills in the back woods are never to be questioned, as he has accomplished some of the most difficult trails in the world. His camping skills and knowledge of the Great Outdoors surpasses even the most knowledgeable man (Survival Man stands no chance again Nigel's mad skills). Finally we have Lauren Elise Johnson. Her wisdom, bravery, and wit is like none any as seen. She is known for her ability to conquer anything set in her way! If she had a different name it would be "Incredible Unbelievable Johnson"! Yes, the Johnson must be part of her name, for without it, it would be hard to look her up on Google.
So our excursion began shortly after work (and after looking at Charles and Lydia's network)! We piled into the Saturn, picked up Lauren and Nigel, and began our trek to the Great North! Many of the riders had not supped yet, so we drove through Arby's off Lexington and 35W. Because some of the travellers were also tired, we stopped in North Branch for Moo Lattes at DQ! Lydia and Charles most graciously footed the bill! (Wherever did that idiom come from?!)
The next stop was the North Shore! As night began to fall upon us we reached Duluth. We stopped at an outlook to stretch our legs and take a couple pictures (included at the end of this post of course)! We were then trying to decide where to camp for the night. We threw out the idea of Cascade Lodge's House, since the price was a little steep to split five ways. We decided since it was already too late to purchase a Boundary Water's permit (because Eagle Mountain is part of that organization), and because the permit was almost $100, that we would just camp in the parking lot when we arrived. The parking lot would be about 30 minutes northwest of Grand Marais, and would most likely be away from any civilization for the night. As we approached Grand Marais around 11pm, we turned into the dirt/gravel road to lead to the Mountain trail. We encountered a very rigid and therefore bumpy road. The car shook and vibrated the entire time we were on this road. As we neared our destination, we happened upon an actual camp site near Two Island Lake! It was only $15 per night, so we quietly drove to an empty slot (there were many cars and tents there to my surprise, and only a couple spots were vacant). It was now quite late and we began to pitch tents as quickly and as quietly as we could. The most beautiful noise was that of a Minnesota Loon far off in the distance. Lauren slept in her pup tent, Lydia and Charles in the 3 person tent, Nigel in his mosquito net (tied to a couple trees), and the car was also used for sleeping in :) It isn't as uncomfortable as one might think! Early the next morning (6ish) we awoke, packed up, and drove to the parking lot. It was a lot closer than we thought! We immediately geared up, said a prayer, then began our trek to the peak of the mountain. The first mile or so of trail (I will guess almost two miles) lead to the mountain base. The trail was narrow, but the weather was beautiful and still slightly cool. We saw a chipmunk and a brown squirrel holding a pine cone in it's mouth. It was quite a sight, but the sight vanished as quickly as it appeared, so only our minds were able to retain the images that time!
The hike was a bit strenuous. There were plenty of rocks, roots, and bridges to cross before the base of the mountain was reached. The potential to sprain an ankle or two presented itself many a time before the hike was finished. Thank the Lord this never became an issue.
Just before our vertical assent, we reached a gap in the foliage. This view outlooked a beautiful lake and a few mountains in the distance. We took a breather and gathered our strength, then ventured forth into the height of the Mountain. The first mile was quite steep, but leveled out after a while. The final mile was breathtaking. There were many openings in the trees and we were able to view miles upon miles, with streams flowing, birds flying, and mountains reaching far into the distance. If you read the series, it reminded me of Narnia. We followed some standing stones which led us to the plaque, and therefore the summit of Eagle Mountain. Some pictures were taken, laughs were shared, and a few minutes later we were joined by the presence of other hikers. I believe we were the first up the mountain this beautiful morning, but as we descended the mountain (which took most of the reserve energy out of our team), we ran into several other hikers heading the opposite direction. An entire Army unit, dressed in full fledged uniforms, and some carrying enormous backpacks met us while we were heading down. The weather was now getting warm and I felt bad for the unit heading up the hill ("mountain", excuse me!). We began our trek at 8am, and arrived at 12pm. A four hour and 7 mile hike!! We cleaned up a little bit (if one can truly use that word) and drove a different road to Grand Marais. This one was a lot less rigid and more dirt-like! My shocks were happy! We came to Grand Marais and went to Sven and Olie's for lunch. We were all famished. Lydia and Charles again spotted the bill (thank you again!) and ordered two large pizzas for the five of us! They were downed in no time! We took a rest at the beach of Superior while some of us looked for agates in the rocks near the shoreline. After some time we went back to Sven and Olie's for two La La Palooza Sundaes! If you don't know what these are, each one has eight scoops of ice cream, topped with caramel, walnuts, whipped cream, and more! We also ate these as well!! By then everyone was exhausted and ready to go home. We made it home in record time, and before 9:30pm (I think we left around 5pm)! We all wanted to do even more that day, but some of the bodies just couldn't handle any more fun for that weekend! We will definitely be back though! And soon!
Enjoy the pictures! Video links below as well!
Trek to Eagle Mountain
Eagle Mountain Nearing Summit
Dragonfly Blair Witch Project
Nigel doing a handstand on the Summit of Eagle Mountain

Home bitterSweet Home!

I am officially moved back to my family's house in Andover! It is definitely a mixed feelings of emotions. On one hand I am really glad to be back with my family. They were excited for me to move back, and I'm glad I can contribute more time with my family now. Not to mention I get a kitty cat this Monday!!!!! I'm probably more excited about that than other perks! My dad is finishing up a new bathroom for the basement as well! I would say that is probably just as equally exciting!
The downside is that I will be a good distance away from most current CSFers. I enjoyed being around the excitement and activities that took place at the Center all of the time! And the thrill of nonstop "things going on" was quite enjoyable! And any time I felt like needing a little quiet time (which does happen more than one might think) I always had a room upstairs to retreat to (as well as the adjoining attic). God has been good to me these past 3 years at the house (and 5 years with the ministry). Many life long memories are attached to my time with CSF and staying at the house. I'm so excited to see where God directs my future. I find that the "one day at a time" mentality brings in the best surprises!
Well - I'm off now to go on a camping/hiking/exploring expedition way up north (Grand Marais) with Charles, Lydia, Lauren and Nigel. I can't wait! Pray for our safety, for God to be honored in our trip, and to be surprised by God! Pics to come after the weekend is over! Oh - a quick shout out to my now former roommate Zeb! You rock!

Sunday Schaller Supper!!

Picked up Taylor and Lauren for church today! We made it just on time! Service was touching and powerful. Jeremiah and the Gamble performed a one-man skit of the impact Jesus had during His time on Earth, based on the Gospels! Pastor spoke on the need Meadow Creek has on the offerings we give to our Lord through our offerings and tithings. He also emphasized the importance of offering our time in the community as well. Otherwise what is the point of going to church, only to stay within our Christian bubble for the rest of the week?!
After church I began packing things up at CSF and getting ready to move back home. I have one week left at the Center. Dad came around 5:45pm to help move out the big stuff in the Suburban. Later that evening Lauren and I were invited to Charles and Lydia's house for dinner and a movie! It was a lot of fun! Lydia is an amazing cook, and it was fun to hang out with those guys for the evening! I'm so glad they're really close to where I live (even if I'm only close for one more week)!!
Pics to come?!

Mary's Wedding!

My cousin Mary was married today! She belongs to the famous line of the Camplin Clan, which branched forth the Nystrom Niche'. This Nystrom line was responsible for producing some of the most famous and gifted people of the 21st Century. Take for instance Jessica Nystrom (now Johnson). She is by far one of the most talented artists this world has ever seen. Not only did she decorate the most exquisite wedding cake for my sister Lydia's wedding, she has designed and created some of the most intricate and incredible creations of our time! Your imagination will have to suffice for now! She married Pete, one of the most gifted theologians and (handy-man) given to mankind! Together, like the Power Rangers, they form into this, hospitable, creative, theologian machine! Nothing can stand in their way!
Next up we have Daniel Nystrom! He started out as a super star soccer player, then conformed into legendary football kicker! He has set (and still holds) several records for the University of Minnesota Gopher Football Team! He married Summer the Superstar, and no feat is too great for them!
Finally, Mary Nystrom (now Goettsche)! She was the Soccer Star, transformed into Football Kicker for Cooper High school after her brother graduated and left the team! She holds many famous titles, such as Mascot Mary, Krazy Kicker, and Soccer Superstar! Her wedding was fun! She even had a coffee/espresso bar, chocolate fondue fountain, and a candy table at the reception! I only had a couple pics from the wedding (and none of the beautiful bride...), but if you tune to camplinfam.blogspot.com you should see some wedding pics soon!!

Scavenger Hunt Date!!

Today was definitely a highlight day! I came home from work to discover a little orange envelope taped on the back door with my name on it. It turned out to be a scavenger hunt through the house! Dennis told me that a beautiful girl was here only moments ago and that I might have just missed her. I simply smiled and read the notes and clues that lead me around the house! Dennis even helped me out!
From following the clues and hints, I changed into something nice, then finally put together a fragmented sentence from combining all of my clues together and drove to Granite City (hoping I was on the right track)! Sure enough, sitting in a corner booth was a beautiful girl dressed up in the most beautiful dress! We ate dinner, laughed, and had a great time! Then after dinner I waited while said girl went to "use the restroom." A few minutes later I received a text message alluding to another location to drive to, based on a previous date! I drove to Snuffy's for dessert and sure enough, sitting the same booth from about 4 months ago was sitting the same beautiful girl with the same incredible smile! We split a malt (fudge brownie!!!), then rented the Goofy Movie to watch back at her apartment. This was definitely an evening to remember! Side note: Blockbuster charges over $4 for EVERY MOVIE now! I suggest Redbox or just purchasing movies now (while streaming movies or torrents could be other options as well)!

Gelato and Jesus!

Hey! Work today wasn't too eventful, but it was AFTER work that the adventures came! Lauren came over to CSF and made me dinner! Chicken, broccoli, and rice! Then I took Lauren to Dinkytown for Gelato! Just as we finished parking, a BMW tried to parallel park behind us! They didn't pull far enough forward, and kept getting really close to my car! Of course I laughed and thought it was really funny! Not in a mean way of course, but it was pretty hilarious! Especially since they had TONS of room behind them! After coming back (the gelato was awesome) we noticed the girls were leaving at the same time again and we noticed the smirks on their face as well! Turns out, the following morning I noticed a note left under my wiper blade saying "would your Jesus have laughed?"!! It totally threw me for a loop, until I realized that they probably read my Jesus bumper sticker when trying to park! My answer to that is a simple "yes, most likely"!

105 years and still tickin'!

Work today was fun. I took Charles to Godfathers for lunch, and it was good to just chill for a while and get some odds and ends done at work. :)
After work I met up with Lauren and we picked up Grandma Sonia so we could all go over to see Evelyn Gullickson. Evelyn is an old neighbor friend of Grandma's. My dad knew her growing up as well, and I even met her a few times as a small child. Currently she resides in an assisted living apartment in New Brighton. Oh - did I mention that she's almost 105 years old?!! Meeting her was super fun! She totally threw me for a loop when I saw her again after so many years! She has more energy than most of my very own grandparents, and yet she has lived over a century! Her mind is very sharp, and she has such an energetic personality! She even asked about Lydia and Charles' wedding! It was so encouraging to talk to her with Lauren and Grandma. Her faith in Jesus was also astounding, and I have no doubt that her relationship with her Saviour is part of the reason for her longevity. She longs to be with her late husband in Heaven and in the presence of Jesus, but she also knows that God must have a reason for her to be where she is, and so she is content to serve Him here until her time on earth is done. Evelyn has so many friends at the home that love and care for her. Her family in CA even comes out to visit many times! What a blessing it was to spend some time with her!
After our visit, Grandma Sonia took Lauren and me out to Applebees. It was refreshing to catch up with Grandma and chat about life, upcoming events, and small talk. She is quite a blessing to me and my family. I couldn't ask God for better grandparents.
After Lauren and I dropped off Grandma, we drove to Southdale to the Cheesecake factory to meet Lauren's family! We ended up arriving several minutes before her family showed up, but we secured a large table and enjoyed each others company for a while. Eventually her parents and Danielle arrived and we had fun chatting and eating $1.50 cheesecake (it was the 30th anniversary of the Cheesecake Factory)!! Lauren's family is crazy awesome! We were at the Factory until after 11pm! Then we helped Dani move into her new house in Richfield! I think we were all up long after midnight! Her family has energy to no end (except Lauren that is)! :) It was quite the day - with lots going on, but I managed to enjoy every bit of it!! :-) pictures to come...!

Mow, Mow, Mow the Lawn

Charles took me out for lunch today! What a guy!
After work I went over to Grandma Mc's to mow his lawn. We hung out, I ate a dilly bar, and we talked about stocks and finances. Shortly thereafter I went to CSF to do some cleaning. Today is the first day that I haven't been able to see Lauren since her return from Ghana! She spent the evening with her roommate Amy instead :) So I ended up going to Target, getting some flowers and window "chalk"/(paint) and decorated Lauren's car (and Amy's) for the following morning! :) That's about it! A couple more weeks until I have to be out of CSF! Sad!

BBC - Narnia-style

Went to church today. Picked up Taylor and Lauren. Had a guest speaker because Pastor O'Brien was initially going to be in Peru for a church missions trip (but he ended up not going). After church I dropped off Taylor and brought a few things back to Andover as I slowly move back in with my family. Lauren and I hung out for the rest of the day, getting ice cream and watching the Chronicles of Narnia movies (BBC) on VHS. We also watched some crazy old Batman episodes from back in the day! Fun day!

Sonshine 2008

I was hoping for a larger group of friends to attend Sonshine, but when all was said and done, only Jesse Holmgren, Lauren, the Meadow Creek youth group, and Janelle Larson were the only people I knew that went! Oh! I did end up running into Heidi Woerle, Danielle Schiebout (I hope I spelled that right), and a few other old high school friends! And also Brian and Noelle as well! Ok, ok, so more people showed up than what I thought! It was a blast! Some of the highlights include Pillar singing Jesus Freak, David Crowder playing the Mario theme song, and Skillet putting on a rockin' show! I had a blast! Lauren and I went to Lu Lu Beans a couple of times, which is a little quaint coffee shop/house! We also went to this awesome pizza place and ate one of the best taco pizzas around! We ALSO went bowling and we saw the Dark Knight at the midnight showing! So we did A LOT at Sonshine! Not only did we see dozens of great bands play, we also enjoyed the vacation and relaxation of hanging out in Willmar! See the slide show below for most of the pictures! There are a few videos too, but you'll have to click on the pics to link to Picasa in order to see them (until I upload them to youtube and provide links)!
- Micah

Run in the Sun B-)

A BEAUTIFUL sunny day today! My mother called me in the morning to set up a lunch date! She took me out to Godfather's Pizza near my work. We talked for a few minutes before I had to head back to work - and if having a lunch date with Mom wasn't crazy random enough, my mom came to SEE WHERE I WORK! After about 8 years of being at DRC, my parents haven't been inside any building where I work! My mom came over to Boone and she saw many of my co-workers from the wedding and met a few others. Then I gave her a tour and we talked for a bit! Crazy Cool!
Ok - so my day has already been fantastic! But it was only half over! After work I was able to spend some time with my BEAUTIFUL and FANTASTIC girlfriend Lauren! We went for a run around the neighborhood! It was so much fun! She is sooo fun to run with and chat! We wore ourselves out, got cleaned up, then I took her to the California Pizza Kitchen for the first time! We had a super neat waitress who just graduated from the UofMN in Psychology and was a blast to chat with! The food was amazing as well (not to mention dessert)! After THAT we went back to CSF where we made a stamp for our letterboxing excursions. We decided on a theme and finished our first stamp in our series that we'll be leaving for others to find! Lauren is super creative! Around 10:30 it was time to say goodnight to Lauren, and time to rent a movie until I fell asleep myself!

The Greatest Deal Ever Told - (maybe not, but it was a good one!)

I picked up Lauren for church this morning! It was a great service - God was really glorified. When singing hymns, my mind almost always goes back to a CSF Bible Study night, led by Rebecca Lehmer, who helped remind us why we sing praises to God in the first place. She also provided some useful tools to help us focus on the songs so our minds don't become distracted and so we can bring God all of the glory when we sing to Him! One of these tools included visualising images that the song brings to mind, then focusing those images on our relationship with God. I also think about what some of the words mean that I don't quite understand and how it fits with the music. Anyway, it was a good service and an excellent music/worship/praise time as well!
After church we had lunch at Davanni's (good stuff), then went home to Andover for a little while. Lauren and I hung out for a bit w/ my family while I helped Mom with some computer things, and helped Jake with purchasing the Prince Caspian Soundtrack!
Later on Lauren and I went to Best Buy to look for a DVD player for her appt! There were several "open boxes" and every time we looked at a different one it seemed we were getting a better deal and saving more money! The last DVD player we looked at 2was $40 and was marked down from $100!!! CRAZY! Lauren's mom gave her a $100 budget to purchase a DVD player so we had 60 left over so far! We just needed to get her a bigger TV next (Amy Brown had a tiny one at home).
Next, we went letterboxing at the UofMN campus! It was our first excursion since dating I think! And it was also our first opportunity to use our newly created stamp! We found the letterbox with great joy! We ended up getting eaten alive again by our state insect, but still had a fabulous time!
After letterboxing we drove to West St. Paul to pick up a TV we found on Craig's List! The owner was really nice and many friendly words were exchanged ("give him our best wishes" or something to that extent, and, "we'll see you later" were just a couple of those wonderful moments)! The 27" TV was also $40!! We just got a HUGE tv and NEW DVD player for $80!! And STILL had $20 left over! How sweet is that?!
After THAT we set up the TV and DVD player, and by then it was getting late, so I decided to retreat to my living quarters and retire for the evening, while falling asleep to reading a good book!

WAR, HUH, YEAH, What is it good for? Absolutely NOTHIN'!

Lauren made breakfast this morning! What a girl! We picked up Amy Brown from the airport and brought her home, then I went to Andover to see Lydia and Charles open wedding gifts while Lauren, Amy, and Taylor went to volunteer with a Simpson Housing picnic! JB gave Lyd and Charles a digital picture frame that plays Mp3s AND video, while also having an analog clock attached to the other side of the frame! Good man!
Later in the afternoon I went to Cossetta's in St. Paul w/ Lauren, her sister, and her extended family! I wish I had pictures to share, but those memories will have to stay intact in my brain (until they figure out some sort of extrapolation method that can convert thoughts to JPEGs)! The food was great! I love Lauren's family as well!! It's also a great place for a date (hint)!
After dinner we all went over to the Science Museum to visit the new Star Wars exhibit! Again...no pictures :( But it was really fun!!! It was cool to see the props up close and learn about real-life robots that exist in the world today (oh my GOODNESS I'm sounding like some sort of freakish tour guide...I'll stop now)!
That's all for now folks!!!!!
- Micah
:-)

Meet the (Extended) Family :-)

Today after work, I met up with Lauren and her extended family in Woodbury, where she nanny's for her cousins! They are a really kind family - with a lot of love and generosity. Her cousins are great! After dinner (which was REALLY good by the way) Lauren and I took a couple of her cousins to see the opening premier of Wall-E at the drive-in! We also saw the Incredible Hulk after that! It was a lot of fun! We stopped at a gas station to pick up a couple snacks, then played frisbee in the drive-in lot until the movie started. I really enjoyed it! Pixar outdid themselves again with another funny, family-friendly movie! I look forward to seeing it again sometime!

Drive-In Movie Frenzy!

This summer has been fun with going to the drive-in from time-to-time! I think the majority of drive-ins I have been to in my life have been from this year alone! I remember as a kid viewing Jurassic Park with my family at the drive-in! Good times!
This year Lauren and I have been to the drive-in probably 4 or 5 times now! Seeing:

* Ironman (usually a triple feature, with a couple B-movies following the main feature)
* Kung Fu Panda, Ironman (yesterday night)!
* Get Smart, Indiana Jones, Jumpers (a fun triple feature that we saw a couple days ago)!
* The Chronicles of Narnia, Speed Racer

* The Forbidden Kingdom, I think 10,000 B.C. and another B-rated film

* Wall-E, Incredible Hulk (tonight, with Lauren and a couple of her cousins)!
So it's been a fun summer! Mosquitoes can definitely be a problem though (my left hand has like 9 bites on it)! Next time I have to remember to bring stuff for that!
Ok - back to work!
Shalom!

Galaxy Quest

"Never Give Up, Never Surrender!"
That's all I have to say :)

Oh - Lydia and Charles return from their honeymoon today! Ariel and Mary cleaned stuff up, bought them food and supplies, and organized the appt for their return! I stopped by a couple times to check up on it, as well as to drop off some more wedding gifts from friends :-)

Later today I plan to maybe go to CSF, then to the drive-in w/ Lauren to see Kung Fu Panda and Ironman! I've only heard good things about the former, and I've already seen Ironman but am very much looking forward to seeing it again!

Jack Johnson Concert!!!

Many things have been happening in my life since I last blogged, but I figured I would start somewhere recent to get things kicked off again on here! I just went to a Jack Johnson concert w/ my girlfriend Lauren! We went last Sunday in a 'middle-of-nowhere' place in Wisconsin (that's what most of WI is like anyway right?!)!
There were massive amounts of people there! Lots of smoking and drinking, but it was still a fun time! We got comfortably close and I took a few pictures and videos to share! Enjoy!
Videos:
Banana Pancakes
Flake Part 1
Flake Part 2
Upside Down
"Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" & "Just What I Needed"
Mason Jennings: How Deep Is That River (interesting song)

Witch's Hat Tower

There is a beautiful, mysterious, and overshadowing tower known to many as the "Witch's Hat Tower." This tower is located on University, between the St. Paul and Minneapolis campus. I have many a time driven by this tower and longed to climb it. It is said that Bob Dillan wrote a song inspired by the Witch's Hat Tower (he may have even written the song while inside the tower itself)! I recently learned that the tower used to open to the public most any day. As a matter of fact, Lauren told me that her parents went on picnic dates in the tower back in the day! The tower was closed to the public a while ago, and is now only open once a year for the community to visit and climb. I was fortunate enough to go this year with some good friends of mine! Lauren was still in Africa, but I was able to w/ Caleb, JB, Liz, Taylor, and Amy Brown! It was a beautiful view as you can see in the pictures! Such a perfect day! I guess I don't have too much more to say except enjoy the photos!

A Whole New World

Today marked the beginning of many new adventures.
This morning, Charles, Jamey, Tom, and I met at Caribou coffee this morning to being our first official prayer group meeting together for our company. Nothing out of the ordinary happened this morning, but after our prayer meeting was over, I believe we all had a renewed spirit and an encouraged heart. I hope and pray that meetings like these will continue on for our company, and that lives will be changed because of it.
At work, Charles and I developed a prayer blog so employees can pray for other employees and for our company. I believe we have many other employees within our company that would be willing to contribute to this effort. We also know that when we take a step forward to pray in any instance, the evil one is not far behind. So we must be diligent in what we do, lest are efforts become vain.

Later this evening, Charles and I stopped back to CSF to change, then ventured out to Maple Grove, amidst heavy rush hour (we were an hour late) to visit Caleb's new place! It is quite nice and very welcoming. JB, Katie and Amy were here (along with Aaron who showed up much later). We ordered pizza, watched a couple movies (that we spent finding at Blockbuster for an ungodly amount of time...and Katie's membership didn't work there which is weird).

Charles and I are spending the night here since it is no use driving home, only to drive back out here for work in the morning. Caleb is definitely one of the most hospitable friends I have (not to mention among the wisest and godliest), and I am quite honored to be his friend and to speak of him in this manner.

Shalom,
Micah

Time with others

It's been nice spending time with friends during this school break (for everyone that is still in school that is)! Seeing the Sound of Music with Caleb, Charles, Lydia, Hillary; spending time with family and friends for New Year's Eve, random hang-outs, etc.

And now I'm excited to see those who are coming back from vacations and holidays! Today Amy and Taylor get back! Yes, it's such a big deal that I'm actually blogging about it! How about that!

I also wanted to put pictures up from a bunch of us (Krystal, Charles, Caleb and Lydia) making dinner and hanging out at Hillary's the other day - but alas, I didn't take any pictures! Our memories will have to suffice!

God bless,
Micah