just livin the dream

Another interesting day on Christian st...let me set this up for you. I was walking to Grey's Ferry (about 3 blocks away) on Christian St. preparing myself for the "7 mile" run that was about to occur (it was really only 6) when I notice on 24th and Christian all of these trucks...I mean an insane amount of trailers surrounding this high school we have at the end of Christian. I am staring, a guy notices me staring, he stares at me.
Guy: head nod
Me: whats going on?
Guy: Movie. Jamie Foxx is in that auditorium right now.
Me: Cool, whats the movie?
Guy: ( insert movie name here, which i forget, something about citizens) about 120 extras in there right now.....pause....33 kids are gonna get shot on that stage in about 20 minutes....great movie, tons of killings. great.
Me: huh...thats cool I guess. see ya.



I came back from my run and there was a limo literally outside of my house. I asked who the limo was for and the guy casually points forward, barely moving his hand from the steering wheel and nods his head a little. He mumbles..."foxx"

Man I love Christian Street.

I also love my roommates on christian st. Last night when I got home...this is what I found on my camera and in my room...if its not Sammy, its these new freakin owls...they're everywhere..I found the third one in my underwear drawer...that was a shocker last night...I didn't take a picture of him. I need to name them all.

Anyway...heres a little treat, a night cap if you will and i am now going to ice my knees, and call it a night

schfifty Five

Oswald Chambers

A person who is a beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Christ has done for him, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself.
March 25, My Utmost for His Highest

just like a circus

Saturday night was not one of the finest for the ladies of 2228 we were kind of like our own little circus as the dumb brittany spears likes to sing about. But we will all say that it was the most epic we have had yet during our time in Philadelphia.
I would like to say one more thing before I leave this topic forever...this is for you Jo..where are the stairs?

My day started off rough with getting a little sick at school and having to leave early, falling asleep on the couch and freaking out when I woke up because I was so disoriented. Then I started work tonight at Good Karma! So exciting! I actually feel really good about it. So relaxing, so much less stress and nothing to take home with me. Awesome.

Training is non existent this week though. I actually began to feel really bad about it and wanting to get out there and run! That never happens..so I guess its good that I have the desire, but psychically I cannot do it this week. Which sucks.

And I want to leave you with this picture. Because he will truly haunt me in my sleep tonight because of the events of last night.



Last night this little owl slipped into my bed. I woke up in the middle of the night, confused as to why he was in my bed in the first place but half way thinking I was dreaming. I tossed him aside. Later on I woke up again around 5am he was literally in my face...I think he moved to creep me out. So I did the obvious thing, I took him and threw him on the floor. When I really woke up (late) around 6am I saw him lying there...on my floor...so sad but all I have to say is I never want to wake up with a plastic wind up owl in my bed again. semi terrifying, but mostly just annoying.

happy birthday to haley and jo jo!

I am so embarrassed.

I also have a lot of bruises.








This week is going to be longgg - 2 jobs, grad school, church stuff, and "training" somethings gonna give....pray for me.

its official

this blog entry may may you laugh, you may shed a tear, it may make you smile, wince even...but as always, it will keep you on your toes...

In the past couple weeks...I resigned from SGA, and got a job as a barista at Good Karma! Next week I will be working both jobs, still going to grad school, and trying to train for the marathon...needless to say I will not be doing anything social next week besides JOEY'S WEDDING!!!



I also have some AWESOME roommates who finished a project I started for the JACK house literally in DECEMBER..maybe earlier...I start two picture projects both of which got finished tonight thanks to some AWESOME ROOMMATES :)





On a more serious and spiritual note...
I have been stuck cleaning a closet at work for a couple days, with minimal human contact and no music or variety in my job..this leads only to one thing: thinking. This morning I started my day off with womens prayer group and so my mind was much for focused on Christ. I have also been OBSESSED with listening to Shane&Shane everynight too...so that probably helps. Anyway, I have been feeling rejected lately. In many way and by many people. Now if you are a friend of mine, and we have interacted at all in the past month and now you are worried that you made me feel rejected..you can cease those silly thoughts and continue to read in peace. I realized that I can be ultra sensitive when I am stressed out, and I have been highly stressed lately. I take things to heart and I misinterpret words and actions of those around me. In short, I felt rejected. I began to think about this and my thoughts immediately turned to Christ and the cross..especially with Easter being so close. Thoughts of his rejection and sacrifice began to race through my mind. And then these verses..
Matthew 27:27-31
The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. 28They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. 30They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. 31After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

He was obedient in rejection, mocking, and even to the point of death!! I can say this with full confidence...I was humbled this morning, alone with my thoughts and the mess.

Top o the mornin to ya..or something

Fred is back. The famous snail impression I did literally YEARS ago was brought back at a birthday party tonight..complete with me on a dirty kitchen floor and a home made shell. I'm not proud.

On a side note Philadelphia is the most un-festive city I have ever lived in. On Halloween I was the ONLY teacher dressed up at school and today I was the ONLY one wearing green, in fact I hardly saw anyone in the city sporting the green. lame.

also, I have decided I am awesome at soccer. I started teaching my 5 year olds how to play and I can ALWAYS get the ball away from them. I should join a league.

Also....my roommates are the funniest people I know. seriously. funniest. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JO JO!

oh and "Jack Sawyer can suck it"

lazy sunday

My sunday was awesome.
Woke up
ran 6 miles (WHAT?!), thanks to coach fetterolf
finished all midterms
went to church
went to the devils den, because liberti likes irony or symbolism or something
and my favorite quote of the whole night was.... "you haven't really lived until you've see mark twain's pee pee" i dont even know who said it b/c so many people repeated it afterward...

on a side note, we sang this song in church tonight that makes me want to keep singing forever and i cant get it out of my head...you shouldn't get it out of yours either..thanks joel rakes, thank you.

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

Oh praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the grave..

i want a goldfish

sick...

obsessions

I have a few new obsessions as of late....
one: tattoos....i'm itching to get a new one...I don't know what or where or why, but I have been obsessed with looking at others and looking at my foot..



two: my plant. i got it from my aunt for valentines day, and I have never been much of a gardener..everything i try to grow dies, but then again i have never been much of a runner and look at me now! I honestly think you have to be mature and patient to grow anything...and my plant in my bathroom is actually growing! and i get to look at it everyday that it grows a little bit more...



three: running. I hate it and love that i'm doing it all at the same time...the fact that I run 4 times a week in a miracle in and of itself, sure my school work has taken a backseat, sure i have to ice my knees every night and wear a knee brace when i run but it will be worth it when i crawl over the finish line...still breathing.
here is our training schedule...week 3!!!



four: staying busy with things other than what I am supposed to be doing...crafting, playing play dough, games, running, hanging/ordering/organizing pictures...all things that can wait until I'm done my semester, but no i have to do them now!



five: my utmost for his highest by oswald chambers. this is a constant obsession for my crazy life when i don't make time for what i am supposed to be doing (spending time with God) I read this every night. I have now read the entire thing and I am re reading it and learning different things as I read it in different parts of my life. A couple nights ago i read this.
March 6 - When you have no vision from God, no enthusiasm left in your life, and no one watching and encouraging you, it requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in your devotion to Him, in the reading and studying of His word, in your family life, or in your duty to Him....And the only way to live an undefeated life is to live looking to God.

March 7 - The things we try to avoid and fight against - tribulation, suffering, and persecution - are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. "We are more than conquerors through Him" "in all these things", not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn't know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it.

March 9 - All that is required is to live a natural life of absolute dependence on Jesus Christ. Never try to live your life with God in any other way than his way. And his way means absolute devotion to Him. Showing no concern for the uncertainties that lie ahead is the secret of walking with Jesus.

coastal cakery

So my friend down in slo lo started this custom cake/cupcake/pastry business called Coastal Cakery and I am IN LOVE with what they are doing...I mean look at this beach cake! come on!!! you should all check them out!!

my most recent philly beat down moment

So every Sunday, Katie and I got for our "long run". Since this past sunday was a 5 mile run, I decided to switch it up and run around the city instead of on the trail or at the Y.....and now I know that I am going to do this everytime.
I started my run watching a drug bust about a block away from Joel's house which is about 4 blocks away from my house, kept running saw about 20 homeless people, 10 of which were dancing and singing to their own music..in their head...which only they could hear, I go a little further (during my cool off) so this would be a block past my house and I witness a domestic dispute right there in the street. Cursing, flailing arms, threats, screaming, rage...everything. The conversation ends with some profanity and the man calling the woman ignorant and the crazy woman telling the man that she would see him at home, b*tch. The woman keeps walking towards me when another woman says "girl you better calm yo'self down" I walk a little faster thinking this is going to get ugly, BUT the other woman who has been screaming at the man replies
crazy woman:"yes momma"
crazy mom: "you didn't know i was over here did you?"
crazy woman: "nah" waits about a minute "I love you mother f**ker" (to her MOM.)

and this is the city that I live in....at least I'm entertained...

just keeping life interesting..

Yesterday I quit my job.

And i can't stop listening to this song. download it and listen.
up and up - relient k (i should say in advance im not usually a relient k fan at all and also please please ignore cheesy pictures on this youtube video and just listen to the song)



Yesterday
Is not quite what it could've been
As were most of all the days before
But I swear today
With every breath I'm breathing in
I'll be trying to make it so much more

Cause it seems I get so hung up on
The history of what's gone wrong
And the hope of a new day
Is sometimes hard to see
And though I'm finally catching onto it
And now the past is just a conduit
And the light there at the end is
Where I'll be

Cause I'm on the up and up
I'm on the up and up
And I haven't given up
Given up on what
I know I'm capable of
And I'm on the up and up
I'm on the up and up
Yeah there's nothing left to prove
Cause I'm just trying to be
A better version of me
For you
A better version of me
For you

To be prosperous
Would not require much of me
You see contentment is the one thing
It entails
To be content with where I am
And getting where I need to be
I'm moving past the past
Where I have failed

But I'm finally catching onto it
And now the past is just a conduit
Right there at the end
Is where I'll be


You never cease
To supply me with
What I need
For a good life
So when I'm down
I'll hold my head up high
Cause you're the reason why



I'm on the up and up
I'm on the up and up
And I haven't given up
Given up on what
What I've gained from love
And I'm on the up and up
I'm on the up and up
Yeah there's nothing left to prove
Cause I'm just trying to be
A better version of me
For you

TABULE!

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.”
- Abraham Lincoln


Katie found this awesome Turkish restaurant/coffee shop in society hill (2nd and monroe) called cafe fulya their tabule is the best thing i could have ever asked for after a day like today.

im an old woman

so it is week 2 of training. Katie fet is kicking my butt and this is how I spend my nights:



In other news I hate the mazda dealership where I bought my car and I had a slight breakdown yesterday afternoon. Turns out I cannot cope with life with I'm tired and have a headache. But I have some awesome roommates and an awesome bed that made everything okay.

John 3:16

officially on SPRING BREAK (wooooo hooo) for eastern...too bad it doesn't line up with spring garden...

in other news i have officially lost my mind and if i forget one more thing I'm going to claim insanity.

also i am going to be able to graduate in TWO YEARS again!!! praise jesus

The Broad Street RUN

well..the new car is serving it's purpose, although it doesn't seem like "my car" quite yet. I suppose that will come in time.

Tonight Katie and I started our training for our half marathon, the broad st run, on May 3.



Yes, thas right. You read this post correctly. Carolyn Larrivee and Katie Fet will be running a half marathon in 11 weeks. And yes, we have lost our minds. Katie signed up for the gym tonight and we did 3 miles and our regular training with Gary who KICKED our butts..I don't think I've ever run 3 miles in my entire life. ever.

We welcome any other crazies who want to run with us too :)

But i found out it's all mental and switchfoot is a great band to listen to while running..any other music suggestions for this long haul for us?? suggestions very welcome!!

name the whip

welp...the week is over. And the highlights are:
a new phone
a new car
a new computer virus
a new kindergarten schedule
and no sleep.
I think overwhelmed doesn't begin to cover it...but heres the new car...any name suggestions??

RIP Thumper

I have owned Thumper since November 2007, so she has had a good run but yesterday she went out to the middle of no where, like a dog, to die as KAtie Fet so pointedly put it. She is currently in a Pathmark parking lot with the keys locked inside because only I could manage to lock my keys in my dead car...at least I can say with confidence that is the first time I have ever done that, and I always worried I would with this car...

As my new favorite singer/songwriter says...
you want to cry but you can't keep from laughing. deb.talan.

"You would be going 40 in a 25"

I got pulled over this weekend.

Let me rewind. I had an amazing weekend with awesome friends at Delaware first and then went to Dover, got to switch cars with my mom and then headed to the beach. My retreat. I had lunch with Schroder and then went to herring point...my favorite place to reflect on the east coast, especially in winter when no one is there.

Anyway, I spent an hour praying, reflecting, thinking..so when in my moms new feels like you're floating on air when youre driving car, I was speeding. 40 in a 25 people. So I get pulled over bby a park ranger. I pull over and look in my rear view mirror to see none other than park ranger manning...andy manning, a good friend of mine from when i worked in the park. I started laughing hysterically before he could tell who it was and then when he realized it was me the first thing out of his mouth was "you would be going 40 in a 25"...Needless to say we talked for an hour and he let me go on my merry way. It was the best time I have ever had getting pulled over in my life.

Here is a picture I took while I was sitting on the beach this weekend...i kind of want to make it an every week kind of thing...

there is a God

Every Tuesday Gary, the personal trainer at the YMCA, kicks my butt. And every week I bring more girls. Today was no different, however, I believe Gary "I have a ridiculous beard" trainer was overwhelmed by the excitement of one particular girl who will not be named, but shes blonde and lives with me...I'm gonna bring her every week. it was awesome!!

In a side note...there is something in the Philly water that is making all the kids in schools go crazy..this has been confirmed by more than one teacher and more than one school.

Also my ipod was stolen on Friday and I realized how much I need music and how dependent I am on it. Annie challenged me in this to show me how dependent on some material I am.I was talking to my roomies about this when I got a text from my assistant at school telling me she accidentally took it on Friday in her sweater...she had me sweating all day...I was so sad and nervous I had a klepto in my class. and to this i reply...there is a God.

Life isn't fair.

weekend highlights

Some highlights from my amazing weekend...

-Mike Cavaliere moves slow.
-my pastor and nick ferguson have the same weird hand motions when they talk, but im pretty sure nick is joking when he does it...maybe
-i found why "hes just not that into me" and so did 100 other women and about 7 guys
-there was a woman walking a horse in rhittenhouse square yesterday while we went for a walk in the beautiful 60 degree weather...and i got to wear flip flops and eat ice cream..AWESOME
-I saw a guy get robbed...but he was there so he chop sueyed the other guys arm and got his stuff back
-i became a counselor and i got counseled...
-i learned things in fake counseling that were not so fake
-figured out the people of philadelphia really go to the pro soccer games to watch the dancers...some of which are preggo...
-colorado came to me
-drank too much coffee
-had weird dreams
-found out you have to be a latino man to get a seat in dave & busters...my wait was an hour, but jorge got us in in 5 minutes..
-i have video chat capabilities for gmail on my computer! And so does Andrea..and we like to talk to each other while sitting directly across from each other at our kitchen table and laugh hysterically about it, hoping no one else walks in...
-i have a strong dislike for katy perry
-but a strong love for coldplay

pressure me that i may grow more human...

Tonight Tom Gorman, full name please, came and took me and a couple friends out to dinner at this place downtown called the Belgian Cafe...they had about 6 pages of beer..it was overwhelming and beautiful.

but TODAY we went to the aquarium for a field trip at the Jersey aquarium and I must say this may be the first good thing I have seen Jersey ever offer...because they had HIPPOS!!!!! And I realized that I had never in my life sen a real live hippo before..only Sammy, who I sleep with everynight. (as pictured before) And they are HUGE! (thats what she said) and one kept following me everywhere I went...it was kind of creepy when Miss. Caretta pointed it out.


Speaking of Ms. Caretta...she told me she was going to make a bubble and post it above my head that read Ms. Carolyn: "I forgot!" "I feel like the worst person ever" because apparently thats all I say...

For now I leave you with my favorite reminder ever...a poem from ted loder that emily boston sent me so long ago but i still read it all the time....

O persistent God, deliver me from assuming your mercy is gentle.

Pressure me that I may grow more human,
not through the lessening of my struggles,
but through an expansion of them
that will undamn me and unbury my gifts.

Deepen my hurt
until I learn to share it
and myself openly,
and my needs honestly.

Sharpen my fears
until I name them
and release the power I have locked in them and they in me.

Accentuate my confusion
until I shed those grandiose expectations
that divert me from the small, glad gifts
of the now and the here and the me.

Expose my shame where it shivers,
crouched behind the curtains of propriety,
until I can laugh at last through my common frailties and failures,
laugh my way toward becoming whole.

Deliver me from just going through the motions
and wasting everything I have
which is today,
a chance,a choice, my creativity, your call.

O persistent God,
let how much it all matters pry me off dead center so if I am moved inside
to tears or sighs or screams or smiles or dreams,
they will be real and I will be in touch with who I am and who you are
and who my sisters and brothers are.

less than a month until the launch meeting for the south philly church plant.
i am so pumped...but we talked a lot about fasting tonight at the meeting in preparation for it, which i would love to get some feedback/stories/humor/insight/enlightenment or any other sort of tidbit you may have on the subject

...and 2 more days until the weekend, also which i am so excited about....lots of visitors, lots to do, not much homework. could life get better?? i submit that it cannot!