Snapshots

Here are a couple photos from our weekend beach anniversary trip last week!

Friday Morning at Depoe Bay

Breakfast at The Red Door Cafe - Newport...DELICIOUS strawberry waffle!

The view from where we stayed

Inside Yaquina Head Lightouse...loooove this man!

Anniversary Dinner @ Tidal Raves, Depoe Bay... delicious!

Devil's Punchbowl - our last quick stop, & Mo's West before heading home

Like I said...a wonderfully relaxing weekend with Isaac. It was such a treat to get away and just relax together.  So nice.

And now we start gearing up for football season....year 2 for me as a wifey, we'll see how this pans out!  Things are changing on the horizon somewhat for Isaac at school.  Instead of teaching ESL math this year, he's likely teaching IB (international baccalaureate) math courses.  And rather than baseball...he might be coaching golf (which would be a big blessing...would help replace the baseball stipend with less stress & time commitment).  We'll see... We're just focusing a lot right now on how we should/can be spending our finances.  Those pesky dollars in & out each month can some times get annoying...but we know it's the "adult" thing to do to plan and be aware.  So that is what we are going to do... Plan, Stick to the Plan, Give, and Be Grateful.

<3

Anniversary Success!

Well this weekend was so much fun & so relaxing! It was such a treat to be able to spend an entire weekend together with my husband and celebrate our anniversary.  So bizarre to see how quickly this year has gone by; but it makes me excited to see what this new year will bring!  I love that man! We had such a great time, putzed around Newport on Friday - lounged like lazy bums on Saturday, and took our time on the drive home Sunday.  It was perfect - exactly what we needed as we head in to the busy football season.

I'll post some pictures in the next couple days to share.


But in the mean time -- could you pray for my friend Heather? She's having a tough time with her folks, they are not really supportive of her marriage to her husband Jim.  They're two of our greatest friends, and definitely one of our  go to couples.  She's staying with us for a little while (Jim's in the Navy & they're headed out to Hawaii in September).  Pray for healing & growth.

Glad to be back!
<3

The Simple Life

Today in catching up on some of my favorite blogs I was inspired!  Marcie at Lemons and Laundry was talking about appreciating the simple things in life, and how we find ourselves getting tied up with the trappings of all the great technology around us.

Like I said..I was inspired.  And it's incredibly true - and it made me think about the time Isaac & I spend together.  What are we doing when we're together?  How much more meaningful would it be to just sit and play cards or board games, or take our lovable Boston boy for a walk? 

All of this makes me thankful for the anniversary trip Isaac & I are taking this weekend.  Rather than some elaborate trip - we're going to be staying at a friend's beach house in Depoe Bay (Thank you Caldarazzo & DuFault families!).  It'll be so nice to be together, at a place of quiet & rest.  And Isaac's sweet Grandma Chiko blessed us with a gift to take ourselves out to anniversary dinner.  Such a gift - I love that 4'11" lady (we bonded over Korean Soap Operas!).  I'm looking forward to walking on the beach, lounging with my honey, and appreciating the time we've been married.  It's crazy to think that this year has cruised by.  How lucky am I to be married to such a wonderful man - who loves Christ, knows how to paint & cook, can build me a beautiful pergola & re-do our yard, plays the guitar/ukulele/various other instruments, and knows every way to make me laugh.  This year has been a blessing - even in those hard times of figuring out how we work together.

I'm taking Marcie's challenge to find & appreciate those simple moments - to make more time to take it easy and really enjoy every moment with those close to me.

Like I said - I'll try & capture some of those simple moments with my honey this weekend.  We're both looking forward to the quiet, to those walks, maybe even a board game or two, & definitely for the chance to sleep in!

Here's to the simple life!
<3

Ouch!!

Visited the dentist this morning - and boy am I feeling it.  The dentist doesn't freak me out...I spent my fair share of time in those chairs for the orthodontist.  But yikes - feel like my brain is going to throb out of my teeth!

Headed home!
<3

360!!

My life changed nearly a year ago... That's right - comin' up on the big 1 year anniversary...currently at day 360! It is so bizarre to think that one year ago today I was finalizing those last minute plans, making sure everything at work was organized & ready for the lady covering for me, & welcoming various family members & friends in to town who were to celebrate with us.

Isaac and I are spending a quiet weekend together at the OR coast - which I am so excited about! I even get to take Friday off!! (Yahoo!! Thanks Mom!)

Every day I learn something new about Isaac - how we work together, where we make each other better, where I need to bend, and so much more.  I love the life that he & I are building - creating our own rules for how our family functions & will function in the future.  I love that we are starting off our marriage right by being in tune with our finances (i.e. adios debt & credit cards!), I love that we are creating boundaries to protect our family & our time together, & I love that even in those times where we may not like each other too much...we still have an unrelenting commitment to the vows we exchanged.  Sure life is hard sometimes - and it doesn't always seem fair.  But in the end I would not change one thing.  We're making it on our own and making it in our way.  I can not wait to see how things progress for us in the coming years.

I'll try & be good about taking some photos this weekend (admittedly - this is an area that I want to grow in...capturing life's events as they occur) to share!  But for the time being....back to the grind!

<3

Fill It In!

It's so quiet in the office today... hardly any other agents have come in today (which happens every summer).

So I will fill my time with...

Friday Fill-In the Blank!

Thanks as always to Lauren

1.  A very nostalgic place that reminds me of being a kid is  Eagle Crest in Redmond - every summer we spent a glorious vacation there spending all day at the pool or going to the High Desert Museum (still a favorite of mine!).

2.  If someone really wants to show me how much they love me      they should follow thru with commitments & spend quality time.  I really don't have patience and/or time to be ditched all the time by flakes. 

3.  Lately I've been wondering a lot about      what our life will look like in 5 or 10 years...will I still be doing the same thing @ work, or will I be doing something else entirely?

4.  When it comes to saving money I am       getting increasingly better about sticking to the budget & making the right decisions (even when they're harder) when it comes to our finances.  We have want wants like everyone else - but we're sticking to the "need needs" as we pay off Isaac's LAST school loan!

5.  I'd prefer     a good piece of cake    over    ice cream    any day! I looooove cake

6.  I wish I knew how to make       a whole bunch of things! There's so much that I wish I knew how to do.

7.  I'm just waiting for      this week to be over - and oddly enough for my mom to be back in the office.  It's weird when she's not hear.  Admittedly it's a lot more quiet, but still weird. 

 

<3

 

Save the Drama for Yo' Momma!

I am increasingly finding myself utterly frustrated and OVER the petty drama that seems to surround me!  Seriously - stop it!  I covered for you yesterday - so don't give me attitude! It's ridiculous.  Stop telling half truths & lying by omission.  It's unattractive. 

Does everything need to be so dramatic?! Just live your life & stop trying to create chaos with every step!

Yeesh...  Is it the weekend yet?!
<3

Summer Read

As much as I love reading - often times it takes me a little while to get through a book.  Especially when I really like the book - then there always seems to be some minor crisis or distraction trying to pull me away from it.

So this summer I've been reading Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

here

Honestly - I saw the trailer for the movie before I started reading the book.  So I'm on a mission to finish the book BEFORE I see the movie.  I'm really enjoying it thus far -- I've just gotten through the "pray" section and have to say even at this point I'm envious of these travels.  Of course I have my mom's voice in the back of my head saying "If you're going to envy someone's life... you have to envy ALL of their life."  I definitely do not envy the whole situation leading up to her travels, but the travels themselves seem so intriguing & adventurous!  And while I don't think I'd find myself in India *spoiler alert* letting hundreds of mosquitoes attack me (I have a SERIOUS allergy) for the sake of bringing peace to my thoughts; I do admire the desire to go to a place where all you are expected to do is to find peace & calm & connection with God.  That I am envious of.  We'll see what "love" brings... Bali.... another place I'd love to see, I'd just be bringing all my bug repellent with me! :)

But what makes me think I can't have that kind of peaceful existence sitting in my arm chair in my front room?  Why can't I sit & commune with my Lord right there... in my own home town..?  Isn't He big enough to meet me there? Or am I living life with the notion that I'm too big/busy there for Him to even reach me?  We've just started reading Psalms in our small group - and I'm excited to see what wisdom comes from that - how God is going to move in me, how I will see Christ in these Old Testament scriptures, & how I can step aside from myself & really let God be God in my life/heart/mind/marriage/etc.  

"I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.  I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High."  Psalm 8:1-2

Back to reading tonight...

<3

A Quiet Day = Day Dreaming & Music

This quiet day has been such a treat - I've been working on my real estate courses, my wonderful husband picked me up for an impromptu picnic lunch & frozen yogurt, and now I'm rounding out my day listening to "The Beatles" station on Pandora again.

I'm in love with "Imagine" & "Yesterday" by The Beatles... well I think technically "Imagine" is by John Lennon.. Regardless, I loove those two songs specifically.  So calming - and their quiet way, just scream summer to me.

here

And I'm finding myself dreaming of a place like this today...

But here in the real world - we're having people over for our first BBQ with the new backyard & pergola this Saturday.  I'm pretty excited!  A little nervous too if I were being completely honest - I want to make sure it all comes together beautifully.  Any suggestions for good summer drinks or easy side dishes??  Ike is whipping up some steak & chicken with his homemade Strawberry BBQ sauce.  

And thankful for the way our small group is coming together -- It is so fun moving towards a place of trust, fun, and honesty with a group of people.

Loving summer this year!

<3

Problem Solving to the Test!

This week must be either a joke or a serious test of my problem solving skills...
Day one of my mom's vacation (mind you, she's taking a "mother/daughter" cruise to Alaska with her friend Laurie & Laurie's mom Jan....sans her daughter...i.e. ME) we get a phone call from a nervous nellie agent about a flood plain disclosure for a transaction.  Saturday my mom's partner gets a frantic call from his clients about another transaction we have and they're freaking out about that house being in a flood plain... hellooooo you want to live in Keizer...near the Willamette river...in OREGON -- almost everywhere is in a flood plain!!!

Then yesterday Eric calls me to tell me one of our vacant listings got tagged over the weekend.. thank you "187 gang" for being incredibly stupid and juvenile. And then to follow it all up this morning - I went to check on another vacant listing only to find that the deadbolt is locked (for which I do not have a working key) as well as the kitchen window was busted out & the kitchen faucet left running. 

Is this a week of flood plain & vandalism?! Sheesh!  Well for the two listings I did what I was supposed to do - notify the sellers & let them know I am available to help in any way I can should they need me.

As for those transactions.... it's time to figure out if we can keep them together...praying we can.

Yeesh! I'll keep you posted if any other crazy events take place while mom is gone....
<3

A New Look

I love reading all my favorite blogs when they share about great fashion.  It's kind of a quiet love of mine...fashion...for as long as I can remember I've been flipping thru magazines, watching all those "fashion" shows, etc. 
Now when it comes to my own fashion prowess for myself.... Hmm, well let's just say that I'm lacking in that department.  I guess it may be that I'm scared that I couldn't pull all the looks I love & appreciate off for myself.  That I couldn't/can't find the things that fit me, my body, my life, my "style" - so a lot of the time I mostly come off purchasing the same or similar items as I have for years.   And it also might be somewhat linked to the fact that my sisters were quite a bit older than me, so I never had that big sister around to teach me all the tricks; as well as a mom (whom I love & respect deeply) who never really put too much stock into that stuff other than to ensure that I was appropriate in every situation & respectful in the way I dressed.

I know this probably wouldn't be some people's dreams - but I have always wanted to go on "What Not To Wear."  Silly I know... but to 1) go to New York & 2) shop with great stylists would be a gift.  I always ask my mom to send me in, I swear to her that I wouldn't be mad. 

I really want someone to help me clean thru my existing things - toss what doesn't fit or work & help my replace it with beautiful clothes that fit who I am & the life I live.  

Oh well....it'll have to wait a bit.  Dang you economy....dang you!

<3

Morning Music & Thoughts

For some reason this morning I found myself whistling the tune "Yellow Submarine" by the amazing Beatles.  And it inspired me to utilize my beloved iPhone for Pandora (it's blocked at my office for some reason?!).  Summer time is when I usually crank my car stereo up as loud as I can for all the good classic rock music.  And I especially love when The Beatles are playing.  There's something sweet about it -- about all those classic songs that sometimes make me feel like I'm in a different place & time.  Just kicking back with friends around a local lake or at the beach enjoying life.

(Beatles)

And this morning when I met with my dear friend & mentor Debbie, we talked a lot about finding joy in the small things - about how the small things in our lives are creating big impacts.  And she shared that she's being challenged to read the "red letters" in scripture... i.e. when Jesus talks, in a new way.  To come with open heart & mind to hear what Christ is sharing specifically for her(us) without adding any guilt, because Christ speaks in complete love to his disciples & us.  There was something about that conversation that made me feel similarly to when I'm listening to all my favorite tunes -- transported to a place that is complete, full with love & friendship, over flowing with tenderness.  It made me yearn to live abundantly in all areas of my life...

So I'm joining Debbie in her red letter journey this summer....  Lord what do you have to share with me??

<3

Waving Palm Trees

That's what I'm imagining right now... Tall, beautiful palm trees - swaying in a warm breeze... Preferably with the quiet roar of crashing waves.
Today is fairly chaotic & full - a few mis-understandings here & there, and quite a bit of problem solving on my part for a file that was easy for the most part, and quickly got complicated (gotta love banks....).

But instead - I will continue to imagine this beautiful picture... and be slightly jealous that my hubby Isaac is currently IN Hawaii to surprise his mother! Lucky son of a gun!

Life is good when you add everything up - I have a wonderful husband whom I love & who makes me laugh, parents who still would do anything for me, a brother who I am so proud of (Navy man that he is), friends who challenge me to grow & be stronger,  and a Lord who is forgiving, who is my Protector, & who sacrificed for me.

<3