I'm baaaaaack!

We got back in to the Pacific Northwest last night...and boy am I tired! I always forget how exhausting traveling is...who would have thought!

That said...I'm sad not to be in Hawaii any more.  Loved seeing our friends the Foxes, and spending time with Isaac's family.  In time I know I'll feel more comfortable...it just will take me time.  I'm a slow warm when it comes to meeting folks and divulging who I am to them.  And it makes me nervous sometimes - thus, it seems to be easier to retreat to a book and hide there.  But all in all a successful trip - with a few revelations for hubby Isaac & I about who we are as a couple, a small family & how we want & need our vacations to be structured.  
Highlight was of course all the wonderful food - hit up these local spots(to name a few): Helena's Hawaiian Food (kick butt kalua pig & husband's favorite...lau lau), Rainbow's Drive In (typically our first stop post arrival - but saved it for our last day lunch), Sam Choy's (Christmas Eve dinner with Foxes...not what we expected, but a funny story now to add to the collection!), Ige's Restaurant & 19th Puka - a standard eating spot for our family (ridiculously good flap meat & other pupus), and of course made a couple stops to the best bakery in Wahiawa.... Kilani Bakery for some malasadas, long johns, turn overs & Haupia cake!
Sad to say that I suck at taking photos.  So much so that I literally probably have none from the whole trip!  Hubby & I want to be better about capturing & recording our adventures as a newly married couple.  Thus - New Years Resolution....Capture life's moments, even the smallest ones: our favorite meals, Isaac's crafts, family, adventures, etc.


Hope you all have a wonderful New Years! See you in 2011!
<3


 
 

Aloha!!

Today is the day we head off to celebrate Christmas in Hawaii with Isaac's family.


It'll be odd to be away from home & my family for the holidays, but it's definitely a welcomed escape!


That aside - best wishes and Merry Christmas all!!!
<3

Birthday Birthday!

TODAY IS MY 25TH BIRTHDAY!

HUZZAH!

Today will be spent...working, renewing my license, dinner with husband, cake with our dear friends, & packing; because tomorrow is....

HAWAII!!!!

HUZZAH X2!

Needless to say today & tomorrow have been two days I've been looking forward to for some time now!  Mostly the Hawaii part, but hey - you can't go wrong with a birthday! :)

So if I'm MIA over the next couple days, you know why. Haven't fully decided  if I'm taking my laptop or not quite yet.  Stay posted! 

<3 

Movie Night!

Husband & I have spent the majority of this evening at home - folding laundry, preparing my brother's Christmas present & watching movies.


Well to be honest - we kicked off the night with dinner at our favorite sushi place.  We love going there & the people who run the place are fantastic.  Especially the head guy Simon - he rocks.  He's always making special sushi rolls for us to try. They're just great.


With full bellies we made our way to Target to get some essentials for the trip to Hawaii then it was time to head home to finish our projects.  And now we are project free (minus one load of laundry sitting in the dryer) and enjoying my stocking stuffer....Eat Pray Love.  Husband let me get it early so we could mutually enjoy a Julia Roberts fix!
It's great!
<3

Fill In the Blank Friday!

Fill in your own blanks & play along!  Link up with Lauren at the little things we do...

1.   Giving is       probably the best part of this time of year.  Eagerly searching for that one gift that will make someone smile. It's so fun! Sometimes a challenge, but hey - who doesn't love a challenge every once in a while! :)

2.  Receiving is   equally as fun!  I'm not even going to try & lie or even fib. I love getting presents.  It's definitely one of my receiving love languages - words of affirmation & gifts. 

3.  The best gift I ever received was       without question my Barbie dream house & pool.  I think I was in 3rd grade & loved it!  It was 3 section, 2 story house with an elevator, her own mansion of a room.  And the pool had a slide & working water feature. I loooved it!

4.  The best gift I ever gave was   my parents' 30th anniversary trip.  My brother & teamed up to send our parents to Mackinac Island, Michigan to stay at the hotel where the movie "Somewhere in Time" was filmed. Since getting home they have said numerous times that it was a trip of a lifetime.  That movie is very near & dear to the two of them & our family - they watch it every Valentine's day, they had the soundtrack playing when I was born, & my dad & I walked down the aisle at my wedding to the theme song.    .

5.  Something intangible that I wish I could receive is       cooking skills - being able to whip together a delicious meal with anything I have on hand & not freak out about it.

6.  Something intangible that I wish I could give is        sincerity.  I think so many people lack that now a days.  Rather than genuinely being interested in how/who people are, many are only interested in what those people can do for them.

7.  The one gift I always wanted as a child, but never got was       a barbie jeep to drive around in.

<3

Simple Things

Sometimes when life gets chaotic you need a dose of the simple things.  And today was filled with chaos for the most part.


So my solution you may ask?  


A walk with friends, Kraft blue box macaroni cheese, a Coors light, lights on the tree, and random television -- all while avoiding the laundry (that can be done tomorrow or Sunday in preparation for the trip). It's been a good night.


You really can't go wrong when you let yourself enjoy the simple things - the things that bring comfort and take you back to a good place.  If I were at my parent's house, I'd be snuggled up with their puppies.  But my choices will have to do tonight.
Side note -- can not wait for best friend reunion in 5 days! Beyond excited to see the Fox's. Miss them terribly.


<3

Mother/Daughter Relationships

That's me & my mom about 2 1/2 years ago on a trip to Washington D.C. for a wedding.

Most of the time, probably about 85-90%, we get along fine - in fact pretty dang well considering other mother/daughter relationships I've seen.  But it's those other times that are really challenging for me.  Especially given the fact that we work together.  And today is one of "those" times - where she is frustrated (trying to get out of town) & I have a short fuse (because I want to get out of town and it's close) and that's just a recipe for a perfect storm.  And then throw in all the stress of work, stupid agents, silly clients, stress with my Gran, stress of getting out of town, etc.  She always threatens to fire me which will likely never happen; and I hate that inevitably this impacts our relationship outside the office.  
Honestly sometimes it makes it hard for me to want to be around her outside the office.

I just want to get out of town (yes I know I've been saying that probably for the past 5 straight days).  I want to walk thru the Christmas lights tonight with my friend, finish my brother's Christmas present, finish our laundry & curl up and go to bed.
Or maybe it's the red light that's throwing my emotions all over the place.  

It's hard to be a daughter sometimes...
<3

Wee Bit Wednesdays!

You can't go wrong with a wee bit Wednesday!  Head over to Leigh Ashley's blog & play along!




{one} did you buy a christmas tree this year?yup absolutely -- not as early as we would have liked to, but other stuff popped up
{two} what is your favorite holiday tradition?honestly - I love our Advent Wreath tradition, staying focused on the real reason for this holiday. And also getting my annual ornament :)
{three} do you open your gifts on christmas eve or christmas day?christmas day.
{four} at what age did you stop believing in santa claus?um, probably like 11
{five} do you fill stockings?yup - candies & goodies
{six} handmade presents or store bought presents?typically I go store bought...I'm not super crafty. the closest i get is a knot tied fleece blanket i've made & am making again for my brother
{seven} do you have a favorite christmas meal?um...not really. we typically have a standard holiday meal. this year will be different, we'll see how it's done in Hawaii
{eight} is your christmas tree real or artificial?REAL!!
{nine} what is your favorite christmas song?i love all the christmas songs that the Carpenter's sing, and Bing Crosby's White Christmas
{ten} did you send out christmas cards this year?yup - we've decided next year to do a photo card, it's too cumbersome to write them out when you're doing 50 or so! 
<3 

Santa Letters

Every year in our office we send out Santa letter solicitation to clients, who fill out some info on the kiddos in their lives, send it in to us & we draft up some Santa letters to be mailed from the North Pole, AK post office for the kids to receive before Christmas.

And in spite of my lack of Christmas spirit this year (an odd predicament for this Christmas baby...Birthday countdown = 5 days!), this is one thing that actually has brought a bit of sparkle to my heart.

I love the sincerity of the kids and how excited I know they will be when they get their letter.  To think that Santa thought of them specifically & wrote to them.
Yes I know -- there are many people who abhor the notion of Santa, or at least have a slight shudder when it comes to him.  But here I stand, proud lover of Christ -- and I love Santa too.  Yes the birth of Christ will rule out all other things, and as I blogged here the hubs & I try our very best not to get caught up in all the hustle & bustle of the commercialism.  Yet I find nothing wrong with the notion of keeping Santa alive for kids.  I don't really buy in to the notion that your kids are going to be pissed at you for "lying" to them about Santa Clause, seems a bit over dramatized... I certainly don't hate my parents & definitely didn't need counseling from being scarred by their "lies." ;)


If we don't keep Christ at the center of our lives year round -- why would expect kids and ourselves to keep Christ at the center at Christmas?  Sorry if that sounds cynical, but it makes sense to me.  I just don't see why they have to be mutually exclusive?

There is something sweet & pure about a child who looks forward to a letter from Santa Clause.
Now, back to my count down to birthday & Hawaii -- I hope Isaac snags these beauties for me to take with us on our vacation!


<3

Lack of Inspiration...

Have you ever battled thru a feeling of lack of inspiration?  I'm waging thru it right now - no inspiration to get to the gym (though I desperately need to...I've been missing my Zumba nights & running buddies!), no inspiration to wrap our Christmas gifts (I think this is due to the fact that we're going to be in Hawaii over Christmas & you can't send wrapped presents....), no inspiration to blog about anything pithy.  Feeling a serious lack of any sassy attitude & quick remarks.

I think I'm just ready to be in Hawaii, to see Isaac's family, to see two of our greatest friends...I'm ready to be 25, though that is weird to say.  I'm ready to be out of my office for a bit and relax (as much as possible) in some sun & enjoy some delicious food & fun.

There's a little too much chaos right now - with everything that went on with my Gran (who is doing great at this point in the game, by the way), to chaotic work & crazies popping up, to fighting off sickness.  I need a bit of an escape!
<3

Fill In The Blank Friday!

Another Friday means blanks to fill in! Huzzah! Thanks Lauren at the little things we do... !

1.   I wish       I were in Hawaii right now, that my Gran was off her ventilator & doing well, that I had new sunglasses for said Hawaii trip.

2.  Yesterday I   went to work, spent some time with my mom before she heads back up to WA, decorated our tree (doesn't look like a Barbie threw up on it this year - much to Isaac's delight!), ate dinner with husband, & perused thru Ross & Target before calling it a night.

3.  Today I will       work, run errands, pack my bag, drive to Lebanon for my friend Morgan's WEDDING REHEARSAL (CRAZY!), and spend the evening with great girl friends!

4.  Tomorrow I will   get my nails done with Morgan, then head back to Lebanon in preparation for her big day! Then stand with her as she marries the man of her dreams! It'll be a fun day for sure!

5.  Maybe      I'll get lucky and get the sunglasses I really want for my birthday - to take to Hawaii!

6.  Someday        I'll love watching Isaac coach our children - I honestly can't wait for that day .

7.  I love       snuggling, the feeling right before you doze off to sleep, hugs from Isaac, taking your time walking thru Target, my dad's silly sense of humor, my brother's integrity, my mom's determination, & the safety of having great girl friends.  I also love my birthday (on the 20th!), Christmas, trips to Hawaii to see family & friends!




Praying the next couple of weeks fly by so I can be in Hawaii!!
<3

MIA

Sorry I've been MIA over the last few days.  But it's kind of been a whirlwind for myself & my family.  As I posted last week my Gran went in to the hospital and was awaiting open heart surgery to replace a valve in her heart.

Her surgery was postponed a couple of times - primarily in order to give her a time to rest, prepare, and let her kidneys get back to a normal functioning state before they could perform the surgery.
On Friday I took the train up to Olympia to meet up with my mom & aunt...I think they were happy to have some fresh blood around, to lighten things up as much as possible and bring some humor.  Honestly, it was surreal seeing my Gran hooked up to monitors & IV's - heck it was weird seeing her in a hospital in general (she's never had any hospital stays with the exception of having her children...and she's 81!).  But it was good to be there with my family & be able to support my mom & aunt.
Saturday brought a chance to get away to my Gran's cabin in Ocean Shores - a beloved respite for us all.  So after checking on Gran in the morning & meeting her nurse, we made our way west.

A blessing while Gran was in the hospital was how responsive she was even in her sedated state - she'd wiggle her toes for me, open her eyes for us, smile & nod in agreement or raise her eyebrows in disapproval.  My stubborn, tough Norwegian Gran was still in there no matter what!

Monday was an extremely long day - and brought with it so many emotions.  Started the morning off bickering with mom (it's usually how we handle stressful situations in the beginning), visiting Gran, dealing with my mom's psychotic sister (I do not claim her as family after this entire situation) who tried every way she could to try & distract us from Gran, laughed & played cards with my family, anxiously waiting for updates from surgery (we only got 3 the whole time..grr), and then listening to Gran's cardiac surgeon talk about how it all went & what to expect and/or be prepared for.
But Tuesday morning brought good signs of recovery for Gran - which is great news!

So thanks for all the thoughts & prayers! They are so appreciated!  We're probably looking at a long recovery, but regardless we probably have more time with Gran now!

<3

Confession

I have a confession -- I have just spent the last hour creeping a blog.  Honestly - first time I've just keep going back and back and back thru a blog.


But this girl is so dang cute & fashionable it makes me slightly perturbed.  But in the way that you can't really be mad at a girl for being so cute.  Like she came out of the womb with impeccable style, grace & know how.  

So now it's back to my normal, middle America life -- prepping for my Amtrak adventure. We'll see how this goes!

<3

Fill In the Blank Friday!

Another great sign that the weekend is upon us!  Check out Lauren at the little things we do..., fill in your blanks & link up!

 

1.   Holiday spirit       is infectious! It just follows me everyone I go - and I love every bit of it!

2.  The holidays are incomplete without    A Christmas Story, flocked trees, hot chocolate with Isaac, Christmas music playing at all times in my car & office, & white elephant game with my mafia sized family -- it can get intense, and teams are always formed for strategic reasons!

3.  My favorite things to do around the holidays is       listen to Christmas music & be with family & friends .

4.  A holiday tradition my family and I have is   Growing up it was decorating the house & then watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation - now for hubby & I it's typically the same & then watching A Christmas Story(who doesn't love Ralphie?!) And Christmas morning breakfast before opening gifts.

5.  Holiday music is      my absolute favorite - without question. There's just something about it. I will say there are a few holiday songs that drive me nuts, but for the most part I love it!

6.  This year, I'll be spending the holidays        in Hawaii...it's rough I know.  But honestly I will miss my family a ton.  We try to go see Isaac's family in Hawaii at least once a year & typically that means Christmas. But starting next year we've got a plan on how to start alternating - my family Christmas Eve, fly to Hawaii Christmas Day. We'll see how it goes. But this will be my first Christmas spent entirely in Hawaii - so it'll be fun to see how Isaac's family does it!

7.  Holiday wish list       1. a new watch  2. riding boots  3. tights/leggings  4. additional crystal for our set (thanks mom & dad...they're committed to this gift until we're squared away! how sweet!)  5. funds to find new clothes  6. new Vans or TOMS  7. new & more pillows for my bed.

 

Hope everyone has a great Friday! Today I'm heading up to Olympia via Amtrak (weird I've never taken Amtrak before?) to meet up with my mom & family.  Gran is headed in to surgery likely tomorrow - but has good stable vitals right now.  So continued prayers & good thoughts are so appreciated!

Happy Friday!

<3 

Advent

Being that it's December 1st, everyone is talking Advent.  Advent calendars to be precise.


I don't really remember doing advent calendars growing up -- what I do distinctly remember, and continue to practice today, is the Advent Wreath.

Growing up Lutheran this was a big part of our kick off to the Christmas season, and my family still participates  in this tradition each year with fondness.  Not too many families I know around here do this any more.  
So here's a little info about the Advent Wreath:  

Starts the 4th Sunday before Christmas

Started by German Lutherans in the 1800's

Traditionally has 3 purple & 1 pink candle -- and some (us included) incorporate a 5th white candle

Each candle represents a different element of the Christmas story:

week 1 - the prophecy candle (hope), week 2 - the bethlehem candle (preparation), week 3 - the shepherd's candle (joy), week 4 - the angel's candle (love), and Christmas - Christ Candle

It's a treasured time in our family to come together for dinner each Sunday, take the time to stop and light the advent wreath & read thru a bit of scripture in order to keep grounded on the real reason for this time of year.  The birth of a savior!  

We lit our first candle this past Sunday - and are already deciding what soup to make for dinner this coming Sunday.

How you do you & your family celebrate the holidays?

<3