Hi friends and family! Again, I apologize for the lack of updates, but I figure most people who might read this we already talk to rather regularly. But, by request, here is an update.
-Gary did well in his first quarter of classes. He is now coming to the end of the second quarter, taking Greek II and Medieval Reformation. On Wednesday he attended a special event at Fuller - there was a viewing of A Beautiful Mind followed by a talk/question-answer session by John Nash, the man whom the movie was based upon.
-He still super loves his job and enjoys going each time! :)
-The baby I watch is close to 15 months old and keeping me busy! He is adorable and fun (when he's not teething!).
-I am still working at VS on Sunday afternoons, is was only about once a month, but will now pick up as another girl left.
-We are keeping busy with church - Gary plays in worship band 2x/month, I attend a young women's book study, and we are very involved with our young couples group - often getting together multiple times each week. These 6 couples (well, 5 plus us) have become our core group of friends with whom we've spent the holidays and most of our free time.
-We recently celebrated our 5 year anniversary (from when we began dating) and Gary planned in outing in Santa Barbara to celebrate. We went to the zoo (where we attended an elephant's birthday party!), did some shopping, and had a fabulous dinner.
-We have both been sick a lot, which has added to my lack of time/ability to blog. I was in the hospital in mid-December which set us majorly behind on everything for the holidays, but we got through it (although, our families are yet to receive gifts from us - sorry!). We've both been sick back and forth over the last several weeks which has certainly not been very fun :(
-Tomorrow we will have a house guest, a friend of Gary's (who I also knew in college) will be coming through town & checking out Fuller.
-Somehow, Gary managed to grow up without watching Boy Meets World, so we recently went through got and watched all of the seasons - and he loved it!! Now we are sharing other favorites with each other as we watch Kings and Gilmore Girls.
I think that's most of it! If you want to know more - or just chat - give us a call anytime!
I have had requests for pictures - I have not had time to edit/select them for Facebook, so I am putting links here with all unedited photos (yes, even the blurry yucky ones - lol) for those who are interested :)
Daddy's visit
Rose Parade 2012
Our Hike on Echo Mountain
Santa Barbara
18 February 2012
12 November 2011
Knock Knock ... We're still here :)
Sorry it has been forever! Since Gary started classes we have been much busier! He is loving his classes - Greek (which is pretty easy since he's already had several semesters of it in undergrad) and Patristic Theology (which has had a lottt of work!). He is also loving his job :) I am enjoying watching the baby grow - he turns 1 on the 21st! We have been going to My Gym - basically, a child's gym where they do age specific activities. We have been enjoying getting out of the house a few times a week for that! Other than that, there isn't too much new news .... although, I should share...I am beginning a FOOD BLOG!!!! www.theyummierthingsinlife.blogspot.com :) <--- please click the link and follow it - i'm just getting started, so I'd love your input!! thanks :)
14 September 2011
WOW! It's been awhile!!!!
So, I know Gary had posted a few quick notes, but a lot has happened since my last big post (around 7/4!) and several of you have been asking for an update here. So here are the highlights:
***For our 1st anniversary, Gary and I visited Palm Springs - it seemed to have the best deals, which we discovered was due to the summer being off-season for the desert! It was incredibly, unbearably hot, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. We spent our mornings/evenings at the pool (and even by 9am Gary could barely even handle laying in the shade!!). We visited "downtown," but only ended up eating at Ruby's, a 50s diner, because it was too hot to do anything else! We went back into town in the evening for our big anniversary dinner at a wonderful restaurant I had picked out; however, we were so full from lunch we could barely eat the cheese plate and dessert we ordered! The next day we rode the Ariel Tramway up to the top of Mt San Jacinto (in a giant car hung by a cable - with a rotating floor!!). We hiked around up top, and were going to eat in one of the restaurants; however, after reading not-so-positive reviews compared to the not-so-cheap prices, we decided to head back down to eat. I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to go out, so we spent literally hours finding a local pizza place that would deliver to us. On our way home the following day, we stopped by the designer outlet mall and casino, but didn't end up spending money at either - oh well. It was a wonderful weekend and we were so glad to have gotten away for a little break from everyday life!!
***At the beginning of August, we got a surprise! My mom drove down to visit and...GIVE US HER CAR! She was planning to get a new car soon and give us hers. It came suddenly when the alternator when out, so she decided it was time. We simply paid for the repairs and she drove it down! Praise the Lord - a return to 2 cars!!! This was such a blessing and we are very grateful to my parents for this!!! :) We enjoyed spending time with my mom (although I wish she could have been here longer!!). We took her to Malibu, Pink's Hot Dogs, church, the Counter, spent half a day at the DMV transferring the title and getting my CA license, and she tagged along with me at work and had a wonderful time playing with the baby!! Can't wait 'til she can come back!!!!
***Gary has been super enjoying his new job and will be leaving his job with the car dealerships due to his schedule changing when he begins classes at the end of the month. I get a week of vacation the week he begins so I am excited for some much needed rest/to catch up on life!! One of my best friends from high school recently moved to LA, so I am hoping to meet up with her then (I don't think we've actually seen each other since graduation!!!). My job is still going well - although it's about to get more interesting - he will probably start walking any day now! He is such a bundle of joy and makes me laugh a lot, especially when I make him life - it's adorable! He has had some separation anxiety for awhile now, but it has grown and grown. I can't stand up to get a drink if we're sitting on the floor, and have had to take him to the bathroom with me! He has mastered climbing the stairs, feeding himself with a spoon, and playing peek-a-boo!
***Church stuff: we hosted game nights for our small group every other week during the summer to alternate with our bible studies. Several couples moved away but we got a new one - yea!! Gary and I are taking partial leadership in the group now - he'll be teaching a study of 1st Samuel based off of the tv show Kings. I am beginning a dance team (Great Abandon - FBCP Chapter!) that I just introduced at our ministry fair this week.
***You already saw that I have just been getting over a yucky illness, but after just a few days of asking for prayers, I began focusing all my prayer/prayer chain efforts elsewhere. I found out about a 15 year old girl from my parents' church in Twin Falls - she lost feeling in half of her body and was being life-flighted to Boise. It was a stroke, and she has had another one since. She is still in the hospital in Salt Lake City, as they are waiting for her to be able to eat and drink and regain control of the left hand before they could operate (there is a blood clot in her brain). So, I've spent a great deal of time on a prayer effort for her, doing everything I can to help out back home ... here is the Facebook group I created for her if you would like to learn more about what happened, join to show your support, and keep up with current prayer requests! Several other people in the church have been in the hospital lately, so I've been praying for my dad's emotional and physical health while he tried to care for everyone!
well, i think those are the main things - ttfn :)
***For our 1st anniversary, Gary and I visited Palm Springs - it seemed to have the best deals, which we discovered was due to the summer being off-season for the desert! It was incredibly, unbearably hot, but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless. We spent our mornings/evenings at the pool (and even by 9am Gary could barely even handle laying in the shade!!). We visited "downtown," but only ended up eating at Ruby's, a 50s diner, because it was too hot to do anything else! We went back into town in the evening for our big anniversary dinner at a wonderful restaurant I had picked out; however, we were so full from lunch we could barely eat the cheese plate and dessert we ordered! The next day we rode the Ariel Tramway up to the top of Mt San Jacinto (in a giant car hung by a cable - with a rotating floor!!). We hiked around up top, and were going to eat in one of the restaurants; however, after reading not-so-positive reviews compared to the not-so-cheap prices, we decided to head back down to eat. I wasn't feeling well and didn't want to go out, so we spent literally hours finding a local pizza place that would deliver to us. On our way home the following day, we stopped by the designer outlet mall and casino, but didn't end up spending money at either - oh well. It was a wonderful weekend and we were so glad to have gotten away for a little break from everyday life!!
***At the beginning of August, we got a surprise! My mom drove down to visit and...GIVE US HER CAR! She was planning to get a new car soon and give us hers. It came suddenly when the alternator when out, so she decided it was time. We simply paid for the repairs and she drove it down! Praise the Lord - a return to 2 cars!!! This was such a blessing and we are very grateful to my parents for this!!! :) We enjoyed spending time with my mom (although I wish she could have been here longer!!). We took her to Malibu, Pink's Hot Dogs, church, the Counter, spent half a day at the DMV transferring the title and getting my CA license, and she tagged along with me at work and had a wonderful time playing with the baby!! Can't wait 'til she can come back!!!!
***Gary has been super enjoying his new job and will be leaving his job with the car dealerships due to his schedule changing when he begins classes at the end of the month. I get a week of vacation the week he begins so I am excited for some much needed rest/to catch up on life!! One of my best friends from high school recently moved to LA, so I am hoping to meet up with her then (I don't think we've actually seen each other since graduation!!!). My job is still going well - although it's about to get more interesting - he will probably start walking any day now! He is such a bundle of joy and makes me laugh a lot, especially when I make him life - it's adorable! He has had some separation anxiety for awhile now, but it has grown and grown. I can't stand up to get a drink if we're sitting on the floor, and have had to take him to the bathroom with me! He has mastered climbing the stairs, feeding himself with a spoon, and playing peek-a-boo!
***Church stuff: we hosted game nights for our small group every other week during the summer to alternate with our bible studies. Several couples moved away but we got a new one - yea!! Gary and I are taking partial leadership in the group now - he'll be teaching a study of 1st Samuel based off of the tv show Kings. I am beginning a dance team (Great Abandon - FBCP Chapter!) that I just introduced at our ministry fair this week.
***You already saw that I have just been getting over a yucky illness, but after just a few days of asking for prayers, I began focusing all my prayer/prayer chain efforts elsewhere. I found out about a 15 year old girl from my parents' church in Twin Falls - she lost feeling in half of her body and was being life-flighted to Boise. It was a stroke, and she has had another one since. She is still in the hospital in Salt Lake City, as they are waiting for her to be able to eat and drink and regain control of the left hand before they could operate (there is a blood clot in her brain). So, I've spent a great deal of time on a prayer effort for her, doing everything I can to help out back home ... here is the Facebook group I created for her if you would like to learn more about what happened, join to show your support, and keep up with current prayer requests! Several other people in the church have been in the hospital lately, so I've been praying for my dad's emotional and physical health while he tried to care for everyone!
well, i think those are the main things - ttfn :)
13 September 2011
The Student Returns.
Hey everybody, just letting you know that Gretchen is feeling (mostly) better now. She most likely caught something at work from the baby that she is a nanny for. Poor both of them!
In other news, I will be starting classes at Fuller in a couple weeks. I'll be taking Greek (which I already had 4 semesters of in my undergraduate work so it will hopefully be a nice, relatively easy refresher!) and Patristic Theology (which looks at the theology of the early church fathers and how their theology historically shaped the Church). As a self-professed study nerd, I'm very excited about returning to the classroom! However, your prayers would be appreciated as I am now discovering how to find time for school, homework, a job, housework, and most importantly my beautiful wife! We would both love your prayers as we begin this new stage in our life. We're excited about what God has in store for us!
In other news, I will be starting classes at Fuller in a couple weeks. I'll be taking Greek (which I already had 4 semesters of in my undergraduate work so it will hopefully be a nice, relatively easy refresher!) and Patristic Theology (which looks at the theology of the early church fathers and how their theology historically shaped the Church). As a self-professed study nerd, I'm very excited about returning to the classroom! However, your prayers would be appreciated as I am now discovering how to find time for school, homework, a job, housework, and most importantly my beautiful wife! We would both love your prayers as we begin this new stage in our life. We're excited about what God has in store for us!
04 September 2011
Quick update
Hey everybody, just a quick update to let you know that Gretchen is feeling pretty sick - the worst she's felt in about a year - so prayers for her would be appreciated! She has a lot of stomach problems/a headache/a fever. More updates will come later, but I just wanted to get this brief update out there so that people could pray for her. :)
11 July 2011
The "Best Man" I Know ;)
Of course Gary is really the best man I know (along with my daddy!), but our best man from our wedding, Gary's cousin Andrew was here to visit ;) Here's the low down on what we did:
Day 1 - Andrew's flight was delayed and got in at 2:35am - yuck! Gary had training for his new job the next day, so we didn't get to sleep in much, but Andrew and I relaxed on the beach in Malibu. On our way, Andrew mentioned he wanted to get a tan and how it was cloudy so he couldn't. I informed him the clouds magnify the sun, yet we didn't feel like we were getting any, and neither of us normally burn easily. Yet somehow the California sun is a whole new animal and we ended up with the worst burns we've ever had! We ate a wonderful lunch on the pier.
Day 2 - We took Gary back to his training, while Andrew and I attended church. We then ate at the Counter with Amanda and Jeremy. In the afternoon we just relaxed - movies, games, naps, etc.
Day 3 - The 4th of July. We chilled all day, as mine and Andrew's skin hurt too much to do much of anything. In the evening we met up with Jeremy and Amanda again and went to the Rose Bowl for fireworks.
Day 4 - I returned to work, and the boys went to the Hollywood area and ate at Pinks.
Day 5 - Andrew went to work with Gary and the explored Old Town.
Day 6 - The boys went to see Transformers in IMAX 3D while I was working in the morning; however, I got off early (and for the following day) because the baby's great-grandfather passed away and they were traveling for the funeral. We planned to head to Venice Beach, but Gary's car went crazy and had to go to the shop - it was a quick fix, but we just hung out at home for the evening.
Day 7 - Andrew and I went to Rodeo and then went shopping at the Beverly Center.
Day 8 - We planned to go to Mexico, but some things prevented that so we went to Coronado Beach in San Diego instead.
Day 9 - After church, we went to Venice and then took Andrew to airport.
We had a great time and miss him a lot!!!
In other news - MY MOM JUST PLANNED A VISIT!!!!! yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 you have no idea how excited I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)
Day 1 - Andrew's flight was delayed and got in at 2:35am - yuck! Gary had training for his new job the next day, so we didn't get to sleep in much, but Andrew and I relaxed on the beach in Malibu. On our way, Andrew mentioned he wanted to get a tan and how it was cloudy so he couldn't. I informed him the clouds magnify the sun, yet we didn't feel like we were getting any, and neither of us normally burn easily. Yet somehow the California sun is a whole new animal and we ended up with the worst burns we've ever had! We ate a wonderful lunch on the pier.
Day 2 - We took Gary back to his training, while Andrew and I attended church. We then ate at the Counter with Amanda and Jeremy. In the afternoon we just relaxed - movies, games, naps, etc.
Day 3 - The 4th of July. We chilled all day, as mine and Andrew's skin hurt too much to do much of anything. In the evening we met up with Jeremy and Amanda again and went to the Rose Bowl for fireworks.
Day 4 - I returned to work, and the boys went to the Hollywood area and ate at Pinks.
Day 5 - Andrew went to work with Gary and the explored Old Town.
Day 6 - The boys went to see Transformers in IMAX 3D while I was working in the morning; however, I got off early (and for the following day) because the baby's great-grandfather passed away and they were traveling for the funeral. We planned to head to Venice Beach, but Gary's car went crazy and had to go to the shop - it was a quick fix, but we just hung out at home for the evening.
Day 7 - Andrew and I went to Rodeo and then went shopping at the Beverly Center.
Day 8 - We planned to go to Mexico, but some things prevented that so we went to Coronado Beach in San Diego instead.
Day 9 - After church, we went to Venice and then took Andrew to airport.
We had a great time and miss him a lot!!!
In other news - MY MOM JUST PLANNED A VISIT!!!!! yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 you have no idea how excited I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)
04 July 2011
Fun in the Summer Sun :)
Happy Independence Day everyone! Andrew (Gary’s cousin/the best man from our wedding) is here visiting currently. He and I are completely sunburnt from a day in Malibu, but more about his time here later…..The following is an overview of events since the last update:
June Gloom?! Not here! Ok well maybe the weather is a little gloomy in the mornings, but apart from the chilly weather, our June has been pretty fantastic! Here are some of our recent highlights:
1. Nathan’s visit!
Day 1: We picked Nathan up at LAX Sunday morning and headed to lunch where we watched our high school friend Graham Rahal finished 3rd in the Indy 500. Then we walked along the pier and beach at Santa Monica. Some friends met us there and we ate at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
Day 2: Memorial Day – We got up early and drove down to Rosarito, Mexico. After a venture trying to find a place open on a holiday to buy car insurance for Mexico for the day, we quickly made it across the border. When we got to Rosarito, we looked for the taco stand with the most people at it and decided to eat there. Gary and Nathan had delicious shrimp tacos and I had the best horchata of my life!! Then we hit the beach. It was chilly, but Nathan got in the water for a few minutes. The drive back was most interesting, as crossing back into the US takes awhile. As you wait in several mile long rows of cars, people beg for money, try to sell you souvenirs, and sell snacks. We hadn’t had dinner so we got some awesome snacks on the way out!
Day 3: I worked, so Gary and Nathan had a boy’s day. They visited the Santa Anita racetrack, LA Coliseum (at USC), and Rose Bowl. Then we all went to Hollywood for a taping of Jimmy Kimmel featuring Carson Daly and Flavor Flav. We ate at the Hard Rock with Jeremy and Amanda afterwards, sitting near the band featured on the show that night.
Day 4: Gary was supposed to work but caught my cold and stayed in for the day. I took Nathan on a girlie day! We went to the Grove and Farmer’s Market where we ate lunch. Then we went shopping (I mean….laughing at prices!) on Rodeo Drive. We saw Mr. Bijan’s Bugatti which was the most awesomely ridiculous car ever! We got cupcakes at Sprinkles nearby to take home!! Nathan grilled chicken for dinner J
Day 5: I was back at work, so Gary and Nathan visited the Gamble House (a cool architectural home and the location of Doc’s garage from Back to the Future). Gary also took Nathan on a tour of our church and drove him around Beverly Hills to see some celeb/big houses. We went to Barney’s for dinner to watch the NBA finals.
Day 6: Gary was working an needed the car so Nathan and I had to get by on foot! Gary dropped us off at Urth Caffe to start our day. We walked along Melrose, stopping in some shops along the way. Then we ate at Pink’s (famous hot dogs – although, Nathan got a burger) and continued our trek to the Grove. We lined up for the filming of Extra featuring Christina Aguilera and her team from the Voice. We got their pictures and autographs and had a fun time!! Gary got super stuck in traffic, so Nathan and I waited for a bit and then we all stopped for some local California style pizza!!
Day 7: Before taking Nathan to the airport, we hit Venice Beach and enjoyed watching the, well, everything! It is quite an experience!!!
It was sad to send him back on a plane, but we were so grateful Nathan came to visit! We had a wonderful time together!!! (All of the pictures are on Nathan’s facebook, so if you can’t access that but would like to see let me know.)
2. Job Updates:
A. Gary has a new job which we are very excited about – feel free to contact him to learn more!
B. I am still enjoying spending my days with the baby (now 7 months)! He is crawling, has said “daddy” in context, can pull himself to a standing position, and is just a bundle of joy!!
C. I have dropped down to one day a week at VS so I can have a free day each week to do housework or relax at the beach!
Fuller Update:Gary received a scholarship that was a complete answer to prayers, and will be
starting classes in September! Praise the Lord!
3. My BIRTHDAY!!
23! Seems like a real adult age – haha! I worked on my birthday (which included a trip to and tour of Nestle as employees could bring their children that day – so I took the baby to his mommy!). In the evening, Gary and I headed out to Red O Restaurant, by Rick Bayless (the top chef of Mexican food basically in the world). It was the most delicious thing ever! Our favorite part was our first course: sopes – masa balls with black beans, plantains, a red sauce and goat cheese. Delish!! It was simply amazing and highly recommended ;)
4. MOVIE PREMIERE!
Gary won/earned tickets (via an app and thanks to Subway) to the world premiere of the Green Lantern at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood. We didn’t get to walk the red carpet, but certainly enjoyed it nonetheless! We got free popcorn and pop, and I sat just a few rows in front of Jake Gyllenhaal, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, and more! It’s not really my type of movie, but I enjoyed the experience and it actually wasn’t that bad!
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