Super Quick updates!! :)

-My job as a nanny is going well, but between that and VS I have been pulling 7 day/60-70hr work weeks.  The baby is now 6 months and about to begin crawling.  Our day currently consists of 2 milk meals, 2 solid food meals- so messy!, 2-3 naps (during which I wash bottles, eat lunch, clean up, etc.), a walk, and of course, lots of play time!
-Gary's jobs are also going well :)
-We have been teaching/volunteering with the youth group at church (the highlighted event - a dodger's game!) and are still enjoying our small group!
-I have had the stomach flu and missed half of the week at work, and yesterday it turned into an awful head cold :(
-My brother Nathan is coming tomorrow to visit so we are currently preparing for that!!!! :)
-Happy birthday to my beautiful mom tomorrow :) love you!!

The Ultimate Death

Well, as everyone has heard by now, Osama bin Laden is dead.  I am not a fan of war (who really is?), but thought, okay, that's cool.  My immediate reaction was why was he killed and not just captured (which I don't think they've really answered)?  Well, I'm a news junkie when it comes to big world events, so I'm watching and listening and enjoying everyone's creative facebook status updates.  I just didn't know how to respond.  Everyone was so happy - celebrating death!  I believe the Bible says not to kill, so I just can't celebrate murder.  There is only one man's death in which I shall rejoice.  That of my Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ.  I mourn his suffering, but appreciate what his death means for us.  It means life.  One might say that about Osama's death - because of him so many have died.  But it was Christ's mission and message to die for us so that we might live.  Bin Laden's mission was to kill.  They both had their lives taken from them, but Christ did not remain in the grave.  It was part of a greater plan.  He arose and claimed life for us all.  So while I support the ending of terrorism (in peaceful ways), I find it hard to support the death of a man.  A human being, with just as much of a right to life as any of us.  Christ died for him too.  We all sin, and my gossip, or your lies, or his lustful thoughts are on an equal playing field with a mass murderer.  The world doesn't see it that way, but Christ died for the sins of everyone past, present, and future.  I understand that unfortunately our world has come to a point where murdering murderers is completely acceptable, and because of the way things work these days, there aren't many other options.  But why can't we try?  I would have felt much better supporting the justice system and capturing, trying, and sentencing him than just taking his life.  What if sitting in prison in his loneliest times, he was able to hear God.  The chance of his redemption was robbed from him.  I understand that is not likely, but again, why can't we try.  Everyone deserves a chance.  Many chances.  God gives us an unlimited number of chances.  And he never gives up on us.  He hadn't given up on Osama.  We could have destroyed the greatest redemption story in history by robbing this man of his life.  Any man.  No man deserves to die at the hand of another.  Christ preached peace.  Love.  Kindness.  Not once did he preach retaliation.  His death is the only one in which I could ever understand or in which I could find peace and joy.  He didn't spend years hiding.  He knew his death was for the greater good of mankind.  I suppose the deaths of all of the Christian martyrs can be paralleled to that of Christ.  It is a willing, personally accepted death.  For the greater good.  To advance the Kingdom of God.  What sort of message does murder send?  Not one of Christ's love and peace.  It is a message of hypocrisy when we kill someone because they have killed others.  Christ was about justice, yes, but not this kind.  He did not kill.  He did not retaliate in anger.  He loved even those who sent him to the cross.  Why can't we be more like Jesus in this world?  How has the world gotten so far lost from the ways of the Lord that we actually can't function in those ways.  The world has in some ways made it impossible for Christ's message to shine.  I say again, why can't we try?  It takes all of us to reverse the evils of this world.  Not one of us can do it alone.  It's about the way people think.  World view.   That's where it's at.  It's a hard task.  Seems impossible at times.  Why can't we try?  Christ never gives up and neither can we.  He is an advocate for the least of these.  And he has passed that task onto us.  I fear that more people are celebrating the death of bin Laden than the death and resurrection we just remembered last weekend.  It changed the world.  More than any other death in history.  So sorry bin Laden, but you are just not that important.  I certainly understand that this is important to those who have lost love ones to 9/11 and the War on Terror - they can feel that their fighting and deaths have not been in vain - and I am not trying to downplay what they have done in the slightest.  But we do many things in faith that we cannot understand the importance of and may never see the benefits of.  Like Moses who began a journey for freedom.  Like Jim Elliot and Nate Saint who not only opened the door to relations with natives, but have been an inspiration for so many others.  I appreciate this great country we live in, and its resources.  I certainly do not want anyone to die at the hands of a terrorist.  Yet, I do not believe that killing that same terrorist sends the right message as followers of Christ.  I know that many may not agree with some or all of the things I've said - and I apologize for any mistakes or misunderstands as this was just my stream of consciousness as my thoughts unraveled in these important moments in our history.  Our story.  We own it.  We all take responsibility for this world.  God has entrusted his followers with it.  And I know that the quest for bin Laden's head was not a religious one, so you may say this doesn't apply.  But it's not just about Osama.  It's about the choices we make each day as we represent the Kingdom of God.  We are his ambassadors.  We are to love.  We are to create peace.  We are to battle injustice.  We are to protect the least of these.  We are not to kill.  We are not to lie, cheat, or steal.  We are not to gossip or fall into hypocrisy.  We are to follow the perfect example we have in Jesus Christ.  God is love.  We are to be love to the world.  Is that not the greatest commandment from the one who made us and watches after us and loves us unconditionally?  It's hard.  I know we can't just snap our fingers and instantly be changed into perfect disciples.  But why can't we try?  He doesn't expect perfection, but He desires effort, and He promises to be with us and reward us for those efforts.  For we are called to love.  We are called to try.

The Trench Coat Twins :)

My BFF and MOH Jill was here visiting from Ohio on her spring break.  Unfortunately, she came the day our rain storm entered socal and left with the rain this morning :/ (Hence, the Olsen twins reference - "the trench coat twins," as we moseyed around LA in our trenches all week.)  I also had a cold which made me sort of boring :/  But, we tried to have fun nonetheless.  Here is what we did while she was here (it's probably mostly a food journal!):
Day 1 - 90210: We picked Jill up at LAX and headed out to Santa Monica.  She ate the most expensive Taco Bell ever ($8 for two tacos and a drink).  Her and Gary split a funnel cake, and then we wandered along the chilly, windy beach.  We drove to Beverly Hills and went to the Curve ID event at Levi's Jean Co. and walked along Rodeo Drive (fortunately for our wallets, however unfortunately for our shopping and celeb watching interests, all the shops were closed).  Then we just drove through the area a little to admire the cool houses.
Day 2- Rain, Rain, Go Away:  We went to church, and then afterward, we went out for a fabulous lunch!  Jeremy's parents were in visiting from South Bend, so we all went to the Counter together.  It's an awesome place where you basically build a burger from scratch (ex. I had bison (delish!) on multigrain with ranch, feta, onions, and peppers).  We finished it off with milkshakes - Jill started the trend by ordering a fabulous red velvet one which had an entire cupcake in it!  Because of the rain, and my needing to rest a bit, we came home and watched movies and played games all day.
Day 3 - Lifestyles of Rich and Famous: We took Jill to see the Rose Bowl, and then went to the Grove shopping center, in hopes of seeing some celebs, and well, good shopping of course!  We enjoyed exploring the Farmer's Market, where we had some delicious desserts.  Unfortunately, we got there right as they finish filming Extra, but we waited at the Barnes and Noble to see Kristi Yamaguchi, who was doing a book reading/signing for her adorable new children's book.  Then we drove around with our list of celeb addresses, and found Harrison Ford's house (our goal was to head to a street which is home to Ellen DeGeneres, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, and Jessica Simpson, but you had to pass through security :/ sad day!).  We ate dinner at Hollywood's oldest Mexican restaurant and went home for a movie. 
Day 4 - TV Stars & Rock Stars: While Gary was working this day, Jill and I went to go shopping on Colorado, and ended up spending the entire morning at Forever 21 (such great prices!).  I also took her to the church because I realized we didn't show her the super cool chapel.  Then we all headed down to Hollywood to see Jimmy Kimmel, which had been sold out, but some tickets reopened the night before.  The guests were Rainn Wilson (which Gary loved! because he's on the office), Abbie Cornish (star of two movies opening this weekend) and a band called the Gaslight Anthem.  Then we walked across the street to the Hard Rock cafe where we split some nachos and two delicious desserts, to the ambiance of a live band (who's lead singer was the daughter of the Eagle's Joe Walsh). 
Day 5 - : While Gary was at work, Jill and I spent the morning at Paseo Colorado, the mall area in Pasadena.  (Gary was wondering why we weren't getting tired of shopping....my answer: we're girls ;).)  We all went over to Burbank to visit It's a Wrap, a store where they sell clothes used on TV shows and in movies for elegant thrift store prices and give the money to charity.  We each picked up a few exciting items.  We then had Jill's favorite frozen yogurt (Pinkberry) and she and Gary picked up some B-dubs to take home and enjoy while watching a movie. 
Day 6 - Gone Truckin':  After Jill and I dropped Gary off at work, we headed in search of some classic food trucks.  First we went to Burbank for the Grilled Cheese truck (which we arrived at before it opened, and still had a horrendous wait).  Then we went back to Pasadena for the Coolhaus made to order ice cream sandwich truck (mine was nutella & toasted almond ice cream on peanut butter cookies!).  Then we picked Gary up and headed to Urth Cafe, a Joe Jonas hot spot (Jill is a huge fan!) in West Hollywood, where I had one of the best smoothies of my life.  After that, we drove to find the Jonas's house in Toluca Lake, along with Denzel Washington, Raven Symone, Billy Ray Cyrus, and George Lopez.
Day 7 - Hollywood Hot Spots: Because Gary needed the car all day at work, he dropped Jill and I off on Hollywood Boulevard to explore (the weather was supposed to cooperate a little better!).  She decided she wanted to go to Madame Tussauds (a museum of celebrity wax figures).  We had a fun time taking our funny photos with the likes of Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, and Tiger Woods.  Then Jeremy and Amanda came down to meet us and we all walked down to the famous Pink's Hot Dogs.  It was a bit of a wait, but super delish!!  At that point, the weather was beautiful - I even got a little sunburn!  After that, Jill and I continued our walk (we certainly burned all those hot dog calories!) all the way down Melrose to Fred Segal, which of course just made us realize our economic status (haha!).  We continued walking back down to where the Urth Cafe was because across the street was a store Jill had been wanting to go to called TrunkShowLA, where they feature designer items at super discounted prices (and they were even having a sale this weekend!).  Then, Gary was finally finished (and we were getting chillier and our feet were wearing out from walking so much in non walking shoes!), so he came to get us.  While Gary finished up his work stuff at home, Jill and I searched for some good local Italian, and decided on Maria's, which she treated us too as a thank you for the week :) Thanks Jill!!  Then it was time for a good old Mary-Kate and Ashley movie :)
Today: Today we took Jill to the airport in the morning, and then met up with some other visiting friends on the way home.  Leah, from my parents' church in Idaho, along with her two boys is in Burbank for the day/night on their way back from a cruise, so we went to lunch with them :)
 Over all we had a wonderful time and wish Jill could stay forever!! :)  Now we will have to wait 2 months for our next visitor: Nathan!  At least we'll be prepared with some great food options and a better knowledge of the area! :)

Just letting everyone know we're okay!

We've gotten several calls and such this morning about the tsunami possibilities in Southern California - fortunately, there's no real worry here.  We just had a one foot surge so far.  But we are certainly concerned/praying for Japan, Hawaii, and Oregon/Norcal.  I'm not sure why, but natural disasters are completely gripping to me.  I have been glued to the news all day, as I was for weeks with Haiti.  I've always found tornadoes fascinating and have loved watching thunderstorms.  Maybe its a sign of God's power to me.  A symbol of the vastness of the universe and the systems God put into motion.  They are mysterious, just like the Father.  While they make some terrified, they show God's love to me knowing that he is keeping me safe.  What are your thoughts on natural disasters/acts of nature?  Do they scare, excite, or interest you?

God bless :)

Babies, Daddies, Boys and Girls!

NEWS!  I have gotten a full-time nanny job!!  WootWoot!!! :) I was talking with/had offers from several families, and it was hard to pick the best fit, but I think we've found it!  It is for a 3mo old boy 50hrs/wk here in Pasadena.  Thank you for all of your prayers as we've been searching - but don't stop!  I am pretty nervous!  I've never cared for an infant full-time, so there will be all sorts of new challenges (I've got my baby book reading cut out for me!).  I was also extremely torn about leaving VS because I've worked really hard to get to where I am and love what I do there, so I am hoping to be able to keep a few hours on weekends and continue that (plus it'll give me some adult contact!).  So with all of that (say, 60hr/wk total), I'm hoping I don't get too stressed and still have time for some down time/fun! :) (feel free to send me a message/call if you want to know more specifics about the job and more specific things to pray for!)
Luckily, we've gotten to enjoy some time with friends lately!  On Saturday, we had a get together with young families (which meant lots of babies!) from the church.  Then, on Sunday, my dad flew in for a little visit!!!!!  He had a conference in Carlsbad (just north of San Diego) so he thought he'd stop by to see us, too!  On Monday we drove down to Carlsbad and went to the beach (FREEZING!), then he treated us to some froyo and we dropped him off at his conference.  Sad it was so short, but at least we got to see him for a few hours!! - Can't wait 'til my mommy can come now!!!!  (17 days 'til Jill comes andddd Nathan just booked a flight thanks to a great deal on groupon, and he'll be coming in about 3 mos!!!)  We got those amazing Lone Star cheese fries on the way home again, and then . . .
VISITED A FRIEND FROM BETHEL!!!  My friend Jessie (actually, we were housemates for a semester) lives about 30mins away from us, and we had been wanting to hang out for awhile.  As we drove to Carlsbad I noticed on street signs that we were driving through her town!!  So, instead of heading down to San Diego for the evening, we drove back up and hung out with Jessie!!  What a blessing to see familiar face (and such a beautiful one at that!)!!!  We enjoyed just chatting and catching up on life!  We will definitely be doing that again soon!!  It was awesome :)

So, we're happy to report that everything is going well!  The new job couldn't have come at a better time.  Nor the visit from dad or trip to see Jessie!  I think we were now over that 3mo honeymoon period from moving to a new place, so the friendly faces were just perfecttt :) We hope you all are well and loving life also!!!! God bless :)

Happy LOVE Day!!!! :)

Happy (late) Valentines Day friends and family!  We hope you had a wonderful day with the ones you love.  We unfortunately didn't even see each other on Monday due to our work schedules, but to compensate, we went to a movie the night before (at the ever romantic dollar theater, of course...and by the way, we saw Tangled, which you all need to see if you haven't already - I think it's right up there with the Disney classics). We also went to Lone Star (cheese fries = FAVE!) on the way back from Orange County a few days ago.  We were there because ...
GARY GOT THE JOB!!!!!  WOOHOO!  PRAISE THE LORD!  We think it will be a great fit and wonderful opportunity :)  So we had to head back to Newport Beach so he could fill out his paperwork, and then we spent a lovely afternoon at Huntington Beach, napping in the sun and sea breeze and intently watching the surfers preparing for a competition (I've determined I definitely want to learn how to surf - I doubt I'd be good at it, but it looks so awesome!).
In church news, we just finished a class on spiritual gifts and serving in ministry at First Baptist.  Gary has been enjoying playing in the praise band, and we've started conversations about youth and children's ministries.  There is an upcoming 2-day mission trip to Tijuana, but unfortunately it will be while Jill is here visiting, so we will not be able to attend.  We have still been enjoying our small group and just tonight went over to the house of some friend's from church for a game night.
This week we've hardly seen each other because of his new job and my increased hours (thank you, Jesus!), so there is really not too much to report.  We hope this update finds you well and warm ;)  God bless!

Happy February!

Well, no more pictures have been hung, but we've gotten the few remaining boxes out of the apartment!  I'm still going through tissues like it's my job (I mean, it pretty much has been since I haven't been working much), but I'm feeling mostly better.  Gary is currently at a job interview so prayyyyyy that goes well!  It would be a nice flexible thing he could easily do with Brookstone.  It's down in Orange County, so I tagged along to see some new sites :) I am sitting at a mall called Fashion Island and wow, it's amazingg!!!  New favorite. :)  We might check out a beach or hit up one of our fave restaurants not in the valley on the way home :) I have a few nanny/child care interviews in the next few days so pray for those also.  God has been answering prayers (thank you!!!) and providing me with random pick up hours throughout the weeks .... anyway - not too much news.  sorry to those of you in the blizzard back east.  it got a little chillier here, but it's supposed to be back into the 80s soon!  beautiful!!
We'd love to hear from you!  Leave a comment, send us an email, text, or call!!  God bless :)