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 :)

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 :)

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!

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. :)

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

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 3^rd 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! 

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 :)

Sickness prevails in warm winters, too!

Hi friends!!  Just a quick update - we have been enjoying some 70-90 degree weather for most of January :)  Somehow, even without the cold, we still get the yucky winter illnesses in SoCal.  I have had a sore throat and no voice all week :(  Now I'm at the ending coughing/nose running stage.  No fun!  I'm thinking it was maybe laryngitis or something similar...didn't go to the doctor although one night my fever spiked to 102 which for me means an ER visit, but we resisted and hey, I'm still here!
In other news, Gary and I have not been getting many hours at work, but at least I had time to rest while I've been ill. The unemployment rate got even worse last month in California ... so the prospects of 2nd jobs are looking that great, but we're trying!
We began attending a new short-term Sunday school class and a small group for young couples/families.
We finally hung our first picture on the wall yesterday, so maybe some pictures of the apartment will appear on here soon....maybe....
We are looking forward to having my dad visit for a night in about a month, and then Jill visiting a few weeks after that!

Well, that's all for now!  Hope you all are staying healthyyyy!!!  God bless and have a great day!  :)

HOLLYWOOD!

While South Bend just had a blizzard with about 3ft of snow...we are enjoying a weekend of 80+ degree weather!!  We have had some more relaxing days with less work, but have still kept busy rearranging the house and what not.  On Wednesday, we went to visit Jeremy & Amanda who live a block off of Hollywood Blvd, so we walked along the stars and passed by a line waiting to enter Jimmy Kimmel's studio.  Gary tried to get online and figure out how to get tickets - no luck.  As we passed across to the Hard Rock, lo and behold - a man passing out tickets to fill seats at Jimmy Kimmel.  Gary was pumped!  So we waited for a bit and entered the teeny studio!  The warm up stuff before the show was actually more interesting than the taping itself.  I guess they plan it that way so you get in a laughing mood.  There wasn't anyone we were too interested in on the show that day, but it was still cool.  And we were actually in two episodes because they pre-filmed some things for the next night ... an episode they hope could win them an emmy - i think that means we should get one too if it wins!!! anyway, short note for now - off to work - thanks for reading!!

me in front of the chinese theater

Rockin' Around the Christmas Palm Tree . . .

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Friends!!! 

Welcome to our first post of 2011!!

Please enjoy the chronicles of our holiday season:

Sorry it has taken us so long once again to update you!  I’ve actually had pieces of this written for awhile, but we haven’t gotten online in forever!  Plus, it has been a crazy month for us mall employees!  In fact, we appreciated Christmas for giving us a day off so we could actually see each other!  We had been running on minimal sleep as Gary was closing most weeknights and I was opening most weekdays and working weekends.  In work news, Brookstone is keeping Gary, but he will only be part time now, so he is back on the hunt (when time allows) for something more full-time.  I think the VS store is beginning to realize I do know what I am doing, so it is more comfortable now.  Our Semi-Annual Sale just started, so on Monday I worked a 10hr shift, until 5am!!  Oh my!!  I have been having some discussions with families recently about nannying and will hopefully begin something later this month!  Please keep it all in your prayers and we’ll certainly update you as the process continues.  Continuing on … our most interesting day at work was the Sunday before Christmas…

If you somehow avoid the news and didn't know about the ridiculous rain we had (which I'll tell you more about in a bit...) ... it caused rolling blackouts throughout SoCal.  One blackout occurred in Arcadia on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.  The mall lost power around 3:30pm, then generators kicked in, and then the generator on our half of the mall died.  So we were left to straighten our stores in the dark for about 3 or 4 hours waiting for the power to return.  And then there was another power outage . . .

…this time, at our apartment.  Our complex lost power a few nights before Christmas.  Gary was working late and I was sitting in the living room watching the intense lightning and rain.  Then it appeared that one of the buildings in our complex was smoking, so I called 911.  Firefighters were already on their way.  What I heard was something about a power line catching on fire.  They had everyone stay away in case of an explosion.  One of our neighbors was home, so she came over to feel a little safer.  Luckily, I had just gotten out candles earlier that day, so we were all set!  We watched it go on for over an hour, waiting for an evacuation (which thankfully never came).  For about five minutes it did explode over and over.  It was like watching fireworks on top of a house.  I think the rain had everything so saturated it saved the building and trees from catching on fire from the sparks and flames.  All of that subsided before Gary returned (which I was sort of glad he wasn't home, because when he was younger, they had a house fire caused by lightening, so he gets a bit nervous around those situations now) but the power did not return until the next morning.  Praise Jesus no one was hurt.

So while we don't have several feet of snow, we did get over a foot of precipitation in just one week.   We've heard that the California seasons are: Earthquake, Fire, Flood, and the Awards Season. I guess we're right in the flooding one!  Our town got some of the heaviest rain, but didn’t have too many major problems.  In other nearby areas, roads and bridges were washed away or blocked from mudslides, homes were evacuated, cars went rushing down rivers that had never before existed, and floods destroyed businesses and homes.   Thankfully we only had to deal with a few lanes of roads too flooded for driving so we are glad it wasn't any worse!

Believe it or not, amidst all of the rain and cold (a few days ago the snow level was at a record low level!), we had a few warmer-than-normal days as well in the middle of the month.  So warm that we actually headed to the beach again!  This time it was warm enough to relax in our swimsuits and try to soak up some rays!

The day we went to the beach was also the day of our church’s biggest holiday service - 12/12.  The beach and Christmas all in one day – crazy right?!  No Christmas sweaters for this service – Gary was in flip flops!  Anyway, the service was really lovely, but we felt bad about being unable to participate.  We were asked to usher and I had been asked to dance in the service.  Well, my work schedule didn’t come out until the day before, and we didn’t want to leave them not knowing, so we just said no eventually.  Since I ended up not being scheduled, we felt bad, but we’re sure God will provide many more opportunities for us to serve in the future!

On Christmas Eve I worked in the morning/afternoon, so we attended the church’s 11:00 service which was also very lovely.  We really enjoyed Pastor Steve’s message and how it connected to the purpose of Christ on earth and the communion we took at the end.

Also on Christmas Eve, we did a conference call with my parents and brother to continue one of our family traditions of reading Luke 2 and The Night Before Christmas.

Since we don’t have family in SoCal nor could really afford to fly home anywhere (plus just wanting to have our own Christmas to begin our own traditions) we just decided we would hang out here together.  We incorporated some of our families’ traditions (Christmas Eve pj’s, a real Christmas tree which was expensive out here, but we had a great time decorating it to some lovely Christmas music and have enjoyed the great pine smell!, our own twist on the advent wreath, French apple pie, etc.) and planned on beginning a few new ones – such as having pizza for Christmas dinner so we could spend more time relaxing and less time in the kitchen.  Well, the last few days before Christmas, we had several offers for Christmas dinner.  We decided to accept one, and joined our community coordinators (kind of like apartment managers, but more fun, less authority) a Fuller prof and his wife and their two and a half month old son.  Believe it or not – we’re actually (sort-of) related!  The prof (James) is Gary’s aunt’s cousin!  So, we kind of spent Christmas with family!  We had a lovely dinner and then spent some time watching the Lakers game and playing Euchre!  We figured since James (and his visiting father) is from Indiana, they should know how to play!  So exciting – we didn’t know if we’d ever find people to play that with out here!  Then we went home and just relaxed and watched a movie and still ordered our pizza for dinner.

Random side note: I think everyone must be conspiring to turn me into a housewife because the majority of my gifts were kitchen gadgets!  (Okay, okay, so they were things we needed/wanted . . . but I still thought it was funny!)

While a lot of LA residents our age go out partying on New Year’s Eve, we went to bed around 8:00!  That’s right!  I mean, the party scene is not really our scene, and after working a long day, I wanted to get some good rest before waking up at 4:00am to head down to Colorado Blvd for the Rose Parade!  Many people sleep on the streets to reserve the best curbside spots, but I was not up for that.  Others purchase grandstand tickets for the convenience and view, but I don’t think they are worth it for the price.  So we figured we’d just head down before the major rush – and it worked!  We walked down (it’s just a few blocks over) and found a great spot in the middle of the parade route!  The worst part was the cold!  It was in the low 40’s all morning.  We were in several layers, gloves, etc., drinking hot chocolate, and still experienced some numbness!   We were on the better side of the street for viewing the floats, but it was also the side without really any sun :-/  Other than that, we had a really great time!  It was funny to see everyone’s reactions to different parts.  One guy near us had a Pac Man tattoo and was super excited about the Pac Man float.  The lady in front of us came to see this year’s Grand Marshall, Paula Dean.  And of course there were lots of Wisconsin and a few TCU fans pumped up for the game.  Or highlight was that one of my cousins from Texas actually marched in the parade with her high school band, so we were really excited to see her!  Check back soon for a link to my pics from the entire event!! :)

On the 2^nd, we actually got to see part of the parade again – and I don’t mean replayed on tv!  They keep the floats on display for 2 days at a local park, and then they head back down to the Rose Bowl via our street!  So everyone from our apartment complex watched them go by in the rain (partially disassembled due to height restrictions down the city streets).  They are quite a sight!

Concluding thoughts . . .

Overall, we had a lovely first holiday season together, after the business of pre-Christmas retail.  We enjoyed the few days off where we tried to forget about the errands, decorating, etc. we’ve been behind on and tried to relax and just enjoy each other's company.

Thank you all so much for your Christmas cards and phone calls and for reading this blog, letting us know we have people who care about us all over the country!  We appreciate and miss each one of you.  We’re sorry we did not send out cards for Christmas, but figured those we would send it to probably keep up with the blog anyway!  So Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!  We hope you had lovely holidays and we’d love to hear about your favorite traditions or new experiences!

We praise God for an amazing 2010 as we graduated from Bethel, united in marriage, enjoyed some travel and spending time with friends and family, and moved out here to California!  We are excited to see what He has in store for us in 2011 as we settle here, meet new people, maybe get new jobs, Gary starts classes at Fuller, and we grow in God as a married couple!!

We didn’t really set “New Year’s resolutions,” but we’ve had some general goals and things we’ve been thinking about (such as, my idea to focus on capturing God’s beauty via photography to coincide with our church’s theme for 2011 of “Beauty”…and we’ve also started in Genesis trying to read the Bible from start to finish because I’ve never done that…) which I’m sure we’ll report about at some point!  We’d love to hear what your goals are for the New Year (if any) and would be happy to pray & support you in any way possible!

Here we come 2011!!

our makeshift mantle!

waiting in the cold!