Is there a positive side?

So this week has been pretty hard. Terrible, in fact. And I've found myself wishing that this week had never happened so things could just be normal. But that can't happen, and in retrospect, I'm glad about this.

You see, even through the most difficult of times, God still blesses us with lots of positives. I'm really happy I'm beginning to see those.

1. I've been blessed to see several beautiful sunrises this week, which seems a bit abnormal for this time of year.... I guess they always happen, but there's usually thick layers of fog blocking my view.



2. I treated myself to two carmel frappuccinos from Starbucks this week. Mmmm, such a treat. (I knew all that change in my change-purse would be put to good use.)

3. After doing 4 loads of the kids laundry at work yesterday, I dreaded coming home to do ours. When I arrived, I found all my clothes neatly folded on the bed, and the laundry hamper empty. Thank you, Heath. You have no idea how much I appreciate your help. (oh, and he did the dishes. :)

4. This week has brought an overwhelming presence of love from my past and present friends and family. It's so nice to receive these texts, emails, and phone calls. What a blessing to know how much we are loved and cared for.

5. Mt. Hood has been hiding for a while, but I've seen her 3 times this week from the barge. What a beautiful sight.



6. The kids decided not to take naps yesterday. (Why, oh Why?!? No, that is definitely not the positive.) I think Shirley (their mom) noticed my stress levels were high, so yesterday afternoon we did something abnormal. We danced around the kitchen and made chocolate iced cupcakes. It was magic. And, we each got our own spatula to lick at the end. Tristan got the whole bowl and paddle... I'm glad I wasn't there to put him to bed :)



7. Last Thursday, I used my JoAnn's coupons and bought supplies for watercolor painting. I was debating on whether or not to keep the set... I'm glad I did. It's provided a good outlet for me this week. You should try it...

8. I'm finally starting to feel comfortable in my job. I didn't think nannying was beneath me, I just never expected to be doing something like this. My full-time job is being a mom to these two kiddos, and you know what? I'm pretty darn good at it. I love taking care of them and receiving their sweet hugs and kisses each day. I am so thankful for this family.



I'm sure there are other positives, but I just started to allow myself to see them. Give me a few more days, and I'm sure I'll come up with some more.

I love you all. Thank you for reading.

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5

Playing Catch-Up

Hello there, sorry I left you for a while. Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone... so has Christmas and New Years for that matter. But I'm going to pretend like they just happened yesterday. Why? Because I have a ton of pictures to share. :)

I've been in a bit of a funk lately. Not quite sure why.
Maybe it's the weather.
Maybe missing our dear old friends back in Texas and Tennessee.
Maybe it's the adjustment of working full-time.
Let's be honest, it's probably all of those things.

It's okay to feel low every now and then. Hoping these updates will cheer you up, and me as well. This is just a teaser for what to expect this week. Yes, I will blog at-least 3 times this week... I'm a little overwhelmed (in a good way) with everything I'd like to share!

First up... our tender Tennessee Thanksgiving/Christmas.



Visits with dear Texas friends, and a few weddings...



Our Texas family and an unexpected Christmas-in-the-Hospital (not to worry, everything is fine)...



Scott and Hannah's trip to the Rose City. I'm missing you already Han!



And last, but certainly not least, an update on my job and the introduction of two precious kiddos.



That's all for now. Hope those few pictures will hold you over for the next day or so! Check back soon... I'm looking forward to posting more this week.

Happy Sunday everyone. This is going to be a great week! (Please note my positive outlook. :)

Random....

A dear friend recently encouraged me to blog more, so I will. But I warn you, this post is random and has no theme at all. Enjoy :)

1. Two weeks ago, Heath and I attended a marriage seminar in Seaside, OR. Overall, it was a great getaway and really encouraged us to keep growing and learning more about each other. We stayed for the whole six hour seminar (which was a bit lengthy if you ask me), and were then awarded with a free hotel stay by the beach. Not too shabby, eh? Anyway, there was a swing set on the beach...



2. Two weeks before that trip, we visited Seaside with Jared and Michaela. We played lots of games and enjoyed exploring the city. I really just wanted to share what Heath's hair looks like in 60mph winds...



Made him five inches taller I tell you! (He just got his haircut yesterday and looks very handsome. smile)

3. The birds were on attack at the beach. At first, they followed us and we thought it was funny... it wasn't funny after 10 minutes. Katie Buckel, I'm pretty sure you would have passed out.



4. I love Trader Joe's! We have one about 5 minutes from our house and I visit it often. It's not a place for staple grocery items, but I buy my meat and specialty things there for sure. They also have the most beautiful, afforable flowers! I purchased this lovely bouquet for $4.99 a few weeks ago.



5. I've had a good week in Etsy sales. One of my magazine inserts was featured on the Etsy email last Friday, and by Saturday, I sold all of the files I had! Wonderful, but I wish I had more in stock now. (If you have been hanging on to any magazine inserts, I'd love to take them off your hands!) Anyway, I am now the proud owner of lots of these beautiful rose buds... they are small and adorn the ear beautifully. These would be lovely stocking stuffers. :)



6. I like to go for walks around our apartment complex. After long days of job searching online and crafting in the living room, it's nice to enjoy a little sunshine when I can. This is what our road looked like two weeks ago. The cold front brought wind and ran, so the leaves now blanket the ground.



7. And this was the tree next to our door. I loved looking up and seeing this vibrant red. I'm already looking forward to seeing the colors change next year.



8. I am proud to say that I have completed all of our christmas shopping. (We are celebrating Christmas with my family during Thanksgiving this year and I am so excited to be in Franklin again!) I suggest that you start your Christmas shopping as well. Shoppers tend to be more anxious and crabby during the holiday season, so finish it before you're stressed like the rest of them!

9. I love Heath. He's my best friend, and I'm glad I can share this journey with him. It's been fun.

Okay, that's all I have. Hope to see you soon.

The pictures don't do it justice.

Well, we went on my new favorite hike on Monday. I'm pretty sure my favorite hike will change frequently, especially this time of year. I guess it's a good problem to have... too many hikes that you love! :)

We explored Silver Falls State Park (aka Trail of Ten Falls) with a new friend named Jerrod. This will definitely be on our list of places to take visitors! The park is usually busy, but since we went on Monday, and a fairly chilly afternoon, we basically had it all to ourselves. Wonderful!

Hike highlights: good company, we saw a crane, waterfalls, and mushrooms! This land is plentiful of thousands of mushrooms, big and small.



I loved how the yellow leaves framed each waterfall. Let's just say the photo opps were very plentiful as well.



Friends, meet our new friend Jerrod. He also attends Pacific University with Heath and is studying Counseling Psychology. He kindly invited us to go on this hike with him and briefly showed us around his hometown, Salem. He even treated us to dinner at a roadhouse... I had bbq! Thanks Jerrod. I look forward to more hikes and good meals!



You could walk under/behind most of the waterfalls on this hike.



Christmas card spoiler below... if you want to be surprised, stop reading now! Another nice thing about hiking with a friend is getting wonderful pictures like this...



What a great hike. Let's go back tomorrow. Sound good, Heath?





For the next ten days, the high is only 60 degrees. Hello Portland weather. I think I'm handling this change of weather better than my summer loving husband. :)

Hope you enjoy the rest of week!

A Friend's Adventure

Today has been a very big day. Not for me, but for my dear friend, Katie Buckel.
Today, she began her adventure to Ghana, West Africa where she will be working with the Village of Hope.
I am so proud of my friend, and I am excited for her to have this experience.



For the next two months, she will be serving the many children at the Village of Hope through teaching them art. It's her passion and she'll do great. :)
I'm praying for Katie, and I ask that you will too. Pray that she has a safe trip there and that she gets acclimated fairly quickly... but also for this experience to touch her in ways she hasn't even imagined.
I love you, sweet friend. I'm already looking forward to hearing your stories and seeing beautiful pictures.

(She did not raise money for this trip. If you would like to donate, let me know and I can send you a link!)

A Wedding

This Saturday, Heath and I were so blessed to attend the wedding of our dear friends, Marshall and Justina. Marshall has been a friend of mine since the start of our freshman year at ACU. From the beginning, I recognized that something was a bit unique about Marshall... His views of relationship, community, and how one should live daily life was quite different from what I had been accustomed to. Over the years, I have truly admired the way he shares his love with friends and the Abilene community. Justina and Marshall, thank you so much for letting us share in your special day. It impacted my heart greatly.

This was probably one of the most "laid back" weddings I have ever been to... and I loved it. As a gift, guests could bring favorite side dishes and recipes to share. I made potato casserole, of course. We had a wonderful community feast, and it was great. Enjoy!

The bride and groom during their first dance....


I was so surprised and excited to see Kate! She has been studying abroad this past year in Scotland, receiving her masters at the University of St. Andrews. She also recently got engaged... in Scotland! So, we had a lot to catch-up on. Looking forward to our lunch later this week. It was so wonderful to see you!


Arielle and Emily! Arielle and I shared the director position at New Life during the Tuesday Night program... Basically, we helped each other survive during that time. :) It was so nice to spend time with you before we go our separate ways!


Elizabeth. Wish I could have spent more time with you friend! Liz is also in the moving process with her husband, Jaime. Can't wait to see your new house!


Tommy and Emily. We will miss you. Tears are coming, very soon...


Me and my love.


One more of the happy couple. Justina had the most joyful look on her face throughout the whole wedding. I'm very happy that these two have found "one love" in each other.

Houston

Last weekend, Heath and I visited some of our dear friends in Houston. It's always nice to rekindle relationships with those we haven't seen in a while. Some of you might remember this guy:


This is Patriot, our ring-bearer. He is one of the most energetic, talkative five year olds I have ever met!


This is Pate's sister, Nora B. She is so sweet and cuddly. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with her and Pate; spending time with these two kiddos definitely made me excited to be a mom (not now, or anytime soon... just something to look forward to :).


The whole fam. Jason officiated our wedding and made our ceremony extra special and personal. Thank you, Jason and Lindsey, for hosting us last weekend. We had a wonderful time! Lindsey, your veggie quesadillas must have been spectacular, because I've made them three times since we got home! Thanks for sharing :)


Cj and Erica. They currently live in LA, and have for almost a year now, but were in Houston for a family get together. Cj was the best man in our wedding, and Heath was the best man in theirs. And, Cj and Erica were wed just one week prior to ours. It was sooo wonderful to see these two! We love you both, and look forward to our trip to Yosemite...


Great friends. Wish we could see you more often.