pictures don't always speak a thousand words

Haley woke me up at 3:30 am with a poopy diaper

potty training sucks

but it gave me an opportunity to blog before I head off to work at 5:50 am

also, I'm taking a nap today

JULY

 she loves picking blueberries

she loves eating blueberries

we all love movies in the park

AUGUST

she loves heels, like a lot

Haley turned 3, and grandparents treated us to Disneyland for her birthday

we talked with Mulan

and ate breakfast with Goofy

IT WAS AMAZING

we finally crossed Seattle off our Northwest Bucket list

SEPTEMBER

September was a big deal

I cried a lot

and she's the most beautiful Kindergartner I ever saw

OCTOBER

this handsome man turned 30-something

it was a good day

I got these boots at a clothing swap

they have changed my life

p.s. every church needs to have a clothing swap

I love this man, and I'm so thankful to be on this adventure with him

we scored tickets to Disney on Ice

It was a blast!

p.s. I paid $5 for that Mulan dress at Goodwill

I love Goodwill

NOVEMBER

this kid turned 6

and has a loose tooth

and accepted Jesus

Its been a great time of celebrating!

However, these pictures don't always speak a thousand words

the truth is, this last year has been filled with many tears

many doubts

much humbling

and quite a bit of discouragement

which is why I am so thankful that God is faithful, even though we are not

Our future home is still very much a question mark...for us

but not for the Lord, which is what we attempt to remind ourselves daily

but I still get very scared

we need prayer...lots of it

That's all I'll say about it for now, because its 6:00 am and I'm at work now

P.s. Daylight saving is my friend

God is so sweet and merciful

And I am so undeserving of His grace

Truth for the ages

Happy 4th!

I'm done apologizing.

I'm just too busy.

So here's a quick update

because I don't know if I'll get another chance to do it in the next three months

I joke

sort of

        

We've experienced our first real spring

and the thing that they don't tell you about it

is those blooms only last for about two weeks

seriously, two weeks of beautiful pinks, purples, and yellows

and then they all come off

what's up with that?

We got to go back to California for a few days 

and I almost cried when I found out

I've been a little homesick these days

for sun, and 65 mph, and disneyland

we got to meet my new niece 

have some quality cousin time

celebrate 

and hang out in Mickey's backyard

There's good eats here in Portland

and we've been getting a good taste of it

beer and wine flavored ice cream

pizza like I've never had before

and food cart dates have now become my favorite

Aidan is in the beginning of her swimming career

and we're seeing a bright future up ahead

friendships are continuing to grow

and goodbye's have already started to take place

because each family's time here is limited

But we're continually thankful and blessed for this season as a family

Happy 4th of July!

We'll be eating hot dogs and watching the Sandlot

welcome back, blog

First of all

I love blogging

blogging has provided an incredible outlet to share the "what's happening" with our family

a way to make new friends and stay connected with old ones

and a way for me to have a digital photo album, without actually spending a million dollars

to develop all the pictures that I take

but now working, I rarely have time to do my chores and see my family, let alone blog

blogging is always on my to do list, but rarely gets to the top

the bills, laundry, and rest always seem to cut in line

and of course family time, which always gets to be the line leader

Can you tell I've made my way back into teaching?

So yes, a few changes have happened since I last blogged

I am no longer working for Starbucks. 

Early December I got offered a job as an Infant Teacher at a DayCare

A huge blessing, I can't say that enough

My hours are stable, I have weekends and major holidays off,

I walk to work, and get to come home on my lunch break

it's amazing!

And though it's not completely free

the Lord has provided enough each month so far so the girls can join me once a week

And they love it!

But they're growing up way too fast

              

               Oct. 2011 Jan. 2013

we've become more involved with our church and seminary community

and we've been just so incredibly blessed by the people here

they're amazing, and so encouraging!

and its going to be really hard to say goodbye to them, when the Lord moves us on

               

Portland gave us our first snow

about 30 minutes before we hopped on a plane for California

but we were grateful for the 15 minutes of fun.

As much as we miss the food from the Bay

we've been introduced to some awesome eats here

This Tavern was incredible, but I think we're a little

afraid to go back, considering Aidan almost burned it down

a good story for a later time

It hasn't taken long for us to see how beautiful the Pacific Northwest is

Some friends took us to Multnomah Falls, and we got our tourist on

I love how, even in the winter when the tree's branches are bare

they're still a beautiful green because of the moss that grows on them

it's been six months since we've moved here

and I've been making a pro/con list for Portland,

in addition to some random observations.

Pro: the no sales tax thing is AMAZING!

Con: gas pumping; I thought this would be a pro,

but when you're forced to wait for the attendant to come help you,

you can't help but realize you could be done pumping by then if you were allowed to just do it yourself

Pro and Con and Pro again: no plastic bags; this was a pro until I tried to carry my paper

bags full of groceries in the rain, but then became a pro again when I finally disciplined myself to

use all those reusable bags from the disney store and whole foods.

Pro: DMV here is awesome, and our registration is good for two years.

Con: the speed limit. 55 mph is not acceptable. period. Sammy Hagar, I can't drive 55!

Con: the strip clubs every square block is pretty gross.

Pro: the bridges are gorgeous, and they don't make me pay to cross them!

Pro: some of the best beer is made here, and they give you samples in the grocery store

 (clearly one of Jason's Pro's)

Pro: Jason got a peek at what a tattoo on pasty white skin looks like, and now doesn't want one.

Observation: Subaru is to Portland AS Prius is to the Bay Area

Observation: cool Portland mom's have nose rings and use cloth diapers

Observation: cool Portland dad's have beards and wear flannel

Conclusion: Jason and I will never be cool parents

All in all, we're having a great time

but we can always use a great amount of prayer



like I've said before, moving here has been awesome,

but a whole new set of challenges have come

We are so thankful for all of our dear friends and family who have supported us

and continue to support us. And we would ask that you continually keep us in prayer.

humility and blessing

Happy 2013

this is a great picture of how we're looking these days

despite being sick virtually every week since mid November

and despite knowing what happens during Season 3 of Downton Abbey

but, because God is so good

He is so faithful

and my constant surprise and awe of it, just reveals my lack of faith and knowledge of who He is

just to get it out of the way

we had a really nice Christmas at home

following a blessed trip to Southern California to visit these lovely people

but I don't really want to talk about our christmas

or how proud I am of my husband and the work he's done his first semester

or show pictures of our fun in December, though I probably will cause I just can't help it

But it being a new year, I just want to look back at 2012 and share where the Lord has brought us

First of all, this time last January, I had no idea that I would be writing this post from a different house,

 a different city, different state. But God in His rich mercy had a new plan (new to us), and a new place

 for us. And so I want to declare right now, come 2014 I have no idea where I'll be writing this post

 from (though, I hope its from here cause Jason's program isn't scheduled to end until after that).

But as I look back on 2012, I feel like it can only be described in two words

BLESSING and HUMILITY

As much as this has been a year of huge blessing

and I mean huge

it has been filled with just as many humbling moments

hard moments, very uncomfortable moments, but really good moments

My mom once said that we project our own sin on others

and boy is that true!

I have noticed that in the last year I have been very quick to judge people staying in their comfort zone

complaining about why some stay in the same place, eat the same things, talk to the same people

and it never changes

then of course these last four months of being in this new place, shopping at different stores, 

talking to new people, not eating at the usual spots 

(Little Lucca's, Big Mouth,  Crepevine,  Rubio's)

and experiencing the real fear, that precedes the blessing of living on faith, 

oh how I missed my comfort zone

longed for it

needed it 

so clearly seeing that what I had so ruthlessly sought to discover in others

was what the Spirit was really searching to weed out in me

There's a song we sing at our church, and it has a line I never want to forgot

"Fences guard our hearts and homes,

Comfort sings a sirens tone,

We've become a valley of dry bones,

Lead us back to life in You"

I'm not over my comfort idol

I struggle with running back to it every day, in my thoughts

and in my hesitancy to do good works, because they come in the form of uncomfortable situations

Oh Lord, thank you for showing me my wicked ways

Forgive me for looking down on others, when all I was doing was pin-pointing my own sin

the whole "he who has no sin, cast the first stone" has become ever so clear this year

Isn't it almost always the case, that we judge most harshly on sins we are most guilty?

And we are most gracious about sin we are most forgiven

I want to be described by the latter.