Monday Meals

While eating dinner last night, Jeremiah said:
"I think this may be the best chicken you've ever made!"

And since we have chicken at least a couple times a week,
I figured that was a pretty big compliment.

So what was it?
My own recipe, actually.
Spicy chipotle peach chicken.

So. Yummy.
Especially with green beans, yam, watermelon,
and a little piece of pineapple crusted halibut.

Thirst and Be Filled

What a verse for a Monday morning:

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."
Matthew 5:6

Nearing Summer's End

Well, another weekend has come and gone
Far too quickly if you ask me.
But then again, I'm normally of that opinion.

What were some of my favorite parts of the weekend?

Bomb.com blister band-aids
Gilmore Girls Re-runs
Feeling ridiculously sore after Friday's softball practice
OTB's Creamy Red Chile Sauce
Finding a potential couch for our new living room
Chocolate Malted Crunch on a cone
The Ugly Truth
Getting Carried to Bed
A Good Chat with my Fahj
Starbucks' Refreshers
A Spa Pedicure
Subway Sandwiches
Love Letters in Sky-writing
A Successful Shopping Trip
A Sweet Text Message from my Mother-in-Law
Spaghetti Dinner with the Fam
Pre-Season Football
Pictures developed before expected
Scoring FAB-ulous tickets for Mary Poppins next month
Jacuzzi Time
PS: I Love You
2 Timothy 2
Not having to run the AC all day
A Sleepover at my Parents' house
Another challenging sermon at North Coast
Family Lunch
Hanging out with Crane
Dinner with Boffe and his roommates
Welcoming home the Hubs upon his return from Vegas

Is it seriously almost September? What the hey!
As much as I love, love, love Fall...
I'm just not ready to say good-bye to the short-lived Summer
that is just now starting to show her face.

Chim Chimney...

So... I just got our tickets for

Mary Poppins on Broadway
and our seats are
practically-perfect-in-every-way!

Third Row Center, baby!!
Can't wait!

Maui in More Pictures Than Necessary (Round 2)

Remember the Del Mar Fair shots
I took with my Diana earlier this summer?

Well, here's a glimpse at Diana's trip to Maui

PS: If you tried to watch any of my Maui videos earlier this week,
I've fixed the security problem. You should be able to play 'em now.

Pennies, Pennies, Pennies

Before DSC returned to the airwaves, I listened to 94.1 on my morning commute.
They play a little somethin' on Fridays called "Why ya smilin'?"

Today I'm smiling because....

• The work week went faster than normal. And it's already F-R-I-D-A-Y!
• I made a heavenly Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza for dinner this week: garlic and Herb pizza dough, pesto-infused olive oil, pizza sauce, TJ's BBQ sauce, chicken, yellow peppers, red onions, fresh tomatoes, and fresh garlic sprinkled with mozzarella and feta cheese.
• Hubs awarded me a couple high-fives
• This week went far better than last
• Next month I only have to go to work half of the days, but my paycheck won't change at all.
• I had great conversations with Jeremiah, Alana, my Mom, my Bible Study Girls and my Papa.
• I have softball practice today.
• All those piles of Escrow paper work are moving right along.
• I finally figured out how to download videos from our camcorder and publish them on my bloggity-blog.
• Starbucks has been a regular part of my morning routine.
• I've been incredibly encouraged this week.

More to come. I'm sure of it.

Repaying Insult with Blessing

This passage spoke very powerfully to me this morning.
It's as if it said,

Finally, [Jessi], live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic,
love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing,
because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days
must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.
He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
1 Peter 3:8-11

-----

Holy God,

I pray that by Your strength I might be able
to live a life of harmony today.
Help me to be sympathetic, compassionate and humble.
Guard the voice of the Evil One from my heart
that I might return insult with Your blessings instead of his insults.
This is my desire.

In the precious name of your Son,
Amen.

And.... Action!

Thought I'd share a few more videos from our trip.
-- Now that I figured out how to get them off my camera! :) --

Old Lahaina Luau: Digging up the pig


Old Lahaina Luau: A dance or two


One of Jeremiah's rides down the zipline

The Sting

On our first full day in Maui
I stepped on one of those pesky little bees.

And since I have some sort of allergic reaction to those boogers,
the bottom of my foot swelled up and hurt so much
that I hobbled around for a couple days.
(Great way to start a vacation, I know)

But seriously, how could one little creature
cause such a commotion?

Well, when my parents came over for dinner last weekend,
my comedian of a father
brought me these little antique dishes
as a joke.

Very funny, dad!

A Commitment Renewed

One of my favorite parts about our trip to Maui
was my parents vow renewal at Makena Cove

Why keep this 15 minutes of lovey-doveyness to myself?



Congrats, again, Ma and Pa!

Cheers to 25 More!

Today, my parents celebrate 25 years of marriage!

Twenty-five years is a long time
so we haven't taken celebrating lightly.


We played in Maui for a week,
they're going out to breakfast and to the Pageant of the Masters,
my grandparents are taking them out,
and Jeremiah and I had them over last weekend
for a little celebratory dinner.

The planned menu?
Pesto baked chicken with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella,
mashed potato parfaits,grilled asparagus, fresh fruit, and garlic cheese bread,
and homemade lemon bars for dessert.

The actual menu?
No mashed potatoes due to some unruly russets
and snickerdoodles instead of lemon bars because...
well, they just didn't want to hold together with the heat, I guess.

Despite a few lessons in the kitchen,
we enjoyed having dinner with the family
and loving on my parents.

I'm so thankful to have two loving parents.
Two parents who have shown me
the importance of commitment,
the power of prayer,
the value in investing in people,
the reality of consequences,
the need for God and His grace,
and the benefits of our choice to love.

I love you mom and dad.
I have been so richly blessed by you both.

Cheers to 25 more!

Dear Monday(s)

Dear Monday(s),

You tend to treat me so kindly. For that I am grateful.

Love,
Jessi

Maui in More Pictures Than Necessary (Round 1)

Beautiful Kaanapali Beach from our balconyThe Fam-bam before dinner at Cheeseburger in ParadiseJugs and IDowntown Lahaina at duskMom and I grocery shopping for the weekMiah and I at the Old Lahaina LuauBlack Rock etc.A gorgeous rainbow from our balconyParasailing with Ma

Hula Dancers at the Old Lahaina Luau
No Description Needed
My Parents Vow Renewal at Makena Cove
One of MANY gorgeous sunsets
See above caption
The Family in front of the Old Banyan Tree
Twas such a lovely trip!
Round 2 coming once I get my Diana's developed.

Smoochin at Sunset

We spent our sunny Sunday evening

talkin' about our dreams and plans,
slurppin' down gelato,
people watchin' like whoa,
and smoochin' at sunset.

Gosh, I love this man!
and this city!

Rich with 22 Cents

Though this weekend seemed ridiculously short,
I'm so thankful for these blessings:

Beautiful weather in Coronado
Driving opposite of traffic
Dinner and Ice Cream with good friends
Being called Senorita
Air Conditioning
Seeing my parents at the hair salon
Good-bye grown out roots and Hello straight hair
The smell of homemade lemon bars filling our kitchen,
even though they weren't terribly edible until tonight (oops!)
Air Conditioning
A beautiful vintage candy dish filled with fresh flowers from mom
Help with chores from the Hubs
Dinner with the fam for my parents' 25th
Marshmallow anti-bac
An encouraging word or two
Unexpected inspiration found here
Mark Carter's podcasts
An awesome sermon at church
Lunch with my family
Air Conditioning
Furniture shopping --though unsuccessful-- was fun to do with the Hubs
La Jolla. Dinner, Dessert and Sunset -- the perfect date night!

Brain Dump

It's been one of those weeks.
I've been trying to be productive all week.
-- "Trying" being the key word --
My brain seems to be so full that nothing worthy is coming out.

Hence the brain dump...

* Whenever someone passes away, I can't help but have a keener eye for the not-a-big-deals that get blown out of proportion.
* The combination of highly emotional and chronic headache has been my nemesis all week.
* I'm trying to dream big, but falling short. Again. I wish I were a dreamer.
* The other day, Jeremiah called me his "little toolbox." And told me he loved me because I responded with "What the heck does that mean?" instead of "Aw, how sweet!"
* I wanna go visit my Papa.
* I'm finding that all my strengths and natural talents are not so natural this week.
* I'm glad Football Season is rolling in, but I'm still highly irritated that summer was MIA for so long.
* I'm short-sighted here and future-minded elsewhere. What's the deal?
* My Mantras this week has been "You have everything you need." via http://jasminestarblog.com and "It is He who made us, and not we ourselves" via Psalm 100.
* I long for a weekend retreat. Or at least a moment. Where I re-encounter myself.
* I'm thankful for my family.
* My Want-To-Do Lists are practically wall paper in my office. The Completed-Tasks Lists are no where to be found.
* I hate, hate, hate when our team misses deadlines.
* My cooking skills (or lack-thereof) reached an all-time low today.
* I'm really enjoying this quote: "But no one’s in your head and by the time you translate your thoughts, some essence of them may be lost or perhaps it is just kept...Cuz if you’re happy in your head than solitude is blessed and alone is okay" via Tracy Le
* And apparently, I'm disgustingly hard on myself. Again.

Kingdom eyes, Kingdom eyes.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

For Christmas I'd like a shiny yellow (or maybe peach) bike.
With a little basket in the front.I promise I've been good.

Love,
Jessi

Wordless Wednesday

So Proud!

Remember how Alana
studied really, really hard
and took The Basic last week?

Well, her hard work
and the prayers paid off.

SHE PASSED!!

Alana, I'm so proud of all your hard work.
And I'm honored to be you're friend!
Congratulations!!

Scratch Map Re-Posted

On a light-hearted note,
I. Love. Maps.
A lot.

My heart skipped a beat or two
when Joanna posted this beauty yesterday.

In My Deep

Tears.

Not one glistening on my cheek.
But millions gushing from the depths of my eyes.
A wailing of sorts.

It happens when I think about Point Loma.
Not just the school, but the city too.
When I drive down Rosecrans or Talbot or Nimitz
When we park our car at NTC.
When we enjoy a local eatery.

My deep, my inner being
mourns the loss of that time in my life
Intensely.

Is it just me?

You're Calling Me

You're calling me to lay aside the worries of my day
to quiet down my busy mind and finding a hiding place
You are worthy!

I heard the beginning of this song,
while I was truckin' away at work today.

I paused, shut my door,
and closed my inbox for a moment.

I quieted my busy mind
and shared a moment with the Lord.

My soul needed it.
And I know He takes delight as well.

A Heavy Heart

Pensive.

My heart is heavy,
weighed down with sadness and mourning
as I think about the loss of Escondido's Aaron and Anthony this weekend.

Facebook flooded with recollected memories
and encouraging messages to the Farkas family.

Overwhelmed.

The flood continued this morning
But this time with prayers for Rory Renfrow
who lost his darling wife Jaimee to CF yesterday.
A beautiful girl with a deep love for the Lord.

What a stark contrast, yet glimpse of hope
to remember that today Stephanie Nielson
is celebrating two years since her
almost life-ending plane crash in 2008.

How precious life is.
And how futile everything else seems today.

---------------

A picture with Jaimee and other Finch-mates
at the Padres game sophomore year

The Last Blog

So I read a lot of blogs.
And when I say "a lot,"
I mean roughly 130 as of today.

Consistently.

Waste of time, you might say.
I say no.
Inspiration.

But there's one tip,
that I thought I'd share
with my fellow blog-stalkers

And that is...

Subscribe to a daily Scripture verse.
Read all your other blogs first
And lastly,
read the daily passage of Scripture.

Meditate on it.
Pray through it.
And let that be what fills your mind
as you charge forth into the day.

It's made a world of difference in my life.

Little Letters.... to Maui

Dear Maui, mahalo for the memories.

Dear Massages at the Westin, you were rather lovely. Especially at sunset. I'm still dreaming of your lavender/chamomile oil.

Dear Hula Grill, Lelani's, Cane and Taro, Cool Cats, and Cheeseburger in Paradise, you have delicious food, especially the fish tacos Thanks for indulging me.

Dear Sister, I'm still absolutely shocked that you practically lived in the water, woke up before 7, walked in the sand, parasailed and went without a shower for a couple days. You are quite the little trooper.

Dear Joe, thanks for helping sister with the above. ;-)

Dear Clear Blue Water, you're so fun to swim in. I'm especially fond of the little specks of sand you leave on my skin. Plus you work magic on my wavy hair.

Dear Vintage Map store, I could live in you. Forever. And ever.

Dear Zip-lining, thanks for giving the boys a good time. And staining their clothes and shoes with your lovely red dirt.

Dear Black Rock, you are gorgeous at night when they light your tiki torches. Keep it up.

Dear Jet Blue, thanks for making us sit on the tarmac (not tar mat :)) for an hour and a half after we landed in Sandy Ego. You drove the guy behind me crazy. He was swearing up a storm.

Dear Weather, thanks for being so lovely. I L-O-V-E when it's warm at night and I love the dew you leave on my skin after my morning walk. Heavenly...

Dear Seals on the Beach, what a treat. Thanks for visiting for a while.

Dear Kaanapali Boardwalk, I enjoyed walking your lovely paths every day. They're just the right distance with just the right view. Though you could definitely use some widening.

Dear Killer Bee, you suck. I really didn't enjoy that time you snuck under my foot and stung me. I couldn't walk for two days. Really? Buzz off!

Dear Old Lahaina Luau, you introduced me to new food, provided unlimited cocktails and put on quite a lovely show. PS: Thanks for the lei.

Dear Whaler, you're wrap-around-porch was Off. The. Hook.

Dear Everyone-who-got-married-on-8/9/10, Congratulations.

Dear Rainbows, I never get sick of you. I love how you change with each angle and each glisten of the sun. Gosh, you're beautiful!

Dear Diana, I sure hope you captured some pretty pictures. Those pretty little images have got to be imprinted in your lens forever.

Dear Hana, I'm sorry we didn't come visit you. We thought about it, I swear. We just decided that relaxing beats driving in a car any day. We'll just check out some pictures online. ;-)

Dear Vow Renewal, you were absolutely special. What a neat thing to watch my parents partake in.

Dear Parasailing, I know I get scared of you every time, but you're still so much fun. Thanks for the view.

Dear Makena Cove, you are quite the little rascal to find. But, and that's a big butt... you are absolutely quaint and stunning. I love you!

Dear Shaved Ice, you are my secret love. Thanks for being completely acceptable for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Snack-time. Mmm so good!

Dear Whaler's Village, thanks for the cute new Christmas ornaments and coasters.

Dear Benadryl and Cortizon, you made everything better. Thanks for getting me and my bee sting through the night. Savior? I think so.

Dear Jet Skiing, why do you have so many gosh darn rules for your riders? I really wanted to ride, but wasn't particularly interested in staying between your cones and only going 15 mph

Dear Iced Chai, you know where's it's at baby!

Dear Video Camera, what a joy it was to have you around. Once I can figure out how to upload your videos, I think I'll share a few.

Dear 6am, you are my FAVORITE time of day on the island. Quiet. Peaceful. Sacred. All together wonderful.

Dear Danielle Steel, you never fail to be the most delightful of traveling companions.

Dear Cabana Boy, you make my life easy. God bless your little fourteen-year-old-Hawaiian-soul.

Dear Work, can't say I missed you -- err, even thought about you -- all week! Mua ha ha!

Dear Blog Readers who want pictures, those are coming in post #2. You think I can go to Maui and contain it in one post? Psh!

Dear Sweet Husband, thank you for letting me drape my legs over you on both flights. And thanks for not shaving your beard nearly the entire trip. So. Darn. Cute. I love you!

Dear Momsy and Popsicle, thank you for including us on such a lovely vacation. We had a beautiful time and loved spending so much time with you in such a beautiful place. Happy 25th Anniversary! You make me proud.

Dear Maui, until next time... =)

Try Now

My favorite development method of all time.

Please welcome your.....judges!

[SYTYCD Spoiler Alert]

I have a rather strict bed time.
Not because I live with any sort of controlling authorities,
but because I'm a grandma and a bit of a crank
if I don't get a full 8 hours each night.
I know, I know, lame -- but true.

Needless to say,
I have been getting about 6 hours
the past few nights.
And drinking coffee (yes, coffee) each morning.

Why, you ask?
Because I've been watching
hours upon hours of SYTYCD

There is something so absolutely and profoundly beautiful
about the richness of authentic movement.

And was I happy with last night's results?
Of Course!


I've been picking up the phone for LoFro all along.
Congratulations, Lauren!

ABC & 123

It's mid-August
and though I have been out of college
for over a year and a half,
I still get that little thrill
when it's back-to-school time.

The pencils, pens and highlighters,
notebooks and dividers,
reams of paper, new book bags
and back-to-school clothes...
Gah, I just love it!

Since I won't officially be heading
"back to school" this August,
I've decided to indulge myself anyway,
with a few simple pleasures that is...
(far better than actually going back to school!)

-- Simple Pleasure #1 --
A trip to the office supply room at work
to stock up on fresh Sharpees, a clean stack of post-its,
and a new notebook to fill with random To Do lists.

-- Simple Pleasure #2 --
A ten minute break
to color with my brand-new Smencils
(I wouldn't mind finding the Holiday collection
or the Tropical Smens in my stocking!)

-- Simple Pleasure #3 --
Thumb through old pictures
from my first-days-of-school in the past.
And take a trip down memory lane,
to remember the many back-to-school shopping trips
with ma, lys and gram.

Ah, freshly sharpened pencils...
I can smell them now.

Inspired Today

She inspires me to be a better wife.
She inspires me to be a creatively thoughtful mom some day.
She inspires me to take beautiful pictures.
She inspires me to think deeply and honestly.
She inspires me to live life fully.

Who inspires you?

Back to the Grind

What made my first day back at work
10 times better than expected?

Getting an extra 15 minutes of sleep
Listening to DSC on my pretty-darn-short commute to work
Starbucks. Definitely Starbucks
Hebrews 4:14-16
A donut and homegrown cherry tomatoes from Bill
My very own set of Smencils from Matt
Cleaning through my Inbox before noon. High five, team!
Seeing my Prayer List tacked up on my cork board
Anticipation for Bible Study and the SYTYCD Finale tonight
The fact that it's Friday-eve, baby!

Gosh, and it's not even lunch time yet... :)

Wordless Wednesday

Busy? Understatement.

Coming back from vacation
is definitely a big fat game of catch-up.
Today, I spent my last day off...

Going to our home inspection
Getting my car washed
Getting my ring cleaned
Picking up/Dropping off film
Buying new sandals
Catching up on Facebook and Blogs
Paying half a dozen bills
Reading through and signing a bajillion Escrow docs
Balancing the checkbook
Uploading pictures
Catching up with friends
Cleaning out the refrigerator
Doing two loads of laundry
Taking out the trash
Unloading the dishwasher
Sorting through a week of mail
Watching Secret Life, MIOBI and SYTYCD from earlier this week
and grocery shopping.

Phew, I'm tired.
It's a good thing the weekend is almost here ;-)

Diana @ Del Mar

Remember that one time we went to the Del Mar Fair

and I shot a roll of b&w with my new Diana?

Well, those pictures are finally developed.

And of the eleven I took,
most of them turned out halfway decent.
Woo Hoo!



I can't wait to see
how the ones from Maui turn out.