January: the best of my days

Ashley Ann of Under the Sycamore Tree is a darling
and uber creative mother of four.
A few weeks ago, she featured a diy notepad
that she put together for some folks at church.

I loved the idea and printed out a year's worth for myself.
I figured I'd share the best of my days at the end of each month.

1. Being productive around the house - great way to start the year off!2. Our anniversary dinner at Peohe's, Coronado. Quality time + delicious food3. My first Flavia drink: Milky Way Latte. What a great Christmas gift that keeps on giving4. Having absolutely zero plans after work5. Finding Kelle Hampton's blog6. Crafting. alone.7. Being upgraded to a suite in Palm Springs with the mister8. A 2 hour long bubble bath9. Snuggling in bed. I love those precious moments10. Shrimp and Crab fondue with the McLeods for Mike's birthday11. Starting on Jeremiah's secret project12. Eating lunch in the sunshine. I could feel the warmth kiss my face. Heaven.13. Driving down the coast to pick up my Disney Dianas!14. Havarti cheese with the Schanakers. What great friends!15. Life-giving conversation with the Kookers16. Prayer time with Jeremiah before bed17. Having a romantic dinner with the mister18. A new blog follower (Thanks, April!) :)19. Dad came running when I locked my keys in the car. #soselfless20. Sore legs after a good run21. A free afternoon at work to do whatever I wanted22. Running at Lake Miramar with Jeremiah. So pretty.23. Sleeping in and the smell of warm scones in the morning24. Jeremiah telling me that I'm doing a good job to support him through the busy season at work25. Dinner with the girls from Bible Study. I miss them!!26. Hanging out with my sister. Nuff said.27. A surprise love note from Jeremiah in Spanish #lovethelatin28. Family dinner29. Spending time with friends and family at our housewarming party30. A lazy Sunday afternoon, complete with 2 romantic movies and 6 episodes of 2431. A raw and authentic prayer time on my way home from work

Happy end-of-January! Can't wait to see what February brings.With my birthday, Valentine's day, and President's day off of work,February is definitely a favorite around these neck-of-the-woods!

{Happy} Hour or two

Have you been to Prep Kitchen in Del Mar?

I met my friend Ali there for Happy Hour last week.

A good cheese plate is one way straight to my heart.
Mix in a gorgeous sunset over the beach
and good conversation with a good friend

.... you have me weak at the knees.

[Almost] Wordless Wednesday

Welcome to the family, Leslie!!

Epic Fail

Have you seen that episode?
That episode of Gilmore Girls.

You know, the one where Rory's professor suggests she drops a class,
because she can't juggle everything anymore.
The one that ends with Luke's arm around Lorelei on a park bench.
Lorelei balling uncontrollably.
Wailing "I'm failing. I'm failing"

And what does Luke say?
"You're NOT failing."

But she is.
At least, I think she is.
and that's okay.

When I saw that,
it tugged at my heart strings.
I'm so sick of this world
telling us it's not okay to fail.

It's okay to fail.
It's healthy to fail.
It's expected to fail.

If we can't see that we're falling short,
how can we ever grow
or recognize our need for the Unfailable?

... To be filled

You know that song
that's been stuck in your head?
Not the latest Ke$ha song endlessly repeating on the radio,
but the song your heart sings
whenever it has a minute to breath?

For me, it's been this song for the past year or so:

Holy fire burn away
My desire for anything
That is not of you and is of me
I want more of you
And less of me

Empty me, empty me, fill me
With you, with you

The song is simple.
Just a few lines.
But it's a powerful cry of the soul.
Of my soul.

I find myself singing it at least once or twice a day.
Sometimes humming,
sometimes singing the entire song,
still other times whispering "empty me, empty me."

The "fill me" part sounds so satisfying
so abundant and so... well, full.
But when my mind actually catches up to my heart
and I'm conscious of the "empty me, empty me" plead,
I hesitate a bit.

Am I really singing this?

It's true, I want to be emptied.
I want all of that mess that is of me
to be cleaned out.
But that hurts. That's not fun,
not necessarily satisfying or abundant.
But moreso painful and uncomfortable.

Yet that's the part that comes first.
We must be emptied to be filled.

Empty me, Lord
and fill me with You.

Betcha didn't know...

If I'm having a good hair day, I can conquer the world.
I keep at least 4 different calendars up-to-date during a given week.
I have still have sore calves because of a run I went on THREE days ago.
Something Like Silas is still my favorite band.
I'm an ESFJ according to the Keirsey Temperament test.
My entire mood can change just by walking into Michaels.
It's a regular occurrence for me to cry during a TV show or movie.
Mondays are actually one of my favorite workdays.
I want to re-decorate our house about every third day.
I keep up-to-date with my Facebook feed, like the entire thing.

Life [UN]expected, that's for sure

I'm typically not one to blog about TV shows,

especially because I watch some of the lamest guilt pleasures around.

But does anyone out there watch Life Unexpected?
I guess I should say, DID anyone watch Life Unexpected?

What the heck?
They sent me on an emotional roller coaster
for almost two hours last night.
I cried for, um, well.. the entire show.
as they pulled out emotion, after emotion, after emotion
until I was raw.

And then..

Then they jump two years, mix everything up
and the show ends happily ever after-ish?

What?

siamo amanti

On Sunday, the Mr. and I enjoyed a lovely date day.
We headed down to Coronado for our gondola ride rain check
where the weather was about 30 degrees lovelier than our last attempt.

Thank you Roberto, for paddling our little love canoe
through the beautiful canals of Silver Strand.
And thank you Groupon for the half priced reservation.


No silly (read: romantic) gondola ride is complete
without chocolate covered strawberries and a sunset.


Gosh, I love this city
TO. PIECES.

Three cheers for me

I'm going to brag for a second

partly because I need to remember this
and partly because, well, I'm proud of myself.

It may not seem like a big deal to most,
but if just for a moment
I felt like I mastered the art of "flexibility" today.

You see, I plan our meals out to the tee every week
I gather all the right ingredients
Nothing less, and hopefully nothing more.
And the only flexibility I build into our meal schedule
is room for "I don't feel like cooking tonight."

Today, I had planned for BBQ Chicken and Asparagus.
But then Jeremiah asked if his friend could eat over
so I decided to make Steak Fajitas
(Jeremiah and I share a chicken breast, but I had bought a lb of steak)
Change #1. Go team!

Then when I came home from work,
Jeremiah's friend had left, but the hubs mentioned how hungry he was.
I didn't want to make him wait while I cooked the meat,
so instead I threw together everything I could find
to have appetizers for dinner
Change #2. Go team!

I know it doesn't sound like very much,
but every step away from rigidity and towards flexibility
is a thing of beauty in my life.

Three cheers for me.

So for dinner...
BBQ Meatballs, Pepperoni and Cheese Stacks, Flatbread and Hummus,
and Macaroni and Cheese Balls in Marinara Sauce.

Weekend Pennies

Indeed I felt rich with pennies this weekend.

Gilmore Girls and Still Standing
Craft time
An afternoon nap
The gorgeous weekend weather
Trying out a new wine bar with great friends
Havarti Cheese
Staying up past my bedtime two nights in a row
Sleeping in
The gorgeous weekend weather
Seeing the beautiful water as the 52 turns into La Jolla Drive
Cinnamon apple scone and iced tea
An open parking sport
Good conversation with an old coworker and friend
Reading a good book alone at the pool
The gorgeous weekend weather
Otter pops
Delicious appetizers
Girl time
Stone Flats
Shared insight and reflection with wonderful friends
4am pillow talk
Successfully trying a new church
The gorgeous weekend weather
Extra Havarti from Mav
A new blog
Forgiveness
The free window washing and vacuuming that comes with an oil change
A new shop in Scripps
Inspiration shopping
A romantic gondola ride
The gorgeous weekend weather
When Jeremiah opens the car door for me
The sunset in Coronado
Dinner in Old Town
A movie with the Mr.
Hearing husband saying "you're a good cook, honey"
Clean sheets

So. Very. Thankful.
So. Very. Blessed.

Gosh, if only I had tomorrow off like everyone else... ;-)

Disney Dianas

Remember when we went to Walt Disney World last month?

The Dianas are in.

Ain't No Question

I love these two.
End of story.

Operation: Re-juvenate

I know you don't have to wait until the new year,
but I'm pretty sure the new year is supposed to make you feel
clean, fresh, new
organized, motivated
ready, strong, willing

Nope.
Don't feel it.

In fact,
I think I could more accurately go with
tired, defeated, overwhelmed

Turns out,
trying to do anything by your own might
makes you feel tired, defeated and overwhelmed

It doesn't necessarily take a mini-vacation,
or a relaxing massage to rejuvenate
-- though, it sure doesn't hurt --

How about taping into the Source of Life?
The One that doesn't follow "I am"
with tired, defeated, or overwhelmed.

I AM.

Painted Sky

Today was one of those days.
On my drive home, this reminded me that
God is faithful

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Remember last year when my father-in-law turned 50?

Welp, it's that time of year again.

Happy 51st, Mikey!
On this birthday in particular,
I'm especially thankful for the opportunity to celebrate with you.

And I hope your day is relaxing and wonderful.
I'm looking forward to our dinner party tonight.

A Relaxing Weekend

Back in September, Zion held a silent auction.

where Jeremiah and I purchased/won a weekend in Palm Springs.

We were supposed to use it by the end of the year,
but life has been pretty busy the past couple months,
so luckily we were able to switch to this weekend.

We stayed at Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage
where we were excited to get upgraded to a suite on the tenth floorThe view from our balcony was beautifulWe had zero plans all weekend. It was fabulous!
I actually went to bed on Friday night thinking
"what the heck are we going to do tomorrow?"
I can't remember the last time I thought that.

We ended up sleeping in, playing games, eating yummy food,
going on a couple walks, watching movies in bed, having long conversations
and going on our annual Cabazon outlet shopping excursion.

One of the cafes at the hotel had a pretty sweet table
where we could play checkers, chess, pong, etc.
It was like a giant iPod table top. Rad!I played video 5-hand draw while Jeremiah hung out at the blackjack table.
I sat there for hours and only lost about 20 or 30 bucks.Who needs breakfast-in-bed or a hot tub
when you can have breakfast in your own private jacuzzi tub.We had lunch at The River
and enjoyed a walk in the sunshineWe also tried out a wine bar that came highly recommended from a dear friend
Even though we've been traveling like crazy,
it was a nice, relaxing weekend away.

And a pretty good way to start the new year,
if I do say so myself.

Here comes Monday...

Vacate

Vacate: (verb) to leave, to go away, to give up


We are off to enjoy a relaxing post-holidays weekend away.
To chores. No errands. No plans. No commitments. No site seeing.
Nothing at all.

Enjoy your weekend!

Little Letter(s)

Dear Husband,

This morning you came running down the stairs
to tell me a body had been found in Poway.
Then, in a sweet baby voice,
you reminded me to be safe
and not to talk to strangers.

Yup, I love you.

Love,
Wife

This Day Last Year

On this day last year,
Mom was getting cancer removed from her arm.

Today,
she's healthy and cancer-free.

Praise God!

Golden Apples

My favorite high school Spanish teacher
a sweet Christian lady
with a heart for God's people.

Today, a post from her blog
reminded me of the power in words

"Like apples of gold in settings of silver
is a word spoken in right circumstances."
Proverbs 25:11

I'm frequently reminded of the importance to tame my tongue,
but today's reminder spoke not of the absence of harsh words,
but of the presence of kind words
words that are intentional and encouraging.
It reminded me of the calling to only speak words that make souls stronger.

Indeed her words were like apples of gold
in a settings of silver

The Good. The Bad. and the Ugly, too.

Q: In response to the following:
"I feel inadequate reading blogs about moms who do so much."

A: My blog features the things I'm passionate about
and feel confident doing like photography and crafts.
It doesn't feature the things I can't do well like organizing,
whipping out a spreadsheet, sewing, gardening, playing the guitar, etc.
I wish I was good at some of these things, so I ask my friends who are to help me,
or maybe I'll read up on them to inspire me.
I accept the fact I may never be naturally organized or able to write a song.
But we are all good at something.
I certainly wouldn't judge someone who doesn't take good pictures
or do crafts with their kids because maybe that's not what they enjoy.
And that's the beauty of a big vast world
full of rich differences of people and talents and loves.
What is it that moves you, fuels you, inspires you?
Find it, own it, live it. And maybe, if you feel inclined...blog about it.

----

When I read this, I was deeply encouraged.
I follow many, many blogs.
and though when I started reading them, I felt nothing but inspiration,
I've since started to sometimes compare myself to other bloggers.
I don't necessarily judge my blog against theirs
so much as I compare my life against theirs.
My skills and gifts against theirs. My hopes and dreams against theirs.
My marriage against theirs.

And while, yes, there is a divine sense of inspiration
that comes from surrounding yourself with those
who have excelled differently (read: more) than you have,
there is also a dangerous temptation to compare yourself
and to sink into discontentment.

That said, Kelle's words also reminded me
of something near&dear to my heart.

I can identify with the quest to
Find it. Own it. and Live it.
And part of me is also challenged in a different way.

This may not be a goal for everyone,
I don't think it should be and I don't expect it to be,
but for me and for my blog,
I want it to be a place where I not only blog about what I'm good at
but also about what I struggle with,
what I don't really like about myself,
what I just plain suck at.

Being a perfectionist
(despite how much I hate to admit it)
I tend to only want to do things I'm good at,
only talk about things I've succeeded at.

May that not be true.

And may you, my five loyal readers;-),
keep me accountable to that.
Please.

----

On a slightly related note,
if you haven't read Nella's birth story,
you must. you must. you must.
And not in between meetings,
but at home
with a box of tissue
and without any mascara on.

Inspiring.
Thought-provoking.
and painfully beautiful.

4cents

This morning,
our garage door wouldn't open automatically.
I had to pull husband away from the shower
to come downstairs, outside
to open it manually.

Luckily,
I was already running a little bit early instead of late,
my husband is a considerate stud of a man,
I had a Milky Way latte in my hand,
and it wasn't pouring rain

Count em.
That's FOUR pennies
for my back-to-work Monday morning.

Rain Check?

The Hubface and I enjoyed
quite a relaxing last-day-of-vacation yesterday.
(Read: Do we really have to go back to work?)

To celebrate the past six years together
and Jeremiah passing his final CPA exam,
we slept in past ten, cuddled up to watch The Holiday
and then headed down to Coronado for a little date night.

I was excited to surprise him
with a romantic little gondola ride and dinner at Peohe's.
Unfortunately, the gondola ride was postponed due to weather.
(Read: Have I mentioned how much I dislike rain?
Isn't San Diego 70 and sunny year round?)

So, we took a detour to grab some peppermint hot chocolate
and do a bit of shopping at Target.
And it was a successful shopping trip at that
so I guess it all turned just fine.

Back to Coronado for dinner...

Have you eaten at Peohe's?
Yum. Yum.
The Crab Stack: Crab, Mangoes and Avocados
on a parmesean pesto crustiniThe Mister had the fillet. Shocking, I know.And I had lobster bisque with the beefsteak tomato salad. So good.We topped it off with a little banana gelato for dessert.T'was yummy.
And t'was nice to sit and chat together
about strengths and weaknesses, goals and dreams
and the fact that my stud of a husband is DONE with his CPA exams!

What a pleasure it is to be married to that guy.

And I guess the upside is,
we get to go back in a couple weeks for a follow up date.
Hopefully our gondola ride doesn't get rained out again. =)