Little Letters

Dear Del Dios Highway,

You provide the loveliest of commutes to work.

Thank you for your winding roads,

your beautifully manicured golf courses

and for not giving me too much of a traffic headache.

I'll miss you.

Dear Cute Boyfriend, 

I absolutely loved that you surprised me and took me out on a date

in the middle of the workday. 

Dear Jack Bauer,

I was thinking about you the other day

and missin' on you big time.

I just can't wait until your return next summer.

Dear Mama and Papa McLeod, 

thank you for coming over for dinner last night.

We had so much fun hanging out, dining alfresco, roasting s'mores and relaxing in the jacuzzi.

I really lucked out in the in-law department.

Dear Jalapeno aioli, 

winner. Good job.

Dear July,

you flew by like whoa. 

You filled my days with family visiting, great meals with friends,

relaxing weekends, and refreshing summer rains.

Thank you.

Dear New Church Building,

I can't wait for you to become our new home this Sunday.

Get ready to rock the socks off Carmel Mountain.

Dear Heavenly Father,

thank you for continuing to reveal my sin to me

while loving me just the same.

You are patient. You are loving. You are merciful beyond belief.

Monday's Mercies

The way the chilly mornings remind me of Fall

Grace

Positive feedback

Inspiration

To Do Lists

Air freshener

A challenging work environment

Unusually light traffic

Rare spontaneity

Finishing a good book

Having Jeremiah home while it's still light outside

Food on the table and a kitchen to prepare it in

Being all caught up on Parenthood

Lemon meringue s'mores

Staying up past my bedtime

Lord,

Thank you for making mundane Mondays so merciful.

I'm so thankful to know

that each day is worth celebrating.

Thank you for sustaining my every breath.

Date: 40: Raglan Public House

Excuse the numbering of our next few dates.

My numbering was off just a bit.

I guess #39 was just so fun I wanted to relive it. 

And onto Raglan...

Raglan Public House is yum-yum-yummo!!

There's no two ways around it.

 

They have a bunch of fabulous items on their menu,

but can we just stop for a minute

and take in the fact that I had a soft pretzel with jalapeno cheese dip for dinner?

+ 1,000 Points, easy.

Anyone who knows anything about me knows I'm obsessed with cheese

(and I'm lactoseintolerant, but really.. obsessed with cheese).

After watching another gorgeous San Diego sunset at the OB pier,

Jeremiah and I dined alfresco, on farm-style benches, under twinkle lights

...yes, that basically translates into 'perfect.'

Add to that delicious beers, craft cocktails

and the fact that I had a stinkin pretzel with cheese for dinner

and I was pretty much on Cloud 9.

We need to go back.

Now.

Date 39: Luc's Bistro

Last November, I had a dental implant surgery

that left me with very limited dietary options for a few days.

But that didn't stop us from dating. :)

Jeremiah stopped by a little restaurant by our home

for some majorly delicious comfort food

and we had a little date night in instead.

The mac n' cheese at Luc's Bistro normally comes with bacon and breadcrumbs,

but when Jeremiah told them that I could barely chew,

they whipped up something special for me

and it was absolutely delicious.

The food alone would have won me over,

but how sweet of them to customize my order.

Our date night in was a success.

One styrofoam cup filled to the brim with delicious pasta

and an extra side of drugs please. 

Date 38: Banker's Hill

Banker's Hill is a super cute neighborhood restaurant

that I had been dying to try for a long time.

After watching the sunset over the bay,

we enjoyed all sorts of yummy appetizers:

deviled eggs, tacos and pumpkin soup to name a few.

We also had delicious cocktails and desserts.

 This adorable little eatery comes highly recommended.

A Full Heart

The weekends always seem far too short

until I realize just how full mine really was.

Sitting on my own couch, in my own house, watching my own TV

Treats dropped off by the FedEx man

Secrets

My favorite tomato basil soup

Sea-salted caramels

Getting to do life with my best friend

Crying during every episode of Parenthood I've ever watched

Sleeping in

An unusually lazy Saturday morning
The Aleve I found hidden in the cabinet

Walking to the local coffee shop

Working on our co-grocery shopping skills

Getting back in the kitchen

Our church family

Macaroni and cheese

Tums for my upset tummy

Just the two of us

Bubbles, play dough and a book

Celebrating God's faithfulness

The way old things are made new

A delicious brunch

Passing on one of my favorite books

Running into co-workers outside of work

Living near the coast

Legs, feet and being able to walk

The way my sister always smells nice. always.

Italian sodas

Gift cards

Having a sister

Massages

When EscoGelato has my all-time favorite flavor

Being healthy

Mighty God,

I am so thankful for this time in my life.

A time to invest, a time to create,

a time to grow, a time to love, a time to laugh,

a time to see, a time to enjoy

and a time to rejoice in who you are.

Thank you. 

A Grateful Heart

Snuggling with Jeremiah before work

Ridiculously light traffic

A hot cup of tea

Havarti

Brilliant co-workers

Not crashing into the car who stopped abruptly in front of me

The sweetest text message from a cute boy I like {and am married to;)}

Playing in the park

Happy Hour with my co-workers

Not running out of gas

Friends who drive out of their way to make you dinner

Safe travels

Being able to work from the hot tub

A crisis averted

Unexpected performance enhancements

A husband who lets me hog the bed {every night}

A meeting-free Friday

The weekend.

Holy God,

Yesterday was such a breath of fresh air.

Thank you for time to play, time to {re-}connect,

and time to admire what you've made and blessed me with.

It didn't go unnoticed.

Gratitude for Today

The way the sky looked yesterday morning

The green golf course on my drive to work

Good news

An attitude adjustment

An unexpected text

Gratitude

The familiar voice of a good friend

A local store having exactly what I was looking for

Finally seeing eye-to-eye

Burgers with chèvre

Thoughtful gifts

Holding hands to pray

A compliment

The way the full moon reflects off the lake

That orange glow of the sky

Pillow talk after a long day

Heavenly Father,
thank you for granting grace and peace to your children
thank you that your grace is sufficient
thank you that you never leave a work unfinished
thank you that we can rest upon your promises
and thank you for the gift of your Word.
You are worthy of praise.

Date 37: Discovery Lake

After stuffing our face with burgers,

a walk around the lake only seemed appropriate.

On a Saturday morning, 

we headed up to San Marcos

for a walk around Discovery Lake

(and acai bowls afterwards. :))

There's a short (1 mi?) path around the lake

that's paved and relatively flat.

We spent the morning putting our feet to the pavement,

enjoying God's creation, and then relaxing on the dock.

The perfect way to kick off the weekend.

Date 36: The Burger Joint

The Burger Joint is a place that had recently opened up in Poway

just down the street from our house.

As the name suggests, they serve burgers, fries and shakes. 

But not just your standard cheeseburger with ketchup...

We tried the Wellington (mushrooms, onions, bleu cheese..), 

the Southwestern (chipotles, black bean salsa, pepperjack...) 

and an order of sweet potato tots with mojo (read: house) sauce.

While the tots were delish as most tots are, the burgers were just okay.

The flavor was pretty good, but I think they tried to pile on to much

and the bun just became soggy and unsupportive

(yes, I just talked about food the way you'd describe a parent 

who doesn't want their child to get a tattoo. weird.)

We've been back since when we've been craving a burger and didn't want to drive across town.

But I'm not sure I'd say this is a local favorite for us.

Date 35: Indigo Grill

I'm slightly embarrassed that I'm blogging about a date we went on over a year ago,

but I'm determined to eventually get through all 50 dates.

Date 35. Little Italy. Indigo Grill.

We went during Restaurant Week

when the price-fix menu is limited

and I STILL had a hard time deciding what to order.

Their food is full of such flavor,

artistry, and creativity.

A beautiful butternut squash soup

The best corn pudding I've ever tested

and all sorts of other goodies.

We should really go back soon... :)

a {simple} thank you

Lord, thank you for rest

and for healing.

Thank you for power tools

and for gardeners.

Thank you for dogs

and for fish.

Thank you for dating

and for marriage.

Thank you for patience

and for grace.

Thank you for kisses

and for hugs.

Thank you for irons

and for ironing boards.

Thank you for fancy

and for simple.

Thank you for friends

and for family.

Thank you for email

and for text messaging.

Thank you for trials that bless us

and for blessings that try us.

Thank you for the opportunity to give blood

and for nutter butters.

Thank you that you are Lord above all,

above careers and finances,

above dreams and plans,

above health and safety,

above babies and elderly,

above church and above community

above marriage and above friendships.

Thank You.

Tiny Conversations with Tuesday

Dear Monday,

thanks for going easy on me this week.

Your kindness does not go unnoticed.

Dear Lunchroom Refrigerator,

umm... I'm pretty sure you swallowed my lunch.

That's no way to treat a lady.

Dear Exercise Ball,

I've been using you as a chair for the past week

and my back is k-i-l-l-i-n-g me.

You are so not the right size for my desk.

Dear Pretty Flowers on my Desk,

thank you for staying alive all week

and for greeting me Monday morning with a smile.

Dear Lyssie Lou,

I am so excited to celebrate your birthday this weekend.

How in the world are you already going to be 22?!

Dear Brand New Phone,

So THIS is what it's like to have a normal battery...

Between you and my car charger,

there may have been small leaps for joy yesterday

Dear Jeremiah Michael McLeod,

I'm obsessed with last night.

Delicious surprise appetizers, BBQing in the backyard,

great conversation and an evening walk

before curling up to watch an episode of Parenthood.

This is what weeknights should look like.

Dear Dirty Laundry Hamper,

BOOM!

Dear Venissimo,

It's a little dangerous having to pass you on my drive home every day.

You see, I can't pass up your tasty treats.

And now all I'm thinking about is finding the perfect cheese

to make a new macaroni and cheese.

Dear Friends-who-live-far-away,

I miss you all.

Dear Parenthood,

you make my heart hurt and smile at the same time.

I don't know what I'll do

when we actually have to wait a week between episodes.

Dear Schanakers,

you're freakin' home.

Heck to the yeah.

Dear God,

thank you for the encouraging words

you speak through people around me.

Thank you for minds that think and problem solve and create.

Thank you for molding us after your own image.

If there's someone's image I'd want to be made into,

it's Yours.

Weekend Gold

Cancelled meetings

Successful testing

Chances to grow

Qualcomm Summer on the Lawn

Afternoon errands

Peppermint iced tea

Free samples

New books

A healthy choice

Dinner with the McGoverns

A good work out

Shared candy

A rest from work

Seeing God glorified through Weston

Double provolone

A clean bedroom

Spending half the day in the jacuzzi

The funny things kids say
Good hair days

Thoughtful texts

Becoming 'regulars'

Craft-your-own mac n'cheese

Good ideas for a craft project

Potty trained children

An encouraging word

Street-side brunch with my long lost boyfriend

A brand new phone that actually works

A little treat
A back rub for a sore back

Laughter at the grocery store

Delicious sweet tea

Summer rain

Parenthood marathon in our jammies

The Sunday night jacuzzi tradition

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for time to relax and re-charge.

Thank you for the work you're doing in my life

and the patience you have with me while I slowly learn.

Your grace is enough.

My Desire

I just want to be Your reflection.

- Urban Rescue

Celebrating Friday

Vulnerability and trust

Good news

Friday

A funny conversation

My mother-in-law's leftovers

Friday

Conversations with my mom

Willingness to help

Friday

Girl Dates

Happy Hour and amazing food

Friday

Funny text messages

Second dinners

Friday

Getting to see Jeremiah before midnight

Valet surprises

Friday

Extra helpings of forgiveness

You Tube videos

Friday

Snuggling

Dogs that don't go to the bathroom inside

FRIDAY

Mighty God,

thank you for Fridays.

and thank you for the days in between

and eyes to see your mercies - 

that makes Fridays that much more special.

Thankful Thursday

Pomegranate blueberry tea latte

Feeling productive

A good recommendation
Free lunch

Cake pops from a thoughtful co-worker

Enrichment and culture

Building K with my customers

A new route home

Willingness

The woman who helped me pump my gas

Healing tears

A fresh perspective

Holy God,

thank you for the days you turn on their head.

It is in those times that I'm reminded

what the kingdom is all about.

The master shall serve, the broken shall heal 

and the weary will be restored.

A thankful morning

This morning I'm thankful for:

Caffeinated tea

Someone who understands

Thoughtful text messages

Waves on the freeway

Experience

The warm summer sun

Detailed instructions

Laughing with my sister

The 24 re-run channel

Random fun like H-O-R-S-E, Swing sets and a couple rounds of Uno

The kind of man I married

Inspiring friends

Extra long snuggling

The snooze button

Delicious food

Pretty views

Those darn balloons that never just get old

Unexpected emails

Holy God, you are the giver of goodness.

10 Little Letters went to market...

Dear Jeremiah, I know working at 5am isn't high on your list of favorite things to do,

but I loved that you were awake with me in the morning.

Dear Florist at the QC Farmer's Market, thank you for the free flowers.

They bring a smile to my face and they make my cube extra cheery.

Dear Mr. James, thanks for letting me borrow your old desk chair.

It makes working way more funner... yes, funner. :)

Dear Garage Door Opener, how in the world did you end up in my back seat?

I spent forever looking for you. FOR-EH-VUR.

Dear Buddhs, I appreciate you like crazy.

You left your scruff, brought home dinner, surprised me with one of my favorite treats,

gently reminded me what it means to search high-and-low,

and swatted down three flies with your khakis. 

How did I get so lucky?

Dear Hot Air Balloons, I'm not sure you'll ever get old.

I just love watching you scatter across that rosy sky at dusk.

Dear Elliptical, remember me? I'm back. At least for one day. ;)

Dear Clean Laundry, I love you. I love you. I love you.

Dear Vermont, I started day dreaming of your Fall colors today.

The husband put the kibosh on you and brought me right back to reality, 

but don't you worry... one day... one day.

Dear McGoverns, I'm so excited to finally double date with you guys.

Thanks for making time for friends even when life gets busy.

Weekend Pennies

A customer who looked on the bright side

Getting out of the office a little early

An afternoon in Del Mar

Spending time with family and friends

Mama T's cheesy potatoes and famous baked beans

A conversation with my sister

Sleeping in, like really sleeping in

Fruit and veggie smoothies

Friendly neighbors

A new dress

Taking a nap in the sun

Raspberry lemonade

The Meaning of Marriage

Relaxation

A rosy pink sky littered with hot air balloons

Delicious food at a new-to-us restaurant

Twinkle lights and outdoor fireplaces

The friendship between my dad and my hubs

Snuggles and sweet smiles

Community

Never once did we ever walk alone

Reassurance

Surprise visits

Balsamic cocktails and creative hot dogs

Going to bed at the same time

Gratitude

The view of the San Diego skyline

Night swimming

Doggie hiccups

Hot pink nail polish

Remembering my lunch today

Heavenly Father,

I'm so thankful your grace

and for the miracles that follow thanksgiving.

Rich with Pennies

I've been posting about pennies here for the past few years

and have been sharing them more regularly for the past couple weeks.

But one thing I hope is clear,

pennies don't mean that everything is hunky-dory.

Pennies don't somehow magically heal people,

They don't keep away divorce, addiction, cancer, hurt feelings, or infertility.

They don't prevent hurtful situations or unkind words.

And they sure as heck don't wrap you in emotional numbness

towards all of the just-plain-awful things

that we experience in this world.

Life is hard.

Relationships are work.

Illness abounds.

Tough decisions need to be made.

There are bad days, weeks and seasons.

But He gives more grace. 

My prayer is that the Creator of the Universe

would give us eyes to see the grace He has for us,

the mercy He showers upon us so lavishly

and the little pennies He's placed in our paths.

Because in times of trouble and trial,

in times of not-so-great and just-plain-awful...

we can look back on this jar of pennies we've been collecting

and see just how faithful God is to carry us through.

We are rich with pennies.

{Friday} Favorites

Light

A casual work environment

Kind words

Goat cheese and avocado spread on my turkey sandwich

Leftovers

Comic relief

Groceries

24 on repeat

Ice cubes

Sweet text messages

Being given enough money to pay the bills

Picking peaches 

Swinging

Raspberry lemonade

Finally working on a project I've been meaning to work on

Listening to music while I shower

Sleeping in the middle of the bed

Windows open, crickets chirping

FRIDAY

Thank you, Lord, for Fridays

and for eyes to see mercy amidst a less than rejuvenating week.

Grace for today

Laughter. Lots of laughter.
Thoughtful co-workers.

Compliments and words of affirmation

Chuao's Firecracker bar 

Honest, vulnerable friendships

A husband who did me a favor

(even after getting home from work at 2am)

A change of scenery

Open windows

Doggie snuggles

Summer rain

The one pair of pants I packed

Windshield wipers

A beautifully green commute

Pomegranate Blueberry Tea Lattes

The extra toothbrush I have at work

Dear Jesus,

 I am so thankful for the little blessings you place in our lives

and for the ways they point to You.

You are faithful. You are sovereign. You are good.

Please continue to strip away any tendencies

to put on a smiley face show the world I've got it all together.

Your grace is such a better story.

That's real bible.