Bullets - Part 1

Well friends, it's been a little while or a long while. While I'm discovering that marriage + a full-time job + doing ministry = awesome, it also equals not much free time (you know, with someone living in your ish constantly - in your bed, in your used to be but not anymore clean house, your time - you know). Because of these things and other things you'll read in the bullets, you're getting just that for a little while - bullets. They're effective for a busy life, right? Maybe I'll elaborate on them when I have a moment to myself, speaking of, there are days when I'd like to be a stay at home wife. Key word, wife - not mom. When I have kids, I'll need the heck out for a minute, you know what I mean? But as a wife - plenty to do around here, quiet house, I think I could dig on that for little bit. Maybe if we lived in Delaware or Oklahoma or something... I digress.

Bullets of things I dig right now:

- my husband's 30th birthday weekend, promise to give you a full post on this, but man - it was delightful - friends, wine, country music, surprises, the whole bit





- hikes in this stupidly gorgeous place








- this girl, enough said








- this crazy thing called Young Life and the 80 college leaders that come with it - the love I have for these people is so deep and so fantastic and the way they love high school, junior high and special needs kids is phenomenal




- a weekend in Napa with my dearest friend and her husband - soul food, I tell ya




- this guy... still totally into him, I got a good one - also loving our weekend getaways while we have them - sonoma for a work conference? i kinda love that.




- friend visits - totally into friend visits (shameless plug)


- cuisine-themed girls night once a month - this is the only picture I have from it - sorry I'm not sorry


- this house we bought, no big - i dig that and the droves of paperwork we're drowning in


in other news... still working on our wedding photo album, and a post about our wedding. just feeling guilty so I thought I'd say it outloud.

.trifecta mission... accomplished.

so there's this perfect weekend "mission" when you make a plan with people you really like to do something awesome and then it turns out just how you planned. it's a mission accomplished and a day well-spent. that's what happened on saturday.

life's gotten me down a bit lately and i've needed a pick-me-up whenever i can get one.my friend cindy (who is the epitome of trifecta and coined the term, you'll have to ask her permission to know the meaning) is one of those friends who just knows when to show up. after homemade pizza & a night in our pj's, our saturday mission was as follows:


- 4 girls (two other trifecta missionaries - is it ok to call ourselves "missionaries" when the mission is wine?)
- breakfast & lattes
- one swanky winery
- burgers & fries
- a night on the town

first stop - jeannine's. i don't know who jeannine is but she makes a ridiculously good (and cute!) latte and some kalhua caramelized banana french toast that is worth every dripping calorie.


second stop - saarloos & sons winery, los olivos... a.k.a. heaven. these people rule. not only is their winery swanky and rad with a fire place, deer antlers, just the right interior design touch, fun gifts for friends and good wine with shweet vintage photo labels, but they have cupcake flights. yes, you heard that correctly...cupcake flights to taste with your wine flights. i'm sorry, what?

oh and then trifecta cindy happens to know some of the family who owns the place and our cupcakes and extra pours? on the house. um yes please. oh and one more thing, maybe the best part? drumroll please... they're DUTCH and i of course charmed them by playing Dutch bingo for at least a half hour, turns out they went to high school with my dad. rad.

third stop - a rainy walk to a few other wineries that paled in comparison to the aforementioned and we headed back down the rolling green hillside that resembles ireland this time of year and back to the beach. rough life.
fourth stop - the habit for burgers and fries of course, what else is appropriate post wine tasting?!?!?!?

fifth stop - a rest. also not an option for trifecta missions

sixth stop - state street... downtown santa barbara. we headed out that evening for some crazy mango mojito martini something or other and chatted it up with some fellows who played soccer and overthrew the band to sing a terrible rendition of "la bamba"
i'd call it a successful day. a trifecta mission... accomplished. amazing friends who know how to love me well during a season of difficult things. ahhhhh... life is good today.

.#1 - vino.

2 days down - one mission completed (well at least begun because this one's a work in progress). so this may be news to some of you young ones after you turn 25, no one throws you birthday parties anymore. so that leaves it up to who to throw birthday parties? you of course. so this year, my homegirls and i went wine tasting on halloween because 1) we're amazing like that and 2) why the heck not and 3) i can get a check mark (i have this obsession with completing check lists!).

so here are a few pics of our adventure...

me and my homegirls - this is our album cover, no big deal...






and here is the final product and mission #1 - VINO



the collection has begun and i will not, i repeat will NOT open this wine until after my 30th birthday. i am up to 8 bottles, thanks to the parents of my friend who gave me a "wine of the month club" membership for graduation! whew, this one might be easier than i thought. thanks to all you peeps who wanna play, i guarantee that it'll be a great year and we'll have some stories to tell :)

(secret - i also have another one done but no photo to prove it, so you'll have to wait a few for that post, stay tuned)

fighting on to victory... one mission at a time.