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.

.coming "home".

where in the world am i, you might ask? currently i am sitting in a house that is nearing 200 years old, looking at yellow tulips that my grandma gave me as a welcome gift, feeling like i need to go for a LONG run soon because of the excess number of pastries and cheese i have consumed in the last week. i. love. europe. and if i don't come home, don't hate me.

you see, for me, europe feels like coming "home" in a sense of the word. this trip was 3 days in spain and then a week in holland. spain felt like home because i spent a semester there in college and holland feels like home because well, it is the homeland. so many of our meals, traditions and even looks and mannerisms are fully Dutch . i love the feeling of belonging somewhere. it's been a great week.

i know you're dying for some highlights:
- the amazingness that was our apartment in barcelona... seriously, the views and the apartment itself were bomb. and REALLY good priced for a 6 bedroom apartment. feliz.


- sardining ourselves into european elevators... it's fantastic. and my dad? he totally loves it, don't let him fool you.

- bitchin' restaurants with 300 degree ocean views and the quaintest little coffee shops that make my soul happy.


- a boyfriend who is incapable of normalcy in pictures... good gracious i love this guy.

- really fantastical beach towns in spain -

holland to follow... stay tuned!

.apologies.

apologies to all who faithfully or not so faithfully read this thing... I have been what they call m.i.a. - i.e. Texas, Haiti, headed to Europe, etc. (i'm secretly hoping that over-abbreviating will accentuate my list of reasons why i've been so busy and unable to post, so if it's not working, work with me).

i promise to do my best to get better.

here's what i've been up to...

TEXAS - for the bridal shower of a sweet friend whose wedding i happen to miss because i'll be in...

SPAIN and HOLLAND - with my family and my beau for 10 days to visit our family (in Holland, not Spain and yes, I know I look more Spanish than Dutch), but in between the two I was in...

HAITI - taking an incredible team of 6 women to work over there for 9 months.

will those excuses suffice? i certainly hope so. i have blog posts swirling in my head about things like the absolute terrifying moments at the inglewood courthouse (but i want to make sure i am crime-free and don't need to go back there first), what God has been teaching me about surrendering expectations and praying His will be done, how Haiti changed me - once again, how the 6 gals who are living in Haiti changed me and are continuing to change me. so for now, click the link about the girls... this is life-changing stuff that will inevitably keep you on your toes until i return...

hasta luego... bonjour... daj... i'll be home soon, pinky promise.

.highway 1.

summer + roadtrip = awesomeness

we began our journey in santa barbara and cruised up to pismo beach to spend 4th of july with some of my mom's family. for me, this is the norm, for jarred, maybe a bit overwhelming? if you haven't been around my extended family, your loss... ha. it's true, but what's also true is that it's chaos. i have 18 first cousins, most of them are married & have some kids. so on my mom's side alone, there are over 50 of us. jarred got a small taste in pismo over the 4th. it's beautiful the whole crazy family thing. it was the 4th of july at it's best in an absolutely beautiful spot :)


it was mornings sitting on the porch, overlooking the pacific drinking coffee with my mom's cousins and some family friends. it was mid-day drop-in lunch with my great aunt talking about ministry & Jesus & third world missions. it was evenings with a bbq lit, a glass of wine and about 13 small kiddos running around with my aunt & uncle, their kids & grandkids and more extended family.

we continued up highway 1 to san francisco, making a few stops in beautiful big sur to enjoy the scenery, get some coffee and for jarred to take in what will soon be his new home on the pacific ocean.


we had incredible weather and one of the most beautiful drives in the world.


i am grateful for this guy who loves me well and is willing to sacrifice so much for me.

next up? san francisco!!!

.trippin' down the road.

meet my guy...

his name is jarred and someday i'll tell the story of how we met and fell in love and had no choice but to date, but for now, you're getting our road trip - one day at a time because the whole thing would be too much for you to handle, i just know it.

so he's road trippin' across the united states of america (or portions of it at least). he's an adventurous kinda guy with a tinge of wanderlust... sound familiar? hence the fell in love and had not choice but to date part. :) so i got to be part of his adventure - you can ask him whether or not he regrets that decision, but don't tell me what he says because you can't undo what's already done and the road trip? it's done.

in all seriousness it was sweet time, time we'll probably never get again. here was our agenda in hipsta-collages and over the next few days i'll break it down because i know you care for me to do so and if you don't, stop clicking on my blog for a week or so.

here's where we cruised:

pismo beach - 4th of july with some of my family


highway 1 to norcal

san francisco

klamath falls, oregon (we'd never heard of it either)

crater lake national park

camping in bandon

the oregon coast/dunes

portland



what can i say? we're a happy couple just trippin' down life's road - maybe it was the free ice cream & cheese sampling, but let me tell you - happiness is an orange vw van. stay tuned for highlights and ridiculous commentary. you won't regret it.

.happy birthday to my best.

i am so grateful to have gotten to be with one of my best friends in peru on her birthday :) we celebrated well.

friday night was a "chicken & wine" dinner and birthday cake at the house with all the kiddos. turns out thyme doesn't quite translate literally & it was a little spicy for the birthday girl, but we loved the night anyhow.



someone was a little bit sad when her birthday cake was gone & the party was over :)

saturday night was girls night out - stephanie (a friend sarah met here in peru), sarah & i went out to an AMAZING restaurant that is set in these old ruins. we. loved. it. everything about it. the food, the lava cake, the sangria, the ambiance, the asking for ice 12 times, every bit of it :)