The Adventures of Steve and Alie

For My Cali Family!!!!!

2008-12-24T15:30:00.000-08:00

MERRY WHITE CHRISTMAS! Miss you! Love you! Wish you were here!!!

Dinner at Daniel's!

2008-12-10T08:09:00.001-08:00

Last month, two of our Young Adult Guys who started their own business and are doing very well decided that they wanted to take a group of about 40 of us out for a delicious dinner at Daniel's Broiler on Lake Union in Seattle and then to a Transiberian Orchestra concert at Key Arena to thank us for supporting them through out the last year as they started their business. It was 2 months ago that they reached their first million in sales! Whoo hoo hoo! It was such an incredibly fun night to be with friends and laugh and eat delicious food! Thanks, Steve Stratton and Derek! We are so proud of you guys! Keep it up!

Janessa, Me, Nicole and Michelle

Ben's face cracks me up in this picture...

I absolutely love this family!

The Ladies

The Guys... So good-looking! (especially the one on the right!)

My Girls

Cara and I trying to take a serious picture together for probably the first time since MC...

Sigh... Nevermind....The Space Needle

Hubby and I under the Space Needle... What a good-looking man!

ORLANDO!!!

2008-11-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

Last month Steven had to go to Orlando for work (poor guy) and I decided that I had to tag along (poor me). Our good friends Sean and Stacia met up with us and we spent a week in the sunshine and heat! We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel which is on the grounds of Universal Studios Florida and we worked, and then played and ate and played and ate and then played and ate some more! It was so much fun to be like a kid again and go on a bunch of roller coaster rides with my hubby and scream my head off! Loved it! And it was great to spend time with Sean and Stacia. They are such a FUN-loving couple and I love fun and I love them. :) The end...

The guys soaking wet after a water ride... I don't think Steven knew he was going to be dripping afterwards...
Me and Stace

At the Bucs game in Tampa Bay watching our Seahawks lose, yet again... Man, we're devoted fans...

We rented a car and drove an hour and a half to Tampa to watch the game. What were the odds that the Hawks would be in Tampa when we were in Orlando? It was a good memory, even if we did lose and we were in a stadium full of red jerseys... yikes!

Steven loved the experience of being in another Pro Football stadium for the first time. My hubby loves sports and I love that about him... He's so cute... And he's really great at sports, too... which I also love. :)

Sean loves his iPhone. :) We got lessons on all the cool apps while we were there. I want an iPhone now... Thanks alot, Sean!
Sean and Stacia at the best restaurant we went to while we were in Orlando, Emeril's Chop Chop. Seriously, the food was crazy delicious! Isn't Stacia beautious???

Love the palm frond in the back... hahahaha...

I love my hot hubby!

Steven and I outside the Blue Man Group Theater in Orlando. One of the BEST highlights of Orlando by far. It was such a quirky, amazing, fun show. If you ever have a chance you should absolutely go see Blue Man Group. I actually got picked by them to go up onstage and perform with them for like 15 minutes! It was crazy! I absolutely loved it... I'm a performer at heart. I love the stage.

Me and Stacia at The Palm Restaurant. I would like to note that this was BEFORE dinner. We were so excited. This restaurant was supposed to be amazing and a place where famous people go to eat when they are in town... Bleck! The famous people can keep eating there all they want, but I won't be going back. The food was aweful. Seriously the worst steak I've ever had. Steven and Sean had the worst lobster they ever had. Stacia's steak was still moo-ing so they cooked it longer and then it was a chunk of leather. So sad... Bye Bye Palm Restaurant. My advice: Go eat at Emeril's Chop Chop and pass on the Palm. Yea for Universal!

At the Hard Rock's Guitar Fountain

Love this man!

Eating yummy Mexican food in the warm evening air. I loved the weather in Orlando. It wasn't even humid while we were there. It was perfectly warm, even at night time. Love it.

Happy memories of getting away and enjoying the sunshine and having lots of fun!

Please go VOTE today...

2008-11-04T11:21:00.001-08:00

For all you undecided voters out there... please watch this video and go vote today...

http://www.valuevotersusa.com

Sarah for President!

2008-11-04T10:57:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't help myself...

Sister Got Engaged!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

Shawn and Natalie are getting married!!!!! Shawn took Nat out to "their" bridge in the Buttes at sunset on Tuesday night and asked her to marry him! We are so happy for them both and love them so much. We knew this would be coming at some point, but it is SO exciting that it's actually here! Looks like we'll be having a wedding next Summer! Nat and Shawn, we love you very much and are thrilled that you are going to be Husband and Wife! Whoo hoo hoo! P.S. I think you are going to having the cutest ring bearer EVER! :)

Birthday Girl!!!!

2008-08-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, it's my baby sister's birthday today! She's 22!!!! Send her some love!

Sissy:

you are beautiful, fun-loving and an AMAZING mom! I love being your sister and I can't tell you how proud I am of you for allowing God to help you grow and mature as a woman and as a mom. Elijah is one blessed little boy to have you for his mommy! So hot and stylish! And full of love! Thank you for being such a treasured friend in my life, for laughing about things that only you and I think are funny and for understanding me in a unique way that only sisters can. I can't wait to see you next month! Carrie Underwood and So You Think You Can Dance, here we come! Happy happy birthday, Baby Sis! You are loved by your family, by Shawn, by your son and by God. I'm proud of you, I love you, I will always be there for you and I support you 100%. All my love, Alie

I'll see you again, Gramma...

2008-08-18T23:32:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, my Grandma Raye (my dad's mom) went to be with Jesus on July 29th. I was blessed to be able to go home a couple weeks ago and make it in time to see my grandma one last time to tell her how much I loved her and thank her for being such a wonderful grandma. Those final moments I was able to spend with her will always be precious to me. And we, her family, were with her at her bedside singing and praying when the time came, which is exactly what she wanted. This last weekend, Steven and I were in California with my family to attend her memorial. What a beautiful service! It was a celebration of her life here on earth and a homegoing for her since she is now in Heaven with Jesus. It was wonderful to hear her be publicly honored for her servant's heart and the love of Jesus that she displayed to everyone she came in contact with. I am extremely proud to be her granddaughter and I am grateful for the spiritual inheritance and legacy that she has left for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
I love you so much, Grandma, and I am so excited that I get to see you again in Heaven some day. I can't wait to ask you all the questions I never got to ask and hear all the stories I never got to hear. You were one amazing woman who loved Jesus with all her heart and only wanted to please Him. You truly did just that. And now you see Him face to face. How beautiful! I will always miss you until I get to see you again, but I'm glad that you are out of pain and you have that new body you've been wanting. Just like the song at your memorial, you're dancing with the angels now in the very presence of Jesus.
One of my favorite memories of my grandma is a funny one. It's from my wedding day. We had just finished taking pictures out at the golf course where my reception would be and it was just about time to head to the church for the wedding ceremony when we couldn't find either of my grandmas. Then all of a sudden, my Grandma Raye comes tearing around in a golf cart that she had hijacked somehow. By this time, my grandma didn't have the best eyesite either, and my other grandma is sitting in the passenger seat of the cart with a look of complete terror on her face. It was absolutely hilarious to see my Grandma Raye driving like a dare devil all over the course with her dress hiked up enough to show her knee-high nylons. It's a memory I'll cherish forever... I love you, Grandma and I'll see you again.

Cutest Nephew Ever!!!

2008-08-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Is he ridiculously adorable or what???

Happy 4 Years, My Love!

2008-07-30T22:28:00.000-07:00

Babe, You are the love of my life, my rock and my best friend. I can't believe it's been 4 years already! I know that our anniversary this year is a little different and we weren't able to be together today since I'm down here in California, but you are in my heart. You were in my thoughts all day. I am a blessed woman. Thank you for taking such good care of me, for keeping your love for Jesus the number one priority in your life and for being such a fun person to share life with. I'm crazy about you. Happy Anniversary, Handsome. XOXO, Alie

Sick Laptop

2008-07-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, folks, I know I've been an aweful blogger lately, but I really am still alive. On top of being crazy busy with work this month (June is the end of our second quarter and we are a publicly traded company, so numbers are everything!), my laptop decided to quit on me. It's with my helpdesk getting fixed right now, so in the meantime, I don't have access to any of my pictures. Once I get it back I'll be able to share all about our once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa, our amazing night at Cirque de Soleil's Corteo show here in Seattle with our good friends Cara and Justin, the sunny weather we've finally gotten up here (it's about time!!!), the outdoor dining table I bought so we can actually enjoy the rare sunny weather and all the other "stuff" going on in our lives right now. Did I mention we are about to start remodeling our guest bathroom and extending our deck? Busy busy busy! So hang in there and hopefully I'll have something interesting for you all to get caught up on soon... :) Ciao for now!

Mom, You're My Best Friend!

2008-05-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day, Mommy! I just wanted to take this opportunity to honor you. You are a beautiful woman. I love your heart of a servant for our family that reminds me so much of Jesus. I love your love for Dad and us kids and your grandson, Elijah. I love that even though I'm far away, I can still pick up the phone, pour my heart out to you and know you'll understand... or I can just pick up the phone and chat away with you about nothing. You are such a wonderful friend and you are a pillar of strength in my life. Thank you for the example that you have set for me day in and day out for all 26 years of my life. I know that I am the woman I am today because of your influence and your prayers. Thank you for never giving up on me. Thank you for fighting for me even when I didn't know you were. Thank you for "training me up in the way I should go," because I see the benefits of it every single day of my life. I know that you have left a spiritual generational blessing for me and it is something I will be able to pass on to my own children someday. You are one amazing woman and you are my best friend. I love you with my whole heart and I thank God for entrusting my life to you and Daddy. What a blessed young lady I am! I pray that today you are refreshed as only Jesus can refresh. I miss you so much and I love you even more.... SEE YOU IN MALAWI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOXOXOXOXO! Your Alie

April Update... Finally!

2008-05-03T23:13:00.000-07:00

Sheesh! It's been over a month since I blogged last! I can't believe it... We've been so busy lately that my blogging has fallen to the wayside, but I'm back! Glade already blogged about our hiking trip as a family, but I just have to blog about it too. What a great way to enjoy the extremely rare sunny weather up here in Washington. I LOVED getting out and soaking up the sun and breathing the fresh air. Plus, it was so fun to get the whole family together. Little Winnie was the best hiker in the group! April 24th was my baby brother's 24th birthday! I can't believe my little buddy is 24! I love my brother very much and I'm incredibly grateful that he is in my life. I am really enjoying this new aspect of our relationship as adults, and yet, still brother and sister. April 24th was also Maverick's first birthday. Yes, my puppy is one and yes, I went to a doggie bakery and got him special treats for his birthday and yes, I bought him a party hat, because I think a dog in a party hat is hilarious and I knew my husband would roll his eyes at me when he found out. :) (I was right.)

We leave for Africa dark and early on Monday morning, which is pretty unbelievable. Still a lot to do before we go and I've been super busy at work preparing to leave and training my new Inside Sales Rep who will be helping me manage my business. On top of all that we are two week into our church wide 40 day fast. All of us are giving up something for these 40 days in order to set aside more time to deepen our relationship with Jesus. A big focus for our church this year has been intimacy with Jesus. The church is open every night for prayer services for those who want to come and the Young Adults are hosting Tuesdays. On Wednesday nights, we are going through a video series teaching on Baal by Dutch Sheets. We've seen two out of five so far, but I would highly recommend you check it out if you are able. So far, it's pretty amazing and exposes a lot of what is going on spriritually in America today.

Here are some pics from April:

Here is our adorable niece Winnie enjoying the view (When the whole fam was over at our house today (5/10), she totally said "dog" and made dog noises for us, too. It was so precious!! I just loved it. That is the first word I've heard her say.)

If any of you know Matt, this picture is just hilarious!!!
Not a bad view from the top, huh?
The Fam :)
Enjoying the view after the long hike up
The Fam (for real)
Happy Birthday, Puppy!

Doesn't he look like he's thinking, "I feel stupid?" It's so funny to me!
Tuff came over to tell Mav Happy Birthday...
... and to eat his hat. Apparently, he thought the hat would be more fun to eat than wear...

Awww! Happy Birthday, Baby Brother! I miss you and love you more than you will ever know...

29Eleven Young Adults Blog Address Change

2008-04-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, for all of you who have the GHCC Young Adult's blog in your blogger friends link, we are updating the address from ghyoungadults.blogspot.com to 29eleven.blogspot.com. I've updated the link on my blog links to the right. Feel free to update yours as well when you have a chance. The other blog will no longer be updated and will probably be deleted soon. Thanks so much for your prayers for our Young Adults group! God is doing AMAZING things right now and we are so excited about it. There is a hunger for intimacy with God that is so encouraging right now. Our Young Adults are amazing individuals and I love seeing what God is doing among them!

We're Going to Malawi, Africa!!!

2008-03-28T23:51:00.000-07:00

It's official! We leave in 6 weeks!!!! We are so excited and know that God has opened the doors for us to go to Malawi this year. We didn't have any set-in-stone plans for vacation this year and about 3 weeks ago our Pastor Ed asked us if we would consider going to Malawi with him and another young married couple in our church who we have become friends with. In the days leading up to Pastor Ed asking us to go, God had really been putting Malawi on my heart for some reason. When we were asked, it was almost like I was expecting it, and I think that was God's way of letting me know he was opening up this door for us. We will be going to an orphanage run by a missionary couple from our church, Will and Pam. They started an orphanage from nothing and now have a full staff of workers and hundreds of children to look after. I haven't been overseas in about 5 years and I've never been to Africa. I've been to Asia and Europe, but not Africa. Steven went to Uganda about 8 years ago, however, we've never been on a mission's trip together. I am very excited and expectant for how God is going to use this experience to bring us closer together and to use us as a married couple in whatever way He chooses. I haven't posted about this until now because we wanted to tell my parents in person first (my whole family is here visiting right now). Why you may ask? Here's the kicker... My orientation night of Master's Commission in 2000 up here in Washington was the first night Pam came to our church too. That is where my parents met her for the first time and over the year of Master's Commission and the years since I've lived here, my parents would reconnect with Pam whenever they were visting. Pam met Will and they were married a few years ago and they both felt called to Malawi, Africa to start an orphanage. On one of their visits back to the States, they shared at our church service. It just happened to be a weekend that my parent's were visiting. Will and Pam showed a video of the orphans they were working with and the kids were all singing and smiling huge smiles and waving. looked over at my Dad and tears were streaming down his face. From that point on, he wanted to go to Malawi with my mom. About 6 months ago or so, my dad had a ton of flight miles that he had to use up so he decided to buy tickets for him and my mom to go see Will and Pam. He chose the dates of May 15-31st. And guess when Steven and I will be there? May 12th-24th!!!!!!!!!!! How amazing is God???? I will get to meet up with my parents in Malawi at the same exact orphanage!! What are the chances that the dates would have overlapped?? And this is my mom's very first mission's trip, so I will get to share the memories with her. I am extremely grateful to God for his goodness and I can't wait for what He has in store for us in Malawi! Africa, here we come!

Baby Love, My Baby Love!

2008-02-28T14:38:00.000-08:00

At the end of February, I was down in California on business for 2 days. While I was there, I got to stay with my family and get my "Elijah fix." I am just in love with this little boy. He is totally smiling now and he's just beautiful! Look at these darling pictures of his smiling face! And we got a video of him smiling for his Auntie Alie... Love love love this baby! Natalie and Shawn are doing such a wonderful job with this precious little life. I am so proud of them both... love you guys!

And the moral of the story is... If you're turning 26, Get A New Haircut!

2008-02-18T20:18:00.001-08:00

I've finally done it! I've chopped my hair!!! After having the same hairstyle since I was about 13 years old, I decided it was time (finally!) for a change and I am SO glad I took the plunge... My dear friend Miss Cara Jean chopped off at least a foot of my hair and I'm thrilled with the results. I wanted something fun, something I could wear both curly and straight and something different. I really think she helped me accomplish all 3... It's an A line cut that's shorter in the back and longer in the front, which I love. We also darkened my hair a bit. I have loved doing something new! It's been really refreshing for me. If you have curly hair, you know that a "cute sassy short do" can quickly turn into an out of control frizzy fro! :) I also decided to do this right before my 26th birthday. I wanted something a little more sophisticated since I'm a year older and now closer to 30 than I am to 20... CRAZY! My birthday was on Tuesday, February 12th, the same day as Cara's actually. It is so much fun sharing a birthday with a friend as wonderful as Cara. Read on below for more on the cut and on my birthday...

Back View :)

This one gives you an idea of the shorter in the back/longer in the front thing going on... This is at my work's Awards Banquet the Friday night before my Birthday on Tuesday. I'd just gotten my hair cut the day before. On the left is Sina and on the right is Angel. Two wonderful friends from work. These ladies are so much fun and I can always count on them to grab sushi with at lunch! Yum!

And this is my dear friend Amanda, who I also work with. We started on the same day back in February of 2005. It's our 3 year anniversary of working at Zones this month. WOW! Time flies. God has absolutely blessed me with this girl at work. She loves the Lord and is such an encouragement to me. Amanda is in such an exciting time of life right now. She is getting married in June of this year and I have the honor of being one of her bridesmaids! I am so thrilled to share her special day with her... It's going to be amazing!

The Sunday night before my birthday, Steven and I celebrated. We had Young Adults on the night of my actual birthday since it fell on a Tuesday. Steven made reservations at one of our favorite restaurantes, Daniel's Broiler and we had a delicious meal complete with appetizers, entrees, desserts, etc... I ate way too much! :) On the way to our yummy evening...

I LOVE DESSERT!

Thanks to my sis-in-law, Melody, for being our photographer so not all our pictures are self-taken... Ha!

I love this man so much... I really had a beautiful evening because of his thoughtfulness.

Wish you all could see my dress better... It's a 35.00 Target special, ladies and gentlemen... and I loved it! It had a big ruffle all around the collar and down the front. Very fun and very cheap! Yea for good deals!

Just the 3 of us... The night before my birthday celebrating at the Hardebecks. I am such a blessed lady to be part of such a wonderful family! Tom, Patti, Matt, Mel, Ben, Glade, Michelle, & Eowyn, I love you! And Lily, too! ;)

Okay, these pics really are from my actual birthday... I decided to try and wear my hair curly on my actual birthday and see how it turned out... Risky thing to do on your birthday... hahahaha... Cara and I went to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch to celebrate our birthdays together and of course, we had to order dessert!

They wrote, "Happy Birthday to You!" on our plates in chocolate sauce. How cute is that???

Happy Birthday, Cara Jean! Love you!

That night after Young Adults, I opened all my beautiful cards from my family in California that of course made me cry because I miss them so much (note the Rudolph red nose that is an Alison signature when I've been crying)... And then last, but not least, Steven totally surprised me with Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood tickets when they come here on tour later this summer/fall. I was not expecting that at all, so needless to say I was pretty excited! And then, on top of that, he is taking me to a beautiful hotel/spa for a night that I've been wanting to go to. It's only about a half hour away from where we live. It's the Salish Lodge an Snoqualmie Falls. He purchased a promotional package that includes side by side massages and a yummy breakfast with your overnight stay. I am THRILLED! In the 3 1/2 years that we've been married, we've actually only "gone away" for a night together maybe once so this is going to be such a treat for me. My love language is totally quality time.

I was really blessed in so many ways by family, friends and my one-of-a-kind husband. Thank you so much for making my birthday and my life so special and memorable! So here's to another year! I look forward to it with anticipation and excitment!

Happy Birthday, Cara Jean!!!

2008-02-12T08:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to you! You are one of the best friends of my life. Words can't express how grateful I am for your friendship. You are so much fun. You are a faithful and loyal friend. You love coffee even more than I do. Your relationship with the Lord is genuine. You are one of the funniest people I have ever met... I always know that if I'm having a frustrating day, I can count on you to listen and then to crack me up with one of your hilarious comments. You are a beautiful woman, an amazing mother, a fun wife and a wonderful friend! I'm very blessed to have you in my life! So Happy Birthday my dear friend... may this year be the best ever!

Cousin Joey

2008-02-07T07:59:00.000-08:00

Hi, Everyone! Please check out my cousin Joey's Blog. He just took pictures of Natalie and Elijah and they are SO precious. He did an amazing job! I'm so proud of him! He captured my sister and my nephew beautifully!

http://www.josiahmichael.blogspot.com/

We Are Family!

2008-01-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

Bringing Home Baby

Auntie Alie (after staying up all night... Elijah was only a couple hours old!)

Grandma... Hmm... I'm not sure how I feel about that...

Grandpa... Hmm... I'm not sure how I feel about that either...

Uncle Ian (Who was REALLY cute with Elijah, by the way)

Us "Kids"

Pretty Mama

Beautiful Baby For those of you that don't know, Elijah has had a pretty tough first week. His bilirubin count went up too high, which is an indicator that he could get jaundice if his levels didn't go back down. Nat and Shawn brought him home on Wednesday night, but had to take him back to the doctor on Thursday morning and 3 times on Friday to get his blood drawn and checked. Their Doctor readmitted Elijah into the hospital on Friday night and kept him there under special lights until Saturday night at 10pm when he got to come home again. His bilirubin count has gone down and for now, it looks like he's out of the woods, but the poor little guy has been back and forth to the doctor so many times, we haven't been able to see him much. He's been such a good baby though! He's been pricked and poked so many times to draw his blood so they can check his levels, but he is being so good for his mommy and daddy. What a precious little guy! I'm looking forward to spending more time with him during this next week. Ian flew up from college in San Diego for the weekend to meet his nephew. It's been fun having the 3 of us siblings together again since it doesn't happen too often anymore. Steven is flying in this Friday to meet Elijah and hang out for the weekend, so I'm looking forward to that as well. A heartfelt thanks to all of you who have prayed for Elijah!

Angel Baby

2008-01-16T19:25:00.001-08:00

Elijah's home now! Natalie, Shawn and Baby got to leave the hospital at 6:35pm this evening. Thank you to everyone for your prayers, congratulations and sweet words! Natalie and Shawn are so blessed by your outpouring of love for this little miracle of life!

Look at the beautiful pictures my cousin Joey took of Baby Elijah!

I Am Proud to Announce the Arrival of Elijah Zion Murphy!!!!

2008-01-15T12:45:00.000-08:00

Born: 10:29am January 15th, 2008
Weight: 6lbs 14oz
Length: 20 1/4 inches

Mom and Dad are doing GREAT! Natalie did AMAZING! And baby Elijah is a healthy beautiful baby boy! I got to witness my first birth!!! WOW! I am in love with Elijah!

Hello, World! Here I am!

Update!

2008-01-15T00:32:00.001-08:00

Right after my last post at 11, Natalie's contractions switched to 5 minutes apart and started getting longer and more intense. It's 12:35am now and we are loading up the car to head to the hospital. The contractions are 3-5 minutes apart consistently now and are getting more and more painful, so off we go! Here we go!

Nat's in Labor, Everyone!!!

2008-01-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know already, my little sister is in labor!!! Currently her contractions are about 8 minutes apart and then, every once in a while there will be a random 15 minute break. I am down in California right now as I type this. I jumped on a plane this afternoon. It's about 11pm, so we'll see how the night progresses. I think we still have a ways to go, but your prayers during this process would be greatly appreciated! Natalie and Shawn are doing awesome! He is massaging her back right now as she is having a lot of back pain... I am so excited to meet my little nephew, Elijah!!! I love him already...

Oh, Little Nephew.... When will you come out and meet us???

2008-01-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

Oh, well...

2008-01-12T16:25:00.000-08:00

Whatever was telling me we might win today was LYING! Oh well, there's always next year...

GO SEAHAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-01-12T09:55:00.000-08:00

Go Hawks! Beat those Packers!!!! These are some pics from the game we went to with our good friends Jesse and Terra. We love this couple and are so grateful for their friendship! This game, we clinched our division when we beat the Arizona Cardinals!!! And now today we play against Greenbay in our second playoff game of the season. We are the serious underdogs, but something tells me, we just might win this one!!! GO BOYS!!!!

Merry Christmas 2007, Everybody!!!

2007-12-24T15:59:00.001-08:00

At this very merry time of year, Steven and I want to say how grateful we are for all the dear friends and family with which we've been so richly blessed. From California to Washington to those scattered all over, you are true gifts in our lives and we love you! Our wish for you in all the busy-ness of this season is that you are able to truly enjoy this time with your families, soak up the moments that pass by too quickly and cherish the memories you'll take away from this Christmas Season. It seems that the hustle and bustle can get crazier with each passing year, but the true "reason for the season" is the gift of a little baby boy who would change the course of the world and our lives. What a generous heart our Father God has that he would lavish so much love on us by sending his only son, Jesus, born in a humble manger for the sole purpose of restoring relationship between God and mankind. We are amazed and overwhelmed with that love and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas!!!

Catch Up on Fall!

2007-12-13T22:06:00.000-08:00

Just a quick catch up on what was going on in our lives during the Fall while I was still blogging about Maui... Fall was busy! Full of Family, Friends and activities like our first annual Young Adult Pumpkin Carving Party! And now Fall is gone and it's FREEZING up here in the Northwest. I promise to post snow pictures next to prove how cold this California girl is... my teeth are chattering as I type... Enjoy the pics!

We watched our Seahawks get crushed by New Orleans on Steven's Birthday, Oct 14th... what a sad birthday present... :)

We all played with Eowyn at Steven's family Birthday Party... She's getting so big!

Eowyn came over to hang out at our house (her parents tagged along as well)... Eowyn had too much to drink...

We took Mav to the Pumpkin Patch...

Mav learned how to drive

At our church's Wild West Fall Fest, I was a cowgirl and Mav was an Indian... :) (That's what happens when your husband won't dress up with you...)

Steven found time to kill ducks with Matt and Ben... apparently this is fun...

I got to visit my family and my sister's growing belly in October (just because) and in November when my mom and I threw her a baby shower (check out Nat's blog for all the cute pics!)

And we celebrated Thanksgiving Day with Steven's family (we'll be in Yuba City with mine for Christmas). Steven loves his niece so much...

Thanksgiving with the whole fam... including the dogs...

The End

2007-12-01T23:31:00.000-08:00

Sunday was our day to head back home to Washington and leave beautiful Maui. Not wanting to waste a minute of our final moments in Maui, Steven and I got up early and Shawn and Natalie joined us for some early morning coffee and a final trip to one of our favorite beaches, Makena. We got there so early that we were literally the only people on the beach. I think we saw maybe 3 people the entire time we were there. We sat on the beach and watched the waves come in and out and just soaked in the beauty one last time. We took a walk down the beach and Natalie spotted a sting ray off the coast. After our morning visit to the ocean, we all went to breakfast at the Grand Wailea one more time before Steven and I said our "goodbyes" and headed to the airport and back to reality. Maui was such a happy wonderful vacation and we truly loved it. We are so grateful to God for the opportunity to have such a memorable vacation and to have sharedwith my family. We have memories to last a lifetime!

Sad Starbucks

Vacation Feet

Early Morning at Makena

Trying to delay leaving...

Our footprints

The picture speaks for itself

Hubby

Checking out of our Condo. D-104

Last breakfast at the Grand Wailea before we headed to the airport

Always the baby brother... Always the big sister...

I love this family so much!

At the airport

Mohalo? Mahalo?

Goodbye, Maui! We'll be back!

Turning 21 in Maui...

2007-12-01T22:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday was Steven and my last full day in Maui, but it was also Natalie's 21st birthday! How fun to celebrate your 21st birthday in Maui!!! We started out the day by snorkeling at the North end of the island that we had never been to (near Hunama Bay). While we were snorkeling I finally saw my first sea turtles! 2 of them!!! It was so much fun because I had been hoping to see one the whole time I was in Maui. On top of that, as I was snorkeling along, I looked up ahead of me and right near the top of the water about 50 feet away were some very large "animals" of some kind in the water. At first, I got really scared and thought that I might be seeing sharks, but then I realized that is was a school of dolphins! It was completely unbelievable! I pulled my head out of the water and hollered for anyone who could hear me, but everyone's heads were under the water. By the time my family knew I had seen something, the school was heading out into the ocean, but they did see the dolphins dorsile fins coming up out of the water! It was an amazing experience... After snorkeling we headed down to Ka'anapali to have lunch at Hula Grill. Natalie and Shawn went parasailing for the first time and had a blast. On the way back in to shore, their boat driver took them to a place where a huge school of dolphins were and they swam with their boat for a while. That was a highlight for Natalie. After some shopping at the Shops at Ka'anapali Beach, we headed home for some relaxation at the pool at our condos. For dinner, we headed to Lahaina to eat at Pacifico Restaurant right on the beach. It was a breathtaking view and we got there just in time to see the sunset. After dinner it was back to our condos for cake and ice cream. My mom had decorated the condo so cute for Nat's birthday! We even had a limbo stick! We stayed up late laughing and talking and celebrating my sister's 21 years... It was a wonderful last full day in Maui.

This is a tradition in my family for the girls. We always right Happy Birthday messages on the mirror with lipstick... My mom started this when we were younger and now we are carrying it on as well. Nat had a message from me at our condo on the mirror and a message from mom at their condo.

The boys heading out of the water after snorkeling at Hunama Bay.

Lunch at Hula Grill on Ka'anapali Beach.

Ka'anapali Beach

Nat and Shawn after parasailing and boating with the school of dolphins.

Shawn bought Natalie a necklace she had been wanting at Tiffany's. Not bad, Shawn! Girls love little blue boxes... :)

The Fam on the beach at Pacifico Restaurant.

Hubby and me at sunset.

The big 2-1!!

That's right... pregnant girl doing the limbo!

Hooray!

Happy Birthday, Baby Sister!

Some Pampering & $8.00 Virgin Pina Coladas

2007-11-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

On Saturday the guys woke up extremely early to catch a 6:45am tee time at one of the Grand Wailea golf courses. Well, most of them did. Ian decided he'd rather catch some Z's, so Steven, Dad and Shawn enjoyed a round of 18. The day was just gorgeous and they had a wonderful time. (Steven somehow managed to not get one picture of himself playing golf in Maui.) While the boys had fun playing golf, I took my mom and my sister for some much needed pampering at the Grand Wailea Spa. We all got to be in the same room and enjoy an 80 minute massage after an hour of soaking in their tubs, steam rooms and pools. It was my mom's first professional massage! Can you believe that? She was so relaxed afterwards. I don't think she had ever felt that way before. It was incredibly fun for me to see her so happy. Natty got a special pre-natal massage as well. We all had a wonderful time. Afterwards we met up with the boys at Wailea Beach for some sun-soaking before our Luau that evening in Lahaina. The Luau was very traditional with a lot of interesting dances and an authentic dinner. They pulled the pig out of the sand oven they had dug and everything... It was very... interesting... The Luau itself was a very neat experience and I would recommend it to anyone as something you have to do once in the islands. My favorite part was the live band. They were fun!

Daddy swinging away

FORE!

Not a bad view...

Breakfast at the Grand Wailea before our spa treatments

Anticipation

After our treatments... Pure relaxation!

Wailea Beach

Drinking our $8.00 VIRGIN pina coladas... that's right, $8.00 EACH... No alcohol, people!

If you are going to pay $8.00 for ice and syrup, then do something with the garnish! :)

"Weeeeeeeeee wanna soak up the suuuuuun... We wanna tell everyoooone to lighten uuuuuup..."

Dad and Daughter

Ian and His Madre at the Old Lahaina Luau

Cute Couples :)

My Handsome Man

My brother, Mowgli

My Hubby Flirting with Me

Elijah's Parents

Ben and Glade always take interesting sun pictures on their trips, so this is my attempt at "holding" the sun. Hope it makes 'em proud...

Another beautiful sunset

After some of the Luau dances, they invited any couples out to dance under the stars while the live band played and serrenaded us with beautiful Hawaiian music. My hubby was a good man and took me out on the floor.

Cafe O'Lei and Crocodile Rock

2007-11-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I know our vacation was almost 3 months ago, but I just have to finish my online journal about our trip. :) On Friday, Natalie's boyfriend Shawn came over to spend the weekend with us because it was Natalie's 21st birthday that Sunday. Friday morning we went to Polo Beach for some relaxation before Natalie and I headed to the airport to pick up Shawn.

She's so beautiful...

This was the first time I felt Baby Elijah move. He was kicking so hard becuase his mommy was lying on her tummy!

Polo Beach

Ian and Dad went for a snorkeling excursion and saw 2 sea turtles! I still hadn't seen one!

After we picked up Shawn, we met up with Mom, Dad, Steven and Ian at Makena Beach for a little while so Shawn could enjoy his first Maui Beach.

On the way to dinner...

I absolutely love this picture of my mom and dad... they look so happy.

We ate at a restaurant called "Cafe O'Lei." Don't let the name fool you, it wasn't Maui Mexican food. From the street, it didn't look like anything special. But once you got inside, it was such a neat place with beautiful fabric hanging from the ceiling, white tableclothes, artwork... And on top of all that, the food was delicious! I had a mouthwatering fish dish, and I don't even like fish! I will definitely go back there when I return to Maui and would recommend it to anyone traveling to the island.

Ian was thrilled with all the picture taking going on... :)

Me with my Mommy and Daddy. These two people mean the world to me. I love them and respect them and I'm so grateful to have them in my life.

At Hilo Hattie's after dinner and Coldstone ice cream.

Okay, so if you read my blog several month ago, I posted a video after our friends Cruise Vacation in August of 2006. The last night of the cruise was a Celebrity Impersonation Night and one of the songs was Crocodile Rock, which Steven and I then had stuck in our heads for the next 24 hours and we would randomly burst into song in our goofy voices (I think we were just really really happy to be on vacation). Well, lo and behold, on the way to Coldstone on Friday night in Maui, what song comes on the radio? Crocodile Rock! So it has officially become our Vacation Song... And of course, we had to video it this year too...

The Road to Hana

2007-10-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

When is driving in a car all day long around hairpin twists and turns ever worth it? When you’re in Maui and you’re on the Road to Hana! On Thursday, we all decided as a family to bite the bullet and do the Road to Hana. We had been told by some travel advisors that if you go on the Road to Hana, it’s worth it to pay the $250 per person charge to sit in an air-conditioned travel bus and have someone else drive you around. All I have to say about that is…… WHATEVER!!! We had an INCREDIBLE time and we drove it ourselves! In an air-conditioned tourist van, you can’t stand up out the roof of your jeep with your camera while your husband is driving to film the unbelievable views (see videos below). We were able to go at our own pace and stop when we wanted to stop and explore the beauty of the east side of the island. The east side is the wet side and it is evident in the absolutely breathtaking beauty. Just when you think it can’t possibly get any more beautiful, you come around the next hair-pin turn and your breath is taken away again. It truly is a feast for the eyes and I am extremely happy that we decided to spend a whole day of our vacation on such a gorgeous adventure. We had 3 cameras on that trip, so we have a ridiculous amount of pictures. I could probably post about 5 blogs of waterfalls, lush mountains, and turquoise waters meeting black lava rock shores… truly unbelievable. Maui is one of those places that makes you think about how much God loves creating beautiful places for His children. His handiwork is all over in Maui…

This picture below is a waterfall called "The Three Bears." Not an incredibly tropical name for a gorgeous waterfall if you ask me, but what the falls lack in a name, they definitely made up for in beauty. This was one of my favorite stops. All the other tourists were taking pictures of the falls from up on the road quite a ways away, but I'm proud to say my adventurous family and I found a path (sort of) from the bridge down to where we could enjoy the falls up close and personal.

This is Ian on the hike back to my favorite stop called The Blue Pool. It was like something out of a movie. More on the Blue Pool to come, but I love this picture of my brother. He actually took some really amazing pictures on this trip for all of us to enjoy, a lot of them posted in this blog...

Steven and I at the Blue Pool about to jump in for a refreshing dip! The Blue Pool is created from waterfalls falling hundreds of feet to create a fresh water pool that is seperated from the ocean by a small section of rock. So there I was in paradise with my husband swiming in a freshwater pool with the sound of the waves and the view of the ocean just beyond the beautiful pool... um... I was in Heaven! Too bad other people were there... ;)

This is a picture from one of our last stops on the Road to Hana. This place was called the Seven Sacred Pools (They aren't sacred and there aren't even seven pools, but a smart businessman named the falls that in order to draw tourists way back when... I think it worked!) and was absolutely gorgeous. We actually took the family picture of us below, on the bridge in the back of the picture.

I absolutely love this picture of my mom and dad. I think it's beautiful.

Family picture on the bridge at the Seven Sacred Pools

We are miles away from this waterfall. This shows how far this one falls! And we were there in the dry season... can you imagine what this fall looks like in the wet season??

The four of us kids on our way!

Daddy and I decided to jump in for a quick swim. This was at the beginning of our adventure.

Another picture of Three Bears Falls.

At the Blue Pool.

Picture of the Blue Pool with the Ocean Beyond. Behind the picture are the waterfalls coming down from the mountainside.

This was a quick stop near Black Sand Beach. The water here was incredibly beautiful and Steven, Ian and I found this fantastic rock formation stretching out over the ocean. The formation was huge and we were really far up from the ocean, but these massive waves were coming in and crashing against the rock. The spray was so high it would come up right in front of us and block our entire view.

That etching along the side of the mountain is the Hana Road. We had just been on that portion of the road a few minutes earlier. The coastline drive was unbelievable.

I think my brother is so handsome.

One of our stops was along a beach made from lava rock. The waves would crash against the black rock that would then form pools and create mini waterfalls.

Me hiking down to Three Bears Falls. Ian took this picture while still up on the bridge.

Even in Maui, a proud Seahawks fan! We loved this!

Another beautiful picture from the drive along the coast.

Natty and I up at the Seven Sacred Pools.

The only way to drive the road to Hana.... a Jeep or a Convertible!

Steven and I swimming in the Blue Pool under a waterfall.

More beautious scenery.

The sun breaking through the clouds toward the end of the day.

P.S. Boooooooooo

2007-10-14T21:02:00.001-07:00

Okay, so the Seahawks got stomped... But Happy Birthday anyway, Baby!

Happy Birthday, Hubby!!!

2007-10-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Steven John,
I love you with my whole heart and I hope your special day is memorable. We are going to have SO much fun watching the Seahawks CRUSH the New Orleans Saints!!! Thank you for being my best friend and for being such a FUN person to be with. You are loved by your family, your friends and by me! Thank you for choosing to live your life as an example for others and for having a passion to see others live for the Lord with all their heart. You are an inspiration to many, without even realizing it. I am incredibly honored to be your wife and excited to share all the rest of your birthdays with you! Happy Birthday, Love! Love you with all my heart, Wifey

Best Maui Sunset

2007-09-29T08:29:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was the day the hurricane that was headed our way was supposed to affect Maui. Besides a little cloud cover the first half of the day, nothing happened! It totally missed Maui. Thank God! We were blessed with fantastic weather our entire trip in Maui. On Wednesday we decided to head back to the beach and go snorkeling. Steven and I had found a rocky beach north of La Perouse Bay while we were expoloring on our own before my family came. It was so much! We saw all sorts of different colorful fish. And Ian and Steven found a sea turtle that they played with for awhile. I didn't get to see the turtle, so my goal was to see one before it came time to leave Maui. More on that later...

Daddy and I at "Rock Beach".... Not sure what it's really called. :)

The lovely ladies in my family

The boys having a skipping rock competition... Ian would later patiently teach me how on earth to skip a rock... (I'd apparently forgotten since I haven't done it since I was 8 or something.) After many attempts, I finally succeeded. It was miraculous. :)

Wednesday night, after playing at the beach all day, we went to Fred's for dinner. It's a really good Mexican food place. I guess they have some in So Cal too. At the very end of dinner, it was time for the sunset and I really didn't want to miss it, so Steven, Nat and I got up from our table and ran across the street to capture the sunset. I'm SO glad we did because it was by far the best sunset we saw on Maui... See for yourself...

Okay, so my husband probably would NOT want me to tell you this, but HE took the picture below... not me! Isn't it pretty?? Shhhh... Dont' tell anyone...

Hang Loose, Baby

Goofy face picture for Steven who gets bored with smiling all the time...

Belly Shot. This is my absolute favorite picture of Natalie. I think it's gorgeous. She's gorgeous, the sunset is gorgeous... it's perfect! Isn't she so beautiful?

Postcard, except it's really the sunset we saw! It could be a postcard, couldn't it?

I love kissing this man... :) Hee hee

Sisters Forever

Can you believe how beautiful the sunset was? Even the way it changed from fire orange and gold to deep indigo and purple and pink... I love Maui.

Me

Haleakela and Ulalena (Try saying that 10 times fast...)

2007-09-25T22:39:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we decided to get up at the crack... and I mean crack of dawn. I'm sure the Lord wasn't up yet. We left our condo at 4am to head up to Haleakela Crater to catch the sunrise. What a breathtaking view!!! We didn't get to see much of a sunrise because of too much cloud coverage, but it was still absolutely worth it, just for the sheer beauty of the view! See for yourself...

Just before sunrise...

Haleakela Crater

Freezing our hiney's off!

Sister Beth

All Bundled Up

Haleakela is 10,000 feet up in the air... that's right.... 1o,ooo. That's "Ding! You may now turn on your approved electrical devices" airplane high!

Blankets? Who needs blankets?

Doesn't that look like the view outside an airplane?

This is all we were able to catch of the sunrise... Someday, when I go back to Maui ("when" being the key word), I'm going to get the full effect.

On our way down the mountain we stopped at Kula Lodge for a yummy breakfast. It was delicious! I would highly recommend it. It was still super high up so the view was also gorgeous.

Kula Lodge also had a beautiful garden with all types of plants and flowers. The plant in the picture below is seriously called a Wandering Jew. I'll let the picture speak for itself... :)

The Five of Us

As if we hadn't already done enough in the day, we decided to stop at Baldwin Beach on the way back from Haleakela since we weren't sure if we would make it back to that part of the island...

At one part of the beach there are a bunch of old tree stumps with these incredible root systems sprawled all over. You can kind of see it in the picture below, but it doesn't do it justice. What a contrast to see these huge stumps and sprawling roots on the sand!

After an afternoon nap, we all headed up to Lahaina and ate at the Cool Cat Cafe. Hands down the BEST hamburger on Maui! Probably the best burger I've ever had. It blew Cheeseburger in Paradise out of the water. If you ever go to Maui and you're craving a cheeseburger, this place is a must! (I could be a tour guide for Maui now.) :)

After dinner we went across the street where this enormous Banyan Tree has grown at the center of town. If you've ever been to Lahaina, you know what tree I mean. It's amazing. The pictures below that look like the entire tree actually show just one section.

Daddy showing off

After the Banyan Tree we went to a unique theatrical presentation called Ulalena about the mythical history of Maui. And of course, after we had to get Lappert's ice cream and sit on the wall overlooking the ocean to wrap up the night. Talk about a full day!

A Perfect Day

2007-09-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

Monday was my family's first full day in Maui, so we decided to go to.... where else??? The BEACH!!! While we were there my dad got this great idea to write the name of each beach that we visited in the sand and take a picture to remember it. Monday was such a great day! Beach, fish and chips, sunset... what more could you want?

On the way to Makena Beach

The Guys Boogie Boarding in the Ocean

Us "Kids"

Mommy and Me

On our way to dinner

We ate at a fish and chips place on the main drag in Kihei called Alexander's. Really good, really unhealthy food!

After dinner we went back to our condo and walked out on the beach to watch the sunset.

Pretty Girl

Aren't they cute?

We never did find out the name of the beach near our condo, but there was always seaweed on it, so we named it Seaweed Beach... thus the picture. :)

Ian and Steven hermit crab hunting on Seaweed Beach. Those suckers are fast! They were really proud of themselves when they finally caught some.

Maui Sunset.... Sigh...

Arrival of the Fam

2007-09-02T17:51:00.001-07:00

Picking up Ian from the airport... Mom, Dad and Nat would arrive in a couple hours. I love my brother so much and I was so happy to see him in Maui!

Dinner at Bubba Gumps on the water front in Lahaina on Sunday night, my fam's first night in Maui

The Girls

The Guys

Another Maui Sunset

All of us after filling ourselves with yummy shrimp cooked almost every way possible

Getting ice cream and shave ice at Lappert's after dinner

In our Jeep on our way back to our condos in Kihei... Mom and Dad were in their Seabring following us. They looked cute in their bright blue Seabring!

So those are the pics I have so far from the first part of our trip... I still have 8 more days of pics to post, so there will definitely be more to come! I have to take a blogger break for now... So many pics to sort through!

Just the Two of Us (In Paradise)

2007-09-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

Steven and I got to Maui Thursday afternoon and it was just the 2 of us until Sunday afternoon when my family came to join us. So we got to spend a few days alone together having fun and exploring the island. It took us about a day and a half to really wind down and realize that we were on VACATION for the next week and a half. What a GREAT feeling that was!

First Maui Morning!

Friday, our first morning in Maui... We went to the Grand Wailea (GORGEOUS Resort!!!) and had their incredible breakfast (it wouldn't be the last time). Can you say "Cinnamon Roll French Toast with Mascarpone Cheese, Fresh Berries and Coconut Syrup?" Um, Delicious!!! :)

Steven endud up totally shocking me by saying that he wanted to get a massage with me at the Grand Wailea Spa (Best spa on Maui!), so we made last minute appointments for a Side by Side 80 minute massage. My hubby isn't normally a "Let's get a massage" man. It was heavenly! I'll never go back to 60 minutes... I'm ruined forever! :) Here we are at the Grand Wailea passing the time smooching until our massage appointment.

After our massage, we ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise near the Grand Wailea. It was a fun experience, but definitely not the best burgers in the world. That would come later on in our trip.

Saturday marked our first Maui Starbucks! Even in Maui, us Washingtonians have to have our coffee!

Exploring La Perouse Bay later on that day. La Perouse is made of lava rock that meets the ocean. It's great for snorkeling and fishing.

We found a Sea Turtle at La Perouse, riding the tide in and out of a bay. We named him Sushi. :)

More Sushi

Both of us at La Perouse

Saturday night was our last night alone in Maui, so we went out for a romantic dinner on the beach at IO Restaurant in Lahaina. We missed our first Maui Sunset on Friday night since we were getting our massages, so this was our first official Maui Sunset. Many more to come!

Hubby Looking GQ

Happy to be together

Hubby and I the morning we were going to pick up my family at the airport. We went for a walk along the beach by our condo out to a rocky point where I gave him an early birthday present- Tickets for us to the Seahawks game against the New Orleans Saints on his birthday, October 14th. And not just any tickets! Club Level, 50 yard line! I can't wait!!! We are HUGE Seahawks fans! I was so excited I just couldn't wait until October to give them to him.

WE LOVE MAUI!!!

2007-09-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

Hello, World! We are still alive... Okay, so we've been back from vacation for almost 2 weeks now, but as soon as we came home we hit the ground running and we've been going a million miles a minute ever since! I know I know... excuses excuses... but seriously, it's been unbelievably busy since getting home. As I type this, the outside of our house is getting painted, so we've been preparing for that along with getting back into the groove of work (end of month in sales is CRAZY!!!), softball, church, etc... Yada yada... you all don't care about that, do you? You just wanna see pics! :) So here they are!!! I thought I would do a few different posts to break up the trip and the enormous amount of pictures I have to show you all... I won't show all of them, I promise! WE LOVED MAUI!!! Neither of us had been there before, so it was a huge treat and we both completely fell in love with the island. We drove all over and went to a ton of different beaches, restaurants and towns. By the end of the trip, we knew the island like the back of our hand. We'll definitely go back someday... when our wallets recover! :) So here it is from the beginning:

On the plane!

At the Kahului Airport!!! We'd arrived!

Babe and I in our leis...

Our Jeep! If you ever go to Maui, rent a Jeep!!! It's so worth it!

On the beach near our condo on our first evening in Maui.

Our Night on the Town

2007-08-07T20:10:00.001-07:00

For our Anniversary Steven took me to one of our favorite restaurants, El Gaucho, in downtown Seattle. We got all dressed up and had an absolutely delicious dinner - dungeness crab and prawn appetizer, Caeser salad made from scratch at your table, filet mignon, lobster, and their flambe dessert specialty, Bananas Foster. It was SO yummy! I wish I would have taken pictures inside the restaurant. Not only does El Gaucho have incredible food, but they have excellent presentation as well. They flambe'd our dessert right next to our table and the flames went at least 3 feet in the air! After dinner and all that eating, we drove down to the water front and took a romantic walk along the pier. The evening was beautiful and warm and the sky was clear... what a perfect night to celebrate our 3rd year of marriage!

On the way down to Seattle...

After Dinner down by the waterfront...
The Dress! Steven said the dress was (and I quote) "very Audrey Hepburnish"! How's that for a compliment??? He got a kiss for that one...

Smooch
Beautiful Night
I think Steven looks so handsome in this picture.
Some pics Mel took for us at her house after we got home.

Maui, Here We Come!

2007-08-06T23:34:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Steven and I are leaving for a much needed and much anticipated vacation in Maui!!! We are so excited! Neither of us have been to Maui yet. We are going to have 4 days in Maui by ourselves and then my Dad, Mom, Brother and Sis are meeting up with us for another 8 days... yes, that's right... 12 days in Paradise!!! I am excited to spend quality time with my family who we don't get to see nearly often enough. Vacation is one of my favorite things in the world - especially if it includes sun and sand! I'll have LOTS to blog about when we get back!

Uncle Steve and Auntie Alie

2007-08-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

Steven and I are offically an Uncle and Aunt! Ben and Glade welcomed their daughter, Eowyn Joy into the world on July 25th at 3:34 in the morning. She weighed 8lbs 4oz. Glade did a wonderful job! She had a midwife and gave birth 100% natural, so she is AMAZING! She was so calm! I will definitely need some pointers from her when it's my turn! It was an incredibly memorable experience for me. We were all at the midwife's home from about 10:30 pm waiting for the arrival of baby Eowyn. Ben and Glade are such proud parents! It is also very fun to see my husband, Steven with his little niece. He's so gentle with her and she absolutely has a special place in his heart. We love you Ben, Glade and Eowyn! Check out their blog for more pics of Eowyn! They are under my Friends list.

Auntie Mel and Uncle Matt waiting for Eowyn to make her entrance into the world...

The Aunties and Grandma!

Me and Grandpa Tom (Yes, that's right GRANDPA Tom!)

Our wonderfully supportive friend, Cara, who had just gone through the same thing as Glade a few months earlier when she gave birth to her son, Daniel! Talk about empathy!

Cara's hubby, Justin and Uncle Steve

Here she is! Eowyn minutes after she was born...

Proud Parents

Uncle Dain gets a glimpse...

Isn't she precious?

Visting a few hours later... Yes! It was the same day! Eowyn was born at 3:34am and this was the same day in the evening after work... Auntie Alie gets to hold her!

In the arms of Uncle Steve

Steven is very sweet with her.

Pretty Little Princess

Isn't she beautiful? Look at her coloring!

Family Camp (Mav's 1st Time at the Beach!)

2007-08-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Every Summer our church has a Family Camp over at Ocean Shores, Washington. This year's camp was aweful and wonderful all at the same time! Aweful because the weather was TERRIBLE - it rained the whole time, so that meant no bon-fire on the beach, no mopedding, no miniature golf... none of the fun activities that have become tradition... However, it was a wonderful time of hearing from the heart of Pastor Dave Easterly, our previous Pastor who is now a missionary in Africa. His word was challenging, refreshing and absolutely from the heart of God. Our dear friends Cara and Justin also got ordained as official Pastors on staff at this year's Family Camp, so wonderful memories were made. This trip was Maverick's first time to the beach and he was absolutely adorable! He wasn't sure what to make of the waves coming in and out, but he loved running in the sand and exploring all the new sights and sounds. Enjoy the pics below!

Tom sharing memories of Justin growing up...

Praying for Cara and Justin...

Our good friends Art and Carrie with their beautiful daughter, Hannah and their nephew, Cara and Justin's son, Daniel...

I LOVE that chunky arm! Don't you just want to kiss him??

Okay, so Mav unexpectedly licked my face when we took this shot... I know... gross... but it was such a cute picture!

Not so sure about the waves...

Shaking off after a wave caught him...

Mav and "Dad" :)

Look how itty bitty he is! He's grown so much since then...

A Very Happy Anniversary!!!

2007-07-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

3 years!!! I can't believe it!!! Where has time gone? Steven John, I am so in love with you - now more than ever. And I know that as time goes on, I will fall deeper still. I am grateful that as we are facing all the ups and downs of life, the trials and the triumphs, our love is growing stronger and more true. Thank you for being a truly wonderful and patient husband with me. You show me Jesus in so many ways. God has blessed me with you and I realize that a little more every day. You are fun, you are hilarious, you are sweet, you are thoughtful, you are kind, you are handsome and you are loving. I could go on and on... Most of all, you are my very best friend and I love you with my whole heart! Happy 3 Year Anniversary!

Little Miracle

2007-07-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

As some of you may or may not know, my little sister Natalie and her boyfriend, Shawn Murphy are having a baby! The above ultrasound picture is when Natalie was about 10 weeks along. She will be starting her 16th week this Thursday, July 26th and the baby will be born sometime in January of 2008. Isn't the picture adorable? Normally I have a hard time deciphering what is what in an ultrasound picture, but I thought this one was so precious. I could absolutely make out the baby's head and little developing body. How precious! They do not know the sex of the baby yet, but will be making an appointment to find out at their next checkup on August 9th. I am going to be an Auntie! Natalie and Shawn both realize how special and precious this little life is and they are determined to raise their baby right. They know that they are going to need God's help to do so. Please pray for them as they will have some unique challenges (i.e. they are not going to rush into getting married so Natalie will still be living with our parents; Natalie will be continuing with school to earn her degree in Nursing and she will also continue working at the hospital as a Certified Nursing Assistant). I am proud of my sister and I'm proud of the tough, right decisions she has had to make since finding out she was pregnant; and I am proud of Shawn for being committed and determined to be a good dad to this little miracle of life. God is the Author of Life and only time will tell the AMAZING things that He has in store for this little one. I am so excited to find out! Jeremiah 19:11 "For I know the plans I have for you (Baby Murphy),” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

My First Pie (and I am NOT Betty Crocker!)

2007-07-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

For those of you who really know me, I am not the most domesticated young lady in the world. I've never been extremely talented in the culinary arts, but lately I've wanted to tackle some things that I haven't really done before. I actually enjoy being in the kitchen baking and cooking, but I don't do it very often. This is usually because I work full time and at the end of a long work day, making a home cooked meal from scratch is the last thing I'm up for. But every once in a while, I really have a desire to do something fun and Martha Stewartish. :) Most recently, I've totally wanted to make a pie from scratch; and not just any pie, my hubby's favorite - Blackberry. The other day I bought a half flat of blackberries at the store and decided then and there that I was going to make a pie no matter what. I made the pie crust mixture on Thursday night, divided it in 2 parts and then left it in the fridge overnight since it was about 11 o'clock PM. The next day I rolled out the 2 portions of the pie crust and mixed together the blackberry filling (thank you, Betty Crocker cookbook!). I put the first half of the pie crust mixture in my pie plate and scooped in the blackberry filling. Then I put the second portion of the pie crust mixture over the top and sealed the two portions together and baked away! It turned out so much better than I could have hoped! I can't believe I am this excited about a pie, but it looked pretty and it tasted good!! What more could you ask for regarding your first pie? I took it to share at our church's family camp this last weekend and there was nothing left to bring home, so I think that was a good sign. Plus, my hubby loved it, which is what was most important to me since I made the pie for him in the first place. Here are some pics I took to commemorate the "first" in my life. :)

Lei and Max Come to Visit

2007-07-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

So LeiLani has been after me for a while to post the pics that she took at my house when she and Max came to visit at the end of May. It was such a treat to have them both come to visit! The last time I saw Max he was only a month old, so seeing him at 9 months was amazing and so much fun. He is definitely LeiLani's son! He was extremely adorable and entertaining. And it was fun to see LeiLani in her element and so happy as a mom. She is a fantastic mother and I hope to be as fun as her someday when I have my own children. It was wonderful to see you, Lei and Max! Please come up again soon!!! Love you! See pics of our visit below:

Max and me. We had strawberries and Cool Whip down by the lake at my house and Max adored the Cool Whip. He had just managed to get both hands in it and put it all in his mouth right before this picture. It was hilarious!
Beautiful Baby!
All Tuckered Out. Beautiful Mommy!
Pic Lei took of the view out our dining room nook.

View out of our living room windows.
View of our lake from the deck.
Max down by the lake soaking up some sun. :)
More pics of our lake.
Cool shot Lei got from our lawn down by the lake looking up at our trees.

Lei and Sleepy Head :)

Nail Salon (Anjelah Johnson)

2007-07-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

For all you ladies who have ever gotten your nails done. :)

The Duck is Dead (Maverick playing at 2AM on his 1st morning with us.)

2007-07-05T14:52:00.001-07:00

Maverick Discovers a "Dog" in the Mirror

2007-07-05T14:44:00.001-07:00

Meet Maverick!

2007-07-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I haven't been blogging recently because Steven and I have been busy being parents! :) That's right, we have our very own baby now! But before you get too excited, the "baby" is our new Jack Russell Terrier puppy, Maverick Griffey Hardebeck! Ever since Steven was a little boy, he has always wanted a Jack Russell and we've wanted to get one for some time now. This month we will celebrate our 3rd Wedding Anniversary, so we figured this would be a good time in our marriage to take on the responsibility of a puppy. We got Maverick from a breeder in South Carolina who has been amazingly informative and helpful. We picked him up at the airport at 1 AM (yes, 1 AM) on Saturday morning, June 23rd. The poor little guy was shaking like a leaf from his trip. But once we let him out of his crate on the grass outside, he started wagging his notched little tail and licking our hands to let us know he was so happy to meet us. We took him home with us and played with him for a while before finally getting to bed around 2:30 in the morning. We've had him for about a week and a half now and I must say that I am so proud of him. He is doing extremely well! He is very much like a little baby, which is good for us. Since all of our friends are having babies, we thought we would see how we do as the "parents" of a puppy. :) You should see my house, I have puppy toys all over my floor and his big wire crate with his bed in it in our bedroom. Very nice decor, I'm telling you.. But this little guy is so much fun! He is very sweet and laid-back (yes, a laid back Jack Russell). But he's still very playful and has a ton of personality. He loves his little stuffed animal duck and the other day he "killed" one of Steven's socks. He makes the cutest little squeeking noise when he yawns and he loves to cuddle. We've been taking him everywhere we can with us so that he really feels a part of our lives. We've even been getting up with him at night to take him out to go to the bathroom. The breeder let us know that if we want to potty train him right, that is what we'll need to do for the first month. At first he was getting up at 2:30 and 5:30 every morning. Now he is sleeping through the nights until about 5:00 or 5:30 every morning. Improvement! And on the 4th of July when most dogs freak out, he played all day with the other dogs and even slept through the big fireworks show on Lake Sawyer! He is amazing us! Some people were really nervous that we were getting a Jack Russell since they are so high-spirited, but we are committed to training him and paying him lots of attentions. Jack Russells want to be a part of your family, so that's what he is! And they LOVE the water, so with us owning a boat and living on a lake, he is the perfect dog. We are so blessed with him and just love him to pieces and want to share his adorableness with you! So... HERE'S MAVERICK!

Daddy

2007-06-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

Dad, this is overdue, but since I was traveling back to Washington on Father's Day, I am just now getting time to post a blog to honor you and tell you how very much I love you. You are a picture of the Father Heart of God toward us, His children. Thank you for your unconditional, deep love toward your family and specifically us, your children. Thank you for not giving up on us, but for faithfully lifting us up in prayer and being a "hands on" type of Father. Thank you for your encouragement, your generosity, your wisdom and most of all your passion for the Lord. Your example is an inspiration to all who know you, especially to the 3 of us who call you "Dad." The older I get and the more I learn of life, I realize how blessed I am to have the security of a Father's love and approval every day of my life. Thank you for sticking it out through the hard times, for being there to share in the happy times and for all the times in the future that we will have to make memories. You are a wonderful father! This message FULL OF LOVE comes all the way from Washington State from your oldest daughter who will always be your little girl, "A." Love you with all my heart...

A Day at the Races

2007-06-19T22:05:00.000-07:00

My baby brother is so amazing!!! I was just down in California last week on a business trip and was able to extend my stay in order to hang out with my family who I miss so much and to watch my brother (back from college) ride his motorcycle at Thunderhill Raceway near our hometown. Technically these are called track days, not actual races my brother tells me. Ian had a whole cheering section show up just for him. Our immediate family, my uncle, aunt and cousin, Ian's girlfriend Sarah, and our neighbor family across the street all showed up to root him on. Ian is incredible and I'm not just saying that because I'm his sister (really!). It was a blast to pull up to the racetrack and hear the motors of all the bikes speeding around the 3 1/2 mile track. It was even more fun to watch my brother! He rides up to 160 mph in the straightaways and his knee is barely inches from the track on the turns. I've posted a bunch of pics below. It was really hard to get still pics of him racing because he was riding so FAST! (The blur of silver in the picture below is my brother...) I took video of him racing as well, but those are still stuck on my sis's camera. I hope to have them to post soon. That Saturday was the perfect way to spend as a family... good job, Baby Brother! (And thanks for the new spark in my prayer life... :) )

My Anchor

2007-06-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 33: 27 "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Isaiah 30:18 "The Lord longs to be gracious to you. He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Ever had "one of those seasons" in life of discouragement or disappointment? It seems to come at a time when you think you are just about at a place of true contentment... If you know what I mean, this post and these verses are for you. I'm learning more and more that, just like the verse says, God causes everything (even the hard stuff) to work together for the good of those who LOVE Him. Our Pastor Ed gave such a good word this last weekend about Disappointment and I was very challenged by it. He said that we must line up our feelings with Truth (the Word of God), not try to line up Truth to our feelings or emotions. God is my anchor and his Word is Truth and I can find true contentment and peace in that, even in the midst of discouragement. I hope that this helps anyone else who might be going through a similar season of life right now. Take hope that just like in the natural, this season will pass and give way to a NEW season full of life and promise and hope. Thank God for that!

Hubby's Softball Team

2007-06-02T12:10:00.001-07:00

Steven and Justin are co-coaching our church's softball team and they are having a blast! The team is doing really well too! At a recent game I took some pics/videos that will be in our church's slide show. They already have 25 guys that want to play next season, which starts in August! I think everyone loves that Steven and Justin of course want to win, but they want everyone to have fun at the same time. It's paying off too! They are 9 and 1 (wins/losses)! I love watching my husband coach. He loves sports, so he is completely in his element right now and he does a great job with managing the team and making this a great experience for everyone involved. I'm so proud of him! Plus, he's really good at sports at the same time, so that's pretty hot! :) Go, Babe!

Stewie

2007-06-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

My parents just got a 5 month old Havanese puppy named Stewie and they brought him up to our house on their last vist over Memorial Day weekend. This dog is the best! He has so much personality and was a blast to have around. It made me all the more excited to get our Jack Russell Terrier, Maverick, in 3 weeks. We took Stewie on walks, he rode with us in the car everywhere, he barked at Matt and Mel's pitbull, Tuff, because Stewie completely thinks he's bigger than he really is, he played with Michelle's new puppy, Lily and I think they fell in love... He is so fun! I miss him already!

Which Jane Austen heroine are you?

2007-05-28T21:39:00.001-07:00

You are Marianne Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are impulsive, romantic, impatient, and perhaps a little to vocal in your honesty. You enjoy romantic poetry and novels, and play the pianoforte beautifully. To boot, your singing voice is captivating. You feel deeply, and love passionately.

Take the Quiz here!

Too bad I can't really sing or play the pianoforte! Does anyone even have a pianoforte anymore??? Maybe I could learn... Hmm...

Baby Brother

2007-05-26T10:54:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my baby brother, Ian. He is going to college at University of California at San Diego pursuing a degree in Computer Engineering. He's also had the opportunity to pursue one of his passions: racing bikes. Ever since we were little, Ian has loved street bikes. I have childhood memories of motorcycles racing by on the street outside our house and my little brother running to the window to watch them go by. He loved to make the sound effects of the engines. (I'm probably really embarrassing him now, but I'm his big sis so it's allowed.) Now my "baby" brother is 23 and all grown up and taller than me. He's working at Buy Moto in San Diego and has his own bike and racing gear. In the last couple of years he's gotten more serious about his hobby and most recently has begun racing on tracks. This weekend he is racing at a track near Las Vegas and in a couple weeks he'll be down racing at a track close to our hometown of Yuba City called Willows. It's so fun to see him pursuing his passion. Below are some pictures that a professional photographer took of Ian during one of his races down in Southern California. Doesn't he look great??? So proud of you, Bud!

Michelle, My Belle

2007-05-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

This blog is a tribute to my talented friend, Michelle! Michelle has taken up photography as a hobby and has even started her own business. She had done an amazing job of taking pictures for engagements and weddings. Her latest project was a photo shoot for Cara and Justin of little Daniel. The pictures are fantastic! Here is the link to see the pictures of Daniel James: http://jensenphotography.photosite.com/DanielJames/

Happy Birthday, LeiLani!

2007-05-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Beautiful Lady! For those of you that don't know, LeiLani and I have known each other our whole lives. The proof is in the picture... That is Leilani and I as babies with our Moms who were probably our age at the time! Ahhhhhh! And the other picture is LeiLani doing my makeup at my wedding. Who has that kind of story anymore? I love it! LeiLani, you are a beautiful person inside and out and an inspiration and refreshing breath of life to all around you. Your passion for life and the Lord is infectious and I am honored to call you my friend. May you be blessed to overflowing today, Lady... You deserve it! Happy Birthday to you! Love, Alie

Kodak Moments

2007-05-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

He's so precious!

I love this face!

Wearing the little hat Auntie Alie and Uncle Steve gave him...

Hahahahahahahahahaha! I love this picture. Read the onesie...

Possibilities... :)

2007-05-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that watching my in-laws with Daniel and especially watching my husband hold him does make me excited for what the future holds. :) How amazing that one day the baby that Steven will be holding in pictures will be ours?!?! Soon... but not yet... :)

I adore this little guy! I told Steven, "I'm in love!" I never expected to love this little baby so very much. I can't even imagine how Cara and Justin must feel!!! I think I also love that fact that he is my dear friend's son and I have the honor of being a part of his life and watching him grow up... how unbelievable! Watching Cara with him is so inspiring. She is an amazing mother!

Proud Parents

2007-05-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the World, Daniel James Garland!

2007-05-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

Isn't he perfect? So proud of you Cara and Justin!

I'M AN AUNTIE!!!!! :)

2007-05-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Our very dear friends, Cara and Justin Garland had their first baby last night! They were waiting to find out the sex of the baby and they had a son! Daniel James Garland was born at 8:56pm, weighing 7lbs 6 oz and he is 20 inches long. Cara is amazing! She did it all without an epideral!!! Daniel is absolutely perfect and beautiful. He has Justin's lips and Cara's nose and a full head of dark hair. Justin and Cara are the first of our close group of friends to have a baby. A bunch of us were at the hospital last night and got to see Justin, Cara and Daniel. All I can say is that was an emotion I've never felt before to walk into the room and see one of your very best friends lying in a hospital bed holding her son... Words can't even describe it. That was a night I will remember for the rest of my life... I'm trying to get pictures to post so everyone can see how adorable he is! I'm an auntie! :)

Amy Tice is the Blog Queen!!!

2007-05-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, I would just like everyone to know (if you didn't already) that Amy Tice is the blog queen! She totally made my and Steven's blog way more fun (Told you I'm ready for summer...)!!! Seeing as how she has probably done half of our blog pages anyway, I move that we officially dub her the "Blog Queen." All in favor, say "I"! :) Thank you so much, Amy! You are a blessing, girl!

2007-04-29T20:00:00.001-07:00

While I was looking through all the cruise pictures to post, I found this video clip that we took on the way home. The cruise had a show the last night of the trip where actual cruise vacationers impersonated famous people. One of the songs was Crocodile Rock by Elton John, so Steven and I decided to do our own impersonation... :) It makes me laugh to this day!

Crocodile Rock

2007-04-29T19:59:00.001-07:00

Sunshine and Summertime

2007-04-28T16:54:00.000-07:00

I am beyond ready for Summertime... One of the things about living in Washington State that has been a HUGE adjustment for this California girl has been the weather. Yes, Washington is beautiful and green and lush... but that is because it is cold and rainy for a good portion of the year!!!! hahahahahaha... I love this state from June to September. It's completely breathtaking and warm and there's always a nearby lake to jump into (and now we have our very own lake we can jump into in our backyard!) but the months from October thru May are long ones. We're getting to the final stretch right about now, but that taste of Sunshine and Summertime seems like it's never going to get here! It doesn't help to hear that it will be in the 80's in Yuba City next week either! ;) I LOVE the heat! Absolutley love it... love soaking up the sunshine, love floating on a raft in the middle of a lake or taking a swim and then laying out on a dock and letting the heat evaporate the drops from my skin... It's gotta be one of the best feelings in the world! Can you tell I've been deprived??? :) Another thing I love is being somewhere hot and tropical! Now that's an upbeatable combination. In honor of that happy thought, I've been going over pics from our cruise last August with 3 other couples who are close friends of ours and I've posted a few below to inspire me to hang in there and to inspire you all to go soak up some sunshine (some of you will be able to do so the same day you read this blog, so please think of me freezing up here when you do!)... I am READY for another vacation, that's for sure!

2007-04-28T16:51:00.000-07:00

The Ladies

2007-04-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

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2007-04-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

Cara wrote a "B" in my cappuccino for "Baby" because when we went on a "Girls Cruise" before we were all married, she wrote an "H" in my cappuccino for "Hardebeck."However, I would like to point out that the one who walked away from this cruise pregnant was NOT me... IT WAS CARA!!! :)

2007-04-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

Steven and Sean trying and hating escargo... :)

2007-04-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

2007-04-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

Nothing like good friends!!!

2007-04-28T16:30:00.000-07:00

I love this man...

2007-04-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

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Don't ask...

2007-04-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

Pure Relaxation!!!!! :)

2007-04-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

My Handsome Guy... We LOVED St. Maarten!!!! Definately want to go back!!

2007-04-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

Most Fun Vacation Group Award...

2007-04-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

2007-04-28T16:11:00.000-07:00

2007-04-28T16:10:00.000-07:00

2007-04-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

Happy 7th Anniversary Sean and Stacia!!!

2007-04-28T16:08:00.000-07:00

2007-04-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Something like the Alps

2007-04-14T22:25:00.000-07:00

Well, since I currently don't have pictures of the old house or the new house to post just yet, I am going to go backwards a couple of months and post pics from my 25th birthday weekend getaway in Leavenworth (Yes, I just figured out how to post pictures... ). Steven and Justin surprised my good friend Cara and I with the trip since Cara and I have the same birthday (February 12th)! Leavenworth is a Bavarian style town up in the mountains about 2 hours from where we live. It feels like you're in the Alps! (Not that I would know, but it's what I imagine it would be like :) ... ) We did a lot of meandering through out the town through the specialty shops. I think Steven's favorite shop was the Salt Water Taffy store. We went there 2 or 3 times and came out with little bags full of different flavors each time. :) We did a LOT of eating too! Italian, Authentic German (There's a reason why the Germans aren't known for their food... hahaha), yummy breakfasts... We had plans to do some snow mobiling, but the Doctor gave Cara a big "NO" on that idea so we played cards and watched movies instead. It was fantastic to get away and do a lot of relaxing. Enjoy the pics...

My Handsome Hubby and I on the way up!

Trying on goofy hats in the hat store...

The main street through the town...

Dressing up for our birthday dinner! Isn't Cara a beautious pregnant lady??

My Hubby is so good-looking! :) Whoo hoo, babe!

Eating gelato at Viadolce! I think I had it 4 times in the 2 and 1/2 days that we were there... I LOVE gelato! :)

Okay, I had to take a picture of the cute old man in his lederhosen playing the accordian at our authentic dinner... He was so adorable!

These are pics of our last morning in Leavenworth and my favorite memory of the weekend. Steven and I got up early (which is a miracle for me, if you know me...). It snowed for the first time in two weeks that morning, so we went for a walk in the snow through the town before anyone was up. Leavenworth is very touristy and usually busy, but on that morning nobody was outside yet. It felt like we had the whole town to ourselves! I love speding time with my husband... We just walked around and took pictures and talked and laughed. It was a winter wonderland all our own. I loved it! When we got back to the hotel, Cara and Justin were up and we went and grabbed some Starbucks before heading home. It was a very happy weekend!

Finally...

2007-04-04T08:47:00.001-07:00

Well, I've finally decided to start a blog... Steven and I have so many friends and family elsewhere, especially in California. Many of those friends have Blogs with postings of their darling children and their lives to keep everyone updated. Even though Steven and I don't have any children (yet!), I thought it would be great to start a blog to keep everyone updated on our lives up here in the Evergreen State. Plus, we just moved to a new house on a little lake! I am already dreaming about all the changes I want to make to update the house (believe me, there are going to be quite a few!). The lake we moved to is called Lake Twelve. Our house is on two lots totaling 2/3 of an acre. What's really fun is our next door neighbors (and the reason we found out about the house in the first place) are actually Steven's sister and brother-in-law, Matt and Mel! Good neighbors!!! And since we haven't had kids yet, we thought we might start with a dog. :) Our new yard is fully fenced, so we have plans to get a Jack Russell Terrier in the very near future. Steven's always wanted one and they love the water! How convenient!

Some more info about what we are doing with our lives these days... We are the Young Adult leaders at our church in Maple Valley. I have a full time job working as a Sales Specialist in the Enterprise Division at a technology provider called Zones, Incorporated. Steven is working at a window manufacturing and installation company called Reflection that among other things, contracts with large construction companies for housing developments. He is being trained in all aspects of the company by an excellent business man and his potential within Reflection is amazing. God has truly blessed us!

I haven't figured out how to post pictures yet, but I will soon so everyone can see pics of the old house and the new Lake House. Now I REALLY can't wait for Summer!!!